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Synthesis Paper Assignment
Berreka Franklin
Department of Social Work, Liberty University
PSYC 255: Introduction to Research
Professor Hilary Trevizu
July 3, 2023
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Synthesis Paper Assignment
Understanding how to conduct research can be confusing, but these eight weeks have helped
pass on knowledge on how to conduct research on an introductory level. This synthesis paper
assignment is to demonstrate proper use of APA format in a term paper, along with one research
method studied in the course, which will help to reflect what I have learned and the critique from
a biblical perspective about research from this course.
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Researching at an Introductory Level
Introduction to Research
Understanding the concept of research can be completely confusing, but throughout the
time spent, I grasped how to conduct research and what the APA format looks like. During these
eight weeks of the course, the focus was on the introduction to research and the types of research
methods that can be used, including sampling, research designs, hypothesis testing, and
interpreting results. These are the following topics that I have grasped an exceptional
understanding of:
Conducting research can be time-consuming and overwhelming, but having a better
understanding of what research is and the type of research is key to conducting research at an
introductory level. What I learned about the research in my own terms is that it is the progress of
acquiring data on a specific topic to find what causes or why this behavior is occurring, which
leads to how to collect data from the behavior study, which can be done using different types of
research. There are two main ways to differentiate among types of research. First, you can
describe a research method as being either qualitative or quantitative (Crawford, 2018, p. 70).
Qualitative Research Method
Qualitative research uses inductive logic in the various qualitative approaches.
Researchers using qualitative methods seek insight through in-depth collection of information
that may be subjective, hopefully with hypotheses emerging from the in-depth information. This
research method is a more flexible approach because it gives participants space to voice their
opinions on open-ended questions (Crawford, 2018, p. 70).
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Quantitative Research Method
Quantitative research is deductive by nature. Researchers using this methodology seek
objectivity through testable hypotheses and carefully designed studies (Crawford, 2018, p. 70).
According to Crawford, the reason why quantitative research methods can be considered the best
method is that quantitative approaches will want to quantify what is happening with the variables
in the study, whereas qualitative approaches can help discover, identify, and more richly describe
what the variables really are that need to be studied (Crawford, 2018, p. 71).
While conducting these types of research, you must have a research design, there are
different types. But my favorite is case studies. According to Crawford, a case study is an in-
depth observation of an individual, animal, event, or treatment method. Typically, an intensive
observation is done, and a detailed account is taken because the event is extremely rare and
unusual. There are classic examples of case studies in the field of Psychology (Crawford, 2018).
Being tough, this type of research design was pretty easy for me because of the experience that I
had doing case studies in high school.
APA Publication Manual
Understanding research at an introductory level requires identifying the format of
research that is going to be used, which is the APA format. According to the American
Psychological Association, the Publication Manual has long been an authoritative source for
scholarly writing, and this edition provides more targeted guidance and support for students
(American Psychological Association, 2020). This was a little challenging for me because I only
knew a little stuff about the APA Manual and thought it was just a big book of nothing.
Throughout these eight weeks, I have gained a better understanding of the APA Publication
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Manual, which is a guide given to provide knowledge of how the manual is used, where to locate
information within it, and what information it contains. What I have learned using the APA
Manual is that there are different types of case studies in high school. requirements, and these
requirements play a significant role in completing a perfect research paper. These are some of the
examples:
Heading Level Importance. The purpose of using level headings in a properly formatted
document is to serve as a guide to organize content for readers and to help the writer structure the
writing. APA style headings have five possible levels that are used (American Psychological
Association, 2020).
Personal Communication Definition and Importance. Personal communication is a
citation that is only when a recoverable source is not available. Personal communication includes
emails, text messages, online chats or direct messages, personal interviews, telephone
conversations, live speeches, unrecorded classroom lectures, memos, letters, messages from
nonarchival discussion groups or online bulletin boards, and so on (American Psychological
Association, 2020, pp. 259).
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Researching from a Biblical perspective
Researching from a Biblical perspective was not a thought that ran across my mind
because at first, I thought from a young age that all people that conduct research believe in
ungodly topics and would use research to justify it, which is true, but as I have gone through
most of the modules these past weeks, I have turned a blind eye and opened it to have a better
understanding of how research can be biblical. From doing a class discussion on why research
can be godly or ungodly. In my opinion, research can be both. A biblical perspective shows that
research plays on both sides. A scripture that agrees that research can be godly, Acts 17:11,
which states, "There were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word
with all readiness of mind and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so."
(King James Bible, 2017). What the scripture is stating is that we must be studying the scripture
daily and gaining our own understanding through Christ because the Bible states that many false
preachers will come and change the word of God for their own liking. Here is a scripture that
research can be ungodly, 1 John 4:1, which states, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the
spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” (King
James Bible, 2017). This scripture is saying that many false doctrines, ideas, or people would
come into the world to proclaim that their own way is better than God's. This is why we must
walk in the spirit and ask for discernment about everything we do.
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Completion of the Synthesis Paper Assignment
Completing this synthesis paper assignment took some time because I had to analyze my
notes for my notebook, look through some of the assignments, discussion threads, and quizzes,
and reflect on myself based on the information that I was taught, what I learned, and what I
understood from the information presented before me.
Conclusion?
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Reference
Crawford, R (2018). Introduction to research: Less Fright, More Insight: A Customized Version
of Research Methods: Are You Equipped? Second Edition by Jennifer Bonds-Raacke and
John Raacke (3rd ed.). Kendall
Hunt Publishing. https://libertyonline.vitalsource.com/books/9781524965457
(American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the
American Psychological Association (7th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000Links to an
external site.
King James Bible. (2017). King James Bible
Online. https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/ (Original work published 1769)’
