1. Report writing

2. Report writing
In this presentation we will look at the various sections that make up a psychology article. All of the studies that you look at this year will have been written in a similar format. It may be a good idea to search for the original articles to solidify your understanding.

3. Abstract
The abstract summarises the research. It includes the aim, method, results and conclusions.
The aim of the abstract is to allow researchers to quickly understand a study before they read the full article.

4. Example abstract
Insert 07_01 Screenshot/Realia

5. Introduction
The introduction considers previous research in the area and then links it to the current study. Think of the introduction as like a funnel. It starts broadly discussing the area of interest, then finishes by justifying the hypothesis being studied.

6. Method
The method includes sample (including all relevant detail), experimental design, materials and procedure.
The goal of the method is to make the study as replicable as possible.

7. Results
The results contains the raw data, descriptive statistics, inferential statistics and graphs.
To go along with the numbers, written explanations of results are also included.

8. Discussion
The discussion looks at what was found in the study, the implications of the findings and any limitations of the study. Future research ideas may also be discussed.

9. References
If the author of the study has referenced other studies carried out either by themselves or others, then they must reference these studies. This allows readers to easily find the research referenced. This may be important as other psychologists may want to check that the claims made are valid.

10. Appendices
This includes any relevant materials used for the study. This could be tests, raw data, questionnaires, etc.

11. Citing a journal
When discussing someone else’s work, it is vital that you credit it. If you don’t then you may be accused of plagiarism.
Citing a journal is done in the body of the text but then has to be referenced in the references section at the end of the article.

12. ‘Only one published study (Metzger et al
‘Only one published study (Metzger et al., 1979) reported that switching rooms harmed performance, while three published studies (Abernethy, 1940; Farnsworth, 1934; Saufley, Otaka and Bravaresco, 1986) reported that it did not.’
This example, taken from Grant et al. (1998), references several studies but does not directly quote them. It merely summarises the ideas found in those studies so doesn’t need to use quotation marks.
If you were to directly quote from the article it would have to be done in the format below:
‘Grant found that “The results showed that there are context dependency eff€ects for newly learned meaningful material, regardless of whether a short-answer test or a multiple choice test is used.” (Grant et al., 1998)’

13. Citing in the references section
The most commonly used method is the Harvard method of referencing.
For journal articles, record:
The author’s name/s
The year in which the journal was published
The title of the article
The title of the journal
The page number/s of the article in the journal
As much other information as you can find about the journal, for example the volume and issue numbers
Note: The system is different for books and online resources.

14. Example reference (Harvard system)
Metzger, R. L., Boschee, P. F., Haugen, T. and Schnobrich, B. L. (1979). The classroom as learning context: Changing rooms affects performance. Journal of Educational Psychology, 71, 440–442.

15. Peer review
Before a study can be published it must be peer reviewed. The paper will be sent to experts in the field and checked over.
Not all journals use peer review but the most well-respected ones do.
Can you think of any issues with peer review? Write down as many as you can think of in 2 minutes.
Reviewers not accepting articles that disagree with their own research
Costly process
Favourable reviews to friends/colleagues
Do people review in a vigorous manner?

16. Knowledge checklist Abstract References Introduction Appendix Method
Harvard system
Results
Peer review
Discussion