INQR 101
INQUIRY ORTFOLIO ROJECT P P :
FINAL SUBMISSION
Name: __________Matea Harwood____________________________
Week Two Topic Selection
Original Submission: I chose to utilize the second path option for my research topic and have elected to write on the subject of
early developmental psychology. The three primary reasons I decided to choose an area of psychology to work on for this assignment was
because it strongly connects to me, my career, and the communities of people invested in this subject. I struggled with many mental
health issues when I was younger and as I grew into adulthood, I not only found myself interested in psychology, but more specifically,
the issue of early developmental psychology. Currently, I am a general psychology major and developmental psychology is relevant to the
field I am aiming to go into, so I thought it would be a great fit for this assignment given my personal and professional background with
the subject.
In addition to my love for psychology I also greatly enjoy working with children. I was employed as an elementary school tutor
during my high school years and as I delved deeper into psychology, I found that early developmental psychology and its intense focus on
children was of great interest to me. I have met and talked with several other professional psychologists and psychology majors who work
intimately with this subject and I believe completing this project will help me better understand the developmental psychology
community and contribute to their awareness. I am very passionate about the development of kids and young youth, and I look forward
to further researching the topic throughout the course of this project.
INQR 101
Now that I know what I know, this is what I would change if I were to start creating my topic: I would make a document listing my
possible topics and the continue to narrow down the results until I reached a more specified topic or issue to write on. This would give me
a broader range of options and a clearer path to deciding what topic I wanted to choose.
Week Three Development of Research Question
Original Submission:
The research topic I chose was early developmental psychology, and the research question I have formed is as follows: “How do
children going through early developmental psychology stages react to their environments differently depending on their genetic
makeup?” I selected this particular research question because I have spent a large amount of time working with children, and I have
found that every child has diverse biological traits that cause them to react differently to a range of environments. I want to study more in-
depth what specific biological factors influence children and how those elements interact within the child in a set of normal environments
that are common amongst young kids. This is an ethical and significant question because it seeks to deeper understand and inquire into
the way humankind operates and how we can learn from those inquiry/research results. The question I chose is also relevant to my
academics and career because the answer to my query and the research process will both rely heavily on psychology, which relates back
to not only my major, but also the specific field of work I am looking to go into after graduation: operating as a clinical psychologist for
children and youth in development.
Now that I know what I know, this is what I would change if I were to develop my research question: I would write down potential
g p y q p
keywords or develop processes to better understand the issues involved in my research question and how I could apply that knowledge to
my future career. I would also make an effort to search out other data scientists had collected on my topic to see how their research
INQR 101
benefitted the community and take notes on how they developed their inquiry process.
Research Log Template – Week 4
Take notes as you search to help you remember which databases, keywords, and strategies worked the best. Your log should show
evidence of searching for various types of resources, including books and scholarly articles.
Date Tool or Source Used Search
Strategy
Number
of
Results
Notes about Results (Quality, relevance, etc.)
1/22/21
JFL Catalog Early
developmental
psychology
5050
Book
Results
This was my first search for this project and I decided to search with
the keywords “early developmental psychology”. This topic is
narrow, yet still open-ended enough that I could find a broad source
with general information to draw from. The book I found was
relevant to the environmental factor of my research question and will
serve its purpose to give me a large academic source of information
on my topic.
1/25/21 Academic Search
Complete
Developmental
psychology
stages
57 Book
Results
Unlike my previous search, I decided to choose a narrower topic for
this inquiry. I used more specific keywords and the book filter to
result in a smaller outcome of research results so I could look more
in-depth at the few results that appeared. I was able to books on child
psychology which covered developmental psychology stages I was
searching for, which enables me to further research the root of my
question.
1/25/21 ProQuest Child genetics
in psychology
497,579
Journal
Results
Similar to my previous search, I chose to use a specified topic in the
search bar to narrow down the information I was trying to find and
changed the filter to journal articles. I located an article that
discussed child genetics and psychology in depth, which ties in
perfectly with my research question and my goal to seek out how
genetic factors effects children’s’ psychological reaction to their
environments.
INQR 101
1/27/21 JFL Catalog Child social
environments
1,783,52
6 Journal
Results
I improved my search from my previous three searches by not only
using the keyword “child” and the journal filter, but I also included
the word “environment” to show me results more focused around the
environments children grow up in. This search allowed me to find
journal articles that enabled me to inquire further into the normal and
abnormal environments children experience. Furthermore, it will help
me understand the psychological signs kids emit as they navigate
their way through early life, which relates heavily to my research
question.
