5 Best Research Methods Courses and Certificates Online (2024)

Here are the best research methods courses online that enable students and professionals to learn at their own pace and earn a certificate in research methods.

From the initiation of a research idea to its eventual publication, there are many moving parts - including the formulation of a research question, proper study design, conduction of research, and the proper interpretation of results, to name a few.

Research methods play an important role in this process, providing a systematic way for scholars to solve the problem in question, especially in the presence of many acceptable options.

With this in mind, here are the best research methods courses online for PhD students and professionals in academic fields.

These courses offer guidance on both quantitative and qualitative methods in the research process, key terminologies and conventions, principles of ethical research, and tips on writing research proposals.

As you learn more about research methods and the logic behind them, you’ll improve your skills in both conducting research and applying these concepts to a larger, everyday context.

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What are the Best Courses on Research Methodology?

Here are the best research methods courses and certificates to enroll in online this year:

1. Understanding Research Methods (University of London)

This popular course on Coursera is all about demystifying research and research methods.

The course is offered by SOAS University of London - a top public research university in the UK that specializes in the study of Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

Aimed primarily at postgraduate students, the course outlines the fundamentals of doing research and engages learners in a range of robust and challenging discussions and exercises.

Course Syllabus:

Week 1: What Is Research and What Makes a Good Research Question?

Week 2: What Is a Literature Review and Why Do We Need to Do One?

Week 3: Why Are Planning and Management Skills Important for Research?

Week 4: How Do You Know You Have Been a Good Researcher at the End of a Project?

The course will increase your understanding of research approaches and skills, and enhance your ability to deploy them in your studies or in your professional life. No prior knowledge or experience in research is required or expected.

Approximate time to complete: 6 hours.

=> Enroll in the Understanding Research Methods online course here.

2. Qualitative Research Design and Methods for Public Health (Emory University)

This online research methods course examines issues related to the public health industry.

The course covers the entire research cycle and shows public health professionals how to design effective qualitative studies, choose appropriate qualitative methods, and generate and analyze qualitative data.

You will learn to:

Design a qualitative research project to respond to specific public health problems or questions.

Design strategies and instruments for qualitative data collection that are linked to study objectives and appropriate for the population of interest.

Define objectives for an analysis project using specific analytic tools and processes with MAXQDA software.

Evaluate qualitative research reports in public health or social and behavioral sciences.

There are 3 Courses in this Specialization:

Course 1: Qualitative Research Design
Course 2: Qualitative Data Collection Methods
Course 3: Qualitative Data Analysis with MAXQDA Software

As part of the program, learners will also explore strategies for presenting research findings in professional settings.

Approximate time to complete: 5 months (at a suggested pace of 3 hours/week).

=> Enroll in the Research Methods for Public Health course here.

3. Research Methods in Psychology (American Psychological Association)

Research Methods in Psychology is a professional certificate offered on edX by the American Psychological Association.

In this course, you will learn how researchers in psychology conduct their studies.

At a conceptual level, you will explore the statistical methods that psychologists use to summarize, display, and analyze their data, in order to understand the goals that these methods are intended to accomplish.

You'll also consider important and fascinating questions about when it is and when it is not appropriate to make humans or other animals the subjects of scientific research and what kinds of protections must be ensured for them.

This professional certificate program contains 3 courses:

Qualitative Research in Psychology
Data Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences
Quantitative Research Methods

Key course features:

Expert instruction
Self-paced: progress at your own speed
Approximate time to complete: 6 months at 4-12 hours per week

=> Enroll in the Research Methods in Psychology Professional Certificate.

4. Methods and Statistics in Social Sciences (University of Amsterdam)

This specialization course walks you through research methods, design, and statistical analysis for social science research questions.

As you go through the program, you'll learn to recognize sloppy science, critically analyze data sets, and correctly interpret results to make solid, evidence-based decisions.

In the final Capstone Project, you’ll apply these skills by developing your own research question, gathering data, and analyzing and reporting on the results using statistical methods.

There are 5 Courses in this Specialization:

Course 1: Quantitative Methods

Course 2: Qualitative Research Methods

Course 3: Basic Statistics

Course 4: Inferential Statistics

Course 5: Methods and Statistics in Social Science - Final Research Project

Approximate time to complete: 10 months (at a suggested pace of 3 hours/week).

=> Enroll in the Methods and Statistics in Social Sciences course here.

5. Comparative Effectiveness Research Training and Instruction (CERTaIN)

Would you like to learn the basics of clinical research?

Do you want to inform healthcare decisions by conducting research on the effectiveness, benefits, and potential harms of treatment options?

Or maybe you’d like to use a national health data registry to answer a research question?

If you answered yes to any of the above, the Comparative Effectiveness Research Training and Instruction – CERTaIN - Professional Certificate Program is right for you!

Created by The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and partner institutions, this program provides a comprehensive overview of core concepts, research methods and data analysis techniques used in comparative effectiveness (CER) and patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR) across five key areas:

Course 1: Introduction
Course 2: Knowledge Synthesis
Course 3: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (PCOR)
Course 4: Pragmatic Clinical Trials and Healthcare Delivery Evaluations
Course 5: Observational Studies and Registries

In this program you will learn from expert decision scientists, biostatisticians, oncologists, economists, social scientists, health care policy experts and epidemiologists how to conduct CER/PCOR and see how CER/PCOR methods have been applied in the real world to conduct state of the art research studies.

=> Enroll in the Comparative Effectiveness Research Training and Instruction program on edX here.

Final Thoughts

Thanks for checking out this article on the best research methods courses online. Of course, the course(s) you decide to take will depend on your particular interests and learning objectives.

The above courses will build on your current knowledge and can nicely complement classroom studies in research related fields.

As you learn online from the world's top research universities, you'll have the opportunity to earn a certificate and share your accomplishments with prospective employers and your professional network.

Happy learning!