Data Collection for Dissertation

[DoctorHappy]

I am in the frightening process of beginning dissertation and am curious about how to go about collecting data. The topic is not one in which my advisors have available data and I would like to use archival data of sorts. There are several large scale centers and/or researchers who have data that would fulfill the questions I am posing for dissertation but I am unsure of protocol for asking for permission to use anothers data...any advice here would be greatly appreciated.

Am I better off just going with the topic I have available data for but NO interest in?

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[Ollie123]

Have your advisors published off public data sets before? If they aren't meant to be publicly available, I'd guess its unlikely to happen (though I wish that wasn't true). If its say, the NCS then that is very different and there are established protocols for getting it. If its not, do you or your advisor have connections to these people? If so, that can help a ton.

Otherwise, is collecting your own data an option? I mean, realistically, that is the easiest way to make sure you do something that you have interest in. If you aren't willing to collect your own data you are kind of limited to what other people have done and are willing to grant you access (and publication rights!) to.

 

[DoctorHappy]

Have your advisors published off public data sets before? If they aren't meant to be publicly available, I'd guess its unlikely to happen (though I wish that wasn't true). If its say, the NCS then that is very different and there are established protocols for getting it. If its not, do you or your advisor have connections to these people? If so, that can help a ton.

I don't think my advisors have published off public data before, although some of their previous students may have. I have been looking for data available through public access (such as through the CDC or WHO), but from what I can tell the data they have would not be detailed enough for what I am interested in. The Oxford Centre for Suicide Research would have the data but I am unsure if this is data available to the public. My guess is it is probably not but I don't know how to find out, other than to e-mail the lead correspondent.

Otherwise, is collecting your own data an option? I mean, realistically, that is the easiest way to make sure you do something that you have interest in. If you aren't willing to collect your own data you are kind of limited to what other people have done and are willing to grant you access (and publication rights!) to.

Collecting my own data would be difficult considering I am interested in the study of suicide and self-harm, although I may potentially be able to gain access to data through the county hospital system if I could demonstrate sufficient reason and importance of the study. My advisor has done some previous research projects with the county, and my employer may know some people who could help as well, although I believe they are more involved in clinical work than research.

 

[Ollie123]

That's a possibility then. It can be difficult to collect data in that area if you are going for broad-scale epidemiological-type research. Obviously, you can't find 5000 people and wait to see who commits suicide for a dissertation (that sounds incredibly crass, but you know what I mean). However, I'm not sure what kind of research you do. Certainly, finding 50-100 depressed individuals for a rigorous experimental study where you measure neural reactions to different images/words and examine the relationship between that and various continuous measures of suicidality/self-harm is not at all unreasonable (though poses a number of different hurdles itself, including IRBs, which I hear can be beastly for folks in your area). It all depends what kind of project you want to do. There are millions of ways to study any topic, and "Suicide and self-harm" is still incredibly broad. Unless you have a specific research question in mind, you may want to think through the possibilities.

 

[deleted176373]

Collecting my own data would be difficult considering I am interested in the study of suicide and self-harm, although I may potentially be able to gain access to data through the county hospital system if I could demonstrate sufficient reason and importance of the study. My advisor has done some previous research projects with the county, and my employer may know some people who could help as well, although I believe they are more involved in clinical work than research.

I'm sorry, but I can't see you saying, "Hi. I am Dr. Happy and I am here to collect data on your recent suicide." Just seems wrong.

Mark

 

[PsychGraduate]

I am in the frightening process of beginning dissertation and am curious about how to go about collecting data. The topic is not one in which my advisors have available data and I would like to use archival data of sorts. There are several large scale centers and/or researchers who have data that would fulfill the questions I am posing for dissertation but I am unsure of protocol for asking for permission to use anothers data...any advice here would be greatly appreciated.

Am I better off just going with the topic I have available data for but NO interest in?

Yeah use surveys, some interviews, access current data, email or send out letters for permission to use current data, use your connections in any way you can; does not hurt to ask right? Other than that look at few metanalyses and perform a lit review, and figure out what you can gather from that and see where there maybe new knowledge you can contribute based upon the gaps in the lit review and interviews/surveys. Ollie makes great points in his last post as well. Besides that review your textbooks on qualitative and quantitative analysis.

 

[DoctorHappy]

I'm sorry, but I can't see you saying, "Hi. I am Dr. Happy and I am here to collect data on your recent suicide." Just seems wrong.

Mark

Obviously, my last name is not "Happy". It was a reference to psychology, and psychologists being Doctors who hopefully (when doing their jobs right) are helping people to achieve that happiness.

 

[DoctorHappy]

That's a possibility then. It can be difficult to collect data in that area if you are going for broad-scale epidemiological-type research. Obviously, you can't find 5000 people and wait to see who commits suicide for a dissertation (that sounds incredibly crass, but you know what I mean). However, I'm not sure what kind of research you do. Certainly, finding 50-100 depressed individuals for a rigorous experimental study where you measure neural reactions to different images/words and examine the relationship between that and various continuous measures of suicidality/self-harm is not at all unreasonable (though poses a number of different hurdles itself, including IRBs, which I hear can be beastly for folks in your area). It all depends what kind of project you want to do. There are millions of ways to study any topic, and "Suicide and self-harm" is still incredibly broad. Unless you have a specific research question in mind, you may want to think through the possibilities.

Yes, there is a specific research question in mind, but in order to gather the data I would need access to inpatient populations and then probably giving the DISC or SCID (or some other type of diagnostic interview) as well as a measurement of level of self-harm and collection of demographic information. IRB would be trying at best, and access to that population even more difficult, although my advisor said if I could prove the research was valuable enough I MAY be able to get access. I suppose it doesn't hurt to ask though...thanks for the input!