Writing a Scientific Report

What is found on the front sheets of research reports?

abstracts

Abstract: what is it?

a summary of all other sections within the report

Abstract: although it is found on the front sheets when is it written?

the last part of the report to be written

Abstract: how many words are they normally

a maximum of 200 words long

Abstract: Abstracts can be read quickly, so what do they give you an idea of?

whether the report is relevant to what you are researching

Introduction: what is it?

a literature review which highlights and summarises relevant theories studies and concepts which are important to the research

Introduction: what should it do?

justify the research

Introduction: how do introductions start, but then progress?

start with a broad overview of the topic, but become increasingly specific

Introduction: what should it end with?

the aims and hypotheses of the research

Method: what should they allow?

other researchers to replicate the study

Method: the 4 sub-sections that should be included?

Participants, design, materials and procedure

Method: Participants (4)?

how many, gender, age and how they were recruited

Method: Design (3)?

justified experimental design, operationalised IV and DV, control of EVs

Method: Materials?

detail on what items are required, e.g. questionnaires

Method: Procedure?

concise STEP - by - STEP instructions including reference to ethics

Results: what should this section start with?

a brief summary of the findings in written form

Results: what should be clear in this summary?

whether the null hypothesis has been accepted/rejected

Results: What should be given for quantitative studies?

descriptive statistics e.g. graphs and tables

Descriptive statistics?

brief numerical summaries that organize, show, and describe the basic features of a dataset in psychological research

Results: what other statistics should be given?

inferential statistics - these need to be justified

Inferential statistics?

mathematical tests that let psychologists use data from a small group to make conclusions about a larger target population

Results: what should be provided for qualitative studies?

a thematic analysis (identifying themes) may be provided

Discussion: to start, what does it summarise?

the findings in the context of the research highlighted in the introduction

Discussion: what will the researcher discuss?

potential limitations of the research (e.g. sample size, biases etc) and how other researchers can avoid or limit these issues

Discussion: what is highlighted?

the practical applications, and implications of the research

Discussion: what does the researcher make?

an overall conclusion