1/29/21 Academic Search
Complete
Young child
Psychology OR
developmental
1,230,25
7 General
Results
I decided to just do a general search for this subject as I thought it
would give me a more narrowed series of subjects due to the specific
nature of my keywords. However, I was wrong, and the search results
were countless! Therefore, I had to go back over my original source
and use filters to narrow down my content more precisely so I could
truly investigate the articles I wanted to look at, as the pieces I did
find were interesting and displayed a strong tie to my research
question. The article found for this search discussed the early
development of children, similar to my previous searches, just with
less detail and descriptions.
1/29/21 JFL Catalog Environmental
impact on kids
433 Book
Results
I used a book filter for this search to narrow down the amount of
results I would retrieve, which was an improvement upon my
previous search that was too broad and brought up numerous sources.
I had an easier time finding an article with my pinpointed search, but
many articles focused more on physical environments than
psychological situations.
1/29/21
Academic Search
Complete
Developmental
psychology 182,469
Book
Results
I used a series of psychology research filters in the EBSCO research
database to help me find developmental psychology books that were
peer reviewed and written by professionals. This resulted in a series
of books and articles that were more professional and relative to my
topic, which enabled me to find a book quicker. However, the books I
located had too much general information and did not contain the
specific information I needed for my project.
1/29/21 ProQuest Genetics in
children
100,209
General
Results
I typed in a general topic to see the range of results I would come up
with, and I was able to use various filters from that point to discern
the books and articles I was searching for. Everything under this
category was too broad or too non-specific to my topic to use as
actual material for my research project, as there was no useable
material I could find.
INQR 101
1/29/21 Academic Search
Complete
Developmental
psychology
AND genetics
220 Book
Results
I combined the genetics keyword from my previous search with the
topic of developmental psychology, which enabled me to find a series
of books and articles relevant to my topic. This search was more
effective than my previous ones as I used a concentrated topic and a
book filter to further narrow down my search, resulting in a
reasonable amount of results about genetics and psychology I could
find a decent article on.
1/29/21 JFL Catalog Biology of
young children
456216
Book
Results
I spawned an enormous amount of search results for this topic and
attempted to narrow down my results by applying a book filter to my
general search, this did signifigantly narrow down my results, and I
was able to look through the various search results to find a series of
books related to my question pertaining to how human biology
correlates with the development of young children.
1/29/21 ProQuest Complete Child reactions
to enviromental
stimuli
36
General
Results
I utilized an extremely narrowed down topic in this search so I would
generate a minimal number of results without filters, which worked
perfectly! I found a variety of results pertaining to my topic that
covered both parts of my research question, which helped fulfil the
purpose for my series of research queries and gave me new in-depth
information concerning my topic.
Works Cited
Book 1:
Deater-Deckard, Kirby, and Robin Panneton. Parental Stress and Early Child Development: Adaptive and Maladaptive Outcomes. 1st
ed., Switzerland, Springer International Publishing, 2018. JFL Catalog, link.springer.com/book/10.1007%2F978-3-319-55376-
4#toc.
INQR 101
Mena, Jasmine, and Kathryn Quina. Integrating Multiculturalism and Intersectionality into the Psychology Curriculum: Strategies for
Instructors. 1st ed., Washington DC, American Psychological Association, 2019. Academic Search Complete - APA PsycBooks,
web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/results?vid=17&sid=5109efb0-1142-45ba-9949-ee8b1b9440d0%40sessionmgr101&bquery=JN+
%22Integrating+multiculturalism+and+intersectionality+into+the+psychology+curriculum%3a+Strategies+for+instructors.
%22+AND+DT+20190101&bdata=JmRiPXB6aCZ0eXBlPTEmc2VhcmNoTW9kZT1TdGFuZGFyZCZzaXRlPWVob3N0LW
xpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d.
Scholarly Article 1:
Stone, Robert. “The Cloudy Crystal Ball: Genetics, Child Abuse, and the Perils of Predicting Behavior.” Vanderbilt Law Review, vol.
56, no. 5, 2003, pp. 45–48. ProQuest, www.proquest.com/docview/198850396/8BCE810AC1BF4388PQ/8?accountid=12085.
