"Booooooyaahhhh...I'm not really pregnant!"

[psy]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

It is not safe to assume that a well written article (once she is in college and has research mentors) will not receive peer review and publication if the methodology and findings are not crappy.

Well, every journal I've ever submitted to (psych grad student here with 6 journal publications (4 peer-reviewed) and a few others submitted, so I have some background in this, although not extensive) has required a statement that the research was IRB approved and in accordance with ethical standards, which this wasn't, so, no, I don't think any reputable, peer-reviewed journal would take it these days.

[DrPhil]

Thanks for sharing your C.V. I'll spare you mine.

We don't know all of the details of her study and what, if anything, she has planned for future studies. So, like I said, it is not safe to assume that this study is a waste and she cannot eventually have a peer reviewed publication even loosely based on this study.

And she may not have any interest in any of that. She may have only wanted to complete her senior project and get some attention for the topic. Maybe publishing in a magazine or newspaper is more her desire. That is also fine since this is a very public topic that shouldn't be relegated to those of us who regularly read scholarly, peer-reviewed journals.

[Senusret I]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

We don't know all of the details of her study and what, if anything, she has planned for future studies. So, like I said, it is not safe to assume that this study is a waste--

Nor is it safe to label it brilliant.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by Senusret I

Nor is it safe to label it brilliant.

I find it extremely brilliant for what it is. You don't have to feel the same.

And don't edit my post to remove its context. I'm talking about what this young lady can possibly do with similar studies in the future.

[psy]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

Thanks for sharing your C.V. I'll spare you mine.

We don't know all of the details of her study and what, if anything, she has planned for future studies. So, like I said, it is not safe to assume that this study is a waste and she cannot eventually have a peer reviewed publication even loosely based on this study.

And she may not have any interest in any of that. She may have only wanted to complete her senior project and get some attention for the topic. Maybe publishing in a magazine or newspaper is more her desire. That is also fine since this is a very public topic that shouldn't be relegated to those of us who regularly read scholarly, peer-reviewed journals.

Oh, that is in no way my CV, trust me! And do you have any experience with social science research, IRBs, etc., because it's kind of odd that you wouldn't see the potential ethical confounds in this--and the methodological issues, for that matter--if you do.

If she wants to publish in a magazine or popular press, fine with me--although I have issues with rewarding research with notable, uncontrolled and unaccounted for potential for psychological harm in modern times. Granted, some of most influential studies in psychology would be unethical be today's standards, but ethical standards in research also came about for damn good reasons.

If she wants to do a future study, done ethically, on the same topic, sure, she can try to publish it anywhere she wants to.

On the study itself... I think it is interesting, yes, and probably will be grounds for some interesting self-reflection in that high school. However, you have to keep in mind the methodological flaw (and it's a big one, IMO) of having one person do everything in the study--be in the participant, the observer, the principal investigator, the analyst, etc.--HUGE potential for bias issues that would need to be addressed if anyone wanted to make this publishable, regardless of ethics. She probably came in with expectations and probably, deliberately or not, focused on responses which confirmed those and cherry-picked them. This isn't a criticism of her--it's human nature. But it's also why this type of research just wouldn't fly professionally, except maybe as a letter to the editor or a bare "base:" for future studies. It's very interesting and probably contributed something to her personal gtrowth and again, self-reflection, but it's hardly ground-breaking, IMO.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by psy

Oh, that is in no way my CV, trust me!

Of course it isn't, hence the sarcasm.

Originally Posted by psy

And do you have any experience with social science research, IRBs, etc.,

Yes. Don't imply that social science researchers have a uniform perspective on this matter.

Originally Posted by psy

because it's kind of odd that you wouldn't see the potential ethical confounds in this--and the methodological issues, for that matter--if you do.

The bolded is the correct wording. With all due respect, as a graduate student you will learn more and more about why there are debates over ethical and methodological issues. You should have already learned that. If ethical and methodological issues were so cut and dry, there would be no room for debate. Participant observation is a complex methodology that some researchers and scholars strongly oppose regardless of how well ethics and methodology are considered and operated. That is the perceivably thin line between personal (educated) opinion and the process of conducting research.

LOL @ the rest of your post. This is some serious stuff, eh? Like I said, if she gets to college and if she has research mentors and if she wants to further this research...the world shall see whether this is respectable research that is worthy of any kind of publication. In the meantime, she's a high school student whose research has received varying opinions of the methodology and findings. Cool.

[DrPhil]

These comments made me think of GC:

http://message.snopes.com/showthread.php?p=1450177