The Consortium for the Advancement of Research Methods and Analysis (CARMA) is a video webcast series and resource center for faculty, students and professionals to further their knowledge of methodological and statistical techniques. The CARMA websiteopens in new window, currently under the direction of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, has a comprehensive library of instructional videos on a variety of methodological topics. In addition, CARMA provides a series of short courses that are included with a subscription. These short courses include topics such as structural equation modeling, meta-analysis and data mining with R. Below is a brief review of Module One, Research Methods for the Global Classroom, a research methods education program provided by CARMA.
I was interested in completing CARMA’s Module One for a variety of reasons. First, the course covers a wide range of methodological techniques of which every researcher should be familiar. These topics include suggestions for developing a measure, handling missing data and considering measurement issues such as power and reliability. Statistical analyses are also discussed throughout the module including regression, moderated mediation and hierarchical linear modeling. Finally, the course provides suggestions for publishing a variety of different articles such as qualitative research and meta-analyses. Module One provides a good basis for discovering or brushing up on these techniques and may motivate researchers to seek additional resources for continuing education.
The second characteristic of CARMA’s Module One that was appealing to me was its relevance to an interdisciplinary background. Many of the speakers of these videos are from a management and organizational sciences research background allowing psychologists, as well as other social science researchers, to answer their own research questions using new techniques, learn additional approaches to measurement and gain recommendations as to how to publish their work. For example, Practical Issues in Developing a Measure addresses issues such as when to develop a new measure, self vs. other report of a construct, and establishing reliability and validity. Other videos, such as Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM), provide information regarding the best uses of HLM, basic steps to performing the analysis and software suggestions for running HLM. I completed this course toward the end of my graduate school career and upon entering the job market. I found the information very relevant to my own research and was able to discuss my experiences during interviews. Overall, the videos are well suited for any researcher seeking to hone their methodological and statistical knowledge and skills.
In addition to the wide range of content the Research Methods for the Global Classroom videos offer, helpful supplementary materials are also included in the course. Each video is paired with a corresponding PowerPoint presentation, a list of additional resources and a quiz to test the watcher on video content. However, accessing this CARMA course also presents a number of challenges. First, CARMA subscriptions are only available at the University level. This means that any affiliate of a subscribing university may access these resources for free, yet individual memberships are unavailable. Additionally, although the resources that CARMA provides are useful, they are not always user-friendly. Specifically, some videos only appeared when using the internet browser Internet Explorer while other videos only appeared while using Google Chrome. This caused some confusion when accessing all of the Module One videos. A few of the quizzes are also problematic in that the correct response does not always register as correct in the system. Finally, two of the corresponding PowerPoint presentations were not accessible through CARMA (i.e., Lessons 12 & 14). However, these minor challenges should not deter a researcher from accessing and benefiting from CARMA courses.
Overall, Module One of CARMA may serve as a very valuable resource to researchers from a variety of backgrounds. CARMA videos may be particularly useful to faculty seeking to continue their methodological education or for graduate students pursuing advanced understanding of methodological techniques. CARMA also offers a video library of over 100 methodology videos, short courses and other resources providing a wide breadth and depth of content and utility. Videos that may be of particular interest to developmental researchers include Longitudinal Data Analysis, Meta-Analysis and Structural Equation Modeling and Experience Sampling Methods. Researchers from a range of interdisciplinary fields are encouraged to consider subscribing to and participating in CARMA webinars and trainings.
Although this resource is somewhat more specialized than typical Teaching Tips offerings, there is value in updating our classroom approach when possible, and this resource could be of much value in the classroom and lab. While it is relatively difficult for individuals to adopt without university buy-in, those able to justify the time and effort may find it worthwhile. Overall, finding ways to educate, update, or refresh our research-based skills are helpful to us as individuals, professors and researchers.
Rebecca Olson is a recent graduate of the doctoral program in Life-Span Developmental Psychology at West Virginia University.