Scholarly Article 2:
Hohmann, Sarah, et al. “Genetics in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: Methodological Advances and Conceptual Issues.” European
L
Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, vol. 24, no. 6, 2015, pp. 619–34. ProQuest, doi:10.1007/s00787-015-0702-8.
INQR 101
Now that I know what I know, this is what I would change if I were to begin looking for sources: I would use more filters, Boolean
operators, and refined keywords in my searches so I could find what I was looking for quicker. I would also utilize the language filter more
often to filter out international articles in other languages and I would write down the filters or keywords that did not work so I wouldn’t
accidentally use them again.
Week Five Process Findings
Original Submission:
Book: Parental Stress and Early Child Development: Adaptive and Maladaptive Outcomes
CRAAP
Currency – This source is current and written in 2018.
Relevance - This source is relevant to my topic because it discusses early developmental psychology in relation to children’s reaction to
INQR 101
environmental stimuli.
Authority – This source draws it authority for its’ credible author, publisher, and cited sources.
Accuracy – Compared to other professional articles and books on this topic, this book presents itself as accurate, as it also cites other
sources in the text to further confirm its accuracy.
Purpose – The purpose of this source is to help me better understand how children interact with their environments based on their
experience during early developmental stages.
Project Findings
1. Why was this source written? This source was written to break down and understand how external factors alongside
environmental issues in the home can cause a series of different behaviors in children.
2. What is the main claim of the source? The main claim of the source is that children can adjust positively or negatively to
certain environments based on their experience, genetics, and personality.
3. Who is the audience of this source? The audience for this source is researchers, scientists, or people who may have a basic
knowledge of the topic and are seeking to know more.
4. Who is the author, and what makes this important? The author is Kirby Deater-Deckard, which is relevant because he is a
highly esteemed professor and psychology expert who is well-versed in his industry.
5. Is the source peer-reviewed? No, it is not, since books are not peer-reviewed.
6. Is the publication trustworthy? How do you know? Yes, it is written by a credible author, frequently references/cites other
sources, and utilized an editor to minimize errors and/or mistakes.
7. How do you know if the source qualifies as a secondary or primary source? It is a primary source because the author speaks
directly from his experiences, it is not simply a book commenting on other psychologists’’ research.
8. Does the source rely on other primary and secondary sources to make its claims? The book has an even mix of original content
and secondary sources to support those claims.
9. What does this source contribute to your research topic? This source contributes to my topic by detailing the environmental
factors of childhood and how different children’s genetics or experiences contribute to how they react to what is around them.
1. Why did you finalize this source as one of your final options? I finalized this source because it has a wealth of information about
the topic I am seeking to write on and was published by a reliable source.
2. What is the connection between this source and your research question? This source and my research question both cover
developmental psychology and how children react to their environments in detail, and this source will help me deeper understand
how children and adapt or fail to adapt to their environments.
3. How does this source connect to your academic and undergraduate career? This source connects to my career because it covers the
INQR 101
topic of developmental psychology and how children react to their environments, which are both topics that I am passionate about
and will help me delve deeper into my career and psychology classes.
4. What makes this source important to you? This source is important to me due to the depth of the book and breadth of information
covered throughout its various chapters.
5. How does the source’s main argument advance your understanding of a particular research issue? The main argument of this
source regarding children’s reactions to their environments will help me deeper understand the various ways outside factors,
genetics, and internal influences can impact a child’s ability to adjust to their surroundings.
Article: The Cloudy Crystal Ball: Genetics, Child Abuse, and the Perils of Predicting Behavior
CRAAP
Currency – This source is relatively current and written in 2003.
Relevance - This source is relevant to my topic because it covers the importance of negative and positive reactions of children to their
environments and how genetics factor into their adjustments to their circumstances.
Authority – This source draws it authority for its’ credible author, publisher, and various cited sources.
Accuracy – This article presents itself as accurate because it aligns with other scholarly sources on the topic it covers and it also cites
other sources in the text to further confirm its accuracy.
Purpose – The purpose of this source is to give me deeper insight into how genetics and internal processes in a child’s mind effect the way
in which they react and adjust their environments.
Project Findings
1. Why was this source written? This source was written to deeper study an understand how genetic and environmental factors
impact child development.
INQR 101
2. What is the main claim of the source? The main claim of this source is that children can react positively or negatively to their
situations depending on a series of genetic and behavioral factors.
