Reporting psychological investigations

Question 1

What are the sections of a research paper?

Answer 1

Abstract, introduction, method, results and discussion

Question 2

What is the abstract?

Answer 2

A short summary, 150-200 words long summarising the key elements of the experiment

Question 3

What does the abstract include?

Answer 3

Aims, methods, results and key conclusions

Question 4

What is the introduction?

Answer 4

A review of the current literature on the topic

Question 5

What is included in the introduction?

Answer 5

Aims and hypotheses

Question 6

What is the method?

Answer 6

Enough detail given here for the experiment to be replicated

Question 7

What is included in the method?

Answer 7

Design, sample, apparatus, procedure and ethics

Question 8

What is included in the results?

Answer 8

Descriptive and inferential statistics, level of significance and which hypothesis is accepted or rejected

Question 9

What is the discussion?

Answer 9

Summarises the results in verbal form, limitations of the method that could be addressed in further research and implications on the wider world