1.4 Report Writing Flashcards
What is included in the abstract section?
A summary of all the main points in the investigation.
Should outline relevant research.
Brief justification of the aims and hypotheses.
Summary statement of the results, conclusions and ethics.
100 to 150 words.
What is included in the introduction section?
Explain and justify the aims and hypotheses.
Explain theories that underpin the nature of the behaviour you are studying.
Should contain specific reference to other research and how they relate to yours.
600 to 800 words.
What is included in the methods section?
State and explain everything you did when designing and conducting the study. (Enough detail so the reader can replicate your study)
The method is divided into 4 sub sections: Design Participants Materials Procedure
What is included in the design sub section?
The method used.
The IV and DV.
Controls used.
Relevant ethical issues and how they have been dealt with.
What is included in the materials sub section?
Describe all materials used.
How and why you used them.
How you assigned categories for participants/behaviours.
What is included in the participants sub section?
Statement of the target population.
How your sample was selected from the target population.
Description of participants.
What is included in the procedures sub section?
Description of everything that happened in detail, exactly when it happened and when you collected data.
What is included in the results section?
Statement on how you assigned scores.
Statement saying that a “table of raw data” is shown in the appendix.
A summary of your data.
What is included in the discussion section?
Explanation of what the findings mean.
Link back the the aim and hypotheses.
Explanation of why certain things may have occurred.
Evaluation of strengths and weaknesses.
What is included in the appendices section?
All material that doesn’t appear elsewhere in the study.
E.g. Raw data, lists of results, debriefing notes, questionnaires.
What is included in the references section?
Complete details of all research documents, journals and books that were used for additional background research.
What order should the sections go in?
Title
Abstract
Introduction
Method
Results
Discussion
References
Appendix