ASSIGNMENT: RESEARCH REPORT
For PSYC1001 you must write a 1000 word APA formatted research report (with -150 word abstract). The Research Report Assignment is based on a real research study you are the participant in. The actual study will be conducted in your first (Week 2) PSYC1 001 tutorial. If you miss this tutorial or choose not to participate, you miss being a participant in the study your report will be based on - but you can still write the report without the benefit of this experience; an online version of the study may also be made available. Tutorials in Weeks 4 and 5 are dedicated to instructing you on how to write a report in the correct psychology format, and associated with those tutorials on Blackboard are many supporting materials.
The Research Report Assignment is a compulsory assessment and you must submit a serious attempt. A serious attempt is:
- Within 5% of the word limit (1000 words, not including the abstract and references list, but including all other words: e.g. citations, quotes, footnotes)
- On the correct topic, and in the correct format (each paragraph specified in the rubric must be present)
- Written wholly by you for this assignment (i.e. not plagiarised nor recycled)
Psychology Report
Abstract is 100-150 words and consists of four or five concise sentences which describe in turn: Background to the study, What was done, What was found, What it means.
Abstract is precise, correct and complete.
Content of the abstract accurately describes the content of the report and all its subsections including its conclusion in an appropriate style. Details concerning the study are correct.
Introduction opening paragraph provides background and key definitions and outlines the argument of the research report.
Introduction second paragraph describes previous relevant studies. Relevant studies are described in sufficient detail that their relevance is obvious or is explicitly stated; the studies described are indeed the most relevant (recent or critically important) for the particular topic of the report; the studies are integrated with each other and the current topic not just listed with conclusions summarised.
Introduction third paragraph introduces and describes the current study in relation to previous relevant studies. A clear description of the current study is linked well to previous research in very specific terms; similarities between the previous study(s) and the current study are explicitly outlined, and differences between the current study and previous study(s) are explicitly outlined, such that the actual scientific progression and methodological innovation of the current study is clear.
Introduction fourth paragraph derives hypothesised results from previous research and/or a new proposed explanation. It is explained why a particular outcome is expected in very specific terms. It may be because previous researchers found something similar (differences and similarities in research must be stated explicitly and taken into account) or because of an overarching theory, or a more sophisticated combination of both (i.e. coupling a theory with a new method which has never been used before).
The Introduction as a whole makes it very clear WHY the study was needed (in relation to previous findings or a pressing need), and how this particular study is an appropriate and effective way to meet that need (solve that problem, or clarify that issue).
Results section accurately describes key findings in full sentences which stand independently. A reader is able to accurately determine the basic un- interpreted meaning, direction and statistical significance (p-values used appropriately) of all key findings without referring back to the method section.
Results section graphs or tabulates key findings in a way which makes them easier to understand. Table or graph is APA format, clearly titled; axes or columns are clearly titled; a Figure or Table caption describes the content accurately; the appropriate kind of table or graph is used. The Table or Graph is referred to in the text and corresponds to the way results are described.
Discussion opening paragraph concisely and accurately summarises all key findings in a comprehensible manner.
Concise description of what was actually found without reference to statistical significance or p-values; language is at the level of the introduction (ideas, effects).
Discussion second and third paragraphs relate key finding to hypotheses and prior research. Results used to either support or disconfirm hypotheses in a precise, well explained manner. Differences and similarities to prior research precisely described in the context of what was found and why it might have been found. The impact of the results on a re-conception/confirmation of prior research and/or theories/model is precisely explained.
Discussion fourth paragraph describes key implications and applications of research, along with any possible limitations, and directions for future research. Results are qualified in regard to their generalisation and application. The achievement of the research is conceptualised in regard to past research and future research.
The Discussion as a whole emphasises the novelty of its findings, and makes it clear how these new findings relate to previous literature/theories, and advance the field/understanding or lead to potential applications.
References section consists of recent, relevant, peer reviewed journal articles, all of which are cited in the report. PsycINFO has clearly been used to find the most relevant recent papers for inclusion.
Research cited throughout the report has been well integrated with the argument. Methodological details have been extracted and explicitly compared; differences in results/findings have been explored/explained.
Font: Time New Roman 12 point font has been used throughout.
Headings correct (Abstract labelled Abstract - centred; No heading for Introduction; Results labelled - Results- centred; Discussion labelled Discussion
- centred; References labelled References - centred).
Indents correct (None for abstract; First line of every paragraph indented in Introduction/Results/Discussion; Inverse indent for References).
Spacing - double spaced lines throughout.
Language: Formal writing style, no colloquial language, no use of first person or rhetoric.
TITLE
A very brief (usually S to 1 5 words) description of the main content of the report, which may mention the area of interest, methodology, or even conclusions of the study, depending on what you believe makes the study distinctive. Do not be afraid to make the title fairly detailed and include jargon. You are trying to represent the content of the report, not promote a movie.
For example: "Perception of rigid motion in depth from the optical deformations of shadows and occlusion boundaries"
The title is not marked in the marking rubric; however you are welcome to adhere to the full APA formatting guidelines in your presentation (presenting the title on a separate page no longer wastes paper with online submission!).
