1. Writing a Scientific Research Paper
Heather A. Wild
Q270
23 September 2003

2. Overview Title Abstract Introduction Methods Results Discussion
Bibliography
General

3. Title
Title should succinctly communicate what your study was about and the effect you found
One possibility is to indicate the independent variable(s) and dependent variable
For more ideas, see “Writing Research Reports,” articles for this class, etc.

4. Abstract Optional Abstract: 100 - 200 word summary of study
Describe each section of the paper in about 1 sentence:
Introduction (the phenomenon)
Methods (what you did to examine this phenomenon)
Results (what you found; no numbers/stats included)
Discussion (conclusions/ implications)

5. Introduction
In this section, build a case for what you are doing and why, as well as what you expect to find
1) Introduce your specific topic
First few sentences should be general, catchy, interesting
Do not claim that “this is the most important question in psychology” etc.

6. Introduction (continued)
2) Give background, describe:
Current theories
Previous research
Remaining questions
3) Narrow in on your study
foreshadow your experiment
overview of your experiment
state your hypotheses and what you might expect to find

7. Methods
The purpose of this section is to provide enough detail so someone else anywhere in the world can replicate your experiment EXACTLY
Use subsections and subheadings
Use past tense

8. Methods (continued)
Participants (subjects) – # of subjects; how they were recruited; demographics
Stimulus – describe in detail (font size, image size, distance from screen, etc.)
Procedure – narration of exactly what the subject did; instructions; number and length of trials; randomization, controls, and counterbalancing

9. Results Describe your data and analyses
Do not draw conclusions - just give the facts
Quality of data is very important
Use graphs and refer to them in-text as “Figure 1”etc.
Explain pattern of results in graphs

10. Results (continued)
Be sure to indicate factors/variables and exactly what type of statistical test is being used
Descriptive statistics (means, standard deviation). Again, it is often best to give these in a graph.
Inferential statistics (t-test, ANOVA). Use sentences that say, e.g.: “There was a significant effect of Factor A, t(19)=999, p < .05.”
You do not have to explain what a t-test, ANOVA, etc. is

11. Discussion Summarize what you did and what you found
Draw conclusions about your results and describe the implications of your findings
Tie results to ideas presented in the introduction, i.e., put findings in theoretical context
Discuss limitations of your study
Here you have some freedom to speculate (using logic & reason based on empirical knowledge) about findings
Discuss possible practical implications and ideas for future directions

12. Bibliography
This section is very, very important! You MUST use APA style to cite works in text and to format your bibliography
ENDNOTE citation management software is available for free download at:

13. General Do not directly quote anything Always spellcheck and proofread
Label your tables/graphs and include captions.
Be concise
Do not exceed the page limit (not including separate pages for references and tables)
Try to limit redundancies – make sure you have things in the right section and do not repeat them elsewhere.
Use a heading for every section and subheadings for the subsections of the Methods section.