Reporting results: APA style

Psych 231: Research Methods in Psychology

Why present your research?

Purpose of presenting your research– To get the work out there– to spur further research– allow replication– allow testing/falsifaction of your theory

Why a structured format?

To ease communication of what was done– forces a minimal amount of information– Provides consistent format within a discipline

• people know what to expect• where to find the information in the article

– Allows readers to cross-reference your sources easily

The ultimate resource for APA style is the APA Publication manual, but also lots of websites to help too.

Chapter 15 of your textbook is good too.

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Major goal: Clarity

Communicate with clarity. – Using a consistent format helps your reader

understand your arguments and the sources they’re built on.

• It also helps you keep track of your sources as you build arguments

– Avoid jargon when possible, don’t be too creative, avoid slang and colloquialisms.

– Avoid sexist and biased language– Also try to be fairly concise – don’t use a whole

paragraph when two sentences will do

Writing style

Psychological writing tends to differ from other academic writings

• Try to avoid using direct quotes, restate things in your own words.

• Footnotes are rare, they’re used to elaborate/clarify a point. Try to do so in the text.

Parts of a research report Title Page Abstract

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Body

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References Authors Notes Footnotes Tables Figure Captions Figures

Title Page

–Title should be maximally informative while short

(10 to 12 words recommended)

Title Page

Order of Authorship sometimes

carries meaning

Title Page

–Title should be maximally informative while short

(10 to 12 words recommended)

Title Page

Order of Authorship sometimes carries meaning

Title Page

Affiliation – where the bulk of

the research was done

Title Page

Running head – will go on each page of published article,

no more than 50 characters

Title Page

Short title – goes in header (with page number) on each page of

the manuscript

Abstract

short summary of entire paper– 100 to 120 words – the problem/issue– the method– the results– the major conclusions

Body

Hourglass shape

– Background– Literature Review

Start broad

Body

Hourglass shape

– Statement of purpose– Specific hypotheses (at

least at operational level)

Narrow focus

Body

Hourglass shape

- Methods- Results

Most focused

Body

Hourglass shape

– Discussion– Conclusions– Implications

Broaden

Body

Introduction– Background– Literature Review– Statement of purpose– Specific hypotheses (at least at operational level)

Body Methods (in enough detail that the reader can

replicate the study)– Participants

• How many, where they were selected from, any special selection requirements, details about those who didn’t complete the experiment

– Design (optional) – suggested if you have a complex experimental design, often combined with Materials section

– Apparatus/Materials– Procedure – what did each participant do? Other

details, including the operational levels of your IV(s) and DV(s), counterbalancing, etc.

Body Results (state the results but don’t interpret

them here)– Verbal statement of results– Tables and figures – these get referred to in the

text, but actually get put into their own sections at the end of the manuscript

– Statistical Outcomes

Body Discussion (interpret the results)

– Relationship between purpose and results– Theoretical (or methodological) contribution– Implications– Future directions (optional)

The rest

References– Author’s name– Year– Title of work– Publication

information• Journal• Issue• pages

Shell Shock 12

References

Fussell, P. (1975). The Great War and modern memory. New

York: Oxford UP.

Marcus, J. (1989). The asylums of Antaeus: Women, war, and

madness—is there a feminist fetishism? In H. A. Veeser

(Ed.), The New Historicism (pp. 132-151). New Yo rk:

Routledge.

Mott, F. W. (1916). The effects of high explosives upon the

central nervous system. The Lancet, 55(2), 331-38.

Showalter, E. (1997). Hystories: Hysterical epidemics and modern

media. New Yor k: Columbia UP.

When something odd comes up, don’t guess. Look it up!

The rest

References Authors Notes Footnotes Tables Figure Captions Figures

Figures and tables

These are used to supplement the text. To make a point clearer for the reader. Typically used for:

– The design– Examples of stimuli– Patterns of results

Checklist - things to watch for

Clarity Acknowledge the work of others (avoid

plagiarism) Active vs. passive voice

– Active: Seltzer and Wahlheim (2003) hypothesized that speakers use to much passive voice

– Passive: It was hypothesized by Seltzer and Wahlheim (2003) that speakers use to much passive voice

Checklist - things to watch for

Avoid biased language– APA guidelines:

• Accurate descriptions of individuals (e.g., Asian vs. Korean)

• Be sensitive to labels (e.g., “Oriental”)

Appropriate use of headings Correct citing and references Good grammar APA style checklist

Next time

Read chapters 4&5. Bring your APA Publication Manual to lab (if

you’ve got one) Don’t forget your first journal summary is due

this week in lab