Scientific Writing

Types of articles Narrative review or review article Meta-analysis Theoretical paper Empirical article

APA style for references Auster, C. J., & Ohm, S. C. (2000). Masculinity and femininity in contemporary American society: A reevaluation using the Bem Sex-Role Inventory. Sex Roles, 43, 499- 528. doi:10.1023/A:1007119516728 Wakefield, J. A., Sasek, J., Friedman, A. F., & Bowden, J. D. (1976). Androgyny and other measures of masculinity-femininity. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 44, 766-770. doi:10.1037/0022-006x.44.5.766

Cover page 10-12 word title Get in IV and DV Leave out words you don’t need

Abstract 120-150 words Problem statement Who did what Main findings What they mean

Introduction section Keep the review balanced Review “both” sides if there are two sides Give an honest and accurate review Keep researchers in () NOT: “Smith and Jones (2000) found that people who chose experiences over material goods were generally happier with their decision. INSTEAD: “People who choose experiences instead of material goods are generally happier (Smith & Jones, 2000)

Give a roadmap Set up sections to come Organize by those sections Summarize them at the end Cite classic articles as well as newer ones

Introduction paragraph format Topic sentence—what does this paragraph add to our knowledge? Summary of findings and relevant methodology of studies supporting your topic sentence Sum it up with what this means or suggests

“The social inhibition of responsible behavior is not limited to emergencies. Individuals become slower or less likely to pick up dropped objects in elevators (Latane & Dabbs, 1975), to answer the telephone (Levy et al., 1972), or even to respond to a knock on the door (Freeman, 1974, as cited in Latane, 1981), as the number of others able to respond increases. Even such a routine behavior as tipping in restaurants is an inverse function of group size: The larger the group that shares in the responsibility for coming up with a tip, the smaller the percentage contributed (Freeman, Walker, Borden, & Latane, 1975).” Harkins & Latané, 1998

Your lit review should Define and clarify the problem Summarize previous research Identify inconsistencies, gaps, controversies Keep your terminology consistent Suggest the next steps (your study!) The last part of this section should address how your study adds to previous research (what’s new) and what your hypothesis/research question is.

More general style stuff Past tense when referring directly to a study or describing yours Present tense for general findings or present results Avoid biased language (opposite sex, he) Each participant indicated how many friends he had. Drug addicts generally have trouble completing questionnaires. The boys had trouble relating to the opposite sex. Ethnicity? Watch noun/pronoun agreement example

Word choices Data are plural Different from, not than That vs. which vs. who Effect vs. affect

Be clear, not flowery Say what things are, rather than what they are not Don’t call things “Group 1” or “Hypothesis 1” repeatedly

Examples It would be of no pragmatic value to present such a baneful history of the way things appear to be in regard to the insanity issue without addressing what can be done to ameliorate such circumstances. In this vein, I sought to identify the most efficient method to educate the general public regarding the insanity issue. This manipulation was designed as a simultude of the mundane, often complex graphs and tables utilized by an overwhelming majority of professional journals and textbooks. Many have concluded that such omnipresent and inaccurate depictions can only serve to perpetuate and make even more salient these myths. It was anticipated that since a majority of the American public have become so inured to the frequent, insidious media portrayals involving atypical acts of violence (allegedly perpetuated by the mentally ill) that when surveyed they would draw upon these distorted characterizations as their primary source of information.

Plagiarism What are examples of plagiarism/improper citation? Why is it a bad thing?

Strategies to avoid plagiarism Rewrite your notes Use “ in notes for quotes Always put page # for quotes Don’t use many quotes Read, then pause before writing Make notes on the article More important, more extreme Outline your paper and then fill in More important attitudes are more extreme. College students and elementary school children on school proposals (Harton & Latane, 1998) When judging others (Justin, 2000) Believe others will do too (McConahay & Costa, 2004)

From Joseph Balkoski’s (1989) Beyond the Beachhead: “The next morning, the 29ers draped the body with the Stars and Stripes and hoisted it on top of a huge pile of stones that once had been a wall of Sainte Croix Church, one block west of the cemetery. The body remained on display throughout July 19. The 29ers and some of the few civilians remaining in the city adorned the site with flowers.” From Stephen Ambrose’s (1997) Citizen Soldiers: “Men from the 3rd Battalion draped the body with the Stars and Stripes and hoisted it on top of a huge pile of stones that once had been a wall in the Saint Croix Church, a block from the cemetery. Howie’s body remained on display throughout the next day, July 19. The GIs and some of the few civilians remaining in the town adorned the site with flowers.”

Plagiarism exercise

UNI ethics code https://policies.uni.edu/301