RUNNING HEAD METHODS OF RESEARCH .docx

RUNNING HEAD: METHODS OF RESEARCH
1
METHODS OF RESEARCH
9
Methods of Research
By Alexa Vigenser
Research Methods/Psy 302
3/11/15
Good work Alexa (, Please find your feedback attached. Please
open this attachment for very detailed feedback on how you can
revise and improve subsequent assignments. Kind regards,
Yvonne B.
Assignment 2 Grading Criteria
Maximum Points
1) Explanation and justification of research question.
12/12
2) Presentation of hypothesis and null hypothesis.
16/16
3) Analysis of participants exclusion/inclusion factors.
16/16
4) Explanation of sampling technique and characterization of
population that sample generalized.
12/12
5) Identification of study's variables.
12/12
6) Operational definitions for each variable are defined.

16/16
7) Development of methods to measure each variable, and the
reliability and validity of these measures are evaluated.
16/16
8) Description of technique(s) used for data collection.
12/12
9) Description of the research design being used.
12/12
10) Identification of the research procedure.
5/12
11) Prediction of POTENTIAL ethical issues; POTENTIAL
ethical issues are evaluated in terms of how they would be
addressed.
20/20
Organization:
· Introduction
· Thesis
· Transitions
· Conclusion
12/12
Usage and Mechanics:
· Grammar
· Spelling

· Sentence Structure
12/12
APA Elements:
· Attribution
· Paraphrasing
· Quotations
16/16
Style:
· Audience
· Word Choice
4/4
Total:
193/200
I. Research question
This study aims at answering the research question of whether
or not methadone maintenance manages to take away the
craving of heroine use and how it is an effective treatment to
opiate abusers. This will be made possible through collecting a
sample of the heroine abusers and putting them under
observation for a period of 40 days. The selected people will be
monitored once in a while to ensure that they follow the
stipulated rule (Cohen, 2005).
II. Hypothesis
Sufficient maintenance of methadone treatment in the society
can be able to help people who crave for heroine to take that

craving away and for the opiate abusers; this can also be an
effective treatment as opposed to those not using the treatment
(O'Connor, 2004). This is because methadone treatment can act
like a detox in order for those to keep off of street drugs like
heroine. Once people who use heroine are able to establish a
dose that is regular, they can be able to stay on methadone for a
long period of time, which in other words can be called
maintenance and this helps them stay away from heroine and
takes away the craving for heroine.
With time, most of these people gradually reduce the methadone
dose and come out of it because of its detoxification ability.
Methadone is able to fight the craving of heroine because of its
ability to stay long in the person’s body. In addition to that,
with methadone maintenance treatment, people who abuse
opium can be able to stabilize their lives and be in a position to
reduce the harm that is associated with drug abuse. The goal of
methadone maintenance treatment is to stabilize the people who
use heroine in order to improve their general well-being through
physical withdrawal prevention. Therefore, with the doses of
methadone through the doctor’s prescription, their heroine
craving will be diminished slowly by methadone, hence
reducing and eventually eliminating the heroine cravings
(Cohen, 2005).
II B. Null hypothesis
Methadone maintenance is unrelated to the decrease of heroine
craving and it is not an effective treatment for opiate abusers.
This statement show that any effects be they negative or
positive that are observed after the treatment are as a result of
chance (O'Connor, 2004). The question that is answered here in
terms of statistics is, if the samples to prove the hypothesis
indeed came from the population that is similar with regard to
the outcome, then how likely is the result that is obtained?
III. Number of participants

In conducting this research the number of participants that will
be used are twenty because that is a sample that is manageable
and they will be able to represent the rest of the population of
people who are abusers of opium and heroine. The inclusion
characteristics will be that they should be of both genders that
is; male and female, from the age of 18 to 35 and more
specifically, they should be abusers of heroine or opium.
Besides that, the samples will hold people from all races such
as; Hispanic, Black-Americans, and Caucasians (Laurel, 2003).
The sample will also be specifically from Phoenix. The
exclusion characteristics would be; those people who have only
used heroine once in their life or twice because they do not have
an addiction. The study will be focused more on those with a
history of abusing heroine and opium for a period of more than
two years (Ardilly, 2006). This sample is not diverse because it
only focuses with people who have abused heroine and opium
for more than two years meaning that it does not include any
person who have abused these drugs for less than two years. In
addition to that, it also focuses mainly on heroine and opium
and not any other forms of drugs meaning that it is not very
diverse in terms of the diagnosis. On the other hand, it can also
be said to be diverse in some way because it has reduced
biasness by including samples from both genders; male and
female and also people from the different ages from 18 to 35.
IV. Sampling technique
In collecting the sample from the population, we will use the
stratified sampling technique in order to reduce the sampling
error that is associated with other methods like random
sampling methods (Laurel, 2003). Here a subset of the
population will be chosen and from the sample we mentioned
earlier, the subset involves people who are from phoenix, from
all different races with the specification of abusing heroine
and/or opium for a period of more than 2 years and from the age

