For Current Students

Social Sciences Research Group

The Social Sciences Research Group was formed to promote student understanding of research processes. Students have the opportunity to work with their colleagues in small groups in order to be actively involved in creating, planning, and carrying out independent research projects under the supervision of a faculty mentor. Student projects may culminate in a presentation at an appropriate conference.

Serving as a Research Assistant

Individual faculty members often have projects with which students can be involved in collecting data or other aspects of the research process. If you are interested in working with an individual faculty member, please review the information on the faculty web pages to identify a faculty member with interests similar to yours. Then, contact the faculty member directly to inquire about opportunities.

Institutional Review Board

The School of Health Science and Wellness at Northwest Missouri State University upholds ethical practices in completing research. Research projects that you plan to present at a conference or publish need to be approved by the Northwest Missouri State University Institutional Review Board. The link below will take you to the page for this committee.

Institutional Review Board

A "good" advisor can be one of the most important relationships you have at college. A knowledgeable and concerned advisor is prepared to respond to certain college realities delineated by W. Habley (as cited in Upcraft & Kramer, 1995):

• only 12% of beginning students expect to change majors-65-85% do;
• only 2% of beginning students expect to fail a course-16% do;
• only 8% of students expect to take extra time to finish their degree-60% do;
• only 1% of beginning students expect to drop out-40% do.

Former and present students have outlined certain characteristics they believe "good" advisors must possess. According to these students, an advisor can/may/should/must:

• make students aware of specific academic requirements;
• assist in the establishment of and implementation of academic goals;
• be knowledgeable of available resources, programs, facilities, and support services;
• know the advisee's name and establish a friendly and caring, but professional, relationship with the student;
• be accessible for advising throughout the semester;
• provide guidance while stressing student responsibility;
• be honest, sincere, pleasant, and a good listener;
• be able to talk with the student about "life" in general.

• Be active in the advising process-make an effort to get to know your advisor.
• Seek a "good match." In other words, select an advisor with whom you are "comfortable" and share common academic interests.
• Make a list of your questions and/or concerns before meeting with your advisor.
• When you can, ask open-ended questions rather than those that can be answered with a "yes" or "no."
• Most importantly, assume personal responsibility for your academic career. Your advisor is just that-an advisor. Your progress is ultimately your responsibility.

• Identify the faculty member who you would like to be your advisor.
• Get a "change of advisor" form from the Registrar's Office.
• Visit with the faculty member during his/her office hours. If he/she agrees to be your advisor, get the necessary signature on the "change of advisor" form and take the form to the Registrar's Office.
• Follow this same procedure if you would like to change advisors within the department. Your current advisor will not be offended if you would like to change advisors!

The Independent Study gives junior and senior psychology or sociology majors or minors the opportunity to conduct an intensive, in-depth study in an area of their choice, subject to the permission and supervision of a faculty member and permission from the department chairperson.

An independent study may take the form of a research project. Any student interested in conducting undergraduate research should approach a faculty member who has interests similar to the student's (see the directory to find a list of the current research interests of faculty.)

Students may opt for an intensive readings course. As such, a faculty member generates a reading list for the student and together they decide how often they will meet to discuss the readings. This may be appropriate for a student interested in becoming an "expert" in some area of interest, or it may be an appropriate first step prior to conducting an undergraduate research project.

Students must have completed 13 hours toward the psychology or sociology major and must have at least junior status to be eligible for an independent study.

For Psychology

• American Psychological Association
• Association for Psychological Science
• APA PsychCrawler
• Psych Central (good grad school resources)
• PsychWeb (A comprehensive list of resources)
• Psych Watch Graduate Student Center
• Learning Disability Online
• Neuroscience Net
• Psychology-related Links on the Web
• Psychology Programs in the U.S.
• Society for Research in Child Development
• Social Work Programs in the U.S.
• Special Education-Federal Resource Center
• Missouri Psychological Association

For Sociology

National Associations

• American Sociological Association
• Society for the Study of Social Problems
• American Society of Criminology
• National Association of Social Workers

Regional Associations

• Midwest Sociological Society

• Applied Exercise Physiology
• Elementary HPE
• Lifetime Wellness
• Physical Education 2
• Gymnastics
• Physical Education Sr Assessment
• Physical Education 1

• Addiction
• Alcohol
• Cardiovascular Health
• Consuming and Expending Energy
• Diseases
• Eating for Health
• Health Methods
• Health Promotions
• Human Sexuality
• Illicit Drugs
• Infectious and Sexually Transmitted Diseases
• Personal Fitness
• Pharmaceutical Drugs
• Psychological Health
• Tobacco