To learn research online means sifting through hundreds of possible courses. But you don’t want to take just any class. You want top research courses to help you build the skills you need.
Courses related to research come in all shapes and sizes. You might take a statistics course for researchers. You might take free online research courses with certificates. The research course you take might be geared towards social science. Others might focus on medical research. You get the point.
Featured Programs
- Biostatistics
- University of North Texas Research Design: Inquiry and Discovery
- University of London Understanding Research Methods
Disclaimer: Some courses may include an affiliate link. Courses were chosen first based on the methodology with affiliate links only added after the ranking was complete.
Online research courses offer students of all levels a chance to learn new skills. You can also refresh existing skills by taking these classes.
Choosing an online course for research should involve something more than simply Googling “research methods online courses.” Instead, you should evaluate potential classes before you enroll.
This ranking of the 10 best online courses for research is just what you need to make an informed decision. We’ve done the hard work for you by narrowing the field of courses down to ten of the best options.
The courses in our rankings vary in terms of subject matter. They also vary in learning level. Some of the courses on this list are from accredited schools. Some are free. Others require a fee to take the class.
But what they share in common is that each one provides you with a sound education in research.
To better understand how we arrived at our rankings, let’s go over the method we used to rank each course.
Methodology to Determine the Best Basic Online Courses for Research
To arrive at a collection of the top research courses you can take online, we used three criteria to evaluate each class:
- Affordability
- Learning level
- Type of certificate
Since college-level courses can be expensive, we used the affordability of a class as our main ranking factor. As the price increases, the number of points awarded to a course decreases.
But money isn’t everything. You also need to take courses that are offered at your learning level. A beginner student doesn’t need an advanced research course. Instead, they need to take beginner-level courses. For ranking purposes, the higher the learning level, the more points the course gets.
The final factor we used to evaluate these courses is the type of certificate that’s offered. There are many different types of certificates available. Some are simple completion certificates. Others are professional or educational certificates. As the quality of the certificate increases, so too do the points a course earns.
To give you a better idea of these ranking methods, let’s have a closer look at each of the three factors we used for scoring.
Affordability
According to the College Board, the average yearly price of tuition and fees in the U.S. in 2020 was $37,650 for private schools, $27,020 for out-of-state students at public schools, and $10,560 for in-state students at public schools.
Given the high price of a college education, it’s understandable that many college students want to find ways to reduce their costs.
Taking courses related to research online is one way to save money. For example, if you need to brush up on your research skills, taking free online research courses with certificates is a great way to do so without racking up a huge tuition bill.
There are also many low-cost options to learn research online. So, even if you can’t find a free course, you might still find a course of value to you while also keeping costs low.
We’ve scored this factor as follows:
- Free: 6 points
- Under $250: 5 points
- $251-$500: 4 points
- $501-$750: 3 points
- $750-$1,000: 2 points
- $1,000 and above: 1 point
Learning Level
We also took into account the learning level of the courses in our rankings. Learning level refers to whether the course is for beginner, intermediate, or advanced students.
As noted earlier, it’s critical that you take courses that are at your learning level. After all, there’s no sense in taking an advanced research course if you have no education or experience in research. By providing this information to you, you can narrow the list of courses to those that fit your needs.
For scoring purposes, we assign more points the higher the learning level of the course, like so:
- Advanced: 3 points
- Intermediate: 2 points
- Beginner: 1 point
More advanced courses get more points. This is because they are often focused on a narrower subject. So, rather than being a survey course, which is what many beginner classes are, intermediate and advanced research courses dive into more specific topics.
Not only can these kinds of classes be more valuable to students, but they also require more planning on the part of the instructor. So, while the beginner courses in our rankings are all very good, they don’t go into as much depth as the intermediate and advanced courses listed here.
Type of Certificate
The final factor we used to evaluate online courses related to research is the type of certificate offered.
There are three primary types of certificates:
- Completion certificate – These are awarded to students upon successful completion of a course
- Educational certificate – These certificates usually require successful completion of multiple courses. The certificate is provided by the school and is noted on your transcripts.
- Professional certificate – A professional certificate is provided by an organization. This type of certificate comes with credentials you can use as part of your job title. Usually, professional certification requires you to take courses and pass a certification exam.
Since completion certificates are the easiest type to get, they are awarded the fewest points:
- Educational or professional certificate – 2 points
- Completion certificate – 1 point
Using the combination of these three factors, we’ve ranked the following courses as being the best online courses for research.