of 18 to 35.
This method will be easier to use since the sample will be put
in different stratums depending on the stated inclusion
characteristics. The population of this sample generalizes only
to the population of heroine abusers meaning that it is not
general to the whole of the Phoenix population since the whole
of the phoenix population is not made up of drug abusers.
Therefore this means that the sample is only general to the
small population of drug abusers and specifically heroine and/or
opium abusers (Ardilly, 2006).
V & VI. Variables
There are two main variables in research; independent and
dependent variables. The independent variables are those
objects which can be subject to manipulation by the researcher
while the dependent variables are the responses that the
researcher measures (Craighead, 2002). In our hypothesis we
stated that sufficient maintenance of methadone treatment in the
society can be able to help people who crave for heroine take
that craving away and for the opiate abusers, this can also be an
effective treatment as opposed to those not using the treatment.
Here, the independent variable is sufficient methadone
treatment. On the other hand, the dependent variables are taking
away cravings of heroine abusers and effective treatment for
opium abusers. This is because, like we said, the researcher has
control over the independent variable which in this case is the
methadone maintenance treatment (Sales, 2000).Therefore, the
researcher will use the methadone maintenance treatment in
dosages to see the effect on the abusers of heroine or opium and
see if the craving rates will decrease. This means that the
consequence is the reduction of the craving rates which are the
dependent variables in our study.
VII. Measurement of variables
In measuring each variable, we can use the interval
measurement whereby a rank order and the difference in the

results can be provided to determine the people who were able
to stop the craving for heroine through the methadone
maintenance treatment and understand what made the difference
for those who were not able to stop the craving by comparing
them with those that stopped (Laurel, 2003). This measurement
level is reliable because it focuses on the measurement
consistency since even when it is repeated again and again it
will produce the same results. On the other hand, it can be said
to be valid because it is measuring the item of interest which is
the methadone maintenance treatment on doing away with
raving levels of heroine.
VIII. Data collection methods
In collecting the relevant data to the study, the method used will
be direct observation because this will be the most accurate
ways to ensure that the proper results are given (Sales, 2000).
Therefore with this method, it will be possible to know the
people who have relapsed and those who are indeed reducing
their craving for heroine and make an unbiased conclusion.
IX. Research design
The research designed used in the study is a case study design
since it will be in a position to provide an in-depth study of the
research question being investigated and be able to narrow
down the broad question into an easy example of research
(Laurel, 2003). This is an effective design for research since it
will help provide descriptions that are detailed on the specific
and rare cases of this topic on methadone maintenance and its
ability to stop heroine craving.
X. Procedures of conducting research
In conducting this research the procedures that would be
followed are;
· Identifying the problem; this involves forming the research
question and giving basis information and knowledge of the

stated problem.
· Clarifying the problem; here the problem is narrowed to the
scope of the study. This is done after the literature has been
reviewed (Laurel, 2003). Whereby in the review, the researcher
states more on the problem and what has been done before
involving the topic
· Defining the population; here the researcher chooses the
sample in which the study can be tested in order to prove the
hypothesis of the study. The population should be representative
enough (Ardilly, 2006).
· Collecting data; this is a critical step since it is needed so that
the researcher can be capable of answering the questions on the
research topic
· Analyzing the data; this is done according to the researcher’s
plan. Here the results of the data are compared among each
other and the researcher determines the reliable ones from the
unreliable ones.
XI. Potential ethical issues in research
· Following the rules of informed consent
Researchers should always ensure that they inform the
participants of the research of the purpose of the study, the
procedure and the duration of the study (Ardilly, 2006). In
addition to that, they should also tell them of any prospective
benefits that can be expected of the study as well as the
potential risks.
· Confidentiality and privacy
Besides that, it is important to respect their privacy and assure
them of confidentiality. This can be made possible by
discussing with them the limits of confidentiality, taking
practical measures on the security of the participants as well as
knowing the state and federal laws (Sales, 2000).
References

