A Report Summary

Question 1

Abstract

Answer 1

-The abstract is the first section in a psychological report or journal.
-It includes a summary of the aims, hypothesis, method, results and conclusions, and thus provides an overview of the entire report.

Question 2

Introduction

Answer 2

-The introduction is the section in a report/journal where the researcher reviews previous research (theories and studies) to provide background information and a rationale for the current research.
-It should be structured like a funnel (moving from the general to the specific) so that it leads logically to the aims and hypotheses of the current study.

Question 3

Method

Answer 3

• The method is the section of a report/journal that contains a detailed description of the methodology.
  -This needs to be detailed enough to allow someone else to replicate the study, and includes details of the design, participants, apparatus/materials, procedure and ethical considerations.

Question 4

Results

Answer 4

-The results are a section in a report of an investigation where the researcher includes details about what they found in their investigation.
- It includes descriptive statistics (e.g. summary tables, graphs, measures of central tendency and dispersion) and inferential statistics (e.g. results of statistical tests, including calculated values and significance levels).
- If qualitative research has been conducted, the results section would involve description of the categories and themes, along with examples.

Question 5

Discussion

Answer 5

The discussion is the section in a report of an investigation where the researcher interprets the results of the study; makes criticism of the methodology used; considers the implications of the results for future research, and suggests real-world applications.

Question 6

Referencing

Answer 6

• Referencing is an important aspect of psychological reports/journals.
• The reference section of a journal includes full details of any sources, such as journal articles or books, that are used when writing a report.
• There is a set format depending on whether the information comes from a book, journal article etc. and there are different conventions for references (e.g. Harvard, APA, etc.)

Question 7

Appendices

Answer 7

An appendix is found at the end of a paper and contains information that supplements the text but that is too unwieldy or distracting to include in the main body of the paper.