Ranking the Best Online Courses for Research
#10: Psyc 301: Research Methods in Psychology
This undergraduate course is offered by George Mason University. It is worth four semester credits and is likely to transfer to most colleges and universities.
This course focuses on experimental design and control. Many topics revolve around studying human subjects. Additionally, you will explore topics related to:
- Reliability
- Validity
- Observational methods
- Survey designs
There is a laboratory component to this research course as well. Both the coursework and lab work can be completed online.
The lab work involves designing a research study. You must also conduct studies and write manuscripts to describe your research.
This course does not include a certificate. However, you can earn college credit that can be applied towards a bachelor’s degree in psychology.
Points: 3
Affordability: Approximately $5,495 for out-of-state students; approximately $1,585 for in-state students.
Learning Level: Intermediate
Type of Certificate: None
#9: Clinical Research Certificate
This advanced research course is actually a certificate program of study. It requires you to complete 15 semester credits of coursework from Drexel University.
The top research program is offered by Drexel’s College of Medicine. Upon completion of the program, you will have a Certificate of Study in Clinical Research.
The program is 100 percent online. It is taught by industry experts. Though clinical research is the focus, the program is offered to a wide range of students that need research credentials.
Some of the topics you will study include:
- Compliance and safety
- Ethics and law
- Data management
- Clinical research management
This program prepares you to become a Certified Clinical Research Coordinator (CCRC) or eventually a Certified Clinical Research Associate (CCRA). Both of these are professional credentials that require additional studies to obtain.
Points: 6
Affordability: Approximately $18,000
Learning Level: Advanced
Type of Certificate: Educational
#8: BioStatistics
This beginner course from Doane University and edX introduces you to statistical methods in biological research.
The goal of this course is to teach you how to design experimental studies. You’ll also learn how to design quasi-experimental and observational studies. Likewise, other topics include:
- Collect, analyze, and interpret data
- Effectively summarize data
- How to perform statistical tests
This free research course is credit eligible through Doane University. The credits might transfer to other schools. You will need to check with your academic advisor to determine credit transferability. To take the online course for credit, you’ll need to pay $500 per credit hour and pass the course with a grade of C or better.
If you want the certificate for this course, you have to pay a fee of $99.
Points: 7
Affordability: Free (if the course is not taken for credit; $1,500-$2,000 for credit). Scored as a paid course to account for the cost of the certificate.
Learning Level: Beginner
Type of Certificate: Completion
#7: Research Design: Inquiry and Discovery
This introductory course is available on Coursera. It was developed for students by the University of North Texas.
Research design is a foundational part of studying research. This course helps you understand how to develop sound research questions. You’ll also gain the skills needed to effectively answer research questions.
Other topics in this free online research course include:
- Information gathering
- Variable measurement
- Sampling
- Experimental and non-experimental designs
You’ll also get a quick introduction to data analysis and reporting. Likewise, there is a module on ethics.
The information in this course is geared towards use in the social sciences. But there are some discussions that frame your studies from a business research and natural science point of view as well.
Points: 7
Affordability: Free to enroll. A fee (usually around $50) might be required. Other costs are involved if you participate in a specialization (usually $39-$79 per month). Learn more about Coursera pricing. This is scored as a paid course.
Learning Level: Beginner
Type of Certificate: Completion
#6: Introduction to Research Ethics: Working with People
This is a beginner course from FutureLearn and the University of Leeds. The primary focus is on ethical research. Specifically, you’ll learn about ethical practices when working with people.
Your learning begins with an examination of why ethics are important to research. You’ll also learn how to ethically recruit people for your research and how to get informed consent.
Additional topics of study include:
- Working with vulnerable participants
- Risk and harm in research
- How to store personal data
Though this free online research course was designed for future social researchers, the skills learned in the course can be used for other types of research, like market research.
This is a short course and it’s just two weeks in length. If you opt for the free course without a certificate, you have four weeks to complete the class.
Points: 7
Affordability: Free to enroll. A fee of $44 is required to get a certificate. This is scored as a paid course.
Learning Level: Beginner
Type of Certificate: Completion
#5: Academic Writing for Clarity and Meaning
This free online research course from edX was developed by the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa. It is an introductory class that will teach you how to write clear, concise research reports.
The focus of your learning is on academic writing. This kind of writing requires a different approach than creative writing. Its purpose is to deliver information in a way that is to the point and meaningful.