Sales, B.D., & Folkman, S. (Eds.). (2000). Ethics in research
with human participants. Washington, DC: American
Psychological Association.
Ardilly, P., & Tillé, Y. (2006). Sampling methods: Exercises
and solutions. (Springer e-books.) New York: Springer.
Cohen, L. J., Gertmenian-King, E., Kunik, L., Weaver, C.,
London, E. D., & Galynker, I. (2005). Personality measures in
former heroin users receiving methadone or in protracted
abstinence from opiates. Acta Psychiatrica
Scandinavica, 112(2), 149-158.
Craighead, W. E., & Corsini, R. J. (2002). The Corsini
encyclopedia of psychology and behavioral science. New York:
Wiley.
Laurel, B. (2003). Design research: Methods and perspectives.
Cambridge, Mass. ; London, England: MIT Press.
O'Connor, A. (2004, Aug 03). New ways to loosen addiction's
grip. New York Times.
�Good work idenotfying your null hypothesis. (
�Once again, nice work on idenotofying your variables. (
�
�
�

For question 10 you need to discuss your procedure. �This
section should be very specific. It should be a set of instructions
of what you did with your participants to perform the study. It
needs details and needs to be specific to your study.
The procedure includes the step-by-step instructions for your
experiment. The procedure should include these two sections,
which you answered above:
• A description of the experimental design and how
participants were assigned conditions.
• Identification of your independent variable(s) (IV),
dependent variable(s) (DV), and control variables. Give your
variables clear, meaningful names so that your readers are not
confused.
Along with:
• Important instructions to participants.
A step-by-step listing in chronological order of what
participants did during the experiment.

For example, you mentioned using surveys and an interview, but
it is not mentioned here in your procedure section.
Big Idea: Planets orbiting other stars have orbital characteristics
similar and different to our own solar system of planets orbiting
our Sun.
Goal: Students will conduct a structured series of scaffolded
scientific inquiries about the nature of observed exoplanets
using the Internet sites prescribed, particularly the Exoplanet
Data Explorer.
Computer Setup: Access URL http://exoplanets.org/
Needed Resources: Solar System Data Table (below),
calculator, and these instructions
Phase I: Exploration Part A
This section concerns the planets in our own solar system;
Phase II and beyond concerns exoplanets -- planets orbiting
OTHER STARS
A histogram is a bar-chart showing the number of objects in a
particular category, so it is useful for showing how populations
are distributed in a certain characteristic.
Consider the research question, “How are characteristics of
exoplanets distributed?” Use the SOLAR SYSTEM DATA
TABLE and sketch a histogram for each of the following three

questions. REQUIRED: Include your actual sketches in your
response. You will need to take pictures of your histograms
using a camera phone or other digital camera, or else scan them
in.
1.
Histogram 1: Distribution of Orbital Distance. Make a
histogram showing the number of Planets Closer and Farther
than Earth’s Orbital Distance, labeling your axes similar to the
first example shown above.
Histogram 2: Distribution of Masses. Make a histogram showing
the number of planets with Masses Less than Earth’s Mass and
Greater than Earth’s Mass, labeling your axes similar to the
second example shown above.
Histogram 3: Distribution of Orbital Periods. Make a histogram
showing the number of Planets with orbital periods smaller than
Earth’s period (P < PEarth), between Earth's and Jupiter's
periods (PEarth ≤ PERIOD ≤ PJupiter), and longer than Jupiter's
period (P > PJupiter). (Note: Throughout this lab, "Period" and
"Orbital Period" are synonymous.) Label your axes similar to
the third example shown above.
You do not need any additional descriptive text beyond the
image of your histograms. All three sketches can be on one page
(one file) if you wish.
Phase I: Exploration Part B
This section concerns the planets in our own solar system;
Phase II and beyond concerns exoplanets -- planets orbiting

