Reporting psychological investigations. Flashcards
Elements
Abstract
Introduction
Method
Results
Discussion
Referencing
Abstract
The abstract is a summary of the entire research process which should be 150 - 200 words long
Abstracts include a brief overview of the study’s aim, hypotheses, method, results and conclusion
Reading an abstract can help to inform the reader as to whether or not the report is going to be useful for their purposes
Introduction
Details what the study is to cover e.g:
- the theory or theories which are relevant to the study
- associated research that is relevant to the study
The introduction concludes by stating what the aim of the study is, followed by the experimental hypothesis and the null hypothesis
Method
The sample is described and justified eg:
-total number of participants
- the age of the participants
-the nationality(s) of the participants
-other relevant demographic details
The sampling method is described e.g:
- an opportunity sample of university students
-a random sample of cardiac patients who attend out-patients clinics in one large city
The design is described and justified e.g:
-repeated measures if the study is a lab experiment
-covert naturalistic participant observation if the study is an observation
The materials are described and their use explained e.g:
- video of a staged car crash lasting 7 seconds to accompany a set of questions relevant to eyewitness testimony
The procedure is described which should include:
-the standardised instructions used to explain the task to participants
-how the participants completed the task
-how the participants’ performance on the task was recorded/measured
-briefing instructions
-debriefing details
-information as to how ethical guidelines were followed and implemented e.g:
-the participants gave informed consent via a consent form
-the consent form included the participants’ right to withdraw
Findings
Summarise the results of the study
These are measured as:
the performance of the participants on the task set up by the researcher (experiments)
their behaviour in a given context (observations)
their responses to questions (self-report methods)
If quantitative data this is analysed statistically via both descriptive and inferential statistics
If qualitative data this is analysed using appropriate methods such as thematic analysis or content analysis
The written transcript of the research is categorised into coding units (content analysis) or themes (thematic analysis)
Discussion
The discussion starts with a consideration of the findings which are analysed in light of the aim of the research and the theory being investigated
The discussion presents an evaluation of the research itself, identifying strengths and limitations of each aspect of it
The discussion concludes by considering the research in the light of wider contexts, the implications of the research and what its potential applications are e.g.
in health settings
in education
as a useful contribution to the understanding of the theory
Referencing
To avoid accusations of plagiarism the researcher must acknowledge all sources used throughout the research process
Referencing must adhere to a particular convention and be consistent throughout the report, with a different format used depending on whether a journal article or book is referenced
To reference a journal article the following format is usual:
Peterson, L., & Peterson, M. J. (1959). Short-term retention of individual verbal items. Journal of experimental psychology, 58(3), 193.
To reference a book the following format is usual:
Goldacre, B. (2013). Bad Pharma: How medicine is broken and how we can fix it. London: Fourth Estate