You will study the following concepts:
- How to develop a structured writing process
- The golden thread
- Paragraph and sentence construction
By the end of the short research class, you will have a new set of tools that allows you to write in a clear and engaging manner.
This is a self-paced course. You can take as long as you wish to complete it. However, most students finish the class in two weeks. It’s worth noting that a $49 fee is required if you want a certificate.
Points: 7
Affordability: Free. Scored as a paid course to account for the cost of the certificate.
Learning Level: Beginner
Type of Certificate: Completion
#4: Understanding Research Methods
This intermediate course was designed by the University of London. It is available online on Coursera. The primary emphasis of the class is to help you better understand how to conduct research.
The course begins with an outline of research fundamentals. This includes a deep dive into what makes a good research question. Other topics of study include:
- Literature reviews
- Critical research skills
- Reflection in research
The bulk of the topics in this course are aimed at postgraduate students. This is why it is an intermediate and not a beginner course.
However, there are no prerequisites for the class. You do not need previous experience in research to enroll.
This is a short course, too. Most students need just six hours to complete each of the four course modules.
Points: 8
Affordability: Free to enroll. A fee (usually around $50) might be required. Other costs are involved if you participate in a specialization (usually $39-$79 per month). Learn more about Coursera pricing. This is scored as a paid course.
Learning Level: Intermediate
Type of Certificate: Completion
#3: Qualitative Research
This is a four-week intermediate course from the University of California at Davis. It is available on Coursera.
This highly-rated course begins with a discussion of qualitative research. You’ll learn what it is, how it’s different from quantitative research, and how it can be used to conduct effective research.
Other units of study include:
- Designing qualitative instruments
- How to recruit participants
- How to organize and analyze data
By the end of the class, you’ll gain many new research skills. You’ll be able to explain the limitations of qualitative research. You’ll also have experience in creating questionnaires. Additionally, you will gain knowledge of focus groups.
Since this is an intermediate course, you’ll need two years of business experience prior to enrollment.
You can take this course by itself. If you want to specialize in market research, that option is available as well.
Points: 8
Affordability: Free to enroll. A fee (usually around $50) might be required. Other costs are involved if you participate in a specialization (usually $39-$79 per month). Learn more about Coursera pricing. This is scored as a paid course.
Learning Level: Intermediate
Type of Certificate: Completion
#2: Quantitative Research
This is an intermediate course. It is offered by the University of California at Davis and is available on Coursera.
This course is all about quantitative research. You’ll learn how to assess methods for making quantitative surveys. You’ll also learn how to evaluate the benefits and detriments of this type of research method.
Over the course of four modules, you’ll also learn about:
- Designing, testing, and implementing surveys
- Analyzing statistical models
- How to predict outcomes based on the information gathered
This course is geared towards market research. If you plan to major in marketing or business, it is a good introduction to this field.
This top free online research course can be taken by itself or it can be taken as part of Coursera’s Market Research Specialization. Before enrolling in this class, it is highly recommended that you take the Qualitative Research course discussed earlier.
Points: 8
Affordability: Free to enroll. A fee (usually around $50) might be required. Other costs are involved if you participate in a specialization (usually $39-$79 per month). Learn more about Coursera pricing. This is scored as a paid course.
Learning Level: Intermediate
Type of Certificate: Completion
#1: SPSS for Research
SPSS is one of the most popular analysis programs in social science research. In this intermediate course from Udemy, you’ll learn how to utilize SPSS and become an expert in statistical analysis.
This best online research course covers a wide range of topics in statistics. You’ll perform simple operations, like defining variables. You’ll also use SPSS to make charts. Other topics include:
- Performing basic data analysis
- Testing hypotheses for normality
- Transforming variables
- Analyzing t-tests and ANOVAs
You’ll also learn how to perform regression analyses. This includes simple and multiple regressions as well as sequential and logistic regressions.
Even though this is an intermediate course, you only need a very basic knowledge of statistics. You must also have version 18 of SPSS or newer.
This best online research course includes many features to help you find success. There are more than 50 downloadable resources, more than 14 hours of video, and you can access the course online or on your TV.
Points: 8
Affordability: $12.99 (at the time of writing)
Learning Level: Intermediate
Type of Certificate: Completion
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it hard to learn how to conduct research by taking online courses?
Like any topic, courses related to research can be difficult whether you take courses in person or online. By their nature, some research courses are very detailed and complex. This can make online learning a challenge for some students.