OTHER STARS
Consider the research question, “What is the distribution of
orbital distances for exoplanets?” A correlation-diagram (or
"scatter plot") is a graph of dots showing how two
characteristics, or variables, are related. Use the SOLAR
SYSTEM DATA TABLE and sketch a correlation-diagram
(graph) for each of the following three descriptions.
REQUIRED: Include your actual sketches in your response. You
will need to take pictures of your graphs using a camera phone
or other digital camera, or else scan them in.
2.
Title: Distance (AU) vs. Period (Years) for Planets Closer than
Jupiter (not including Jupiter). (Vertical Y-axis Distance versus
Horizontal X-axis Period). Your graph sketch should use the
same labeled axes as those depicted in the example:
Title: Distance (AU) vs. Period (Years) for Planets With Orbits
Jupiter-sized and larger. (Vertical Y-axis Distance versus
Horizontal X-axis Period). Your graph sketch should use the
same labeled axes as those depicted in the example:
Title: Distance (AU) vs. Mass (MEarth, which means in units of
Earth's mass) for ALL Solar System Planets. (Vertical Y-axis
Distance versus Horizontal X-axis Mass). Your graph sketch
should use the same labeled axes as those depicted in the
example:
Upload all three sketches below (they can all be on the same
page / file if you like):
Phase I: Exploration Part C

Consider the research question, “Which characteristics of
exoplanets are most highly correlated with distance?” The
notion of correlation is the idea that two characteristics are
closely related to one another. IMPORTANT NOTE:
CORRELATION IS NOT THE SAME AS CAUSE-AND-
EFFECT.
3.
One of the two graphs below is Intelligence versus Height and
the other is Weight versus Height. In the text box below them,
precisely explain your reasoning about why which is which.
Explanation of why which graph is which:
4.
Based on your work above on analyzing the planets of our solar
system, which variable, PERIOD or MASS, seems to be more
highly correlated to DISTANCE? Explain your reasoning, using
any needed labeled sketches, if you like, to illustrate your
answer.
Phase II - Does the Evidence Match a Given Conclusion?
Very Brief Tutorial On Using The Exoplanets Data Explorer
Table at http://exoplanets.org/
0) Hovering your mouse over a column header shows an
explanation of what each term means. This is true later on,
using the "Plot" feature as well.
1) Sorting: Clicking on a column header sorts the data table by
that quantity. Clicking it again reverses the order of the sort.
2) Notice that the first column gives the exoplanet’s NAME.
Try sorting the table by NAME.
3) The second column is the exoplanet MASS (times a factor

called "sin(i)", which we will ignore because it is small). The
MASS of the planet is given in terms of how many times bigger
(or smaller) than the mass of our planet Jupiter, mjupiter by
default, but you can change the units by clicking on this label
and selecting from a drop-down list of alternate units. Try
changing the units of mass from 'mjupiter' (Jupiter Mass) to
'mearth' (Earth Mass), and then back to Jupiter Mass again.
4) The fourth column shows the exoplanet’s Orbital Period,
a.k.a. PERIOD. The period is the length of time it takes the
planet to go around its central host star once. By default the
units are Earth days, but you can change the units by clicking
on this label. Try sorting the table from largest to smallest
period.
5) The third column shows the SEMI-MAJOR AXIS. This is
another name for how far the planet orbits its star, on average.
The default units of distance are AU, or Astronomical Unit.
IMPORTANT DEFINITION: One AU is the average distance
our Earth orbits our Sun.
6) Removing Columns: You can simplify the table by removing
columns you don't want to look at. If you hover your mouse
over a column header, you should see a faint red "x" that allows
you to remove that column. Try this with "Time of Periastron"
as an example. You can always add a column back in after
removing it.
7) Adding Columns: You can add columns to the table by
clicking the large "+" (plus) sign at the top right of the page.
There are many categories to choose from! Add in the column
"Date", as we will be needing it.
5.
PART A: Access the Exoplanet Data Explorer
[http://exoplanets.org/], "Table" option, and sort and search the
data to find a planet that was discovered (published) in 1995
and record data about it here. You will find it helpful to add a
First Publication "Date" column to the table! (See the mini-
tutorial above for instructions for adding columns.) The units

are provided for Mass, but you must fill them in for Period and
Semi-Major Axis.
Planet Name:
Property
number
units
Mass
Jupiter masses
Period
Semi-Major Axis Length
6.
Is this planet more massive than Earth?
yes
no
7.
If so, how many more times more massive? If not, what
percentage of Earth's mass does it have? Enter a number only:
PART B: Select "Plot" at the top left, then "Histogram Plot" at
the right. Choose Semi-Major Axis as the "Data" to plot. (It's in
the third column, under "Orbit Parameters".) All confirmed
planets to date will be shown by default. Remember that Earth
orbits our Sun at a distance of 1 AU and Jupiter orbits at about
5 AU.
8.
Click "Add Filter" to see the number of planets (#) under the

