Research Methods SL Only

This is a complete, fully resourced IB DP Psychology Research Methods resource for SL students, designed for the new specification first assessed in 2027. Although SL students are not assessed through Paper 3, they still need a strong foundational understanding of research methodology because research methods run through the whole course, including class practicals, Paper 1 and Paper 2. This resource is therefore designed to help SL students understand the basic research methodology they need without the extra Paper 3 HL focus.

The resource introduces students to quantitative and qualitative research, descriptive and inferential statistics, correlation coefficients, thematic analysis, reliability, validity, generalisability, transferability, credibility, researcher bias, participant bias and reflexivity. It also explains the main research methods used in psychology, including experiments, observations, surveys/questionnaires, interviews, correlational studies and case studies, as well as key sampling techniques such as self-selected, opportunity, stratified, random and snowball sampling.

This is ideal for teachers who want a ready-to-use SL research methods booklet and for students who need clear, accessible support with the methodological language used throughout IB Psychology. It gives SL students the knowledge they need to understand studies, class practicals and unseen research material, while keeping the focus on basic research-method understanding rather than Paper 3 exam preparation.