Having said that, aside from the difficulties of the subject matter, the biggest factor in whether a course is hard or not is your commitment to learning.
If you put in the necessary work, complete assignments on time, do the course readings, and so forth, you will have a much easier time mastering the art of research. Conversely, you’ll only make it harder on yourself if you don’t participate in completing the course requirements.
This isn’t to say that hard work will make a very difficult class easy. But hard work will make it easier, both in terms of your short-term understanding and your long-term retention of the material.
When you enroll in an online course, you can get a good idea of how much work is required of you. For example, if you learn research online from a college or university, there will be credits associated with the class. A good rule of thumb is that a three-credit class requires six to nine hours of study time outside of class.
As another example, if you take the Understanding Research Methods course in our rankings, you can expect to spend a total of six hours to complete the class.
Obviously, the second course requires less work and is easier to complete. But you must still put forth the effort to complete the course. If you don’t, it will be very hard to learn how to do research online.
What skills do you need to conduct research?
Being a researcher requires that you have a certain set of skills. Some areas of research draw on specialized skills. For example, medical researchers must have a thorough understanding of medical terminology.
However, there are some basic and essential research skills you’ll need regardless of the area of research. The list below outlines some of the most important ones:
- Interviewing skills – Many types of research require you to work with human subjects. In that case, you’ll need the ability to speak effectively and actively listen.
- Analytical skills – Research is all about finding connections. You’ll need to draw on your analytical skills to identify problems, relationships, and solutions.
- Critical thinking skills – Critical thinking skills go hand-in-hand with analytical skills. They include making observations, analyzing data, solving problems, and even devising creative solutions to issues that arise in your research.
- Data collection – Researchers must be able to collect data from multiple sources with a high degree of efficiency and accuracy.
- Report writing – You must have superb written communication skills no matter what kind of research you are doing. Additionally, you should be able to write clear and detailed notes as you conduct your research. This gives you a solid foundation of observational data you can use to write reports later on.
- Time management – Researchers must have a knack for getting tasks done in a timely fashion. This includes steps in the experimental process as well as meeting deadlines for reporting.
- Working well with others – Seldom is research conducted individually. Instead, you’ll be working with other researchers throughout the process. You must possess the ability to work with different types of people who might have very different communication styles.
- IT skills – Most researchers don’t need to know how to code computer programs. But they should know how to use computers to write reports, collect and analyze data, create visual aids, and for administering experimental conditions to subjects.
- Budgeting skills – In many cases, researchers have strict budgets for their research. This means you must have the ability to budget appropriately, track spending, and make budget cuts as needed to keep the research project on track financially.
As noted earlier, this is not a complete list of all the skills you’ll need to be a researcher, but it’s a good start.
What are the steps involved in research?
If you begin scientific research, there are six steps you can follow. These steps are called the Scientific Method.
Step 1: Observation – This step involves simply identifying a problem you want to solve. Making observations will inform you as to the research question you need to devise, which is the next step in the process.
Step 2: Ask a question – If you observe that one of the tires on your car is flat, you might ask the question, “Why is my tire flat?” This is a simplistic example, but you get the point. By clearly identifying a specific question, you set the foundation for conducting research to find an answer.
Step 3: Make a hypothesis – Your hypothesis is a possible answer to the question you’re researching. So, your hypothesis in the flat tire situation might be, “The tire has a leak.” Your hypothesis needs to be narrowly defined (i.e., “there’s a leak”) and it must be testable (i.e., the tire can be submerged in water to see if air bubbles are produced by a leak.
Step 4: Make a prediction – The prediction you make relates directly to the hypothesis. If the hypothesis is that the tire has a leak, you might predict that if you add more air to the tire, it will become flat again over time.
Step 5: Test the prediction – Testing the prediction helps you identify if your hypothesis was correct. In this case, we would air up the tire and submerge it in water to see if air bubbles are produced. If air bubbles arise, our hypothesis is supported. If no air bubbles are present, our hypothesis is not supported. So, in testing the prediction, the hypothesis may or may not be supported. If it is supported, there’s a good chance that the hypothesis is correct. If the hypothesis is not supported, we will need to come up with a new hypothesis.
Step 6: Conclusion – This step involves reflecting on the results of our research. Doing so will inform our next steps. So, if our hypothesis was supported, we might develop more research to confirm it or revise it as needed. If our hypothesis was not supported, we would come up with a new one and begin the research process all over again.
Should I take online courses for research if they don’t have a certificate?
