The Research Report

1
The Research Report
Ten key parts of the manuscript

1. Title page
2. Abstract
3. Introduction
4. Method
5. Results

• Discussion
• References
• Footnotes
• Tables
• Appendix
• if necessary.

2
The Introduction

• Three tasks
• Identify and introduce research problem.
• Review relevant background theory and research.
• Define purpose and approach to research problem.

3
Task 1 The Problem

• Questions addressed
• What is the problem or issue?
• Why is it important?
• How does the current study extend, alter,
  augment, refute, etc., an aspect of the research
  issue?
• What propositions were tested?

1-2 grafs

1 graf

1 graf
3-4 grafs
4
Task 2 Review

• Summary of relevant research and theory
• Avoid lists and abstracting all works cited.
• Use transitions and headings to cue the reader.
• Discuss shortcomings and be critical, where
  appropriate. Not simply an intellectual
  travelogue.
• Craft a coherent and concise analysis that flows
  logically into the questions addressed in the
  current research (i.e., Task 3).

5
Task 3 Approach

• What was done in the current study to address the
  problem identified in Task 1 and elaborated in
  Task 2?
• Key variables (i.e., sets of role expectations).
• How variables will behaveHypotheses and
  rationale for predictions (flowing logically from
  Task 2).
• Lead-in to Method section.

6
Housekeeping

• Dont use Introduction heading.
• Pay attention to how authors structure the
  introductions of their reports.
• Be purposeful in your review. How does this
  empirical or review article relate to the problem
  and how were addressing it? Consult with me,
  Tim, or your classmates when needed.
• Make it all count. Ask yourself, How does this
  word, sentence, paragraph, section, perspective,
  finding, etc., persuade the reader or help
  her/him understand the nature of the problem, its
  significance, or the approach of the current
  study?

7
Method

• Goal Write enough about what you did and how you
  did it so that it could be replicated.
• Conventions
• Label section (Method, not Methods).
• Use subsection labelsusually Participants,
  Materials, Procedure.
• Other labels Measures, Apparatus, Analyses.
• Write at threshold of sufficiency.

8
Participants

• Report
• Where and how recruitment occurred.
• Sample size for all raters and for each set of
  raters.
• Sex, age, race/ethnicity, relationship status,
  marriages, children, age of youngest child, and
  employment status.

9
Materials

• Report
• Measures used (includes demographic questionnaire
  items).
• Attribution Where did the measure come from, or
  how was it created?
• Sample items for measures/scales.
• Response format.

10
Procedure

• Report
• What participants did from start to finish.
• Where did the assessment occur (setting,
  circumstances, supervision)?
• Instructions?
• What were the media (computer, paper and pencil)?
• How long did it take?

11
Method Section Tips

• If you did it right, its boring, but
  straightforward.
• Participants subsection should give the reader a
  gross understanding of the sample (err on the
  side of being over-descriptive).
• Materials subsection shouldnt reproduce the
  measure, it should characterize and summarize it.
• Procedure subsection should be visual. The
  reader should be able to mentally sketch the
  scene(s) and progression of events.
• Remember, the Method section is the bridge
  between the Introduction and Results sections.

12
Results

• Goal Describe analyses and findings as they
  relate to hypotheses.
• Conventions
• Label section (Results).
• Describe analyses.
• Report findings in words (1st) and statistics
  (2nd, usually parenthetically).
• Use of tables.

13
Not Just Numbers

• Remind reader of context of analyses and findings
  (i.e., hypotheses and predictions).
• Describe type of statistical analyses (ANOVA).
• Use subsection headings to report distinct sets
  of findings.
• Tables must be referred to in text.
• Tell reader how findings relate to hypotheses.
• Report degrees of freedom, significance levels (p
  values), means, standard deviations, and sample
  sizes.

14
Discussion

• Goal Clarify and interpret results 1) within
  specific scope of hypotheses and, 2) within a
  broad theoretical and/or empirical context.
• Conventions
• Label section (Discussionnot conclusion,
  summary, etc.).
• Dont report statistics. Statistical findings
  should be written in English.
• Parallel Introduction.
• Be reasonably conservative, yet unapologetic.

15
Structure

• How did you do? What does it really mean?
• Were hypotheses supported by the results?
• Restate hypotheses/goals.
• Report validation or invalidation in same order
  as results section.
• How do findings relate to previous work
  (empirical and theoretical)?
• Discuss how results fit (or not) with trends of
  findings and theories of articles in
  Introduction. If inconsistent, try to explain why
  or cite similar exceptions.
• What was done poorly? What could be done better?
• Implications of research? Why might anyone be
  interested in these findings?