In this chapter, we have looked at the key components of psychological research. In so doing, we saw the importance of data and data analysis, research design and quality control. Psychology is exceptional for engaging with the widest range of methods, and this quest for data has led psychology to be in the forefront of the development of new methods and analytical techniques. We presented examples of applied research from our own department, which looked at the experience of foster care, how men ‘do’ testicular implants, research into people convicted of sexual offences, research into online gambling behaviour and experimental studies of driving behaviour. These applied studies show the breadth of work within a psychology department and also the shared ambition to have an impact on our community through our work.