does this make sense for a research topic?

[Connolly]

Hi,

 

I am putting together and practicing writing some dissertation proposal ideas in abstract form; I hope to present some to faculty and could use help making them better before they get turned in.

 

For this one I could really use help picking a methodology or if this is appropriate, better describing the stats. I am not looking to develop some kind of model of technology use so I'm not sure if using this method is best, or I feel I should say how it will be analyzed/used in the end somehow also. Basically what I am interested in is to get the perspective from psychologists if some models of long-term care are better than others for supporting the use of technology (like they provide the wi-fi, ipads, their direct line staff have the time to actually set them up when residents need them), to find out what software and how often Psychologists use in therapy and recommended for client use between sessions, and the kind of technology Psychologists use to do business. On some of the newer "visiting multidisciplinary teams" Psychologists don't have offices in a facility where residents are all day too; they drive to a home-like setting to see individual clients when there is need. So the way technology is used to assess, interpret results of testing, and where/how electronic records are stored/used is different in newer models than traditional institutionalized settings. A lot of these Psychologists consult so basically I suspect they keep a lot of their documents on home computers and use technology to stay connected to their discipline and engage in ongoing training as well. So anyway here is the abstract, any help is appreciated so much!!

 

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to understand how Counseling Psychologists use technology in different models/types of long-term care. Possible research questions include: Where does psychological testing/analysis take place that requires a computer in the various models? To what extent do Counseling Psychologists use universal design (available to anyone) technology or technology specifically designed with the needs of older adults in mind and various accommodations? What kind of barriers to using technology therapeutically do Counseling Psychologists encounter in different models of care? Where do they inform themselves of evidence-based technology interventions and how do they use technology to manage their work roles as well (as most nursing home Psychologists contract). What kind of support do Psychologists perceive from the discipline and professional organizations for using technology effectively in long-term care? For what presenting problems do Counseling Psychologists consider the use of technology, and how do they determine if a resident is a good candidate?

Method: A method of phenomenology (Creswell, 2006) will be implemented. A minimum of 10 qualitative interviews will be conducted with Psychologists working in long-term care to gather descriptions of how they use technology in therapy, in official work roles, and for continuing education. Participants will be recruited from aging-related APA divisions and organizations like Psychologists in Long-Term Care.

 

Support/Significance: Culture change is radically redesigning the work teams and environments in which Counseling Psychologists who pursue a career in long-term care work (Rabig et al. 2006). Many “smart homes” are being built to support smart technologies and more tech-savvy older adults are entering nursing homes, making the use of technology by Counseling Psychologists in long-term care more likely. People of all ages are using the internet, cell phones and other technologies to communicate with family and friends in new and exciting ways; given limited opportunities to make friends inherent in some nursing home models, such as those that only allow 10-12 residents per home, using the internet may be the only way some older residents in nursing home stay in contact with others who share their interests. Current trends from the field of mental health and gerontology indicate technology integration is long-term care is a topic of interest. For example, the recent conference hosted by APA’s Session on Aging Issues (2014) presented symposiums and discussions on topics like Technology Interventions for Aging, Geropsychology, Technology, and Tomorrow, and Social Media and Internet Mediated Technology in Long-Term Care. The conference also included a symposium on Counseling Psychology in Long-Term Care – A Need for Integration. As Counseling Psychologists continue to integrate more technology into their work in long-term care settings, understanding how they use technology will help prepare the field better integrate technology in long-term care settings in a future that will continue to call for such integration.

[GeoDUDE!]

If its good you probably just got scooped by someone lurking the forum. 

[Connolly]

What are you talking about? And I could still use feedback...

[Eigen]

I think his point was that publicly posting research proposals is considered really unwise. 

 

At best, you get feedback from random strangers, at worst a random stranger likes your proposal and pursues it themselves, thus scooping you and beating you to publishing it. 

 

Your research proposals should be looked over by people you personally trust- colleagues, undergrad advisors, or your current faculty advisors. And even then, I'm a fan of playing them close to the chest.