Conducting and publishing rigorous empirical research based on original data is essential for advancing and sustaining high-quality counseling practice. Although every section of a research study must be carefully planned, executed, and reported, the Methodology section is the “conceptual epicenter of a manuscript” (Smagorinsky, 2008, p. 390), which should include clear and specific details about how the study was carried out. Careful planning prior to launching data collection is especially important for conducting and writing a rigorous quantitative Methodology section, as it is rarely appropriate to alter quantitative methodology after data collection is complete for both practical and ethical reasons. A well-written Methodology section is also crucial for publishing research in a peer-reviewed journal, as one or more serious methodological flaws tends to automatically trigger a decision of rejection without revisions.

The purpose of this webinar is to provide guidelines and recommendations for writing a rigorous quantitative Methodology section in counseling and related fields. Specifically, the webinar will provide a general overview of the major quantitative methodological subsections, including Participants and Procedures, Measures, and Data Analysis. The presenter will provide particular details on the minimum standards for reporting both reliability and validity evidence of test scores in the Measures section, which are often lacking in counseling research. The webinar will also include commentary and an experiential learning activity on how to match variables with the most appropriate statistical test. The webinar will conclude with a question-and-answer session as well as discussion on the utility of conducting and writing a rigorous quantitative methodology section.

Participants will be able to:

• Identify and explain the criteria for the major subsections in a quantitative Methodology section
• Gain a basic understanding of the minimum standards for reporting both reliability and validity evidence of test scores in the Measures section of a quantitative Methodology section.
• Clearly articulate quantitative variables and their corresponding scale of measurement and become proficient at selecting the appropriate statistical tests based on each variables’ scale of measurement.

Mike Kalkbrenner,

PhD, NCC

Dr. Mike Kalkbrenner is an associate professor of counseling and educational psychology at New Mexico State University (NMSU) with major teaching responsibilities in the areas of counseling theory, research, and assessment. After receiving his bachelor’s in psychology from SUNY Geneseo and his master’s in mental health counseling from the College of Brockport in New York, Dr. Kalkbrenner obtained his PhD in counselor education from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. Dr. Kalkbrenner earned promotion and tenure after just three years on the tenure-track. He has dozens of peer-reviewed articles and presentations in highly esteemed journals and at national conferences as well as millions of dollars in grant funding. Much of his research is centered on two major themes: psychometrics and college student mental health, and measurement and evaluation of dimensions of integrated mental and physical wellness. He has utilized quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods research paradigms, with an emphasis on quantitative methodology in psychometrics and other multivariate statistical analyses. He has won several awards for his scholarship, including the Outstanding Scholar Award by <em>The Professional Counselor (TPC)</em> and the Outstanding Aggie Research Award by the dean at NMSU.

Dr. Kalkbrenner is an associate editor of <em>The Professional Counselor</em> and an editorial board member of the <em>Journal of Counseling and Development</em>; <em>Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development</em>; the <em>Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory and Practice</em>; and the <em>Journal of Human Services</em>. His teaching pedagogy is based on John Dewey’s theory of experiential learning and the flipped classroom in which the instructor is responsible for the learning environment and students are responsible for their own learning. Dr. Kalkbrenner has clinical experience providing counseling to a variety of populations in an array of different settings, including medical residents, veterans, college students, and children.