Statistics After Cut section. How many exoplanets are initially
shown in this data set? exoplanets. (Note: the answer you get
will depend on the day you do it, as this number is continually
updated to reflect the current total.)
9.
Clicking "Add Filter" lets you add a criterion to restrict the
number of planets appearing on the plot. Under the "+" sign
next to the "Filter" text box, choose "Semi-Major Axis". A[au]
should now appear in the box. ("A" is the abbreviation for semi-
major axis, and AU are the units.) to the right of this, in the
box, type ">10" to restrict the sample to planets whose orbits
are larger than 10AU. Notice that the # of planets is now 0,
since there are no currently known exoplanets with orbits that
large. If you instead change this to "<10" (or erase it entirely),
you will see the original number of planets back, because this is
no restriction at all.
How many of the currently known exoplanets have orbits larger
than Jupiter's orbit about our Sun? exoplanets. (Note: the exact
numbers you get may depend on the day you do it, as this
database is continually updated to reflect the current known
exoplanets.)
10.
What is the percentage of currently known exoplanets that have
orbits larger than Jupiter's orbit about our Sun? Your answer
should be a number only between 0 and 100: %
11.
How many of the currently known exoplanets have orbits
smaller than Earth’s orbit about our Sun? exoplanets (Note: the
exact numbers you get will depend on the day you do it, as this
database is continually updated to reflect the current known
exoplanets.)

12.
What is the percentage of currently known exoplanets that have
orbits smaller than Earth’s orbit about our Sun? Your answer
should be a number only between 0 and 100: %
PART C: Click the red "X" next to your filter to remove it. Still
using "Histogram Plot", now choose Orbital Period as the
"Data" to plot. All confirmed planets to date will be shown by
default. Remember that Earth orbits our Sun once every 365
days and Jupiter orbits once about every 4,300 days.
13.
How many exoplanets in total are shown in this particular data
set? exoplanets (Again, the exact numbers you get will depend
on the day you do it, as this database is continually updated to
reflect the current known exoplanets.)
14.
What percentage of the planets shown have orbital periods
similar to our planet Mercury? Say, <100 days? Your answer
should be a number between 0 and 100: %
15.
similar to our planet Venus? Say, <250 days? (Do not include
the ones you counted above for Mercury!): %
16.
similar to our planet Earth? Say, <500 days? (Do not include the
ones you counted above for Mercury OR Venus!): %
17.

similar to our planet Mars? Your answer should be a number
between 0 and 100: %
18.
similar to our planet Jupiter? Your answer should be a number
between 0 and 100: %
19.
Consider the research question, “How long do exoplanets take
to orbit their star?” . If a fellow student proposed a
generalization that "most exoplanets discovered take about the
same length of time to orbit their star as Earth takes to orbit our
Sun," would you agree or disagree with the generalization based
on the evidence you collected by looking at the range of
possible orbital periods? Explain your reasoning and describe
specific evidence, with sketches if necessary, either from the
above tasks or from new evidence you yourself generate using
the Exoplanets Data Explorer.
Phase III - What Conclusions Can You Draw from This
Evidence?
What conclusions and generalizations can you make from the
data organized using a correlation diagram (a.k.a. "scatter plot")
in terms of how does the size of an exoplanet’s orbit compare to
its orbital period?Explain your reasoning and provide specific
evidence, with sketches if necessary, to support your reasoning.
Remember, a picture is worth 103 words! Optional: Feel free to
create and label sketches or graphs to illustrate your response.
EVIDENCE: Select "Scatter Plot" and choose the horizontal X-
axis to be Semi-Major Axis (i.e. size of orbit) and the vertical
Y-axis to be Orbital Period (i.e. time to complete an orbit).
Expand the "Configure Axes" option at the top and try
unchecking the "Log" boxes next to both X and Y, which makes

