Handbook of Research in Pediatric and Clinical Child Psychology : Practical Strategies and Methods

The professional development of researchers is critical for the future development ofthe fields of pediatric and clinical child psychology.

The professional development of researchers is critical for the future development ofthe fields of pediatric and clinical child psychology. In order to conduct research in pediatric and clinical child psychology, researchers need to work with a wide range of populations and master an increasingly wide range of skills, many of which are either not formally taught or considered in sufficient depth in clinical training. Such skills include the development of resources for research by writing grants to government agencies and foundations; skills in preparing research for publications concerning original research, review articles, or case reports; scien­ tific presentation skills; the ability to review and edit scientific manuscripts; and to implement and manage research in applied settings. Moreover, the increasing complexity of research in pediatric and clinical child psychology requires success­ ful researchers in these fields to develop their expertise with a wide range of new specialized methodologies, data analytic methods, models of data analysis, and methods of assessment. Finally, to enhance the relevance of their research to practice, researchers in pediatric and clinical child psychology need to integrate their work with clinical service delivery programs that are based on empirical research. The necessity to train researchers in pediatric and clinical child psychology in such multifaceted knowledge and skills places extraordinary burdens on profes­ sional training programs. Professional researchers in pediatric and child clinical psychology also are challenged to develop new knowledge and skills through continuing education and faculty development programs.