1. Putting it all together: Writing research proposals and reports
Chapter 15
Putting it all together: Writing research proposals and reports

2. Overview Writing the Research Report Writing the Research Proposal
Aids to Developing Your Idea

3. Aids to Developing Your Idea
Research journal and proposal can both help you plan and conduct ethical research
The Research Journal
Informal diary, memory aid
Organizing and reorganizing it can make it a more useful tool
The Research Proposal
Must be in APA style
Must have substance, especially in the introduction and method sections

4. Writing the Research Proposal
General strategies for writing the introduction*
Specific strategies for writing introduction sections for different types of studies*
Writing the method section*
Writing the results section*
Writing the discussion section*
Final touches*

5. General Strategies for Writing the Introduction
Use the literature review to
Establish importance of research area
Explain logic behind hypothesis
State your hypothesis
Outline your introduction. Outline should include headings such as
Overview of past research
Hypotheses

6. Specific Strategies for Writing Introduction Sections for Different Types of Studies
Exploratory study*
Direct replication*
Systematic replication*
Conceptual replication*
Replication and extension*
Theory testing study*

7. Exploratory study
Show that despite the fact that the area has not been researched, the area is important
Spell out the reasoning for your hypotheses

8. Direct replication
Spell out importance of original study
Explain why results might not replicate

9. Systematic replication
Explain why your study is better than the original

10. Conceptual replication
Explain why your study is better than the original
May be helpful to cite literature that backs your assertion

11. Replication and extension
Same arguments as for replication +
Explain predictions for moderating or mediating variables

12. Theory testing study
Don’t attack a straw theory
Spell out how your prediction follows from theory

13. Writing the Method Section
Participants--who, how many, how recruited
Procedure--what happened from the participants’ perspective. If applicable, include
Differences between conditions
Sample items from questionnaire

14. Writing the Results Section
How will participants’ behavior be turned into a score?
What analysis will be used on those scores?

15. Writing the Discussion Section
Relate predicted results to the hypothesis
Relate predicted results to previous research and theory
Discuss limitations of study
Discuss follow-up studies
Stress importance of remembering or building on study’s main findings

16. Final Touches Title page- Simple title is best
Abstract--Brief summary of the paper, 6 sentences summarizing introduction, method, results, and discussion
References--Organization can avoid accusations of plagiarism
Review paper to ensure that it is in APA style
Check against Checklist (Appendix A)
Compare to sample paper (Appendix B)

17. Writing the Research Report
What stays the same or changes very little from the research proposal*
Writing the results section*
Writing the discussion section*

18. What Stays the Same or Changes Very Little
Title page and References
No changes
Abstract
Add sentence to describe main results
Method section
Reflect changes in procedure
Reflect number and type of participants
Change to past tense

19. Writing the Results Section
Start off simple
Don’t report results--analyze them
Only include analyses, numbers, and statistics that make a point
Tell the reader what the point is--Explain why the analysis was done and what the results mean
Focus on the hypothesis
Have a friend read it to see if it makes sense

20. Writing the Discussion Section
Did the results support the hypothesis?
What do the results mean in terms of the points you brought up in your introduction?
What are the limitations of your study or alternative explanations for your results?
What explanations do you have for any unexpected findings?
What directions do you see for future research?
What are the practical or theoretical implications of your findings?

21. Concluding Remarks
Writing can help you think through your ideas
Following APA style makes a good impression
Research proposals or reports that look and sound professional can help in applying for both graduate school and for jobs