the axes linear instead of logarithmic. (You should experiment
with both types of axes in any plots that you make. Logarithmic
scaling is often better at visually displaying data that are
crowded or that cover a large range of values.) Once you have
made a scatter plot, you can click and drag the graph around to
center on different parts of it. You can zoom in or out on any
portion of it by placing your mouse cursor over it and scrolling
up or down. If your mouse doesn't have a scroll wheel, you can
always set a Min and Max by hand under Axes Configuration.
20.
Evidence-based conclusion:
Phase IV - What Evidence Do You Need?
Imagine your team has been assigned the task of predicting how
far a newly discovered exoplanet would orbit from its central
star. Describe precisely what evidence you would need to
collect in order to answer the research question of, "If an
exoplanet were discovered to have an orbital period of 21 days,
what would you predict its semi-major axis orbital distance to
be using a correlation diagram / scatter plot?" (This time the
orbital period is the “independent”, or X-axis variable, and the
semi-major axis of the planet’s orbit would be the “dependent”,
or Y-axis variable.) You do not need to actually complete the
steps in the procedure you are writing.
21.
Create a detailed, step-by-step description of evidence that
needs to be collected and a complete explanation of how this
could be done - not just "look and see what value it would
have", but exactly what would someone need to do, step-by-
step, to accomplish this. You might include a table and sketches
- the goal is to be precise and detailed enough that someone else
could follow your procedure. Do NOT include generic
nonspecific steps such as "analyze data" or "present

conclusions" -- these are meaningless filler. Be specific!
Remember, a picture is worth 103 words! Optional: Feel free to
create and label sketches or graphs to illustrate your response.
Please follow the instructions for uploading images link found
under the "Lessons" tab.
Phase V - Formulate a Question, Pursue Evidence, and Justify
Your Conclusion
Your task is to design an answerable research question, propose
a plan to pursue evidence, collect data using the Exoplanets
Data Explorer (or another suitable source pre-approved by your
instructor), and create an evidence-based conclusion about
about the characteristics of known exoplanets that you have not
completed before.
REQUIRED this time: Create and label sketches, or include
your graphs (or sketches of your graphs) to illustrate your
response. The Exoplanets Data Explorer has an "Export" button
at the top right that will allow you to download your graphs.
Research Report:
22.
Specific research question:
23.
Step-by-step procedure, with sketches if needed, to collect
evidence. (Do NOT include generic nonspecific steps such as
"analyze data" or "present conclusions" -- these are meaningless
filler. Be specific!)
24.
Data table and/or results: (include your graph(s) in this section)
25.

Evidence-based conclusion statement:
Phase VI - Summary
26.
Create a PITHY 50-word summary, in your own words, that
describes the nature, frequency, or discovery of exoplanets and
systems we have discovered so far. You should cite what you
learned from doing each of the phases of this lab, not describe
what you have learned in class or elsewhere.
RUNNING HEAD: METHADONE MAINTENANCE: TAKES
THE CRAVING OF HEROIN USE AWAY AND IS AN
EFFECTIVE TREATMENT TO OPIATE ABUSERS
RUNNING HEAD: METHADONE MAINTENANCE: TAKES
THE CRAVING OF HEROIN USE AWAY AND IS AN
EFFECTIVE TREATMENT TO OPIATE ABUSERS
9
Methadone Maintenance: Takes the Craving of Heroin Use
Away and is an Effective Treatment to Opiate Abusers
By Alexa Vigenser
Research Methods/Psych 302
Argosy University
March 4, 2015
Nice work Alexa, Please find your feedback attached. Be sure to
review it and incorporate it into subsequent assignments. Take
care, Yvonne B.
Assignment 2 Grading Criteria
Maximum Points

Provided five additional valid references and explained the
reasoning behind their selection. Great selection, nice job
researching.
20/20
Discussed the sampling technique for the proposed study and
included the aspects of generalization, inclusion, and ethical
issues as requested in the assignment Nice work in this section.
23/25
Provided a detailed outline of the intro/literature review section
of the paper, along with revised hypothesis. Alexa, you have a
good start to your outline for your review of the literature
outline. However, it needs development and should include at
least 4 references to support your information (these should be
from the references you found in this assignment and the first
assignment). Your outline needs to be an outline for your
review of the literature, which you need to write for the Module
4 Assignment. A review of the literature is contains four main
components:
· Introduction to the problem
As you write the outline, make sure your paper mentions how
the previous research in the area leads to your question.
· Background for the current study
This section requires extensive planning and legwork. Your idea
and research question evolve as you gather information and read
articles and book chapters. Therefore, your understanding of the
topic grows and you reorganize the information as per your
thinking and approach. It is important to reorganize information
using a specific method.
· Purpose of the current study
· Rationale behind each hypothesis you propose

