reporting psychological investigations Flashcards
what does a scientific report consist of ?
- abstract
- introduction
- method
- results
- discussion
- referencing
what is included in the abstract ?
- includes a summary of all the key details
what does the abstracts key details include ? (5)
- the aim
- hypothesis
- method
-results - conclusion
how long is the abstract ?
150-200 words long
why is the abstract read ?
- it is read to know whether the research study is worth examining any further
what does the introduction include ?
- includes info about past research on a similar topic whereby relevant theories, studies and concepts are mentioned
- aims are stated clearly and precisely
- hypothesis stated precisely and unambiguously
what does the method/ procedure include in terms of components ?
- design
- ps
- apparatus / materials
- standardised procedure
- controls
what does the method include in general ?
- includes a description of what the researchers did exactly when they undertook the study
what does the design include ?
- choice of method
- choice of design
- choice of technique’s
- identification of variables
- ethical consideration
what should the ps include ?
- target population
- sampling method
- actual sample including number of ps
- naivety of ps
- allocation of ps to conditions
what is meant by the procedure being standardised ?
- step by step procedure which allows for exact replication
what should the standardised procedure includ e?
- details of where the study takes place
- any standardised instructions
- debriefing procedures
what do the results include ?
- all the findings from the study, presented even with inferential and descriptive statistics
- key findings should be described briefly in the most straightforward manner so readers can eyeball the data
what is included in a discussion ?
- the researcher considers what the findings exactly mean for us and for psychological theories
- usually findings are summarised here then they are discussed in the context of the introduction
- limitations and ways of improving the study and wider implications for society may also be discussed here
what is meant by referencing ?
includes a list of all the sources that were quoted or referred to in the report
how do you reference books ?
reference in this order
- author(s) , date, title of the book (in italics or underlined), place of publication, publisher
how do you reference journals/ articles ?
in tis order
- author, date, title of article, journal name, journal volume, issue number, page range
(all appear in italics or underlined apart from author, date and title)
how do you reference chapters in books ?
Chapter Author(s) Last name, Initials. (Year) ‘Chapter title’, in Editor(s) Last name, Initials (ed.) Title. Place of publication: Publisher, page range.
