Scientific report

• What are the six sections of a scientific report?

  Abstract

  Introduction

  Method

  Results

  Discussion

  References
• What is an abstract also known as?

  A short summary
• What does the abstract include?

  Aims and hypothesis

  Method/procedure

  Results

  Conclusions
• How many words is an abstract?

  150-200
• When researching a particular topic, what will psychologists often do?

  Read lots of abstracts
• Why will psychologists often read lots of abstracts when researching a particular topic?

  To identify studies worthy of further examination
• What is the introduction?

  Literature review of the general area of research
• What will an introduction include?

  Relevant theories, concepts and studies
• What should the research review for the introduction do?

  Follow a logical progression - beginning broadly and gradually becoming more specific
• What is included in an introduction?

  Relevant theories, concepts and studies
• What five subsections is the method split into?

  Design

  Sample

  Apparatus/materials

  Procedure

  Ethics
• Why should the method include sufficient detail?

  So other researchers can precisely replicate the study
• What is the results?

  Key findings
• What is the results section likely to include?

  Descriptive statistics
• What must inferential statistics include reference to?

  Choice of statistical test, calculated/critical values and level of significance
• Where must raw data appear?

  In an appendix
• What are results likely to involve if the researcher has used qualitative methods of research?

  Analysis of themes and/or categories
• What are the three key elements in the discussion section?

  Summary of results in verbal

  Discussion of limitations and how they could be addressed

  Wider implications considered
• Referencing includes full details of any source material cited
• What format do journal references follow?

  Author, date, article title, journal name (in italics), volume (issue), page numbers
• What format do book references follow?

  Author, date, title of book (in italics), place of publication, publisher
• What format do web references follow?

  Source, date, title, weblink, date accessed