structure of a report & peer review

• a report includes

  title

  abstract

  introduction

  method

  results

  discussion

  references

  appendix
• the abstract in a report includes:

  a brief summary (100-300words)

  summary of aim, method, results, conclusion
• an Introduction includes:

  background research (context)

  hypothesis

  where there was a gap in past research
• the method of a report includes:

  design

  participants

  materials

  procedure (where, what, when, how)
• the results in a report includes:

  results table

  graph

  descriptive statistics

  inferential statistics
• the discussion of a report includes:

  explanation of findings

  relationship to background info

  limitations and improvements

  implications/applications
• references in a report include:

  Surname. Initial. (Year) Title of book underlined or in italics. Place of publication: Publisher.
• peer review- process of research, before publication, are subjected to independent scrutiny by other psychologists in a similar field who consider research in terms of its validity, significance and originality
• the process of peer review:

  1. at least two other psychologists in that field will be sent the research
  2. they will decide if it is published in a journal or not
  3. this depends on validity, significance and originality
  4. they can accept, accept with revisions or reject
  5. the journal editor will have the final say
• the main purpose of peer review

  before the study:

  to evaluate proposed research (in terms of aims, quality and originality of research) to decide on research funding

  after the study:

  to prevent dissemination of incorrect/ irrelevant findings

  so quality of research upholds the integrity of psychological research