In the next two subsections—purpose and rationale—you will
explain to the reader what you hope to accomplish and why your
question makes sense.
17/25
Included an APA-style title page and reference page (with at
least 10 references). If you use the templates provided in Doc
Sharing this will help you out with your formatting. Also, be
sure to use my feedback from M1_A3 to help with your
formatting.
10/10
Wrote in a clear, concise, and organized manner; demonstrated
ethical scholarship in accurate representation and attribution of
sources; displayed accurate spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
20/20
Total:
90/100
a. Introduction/statement of the problem (methadone effects on
heroine)
I. Does methadone dose variations increase or decrease heroine
craving
II. Many people are addicted to heroine and with this study, it
can help establish the people who might be at risk and how to
help them get the needed help
III. If we can establish the relationship between methadone
dosage and heroine craving, then we can be able to know if it
indeed increases or decreases the cravings
b. Literature review
Methadone is a medication that has opium contents. It has been
used to help people with heroin addiction and others with a
history of narcotic drug abuse problem by reducing their

withdrawal symptoms. It has also been used as a reliever of pain
as part of the detoxification of drug addiction and it can only be
found at pharmacies that are certified (Curran, 1999).
Curran, H. V., Bolton, J., Wanigaratne, S., & Smyth, C. (1999).
Additional methadone increases
craving for heroin: A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of
chronic opiate users
receiving methadone substitution treatment. Addiction, 94(5),
665-74. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/199658703?accountid=2163
The medication should not be used by people who have
breathing problems or asthma since it can slow down or in worst
case scenario, stop their breathing. It should also not be used in
amounts that are large or longer than the prescription
(LoVecchio, 2007). Since the medication can cause life-
threatening heart disorders, it is important to consult a doctor
before taking the medication.
LoVecchio, F., Pizon, A., Riley, B., Sami, A., & D'Incognito, C.
(2007). Onset of symptoms
after methadone overdose. The American Journal of Emergency
Medicine, 25(1), 57-9.
doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ajem.2006.07.006
Statistics on methadone shows that its use is widespread. A
study that was conducted a few years back in Victoria,
Australia, showed that its use is quite vast and that many people
have died using the medication (Pilgrim, 2013). The study
showed that 206 deaths resulted from its use whereby these
people took high dosages of the medicine without prescriptions.
It also showed that within 14 days of commencing the use of
methadone, 51 people died of which 15 were female and the
remaining 36 were male.
Pilgrim, J. L., McDonough, M., & Drummer, O. H. (2013). A
review of methadone deaths

between 2001 and 2005 in Victoria, Australia. Forensic Science
International (Online),
226(1), 216-22.
doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2013.01.028
The factors that increase the mortality of opioid medication in
America and other areas around the world are many (King,
2014). Some of the main factors include the following.
· Prescriber behavior
· User behavior and characteristics
· Environmental and systematic determinants
According to the population and geography, these factors
operate in ways that are independent and interact in complex
ways.
King, N. B., Fraser, V., Boikos, C., Richardson, R., & Harper,
S. (2014). Determinants of
increased opioid-related mortality in the United States and
Canada, 1990-2013: A
systematic review. American Journal of Public Health, 104(8),
e32-42. Retrieved from
3
Based on the research, the demographic characteristics in terms
of the relationship between methadone use and gender shows
that men are the ones who use methadone more compared to
women (Moreno, 2002).Women who use increased methadone
are said to be those suffering from poverty. It also shows that a
great percentage of women who are pregnant also use
methadone.
Moreno, C. L., El-Bassel, N., Gilbert, L., & Wada, T. (2002).
Correlates of poverty and partner
abuse among women on methadone. Violence Against Women,