3. Who is the audience of this source? The audience for this source, as with the previous source, is researchers, scientists, or
people who may have a basic knowledge of the topic and are seeking to know more.
4. Who is the author, and what makes this important? The author is Robert Stone, who is a professional lawyer and writer, which
attributes to his knowledgeable base of understanding on the topic.
5. Is the source peer-reviewed? The source was posted on the Vanderbilt Law Review, so it was scanned by students and
reviewed, then published by a professional source.
6. Is the publication trustworthy? How do you know? The publication is trustworthy because it was posted by a professional
source, written by a renowned lawyer, and has proper citations when outside information is used.
7. How do you know if the source qualifies as a secondary or primary source? The source is a primary source as the author
breaks down certain aspects of psychology and uses his experience and a few outside sources to explain his points.
8. Does the source rely on other primary and secondary sources to make its claims? In several areas it does, however, in other
areas, it is simply the author using his experience and knowledge.
9. What does this source contribute to your research topic? This source contributes knowledge about genetics and the importance
of environmental impacts on young children to my research process and helps me solve my inquiry question.
1. Why did you finalize this source as one of your final options? I finalized this source because it had specified sets of data that were
relevant to my topic and were useful in my research.
2. What is the connection between this source and your research question? This source and my research question both cover the
genetics of child psychology and this article helps me better understand how genetics and external factors interact in a child’s life.
3. How does this source connect to your academic and undergraduate career? This source connects to my career because it covers in-
depth developmental psychology topics, which is something very pertinent to my future career and present aspirations.
4. What makes this source important to you? This source is important to me because it contains data about genetics in developmental
psychology that are hard to find in other places and is written by a credible source.
5. How does the source’s main argument advance your understanding of a particular research issue? The main argument advances my
understanding by providing me with facts and statistics that enable me to further comprehend psychological theories pertinent to
my topic for this project and psychology career as a whole.
I selected both of the sources I finalized because both had credible authors, proper citations and references to other sources, relevance to
my career in psychology, and accurate relevant material to my inquiry question. The book I chose was pertinent because in addition to the
INQR 101
credible author and cited outside sources, it had a wide range of knowledge regarding how children react to their environments and adjust
accordingly, which relates to my desire to work with children in psychology after I graduate. The article I decided upon, similar to my
book, also had a great publisher and author alongside quality external information and a connection to my current studies regarding how
biology and psychology work together. Additionally, it contained specific data about genetics in psychology that was essential to my
project and learning more about my future career, which allowed me to deeper understand how a child’s brain interacted with their
experiences and environment. Overall, both sources are credible, accurate, and provide affirmed data about subjects directly relating to
my inquiry question and upcoming career in psychology that will be essential for contributing to my final project.
Now that I know what I know, this is what I would change if I were to begin critiquing my sources:
I would ensure I knew whether or not an article was peer-reviewed before I chose it and I would make a better effort to understand who
published the source and/or who wrote it to help me evaluate how credible the source was. Furthermore, I would also attempt to skim the
sources I chose more thoroughly and make it a priority to read abstracts if they were available to give me a stronger idea of the content in
the source I was reviewing.
Week Six Statement of Intent
Original Submission:
I decided to write on the topic of early developmental psychology because I am a psychology major and aspire to eventually work
with children in third world countries to help bring psychological treatment to them. Therefore, this project is of high value to me because
it expands my knowledge of the specific career field I am aiming to go into and inspires me to further research more about the areas I am
seeking to gain a degree in. Not only is this research beneficial to my career by helping me better understand how to treat adolescents, but
it is also helpful to Liberty University as I am contributing to their research base and bettering myself as a student, giving back to the
INQR 101
campus and community. I believe my research is vital to the scientific community because it helps explain new psychological studies on
developmental psychology and how they can dissect children’s genetics and how they effect their reactions to certain environments. I
have dealt with a series of mental health issues throughout my life, and I feel deeply connected with the psychological community due to
my personal and professional experience with the subject. I want to give back to the community that helped me when I needed aid, and I
can achieve that by completing this research project and sharing my knowledge and findings with other people who are also seeking to
help others.
Now that I know what I know, this is what I would change if I were to explain my statement of intent: I would try to be more
detailed in describing how my research could help the community around me and in my university so my intentions would be clearer. I
would also make an effort to describe what I want to do in my psychology career better and how deeply that pertains to my topic and why.
