The document introduces research in counseling, emphasizing the importance of understanding the scientific method, different ways of knowing, and the significance of research for counselors. It contrasts positivism and constructivism as approaches to research, highlighting their implications for knowledge acquisition and practice. Additionally, it outlines nine principles of research, stressing the necessity for methodological pluralism and the importance of research in improving client outcomes.

1. Introduction to research in
counselling
Kevin Standish
Introduction to research
OUCNC1508

2. Learning objectives
1. To understand the scientific method of research
2. to describe ways of knowing
3. to describe what research can do
4. understand the importance of research for counsellors
5. to articulate the principles of research for counselling

4. Reflection
• What do you understand by research?
• In what way does the idea of research put you off?
• What scares you in learning about research?
• Can you give an example of research you have done?
• What do you hope to gain from this module about
research?

5. What is Social Science
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSIda
TSG2Gg

6. What is research?

7. What is research?
• Research refers to systematic ways conducting a studies
regarding a topic which needs to be explored or a topic
that needs to be replicated in terms of its reliability to
past and/or present findings

8. The Scientific Method

9. The Scientific Method

10. The Scientific Method

11. The Scientific Method

12. The Scientific Method

13. The Scientific Method

14. The Scientific Method

15. Approaches to research
Research as referring to and be
focused on:
• The description of some set of
circumstances or domain(s) of
experience, so an explanation to be
offered
• Concerned with the exploration of
practice within particular setting(s) with
the view to changing behaviour(s)
and/or attitude(s)
• Investigating aspects of own
experience and/or rationale(s)
• Classification, conceptualisation and
edification of (new, or already existing)
theory-ies
• Understanding the meaning of
experience so that to be made known
to the wide public
• Informative
• Transformative
• Developmental
• Explanatory
• Expressive

16. The positivistic approach to
research
• Positivism: “…sense perceptions are the only admissible basis of human
knowledge and precise thought” (Sanders & Wilkins, 2010, p. 4)
- Considering acquisition of personal knowledge subject to personal experience
- Considering the reality of senses as the only source of acquisition of personal
knowledge.
- Question to be fed by…: “What about reality that cannot be approached by the
senses?”

17. Positivism and Pragmatism
• In positivism, “the object of thought is always localised
as the thought of a particular being at a particular time in
a particular place” (Kaplan, 1976, p. 49)
• In pragmatism, the reality is unfolded in terms of logic,
subjectivity (how reality is explained by the
individual)/objectivity (how reality is explained by the
many), and social factors

18. Positivism and being critical
• Main critique to positivism: The positivist conception of
science does not presuppose epistemological positivism
- Value-freedom: Factual-judgement and/or/versus value-
judgement?
- Is positivism a tenet of rationalisation of knowledge (why we
ask what we ask?) or an ‘instrument’ to explain the world? –
cogito ergo sum (Descartes)

19. The social constructivist
approach to research
• Constructivism: “Reflecting on our experiences we construct our own
understanding of the world we live in” (Sanders & Wilkins, 2010, p. 5)
- Theoretical implications vary
- Practical implications too many…
- Question to be fed by…: “Can we refer to multiple realities, and if so,
could there be referred to a premise like ultimate reality for all us humans to
rely on –bearing in mind that as entities we are all ‘equipped’ of the same
‘biological protocol’ and at times of similar psychosynthesis too?”

20. Social constructionism and
being critical
• Relativism of social constructionism: Co-active inter-
subjectivity or inactive inter-objectivity?
- Natural, ethical, and temporal facets
- Incompleteness of constructionism without
relativism: Does what we decide to do should always
need to lead to a precise outcome, or do we change as
long as we move onto the same course?

21. Positivism and Constructionism in a nutshell (1) -
as by Sanders & Wilkins, 2010, p. 10
• Structurelessness or
‘chaos’
• Process
• Subjective
• Internal frame of
reference
• Involved
• Person-centred
• Synthesis
• Putting together
• Structure
• Outcome
• Objective
• External frame of
reference
• Neutral and detached
• ‘Science-centred’
• Analysis
• Variables are identified
and measured

22. Positivism and Constructionism in a nutshell (2) -
as by Sanders & Wilkins, 2010, p. 10
• Thoughts, feelings, words,
patterns
• Complexity and pluralism
• People as persons
• Experiential
• Description of experiences
• Elaborated from intuition
• Nature
• Quality
• Numbers
• Reduction to simple units
• People as objects
• Measurable and
observable
• Abstraction of facts
• Deduced from fact
• Technology
• Quantity

23. What can research do?
• There are many reasons for conducting research; with the
primary driver being the desire to know on the part of the
researcher
• Research can be seen as an attempt to establish “evidence-
based” credentials of therapy often called outcomes studies
• Alternative investigations focus on the phenomenology of
experience….this involves the deep reflection on experience
to understand it “from the inside”: heuristic Inquiry
• Given the appropriate method, research can contribute to the
knowledge and insight into almost any question that can be
framed.

24. Why should counsellors
do research?
• From a research
perspective, they are driven
purely and simply by the
need to know…curiousity
• A more pragmatic answer is
doing research helps you
advance your profession
• However the best reason
for doing research is that it
will in some way improve
the lot of clients: evidence-
based practice of
knowledge and skills to help
clients.

25. 9 Principles of Research
1. The primary aim of research is to create knowledge
products
2. Meaning, or the value of any research depends on
where it fits within the existing literature
3. Developing reliable and practical useful research in
counselling requires methodological pluralism
4. The purpose of therapy research is to produce
practical knowledge that contribute to social justice
5. Good therapy research requires reflexivity

26. 9 Principles of Research
6. To produce genuine knowledge requires a
commitment to an ethic of care
7. research is a collaborative activity
8. The social context is always a key factor in any
research on therapy
9. The research training environment plays a crucial
role

27. READINGS
• 1.McLeod (2015) Principles of research chapter on NL
• 2. Sanders & Wilkins Chapter 1.1 what is research and
why bother