The Complete Researcher : A Practical Guide for Graduate Students and Early Career Professionals

Learning how to do research well is not easy, and for newer scholars the process can feel overwhelming. Using clear and supportive language, this book is designed to help graduate students and early career professionals in psychology develop skills to effectively work through the research process. Chapters cover the essential character traits and skills that are necessary to become an effective researcher, walk through the main steps for completing a research project from start to finish, and discuss considerations when building a career and research program. Rather than the nitty-gritty of research methods, authors Joshua N. Hook, Don E. Davis, and Daryl R. Van Tongeren focus on the big picture of what is required in research. Chapters in the first section address overarching principlesthe personal growth, attributes, and habits that are important to develop to become a successful researcher. The second section illustrates the key steps in completing a research project from start to finish, from formulating an idea for a project, to completing a literature review, collecting data, analyzing data, and writing up the results. The third section discusses developing a research program and transitioning from graduate student to professionaltopics such as collaborating with others in research and mentoring students. This section is full of practical advice the authors learned from mentors and from personal experience. Written for people with a broad range of career goals, and with the mentoring relationship in mind, the book helps mentors and students form productive relationships that feel mutually beneficial and rewarding. Each chapter aims to help students and professionals along their research journey, and teaches them not just how to survive the process, but thrive. Contents Foreword Preface Introduction: How This Book Can Help Build Research and Leadership Skills Part I Principles: Building Yourself Into a Successful Researcher Chapter 1 Finding and Sustaining Motivation: Connecting Your Values to the Research Process Chapter 2 Building Community as You Build Your Research Career Chapter 3 Building Expertise in Research Chapter 4 Setting Goals for Your Research Chapter 5 Developing Good Habits for Successful Research Chapter 6 Cultivating Positive Beliefs to Foster Research Success Chapter 7 Nurturing the Mind–Body Connection to Support Productivity Chapter 8 Navigating Adversity During the Research Process Part II Plan: The Research Project from Start to Finish Chapter 9 Choosing a Topic for Your Research Project Chapter 10 Conducting a Literature Review Chapter 11 Designing Your Research Project Chapter 12 Planning the Method Section Chapter 13 Preparing for the Proposal Meeting Chapter 14 Planning for and Conducting Data Collection Chapter 15 Analyzing Data and Writing Your Results Chapter 16 Crafting the Discussion Chapter 17 Writing the Abstract Chapter 18 Making a Conference Presentation Chapter 19 Preparing Your Research Project for Publication Part III Program: Developing Leadership Skills and Jump-Starting Your Research Career Chapter 20 Stepping Into Leadership in Your Research Career Chapter 21 Developing a Research Program Chapter 22 Collaborating With Others in Research Chapter 23 Making the Transition From Graduate Student to Professor Chapter 24 Mentoring Students Chapter 25 Balancing Cohesion and Inclusion in Teams Chapter 26 Conclusion: Final Thoughts on Growing as a Researcher Appendix: Sample Timelines References Index About the Authors