Sections of a scientific report - A-level

Question 1

abstract definition

Answer 1

key details of the research report

Question 2

introduction definition

Answer 2

look at past research topics (theories and/or studies) on a similar topic. included the aims and hypothesis of current investigations

Question 3

method definition

Answer 3

description of what researchers did, including design, sampe, apparatus/materials, procedure and ethics

Question 4

results definition

Answer 4

description of what the researchers found, including descriptive and inferential statistics

Question 5

discussion definition

Answer 5

a consideration of what the results of a research study tell is in terms of psychogical theory

Question 6

references definition

Answer 6

list of sources that are referred to or quoted in the article

Question 7

what are the 6 sections of a scientific report

Answer 7

1-abstract
2-introduction
3-method
4-results
5-discussion
6-referencing

Question 8

where is the abstract in a scientific report

Answer 8

first section

Question 9

how long is the abstract

Answer 9

short summary about 150-200 words

Question 10

what is the abstract in a scientific report

Answer 10

short summary containing 3 major elements of the aims and hypotheses, method/procedure, results and conclusions. when researching a particular topic, psychologists will often read lots of abstracts in order to identify those studies worthy of further examination

Question 11

what are the 3 major elements of an abstract

Answer 11

-aims and hypotheses
-method and procedure
-results and conclusions

Question 12

what is the introduction of a scientific report

Answer 12

-literature review of the general area of research detailing relevant theories, concepts and studies related to the study
-research review should follow a logical progression- beginning broadly and gradually becoming more specific until the aims and hypothesis are present

Question 13

what subsections is the method of a scientific report divided into

Answer 13

-design
-sample
-apparatus
-procedure
-ethics

Question 14

what should the subsections of the method of a scientific report include

Answer 14

sufficient detail so that other researchers are able to precisely replicate the study

Question 15

what does the subsection of design of a method in a scientific report include

Answer 15

design is clearly stated (eg independent groups) and justification of choice is given

Question 16

what does the subsection of sample of method in a scientific report include

Answer 16

information related to the people involved in the study, such as numbers and biological and demographic information (as long as anonymity is not compromised), sampling technique and target population

Question 17

what does the subsection of apparatus of method in a scientific report include

Answer 17

detail any assessment instruments used and other relevant materials

Question 18

what does the subsection of procedure of method in a scientific report include

Answer 18

list of everything that happened in the investigation from beginning to end. includes verbatim record of everything that was said to participants briefing, standardised instructions and debriefing

Question 19

what does the subsection of ethics of method in a scientific report include

Answer 19

an explanation of how these were addressed within the study

Question 20

what does the results section of a scientific report include

Answer 20

-summary of key findings from the report
-feature descriptive statistics
-inferential statistics including reference to choice of stats test, calculated and critical values and level of significance of outcome
-any raw data collected as calculations
-if qualitative methods have been used , results are likely to involve analysis of themes and categories

Question 21

what is descriptive statistics

Answer 21

tables, graphs and charts, measures of central tendency and measures of dispersion –> analyse data to help describe, show or summarise in meaningful ways

Question 22

what are inferential statistics

Answer 22

include reference to choice of stats test, calculated and critical values and level of significance of outcome –> ways of analysing using statistical tests that allow the researcher to make conclusions about whether a hypothesis was supported by the results

Question 23

what are the elements in the discussion scientific report

Answer 23

researcher will summarise results in verbal, rather than statistical form. these should be discussed in the context of the evidence presented in the introduction and research may be considered relevant

Question 24

how does the researcher discuss limitations in a scientific report

Answer 24

discuss the limitations of the present investigation and this may include some suggestions of how these limitations might be addressed in a future study

Question 25

what are wider implications discussed in the discussion of a scientific report

Answer 25

wider implications of the study are considered. may include real-world application of what has been discovered and what contribution the investigation has made to the existing knowledge-base within the field

Question 26

what does referencing include in a scientific report

Answer 26

includes full details of any source material cited in the report

Question 27

how are journal references done in a scientific report

Answer 27

-author
-date
-article title
-journal name (in italics)
-volume (issue)
-page numbers

Question 28

book references in a scientific report

Answer 28

-author
-date
-title of book
-place of publications
-publisher

Question 29

how are websites referenced in a scientific report

Answer 29

-source
-date
-title
-weblink
-date accessed