I have used a Skeptical Inquirer article on EMDR in my research methods course. We
had just finished talking about good experimental design and the article from the
Skeptical Inquirer was a critique of the research that had been done on EMDR. It was
very readable for the students, and it gave them a chance to see an application of the
topics we had been discussing.
One thing that I had not expected was the students' surprise that the research
articles being critiqued had been published when they had such glaring design flaws.
I think a lot of students approach articles in journals with the belief that if it has
been published it must be good research. It was helpful for them to see that even when
they are just starting out in an undergraduate research methods course they already
have the skills to start to evaluate published articles.
Richard Platt
St. Mary's College of Maryland
