Putting it all together: Writing research proposals and reports Chapter 15 Putting it all together: Writing research proposals and reports

Overview Writing the Research Report Writing the Research Proposal Aids to Developing Your Idea

Aids to Developing Your Idea Research journal and proposal can both help you plan and conduct ethical research The Research Journal Informal diary, memory aid Organizing and reorganizing it can make it a more useful tool The Research Proposal Must be in APA style Must have substance, especially in the introduction and method sections

Writing the Research Proposal General strategies for writing the introduction* Specific strategies for writing introduction sections for different types of studies* Writing the method section* Writing the results section* Writing the discussion section* Final touches*

General Strategies for Writing the Introduction Use the literature review to Establish importance of research area Explain logic behind hypothesis State your hypothesis Outline your introduction. Outline should include headings such as Overview of past research Hypotheses

Specific Strategies for Writing Introduction Sections for Different Types of Studies Exploratory study* Direct replication* Systematic replication* Conceptual replication* Replication and extension* Theory testing study*

Exploratory study Show that despite the fact that the area has not been researched, the area is important Spell out the reasoning for your hypotheses

Direct replication Spell out importance of original study Explain why results might not replicate

Systematic replication Explain why your study is better than the original

Conceptual replication Explain why your study is better than the original May be helpful to cite literature that backs your assertion

Replication and extension Same arguments as for replication + Explain predictions for moderating or mediating variables

Theory testing study Don’t attack a straw theory Spell out how your prediction follows from theory

Writing the Method Section Participants--who, how many, how recruited Procedure--what happened from the participants’ perspective. If applicable, include Differences between conditions Sample items from questionnaire

Writing the Results Section How will participants’ behavior be turned into a score? What analysis will be used on those scores?

Writing the Discussion Section Relate predicted results to the hypothesis Relate predicted results to previous research and theory Discuss limitations of study Discuss follow-up studies Stress importance of remembering or building on study’s main findings

Final Touches Title page- Simple title is best Abstract--Brief summary of the paper, 6 sentences summarizing introduction, method, results, and discussion References--Organization can avoid accusations of plagiarism Review paper to ensure that it is in APA style Check against Checklist (Appendix A) Compare to sample paper (Appendix B)

Writing the Research Report What stays the same or changes very little from the research proposal* Writing the results section* Writing the discussion section*

What Stays the Same or Changes Very Little Title page and References No changes Abstract Add sentence to describe main results Method section Reflect changes in procedure Reflect number and type of participants Change to past tense

Writing the Results Section Start off simple Don’t report results--analyze them Only include analyses, numbers, and statistics that make a point Tell the reader what the point is--Explain why the analysis was done and what the results mean Focus on the hypothesis Have a friend read it to see if it makes sense

Writing the Discussion Section Did the results support the hypothesis? What do the results mean in terms of the points you brought up in your introduction? What are the limitations of your study or alternative explanations for your results? What explanations do you have for any unexpected findings? What directions do you see for future research? What are the practical or theoretical implications of your findings?

Concluding Remarks Writing can help you think through your ideas Following APA style makes a good impression Research proposals or reports that look and sound professional can help in applying for both graduate school and for jobs