Throughout the text, we include a series of "linked assignments." These have been developed to walk the research methods student through the entirety of the research process by developing a research project that includes each phase of both applied and basic research.
For Chapter One, make a list of three topics that you might be most interested in studying. For each, identify the subfield into which it best fits. Then, using your library, identify a few academic (peer-reviewed) articles or academic press books on the topic and read them. On the basis of your readings, refine your topics, thinking about what we know, what we do not know, and other possible ways the topic could be studied.