About Division 5

Div. 5 draws together specialists in the areas of quantitative and qualitative methods. Our membership includes specialists in the fields of educational psychology, industrial-organizational psychology, individual assessment, measurement, program evaluation, psychometrics, qualitative inquiry, research interviewing, research methods and statistics. The disciplinary affiliation of division membership reaches well beyond psychology, includes both members and nonmembers of the American Psychological Association, and welcomes graduate students.

• To promote research and the exchange of scientific information in the fields encompassed by Div. 5.
• To promote high standards in both research and practical application in these fields.
• To interact professionally with other individuals and groups involved in the application of and interpretation of results from psychological measurement, statistics, individual assessments, program evaluations, and qualitative methods.

Div. 5 members have not only made substantial contributions to the fields of quantitative and qualitative methods, but to APA as well. For a brief history of division presidents, see the The Score articles written by 2008 Div. 5 President Gwyneth Boodoo in April 2009 (PDF, 620KB) and July 2009 (PDF, 780KB).

There are three sections in Div. 5:

• Assessment
• Evaluation, Measurement and Statistics
• Society for Qualitative Inquiry in Psychology

Evaluation, Measurement and Statistics

The Evaluation, Measurement and Statistics section of Div. 5 aims to:

• Encourage the use of accurate and appropriate methods of evaluation, measurement and statistical analysis in research.
• Engage researchers interested in the development and use of rigorous quantitative methods.
• Serve as a resource for researchers who seek collaborators to assist with the quantitative analysis of their data.
• Promote effective teaching and mentoring in the use of quantitative methods across the field of psychology.
• Stimulate the development of innovative methods of evaluation and measurement that match innovations in modern research design.

Society for Qualitative Inquiry in Psychology

The Society for Qualitative Inquiry in Psychology promotes qualitative research and aims to:

• Serve as a forum for enriching and reflecting on forms of qualitative study in psychology.
• Provide researchers and practitioners opportunities to share developments across a wide array of endeavors.
• Stimulate deliberation on the methodological , theoretical, and philosophic status of such forms of inquiry.
• Stimulate innovations in qualitative inquiry.
• Promote and facilitate the exchange of information with other disciplines engaging in qualitative inquiry.
• We invite researchers interested in qualitative research to join us.