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Finding a study that fits

On skill that will help you get a good grade for your coursework is finding studies that relate exactly to what you’re studying or talking about (what the exam board call apposite studies). By putting some effort into finding a good study you can really increase your grades by showing your understanding of the subject area.

If you’re studying or writing about learned aggression in teenagers it would be really easy to use Bandura as an example. Yes, this study is relevant, but it’s not apposite. What you need to find is a study which supports exactly what you’re talking about (for example one of these). This is where you need to spend some time. The internet is an excellent resource. First you could start here at PsychBLOG and search for the research. Here are some other places you might want to look:

• scholar.google.com
• APA PsycArticles
• IngentaConnect
• PLoS (Public Library of Science) an excellent resource
• PubMED Abstract search
• InterScience journal search
• ProQuest
• FindArticles.com

Do make sure that when you’ve found your study that you reference it properly in your writing.

Tags: A2, coursework