Learning research online doesn’t require that you take courses with certificates. For example, if you simply want to learn new skills, a certificate isn’t important.
There are many good courses related to research that don’t offer certificates or credit. This includes a number of courses on our list. So don’t equate the quality of research methods online courses with whether or not they offer a certificate.
However, there are also many different online courses for research that offer a certificate option. In many cases, these certificates are completion in nature. This means that you automatically get the certificate once you successfully complete the class.
There are free online research courses with certificates you can take. Some certificate courses require a fee, either for the course, the certificate, or both. Sometimes this fee can be nominal. Other times it can be several hundred dollars. If you take a certificate course from a college or university, you could end up spending thousands of dollars.
When you take courses related to research, be sure you understand the type of certificate they offer.
As noted above, many courses have completion certificates. These are the most basic kinds of certificates. These certificates don’t have any educational standing, at least not officially. For that, you’d need to take a course that offers an educational certificate.
An educational certificate is offered by a college or university. For example, Drexel University offers a 15-credit online Clinical Research Certificate.
Typically, to get an educational certificate, you have to complete 15-18 credits. Once you do that, you will have an official certificate from the school you attended. You can note this certificate on your resume and CV just like you would a diploma. For this reason, educational certificates carry more weight than completion certificates.
You can also get a certificate from a professional organization. For example, the Association for Clinical Research Professionals offers six different research certifications:
- Clinical Research Associate
- Clinical Research Coordinator
- Principal Investigator
- ACRP Certified Professional
- ACRP Medical Device Professional Subspecialty
- ACRP Project Manager Subspecialty
In each case, completing the certification requires a specific process. This usually includes professional development courses and passing an exam.
Once you earn a professional certificate, you can use the certificate as part of your job title. So, if you become a Clinical Research Associate, you can place its acronym – CCRA – after your name.
Again, this is much more valuable a certificate than a completion certificate. But, not everyone needs this type of certification. Evaluate your specific needs to determine what, if any, certification you need before enrolling in a course.
Can I earn college credit by taking online courses for research?
If you learn research online, you might be able to earn college credits.
Courses offered by colleges and universities will earn you credit. If the school is regionally accredited, there is a very good chance that those credits will transfer to another school. If the school is nationally accredited, there is still a good chance that the credits will transfer, but less likely so than if the school has regional accreditation.
Usually, courses related to research that you take online from an educational website do not come with credit. Instead, these courses are designed as study aids or refreshers and are not intended to count for college credit.
Before you enroll in courses related to research, be sure you understand if credit is offered. And if you intend to transfer those credits, be sure you’ve talked to your advisor first. They will be able to tell you if the school you’re taking the class from is accredited. They will also be able to tell you if those credits will be accepted at your school.
What are some courses related to research that I can take online?
Taking top research courses online opens up many ways for you to learn about this field. There are many courses related to research you can take. Listing them all would be difficult, if not impossible.
However, we can outline some of the most common research methods online courses. Below is a short-list of classes you might consider taking:
Research methods – These courses focus on various kinds of activities involved in research. You’ll learn about research types, how to devise research questions, conducting literature reviews, and learn other skills that will assist you in doing scientific research.
Research design – These courses typically revolve around regression analysis. You’ll learn about correlations and regressions. You’ll explore multiple regressions and nested models. Speaking of models, you will often build regression models and run analyses of data as well.
Survey research – Researchers should understand how to develop instruments for data collection. Usually, this takes the form of surveys. Instrument design helps you understand how to create valid and reliable instruments for gathering data. You’ll learn how to improve the questions you ask. You’ll also learn the basics of how to design and implement surveys.
Statistics – These courses are highly important for research. You’ll learn how to analyze data and interpret it. This includes running various statistical analyses. You’ll learn how to use a chi square and run ANOVAs. You’ll also learn the difference between descriptive and inferential statistics.
Ethics – Researchers need to understand the ethical implications of their work. Whether you work with animals or humans, you need to know the bounds of what can and cannot be done in the name of research. Ethics courses often discuss things like informed consent, confidentiality, and proper record-keeping.
Research writing – A large part of research is reporting on what you find. But writing for research requires a much different tone and style than writing creatively. Research writing courses dive deep into how to bring your findings together in a clear, cohesive, and understandable manner.
Disclaimer: Some courses may include an affiliate link. Courses were chosen first based on the methodology with affiliate links only added after the ranking was complete.
OCR Staff
January 2021
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