the written report: purpose and format major sections looking at a journal article preparing your...

The Written Report: Purpose and Format

Major Sections

Looking at a Journal Article

Preparing Your Manuscript: Procedural Details

Making Revisions

What is in a research report?

Introduction

Research reports are a major part of the research process.

They are divided into several important sections:Introduction, Method, Results, and Discussion.

Each report also includes an Abstract and list of References.

What is the purpose of a research report?


The primary purpose is communication of research findings.

It is written in scientific writing style – made to be informative and factual, not entertaining.

It must be concise due to limited space, and unbiased – words are chosen for precision.

What NOT to do in a research report?


Do not show bias of any kind.

Use generally accepted ethnicity terms.

Use ambiguous gender references unless your research needs otherwise.

Do not use the contraction “s/he” or “he/she.”Instead, use the plural “they” whenever possible.

What NOT to do in a research report?


Make sure that your writing will not be offensive to any group in any way.

How do I format a research report?


Psychological reports are expected to follow APA formatting.

Current standard: Sixth edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (2010).

How do I format a research report?


It is necessary to follow common formatting rules due to the large amount of data published today.

The use of common formatting facilitates reading and understanding.

What is the Title?

Major Sections

A good title gives readers a description of what the report is about.

Include both the independent and dependent variables and their relationship in the title.

Be specific.

Be concise: 12 words or fewer.

What is the Abstract?

Major Sections

The Abstract is a summary of the report and is usually between 150 and 250 words and includes a concise synopsis of the experiment.

It should contain a statement of the problem studied, participants involved, the method, the results, and the major conclusions.


Major Sections

Results should include significance levels and effect sizes.


Major Sections

It is usually written after the report is finished

It must be written in such a way to encourage readers to read the whole article

The Abstract is the most frequently read portion of any article, so spend time making it right!

What is the Introduction?

Major Sections

The Introduction sets the stage for the research that follows. It should include:

•your hypothesis statement(s)

•evidence as to why your research is important and also how you came to your hypothesis

What is the Introduction?

Major Sections

• a literature review, including citations to background experiments from which you obtained ideas

What is the Method?

Major Sections

The Method tells how you performed the experiment and describes your participants, procedure, and materials.

A good Method offers sufficient detail to allow the reader to reasonably replicate your work.

What is included in the Method?

Major Sections

The Method usually includes several major subsections:

Participants – all information regarding participants in the study (age, sex, number, etc.)

Measures – describes the measures used in data collection and any instruments used

What is included in the Method?

Major Sections

Manipulations – describes the content used in each condition of the experiment, explicitly identifying the equipment and procedure used in each condition

Design – optional section including the exact design layout for your experiment

What is the Results section?

Major Sections

The Results section describes the statistical procedures you used to evaluate data and all obtained statistical values: df, significance levels.

Include all group means, measures of variability, estimated effect sizes, and confidence intervals.

What is the Results section?

Major Sections

Sometimes results can easily be summarized in tables (if so, take advantage).

As always, be concise while still reporting all necessary data.

What is the Discussion?

Major Sections

The Discussion evaluates the experiment, interprets the results, and brings the project full circle:

•explain and qualify your findings

•reexamine your initial hypotheses

•identify possible confounds and problems

•suggest future ideas and possible studies

What is the References section?

Major Sections

The References section lists all resources mentioned in your manuscript.

This section enables readers to do their own background research and qualify what you have done.

APA guidelines for references are very specific.

What is the General Orientation of a Journal Article?


Journal articles are written for informed audiences and are strictly limited in length.

You must understand all the basics that the article addresses or you will be easily left behind.

Read and analyze as you go, as this is important for a full understanding of any published article.

Title, Names & Affiliations, and Abstract


Title – gives you a good idea of the purpose of the article and where it is headed.

Names & Affiliations – the authors and their agency through which research was conducted.

Abstract – Quick summary of everything. Great way to check to make sure the paper covers what you are interested in.

Author Notes and Introduction


Author Notes – includes contact information for the author and notes special research circumstances.

The Introduction states:

1) The problem area studied2) Pertinent facts about the problem area3) How these facts relate to the hypothesis

Running Head


The Running Head is an abbreviated title printed above the pages of the article to identify it.

It is often used when an article is published in a journal with many articles.

Method


The Method specifies how the experiment was carried out and includes these subsections: 1. Participants2. Measures3. Manipulations4. Design

Results


The Results section reports statistical analyses that were used to test the hypothesis.

Before analysis is reported authors use a subsection called manipulation checks to verify factors in the experiment.

Results


Be sure to carefully evaluate the methods used to obtain and measure data to ensure correct analysis.

Report findings carefully following APA publication guidelines.

Discussion


The Discussion summarizes major findings and shows the study’s practical implications.

Include a subsection for Study Limitations and Future Research.

This is where the project comes full circle and the initial hypothesis is addressed.

References


The References section only includes the resources mentioned in the manuscript.

When writing the References section, follow APA format exactly and compose in hanging style.

Be sure to follow the style conventions for the different sources you may have used.

How do I get published?


Currently, most journal submissions are online.

Your job is to put together a draft that could easily be turned into the published form.

Follow formatting guidelines exactly (double-spaced, 12-point font, margins, etc.).

What does a publishable piece look like?


The first page (a.k.a. title page):TitleYour name and Affiliation

(all centered in the top half of the page)

Authors are listed in order of contribution.



You will also need to prepare your running head on this page and start a numbering system.

Author notes will also be included on this page.



The second page is the Abstract.

The word Abstract is the heading for this page and that abstract itself should be printed in block form.

The third page begins the body of your article and should start with the title.

The Introduction is the only heading that is implied and not specifically typed.



Each new section is introduced by typing a boldfaced, centered heading (e.g., “Method”).

Do not skip to a new page for each of the remaining sections (except for References).

Follow APA guidelines for all tables and charts and continue in this manner until the references section.



Only one other piece of information may be included in your report if needed: appendices.

An appendix is useful only if extra information is necessary to explain your article, but including it in the body merely jumbles what you have.

Adding an appendix can clean up this mess in the body while still including the information at the end.

Why are revisions necessary?

Making Revisions

Articles are often edited during the review process.

Be clear and grammatically correct and ask yourself:Can the reader follow?Can you make it clearer?

If so, then revise the report. It may take several revisions to produce a useable report – keep at it!


Making Revisions

Work on polishing and refining as well as catching small errors.

Any small error greatly discredits any research done.

Know your grammar and special rules, and look them up when in doubt.


Making Revisions

Finally, always keep to the point – this is about scientific research, not personal stories or popular knowledge.

Keep on task – make your article great!

the written report: purpose and format major sections looking at a journal article preparing your...

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