Navigating Research in an Applied Graduate Program: A Guide for Students in Psychology, Mental Health, and Education

Are you a graduate student in an applied psychology, mental health, or education program? Are you learning to apply your field’s theories and methods in practice while anticipating conducting a final research or scholarly project? Or are you a faculty member advising, mentoring, and chairing dissertations or theses? This guide is for you.

Navigating the research process in an applied graduate program can be exciting but also daunting. For students, this book will guide you through the nuts and bolts of identifying research interests, developing a project topic, writing and managing a project, as well as the various interpersonal and academic skills necessary to successfully complete such a project.

Based on a well-recognized national competency model developed by the National Council of Schools of Professional Psychology (NCSPP), this guide will teach you the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to navigate research at three stages of graduate school: familiarizing yourself with research and scholarly work, developing a proposal and managing a project, and finishing your final project and beyond. It will also advise on ways you can foster successful mentoring relationships and work collaboratively in applied settings.

Worksheets, visual aids, and checklists are provided throughout to highlight factors to consider at each stage and help you plan work and time, self-evaluating and improving research, and troubleshooting obstacles. Student examples are included to illustrate real experiences of conducting research in an applied program.

Using this book throughout graduate school will help you experience your final project as an exciting capstone to your academic career. Recommendations for how faculty can use this guide in research related courses, advising, and mentoring are also provided.

Hilary B. Vidair is an Associate Professor in and former program director of the Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program at Long Island University (LIU) Post, and a practicing licensed psychologist. She received her Ph.D. in combined clinical and school psychology from Hofstra University, completed a National Institute of Mental Health research fellowship at Columbia University/New York State Psychiatric Institute, and has served on over 85 dissertation committees.
Pam L. Gustafson is an Academic Specialist with SUNY Empire State College and a certified School Librarian at Brentwood Schools in New York. She holds Master of Library Science and Master of History degrees from Long Island University (LIU) Post and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in Education Leadership Management from Northeastern University. She has also served on advisory and educational committees for the American Psychological Association (APA), Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), and the National Association for Graduate Admissions Professionals (NAGAP).
Eva L. Feindler is a Professor of Psychology in the Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program at Long Island University (LIU) Post, former program director, and former director of Post’s Psychological Services Center, and a practicing licensed psychologist. She received her graduate degrees from West Virginia University, has chaired over 85 dissertations, and helped foster applied research partnerships with mental health agencies and schools.