8(4), 455-475. Retrieved
from
Sampling
The sampling technique that can be used in the study is
stratified sampling where the people with the common
characteristic being that they are from one area and they are
heroine abusers. They can be reached through advertising and
volunteering.
The sample does not however generalize the population because
it only involves people with the characteristic of heroine abuse
in the city of Phoenix. Therefore, not every person abuses
heroine in Phoenix and if there are others, they may be taking
other forms of drugs. This therefore makes the sample not to be
representative of the whole population but of the heroine
abusers population.
The inclusion criteria that would be used would be participants
of both genders, with an abuse problem of heroine and from the
city of Phoenix and from all the available races. This means that
any other person who does not hold the said characteristics
would be excluded from the sample.
The ethical issues that can be encountered when collecting
information from the selected sample would be;
Respecting the people; there is need to show respect to these
people through the principle of informed consent whereby the
people in the selected sample are made aware of the purpose of
the study being conducted, how it would help them and the
guarantee that the information will not be used against them.
Justice; this can be exercised during the sample selection
whereby a fair inclusion opportunity is given to all while
ensuring that no exploitation takes place especially in the
populations that are vulnerable.
References

Moreno, C. L., El-Bassel, N., Gilbert, L., & Wada, T. (2002).
Correlates of poverty and partner abuse among women on
methadone. Violence Against Women, 8(4), 455-475. Retrieved
from
this article, talks of the relationship between women stricken
with poverty with the use of methadone. Such women also face
quite a lot of violence from the male counterparts.
King, N. B., Fraser, V., Boikos, C., Richardson, R., & Harper,
S. (2014). Determinants of increased opioid-related mortality in
the United States and Canada, 1990-2013: A systematic review.
American Journal of Public Health, 104(8), e32-42. Retrieved
from
3 The article shows the factors that contribute to increase in the
mortality of opioid in America.
Pilgrim, J. L., McDonough, M., & Drummer, O. H. (2013). A
review of methadone deaths between 2001 and 2005 in Victoria,
Australia. Forensic Science International (Online), 226(1), 216-
22. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2013.01.028 the
article shows a review of a survey of the number of deaths
resulting from methadone abuse.
LoVecchio, F., Pizon, A., Riley, B., Sami, A., & D'Incognito, C.
(2007). Onset of symptoms after methadone overdose. The
American Journal of Emergency Medicine, 25(1), 57-9.
doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ajem.2006.07.006 the article
talks of the symptoms of having an overdose of methadone and
what can be done in such a situation.
Curran, H. V., Bolton, J., Wanigaratne, S., & Smyth, C. (1999).
Additional methadone increases craving for heroin: A double-
blind, placebo-controlled study of chronic opiate users
receiving methadone substitution treatment. Addiction, 94(5),
665-74. Retrieved from
it proves the research topic by showing that indeed methadone
can increase the craving of heroin among drug abusers of

heroine.
Cohen, L. J., Gertmenian-King, E., Kunik, L., Weaver, C.,
London, E. D., & Galynker, I. (2005). Personality measures in
former heroin users receiving methadone or in protracted
abstinence from opiates. Acta Psychiatrica
Scandinavica, 112(2), 149-158.
doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0447.2005.00546.x
Rass, O., Kleykamp, B. A., Vandrey, R. G., Bigelow, G. E.,
Leoutsakos, J., Stitzer, M. L., . . . Mintzer, M. Z. (2014).
Cognitive performance in methadone maintenance patients:
Effects of time relative to dosing and maintenance dose level.
Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 22(3), 248-
256. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0035712
Sarkar, S., & Mattoo, S. K. (2012). Newer approaches to opioid
detoxification. Industrial Psychiatry Journal, 21(2), 163–167.
doi:10.4103/0972-6748.119652
Amato L, Davoli M, Minozzi S, Ferroni E, Ali R, Ferri M.
Methadone at tapered doses for the management of opioid
withdrawal. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2013,
Issue 2. Art. No.: CD003409. DOI:
10.1002/14651858.CD003409.pub4.
Greenwald, M. K. (2002). Heroin craving and drug use in
opioid-maintained volunteers: Effects of methadone dose
variation. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology,
10(1), 39-46. Retrieved from
9
�APA recommends that your title be no more than 12 words in
length and that it should not contain abbreviations or words that
serve no purpose. Your title may take up one or two lines
�Is this your revised hypothesis? If so this is a good start, but
your hypothesis, should make a prediction. You will want it to

be specific enough that you can easily design a study to test it.
For example, “Methadone is an effective treatment for heroin
addiction if the correct dosage is administered and maintained.
In correct doses will result in ineffective treatment.”
�Okay good, and how many people would you like to include in
your study and why?

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