EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY

Chapter 16: Writing the

Research Report
 The Written Report: Purpose and Format
 Major Sections
 Looking at a Journal Article
 Preparing Your Manuscript: Procedural
Details
 Making Revisions
Research Report
Research reports are a major part of the research
process.
They are divided into several important sections:
Introduction, Method, Results, and Discussion.
Each report also includes an Abstract and list of
References.
The purpose of a research report
The primary purpose is communication of research
findings.
It is written in scientific writing style – made to be
informative and factual, not entertaining.
It must be concise due to limited space, and
unbiased – words are chosen for precision.
What NOT to do in a research report?
Do not show bias of any kind.
Use generally accepted ethnicity terms.
Use ambiguous gender references unless your
research needs otherwise.
Do not use the contraction “s/he” or “he/she.”
Instead, use the plural “they” whenever possible.
Make sure that your writing will not be offensive
to any group in any way.
Research report format

Psychological reports are expected to follow APA

formatting.
Current standard: Sixth edition of the Publication
Manual of the American Psychological
Association (2010).
It is necessary to follow common formatting rules
due to the large amount of data published today.
The use of common formatting facilitates reading
and understanding.
Title

A good title gives readers a description of what

the report is about.
Include both the independent and dependent
variables and their relationship in the title.
Be specific.
Be concise: 12 words or fewer.
Abstract

The Abstract is a summary of the report and is

usually between 150 and 250 words and includes
a concise synopsis of the experiment.
It should contain a statement of the problem studied,
participants involved, the method, the results, and
the major conclusions.
Results should include significance levels and effect
sizes.
 Abstract

It is usually written after the report is finished

It must be written in such a way to encourage
readers to read the whole article
The Abstract is the most frequently read portion
of any article, so spend time making it right!
Introduction
The Introduction sets the stage for the research
that follows. It should include:
• your hypothesis statement(s)
• evidence as to why your research is important
and also how you came to your hypothesis
• a literature review, including citations to
background experiments from which you
obtained ideas
Method

The Method tells how you performed the experiment

and describes your participants, procedure, and
materials.
A good Method offers sufficient detail to allow the
reader to reasonably replicate your work.
What is included in the Method?
The Method usually includes several major
subsections:

Participants – all information regarding participants

in the study (age, sex, number, etc.)
Measures – describes the measures used in data
collection and any instruments used
Manipulations – describes the content used in each
condition of the experiment, explicitly identifying the
equipment and procedure used in each condition
Design – optional section including the exact design
layout for your experiment
Results

The Results section describes the statistical

procedures you used to evaluate data and all
obtained statistical values: df, significance levels.
Include all group means, measures of variability,
estimated effect sizes, and confidence intervals.
Sometimes results can easily be summarized
in tables (if so, take advantage).
As always, be concise while still reporting all
necessary data.
Results
The Results section reports statistical analyses that
were used to test the hypothesis.
Before analysis is reported authors use a subsection
called manipulation checks to verify factors in the
experiment.

Be sure to carefully evaluate the methods used to

obtain and measure data to ensure correct analysis.
Report findings carefully following APA publication
guidelines.
 Discussion
The Discussion evaluates the experiment, interprets
the results, and brings the project full circle:
• explain and qualify your findings
• reexamine your initial hypotheses
• identify possible confounds and problems
• suggest future ideas and possible studies
Discussion
The Discussion summarizes major findings and
shows the study’s practical implications.
Include a subsection for Study Limitations and
Future Research.
This is where the project comes full circle and the
initial hypothesis is addressed.
References
The References section lists all resources
mentioned in your manuscript.
This section enables readers to do their own
background research and qualify what you have
done.
APA guidelines for references are very specific.
When writing the References section, follow APA
format exactly and compose in hanging style.
Be sure to follow the style conventions for the
different sources you may have used.
What is the General Orientation of a
Journal Article?
Journal articles are written for informed audiences
and are strictly limited in length.
You must understand all the basics that the article
addresses or you will be easily left behind.
Read and analyze as you go, as this is important for
a full understanding of any published article.
Title, Names & Affiliations, and Abstract
Title – gives you a good idea of the purpose of the
article and where it is headed.
Names & Affiliations – the authors and their agency
through which research was conducted.
Abstract – Quick summary of everything. Great way
to check to make sure the paper covers what you
are interested in.
Author Notes and Introduction
Author Notes – includes contact information for the
author and notes special research circumstances.
The Introduction states:
1) The problem area studied
2) Pertinent facts about the problem area
3) How these facts relate to the hypothesis
Running Head
The Running Head is an abbreviated title printed
above the pages of the article to identify it.
It is often used when an article is published in a
journal with many articles.
 How do I get published?
Currently, most journal submissions are online.
Your job is to put together a draft that could easily
be turned into the published form.
Follow formatting guidelines exactly (double-spaced,
12-point font, margins, etc.).
What does a publishable piece look like?
The first page (a.k.a. title page):
Title
Your name and Affiliation
(all centered in the top half of the page)
Authors are listed in order of contribution.
You will also need to prepare your running head
on this page and start a numbering system.
Author notes will also be included on this page.
What does a publishable piece look like?
The second page is the Abstract.
The word Abstract is the heading for this page and
that abstract itself should be printed in block form.
The third page begins the body of your article and
should start with the title.
The Introduction is the only heading that is implied
and not specifically typed.
What does a publishable piece look like?

Each new section is introduced by typing a

boldfaced, centered heading (e.g., “Method”).
Do not skip to a new page for each of the remaining
sections (except for References).
Follow APA guidelines for all tables and charts and
continue in this manner until the references section.
What does a publishable piece look like?

Only one other piece of information may be included

in your report if needed: appendices.
An appendix is useful only if extra information is
necessary to explain your article, but including it in
the body merely jumbles what you have.
Adding an appendix can clean up this mess in the
body while still including the information at the end.
Why are revisions necessary?

Articles are often edited during the review process.

Be clear and grammatically correct and ask yourself:
Can the reader follow?
Can you make it clearer?
If so, then revise the report. It may take several
revisions to produce a useable report – keep at it!
Why are revisions necessary?
Work on polishing and refining as well as catching
small errors.
Any small error greatly discredits any research done.
Know your grammar and special rules, and look them
up when in doubt.
Finally, always keep to the point – this is about
scientific research, not personal stories or popular
knowledge.
Keep on task – make your article great!
 END
THANK YOU