ABSTRACT
The Abstract is a summary of your research report. However, it is not like an introduction to the subject, nor like a newspaper article trying to "sell" your study to the reader. It is not normally appropriate to define terms or discuss the theoretical background of the study in an abstract; when students do this it usually indicates they are confusing the 'summary' purpose of an abstract, with the purpose of an 'introduction'. The Abstract is a dispassionate overview of what the report contains. It should include some material from all of the four major sections (Introduction, Method, Results, and Discussion), and it should provide a basic understanding of why the study was done, what was done in the study, what general results were obtained (do not cite specific p-values or means), and what these results mean. The Abstract should be the last thing you do in writing up your report, as it is a summary of everything else. It should be no more than four or five sentences and around 150 words.
INTRODUCTION
In an introduction section you begin by discussing the existing theories and previous studies that relate to your report. Your review of the literature becomes more and more focused, until you begin to address similar issues to those that are addressed by your study. You then introduce your study, explaining what approach was taken, and how the study was carried out. The approach taken can be justified in relation to the previous studies just discussed, or a new theory or idea.
The introduction finishes with a statement of hypotheses and aims relating to the study. A hypothesis is like a prediction about what will happen and why. It is very important that these hypotheses are specific. If they are too vague, then the logic of the entire study may fall apart.
While the rubric sections will help you construct a draft introduction, to ensure the paragraphs are well integrated, keep in mind the purpose an introduction serves: The introduction must justify the existence of the study. The reason why background information is introduced, reviewed, and developed, is to argue for the existence of the study. It may even help to imagine that you are applying for funding to do more research like this. The argument in a research report is effectively an argument that the research that was done made sense, and was worthwhile and important to the field of study'. If you forget this, your introduction may consist of nothing but a dull and disconnected summary of a few research papers, which has a description of a study in the middle, and a hypothesis at the end.
As you write the introduction, realize that you are heading towards describing and justifying the study that was done. Even when you are reviewing general material, you can direct the reader towards problems in that background material, or interesting questions; basically any aspect that gives the introduction a direction. If you are writing effectively the reader should have a sense of what needs to be done before the current study is even introduced. There should also be a clear connection between the description of the current study and the hypotheses. While a large amount of methodological detail is not required in an introduction, there should be enough so that the reader understands the logic of the research, so that once more they can work out what might happen for themselves, before they read your prediction. Students too often describe an experiment adequately, but then throw in a hypothesis from nowhere. A hypothesis must be derived from the background material, previous research, and the logic of the current study. If it comes from nowhere it will sound like a guess.
DISCUSSION
The Discussion is arguably the most important section of your report. It is here that you put all the pieces together to make sense of what you've done. This is where you will interpret your findings according to the ideas and theories presented in the Introduction, discuss limitations and strengths of your study, and (sometimes) point to areas of further research.
Normally, begin with a statement of whether your hypotheses were supported or not. It is often a good idea to briefly re-state what your hypotheses were when saying whether they were supported, so that the reader is reminded of them. Be sure to outline to the reader how the specific results relate to the interpretation of the hypotheses you will argue for. You can then move to a more general discussion.
Has a theory been supported? Have previous findings been overturned? You must write about what the results mean for the theoretical questions raised by other studies in the introduction section, and if any general questions have been answered or raised. It is not appropriate to introduce new references into a discussion section to help explain the results, but it is appropriate that the discussion section refers back to the research already discussed in the introduction.
It is also important to talk about possible problems or limitations with the study, but try to talk about important systematic problems that may have occurred that may have serious implications for the results. Do not waste your word limit picking on the research, without explaining why the problem would have been important. For example most participants would have been Psychology students, but if it is an experiment on the visual system, you would expect the sample to be completely representative of the general population. When talking about problems with the study it is especially elegant to then propose solutions, and expand this into a discussion of possible research in the future.
RESULTS
In the Results section, you report the findings of your study. This may include statistical analyses, and also tables and figures to illustrate the results. You MUST refer to the tables/figures in the text of your Results section (e.g., See Figure 1.). It is pointless to include a table or graph and assume the reader will know when to look at it, or what it is referring to. The content of tables and figures must be summarized in text. That is, tell the reader what to look for, as tables and figures are intended to supplement rather than replace text. Make sure that tables and graphs are given clear and informative titles and labels. Do not present the same results in a table as well as a figure, you must choose which is more appropriate. Do not include any interpretation of the results in the Results section. Interpretation belongs in the Discussion.
You may include subheadings in the Results section if they help make different aspects of your results clearer - especially when your study included different sections or multiple studies. The results and analyses are also described in the past tense.
REFERENCES
In the References section, list all of the references that you have cited during the report. Do not list any references that you do not cite in the text (just to make it look like you have done a lot of reading!).... And do not cite any references in the text that you do not list in the reference section. There should be one-to-one correspondence. In the reference section, indent the second and subsequent lines of each reference. APA Style Central outlines how to present a reference section.
Attachment:- Research Report.rar