2. Summarizing a Research Article Taken From: University of Washington Psychology Writing Center

3. Journal Article Title Abstract Introduction Method Results Discussion References

4. Reading the Articles Scan the article –Identify the research question and reason for the study (Intro) –How the hypothesis was tested (Intro) –The findings (Results) –How the findings were interpreted (Discussion) –Write the key points in the margin

5. Reading the Articles Read for Depth –Hoe does the design of the study address the question posed –What are the controls for each experiment –How convincing are the results –What does this study contribute toward answering the original question –What aspects of the original question remain unanswered

6. Writing the Summary Introduction What was the purpose of this study? (i.e., what question(s) did the authors want to answer?)Why was this question important to answer? (This information comes from severity/impact of the problem, previous research into the problem, and what previous research lacked.)

7. Writing the Summary Method –Who were the participants? –(How many, ages, diagnoses, skill levels). –How were they selected? –Setting-where did the study take place? –What participant behavior was being measured? (DV) –How were data collected and summarized?

8. Writing the Summary Method (cont) –What did the experimenters systematically do (IV) to influence the DV? (Describe the teaching procedures). –Would you be able to replicate their procedures? –What design was used? – Did the authors demonstrate a functional relationship between the IV and DV?How was IOA assessed? Enough? Appropriate? –Was treatment integrity assessed? How? –Was social validity assessed? How? –Were generalization and maintenance data collected?

9. Writing the Summary Results and Discussion –What did they find? Was their analysis of the data appropriate? –Were the findings in agreement with or in contrast to previous research? –Should relate back to the hypothesis –Focus on content not length –condense later –Write about hypotheses, methods and results first –Write about intro and discussion last

10. Writing the Summary –Write a first draft –Focus on content not length –condense later –Write about hypotheses, methods and results first –Write about intro and discussion last

11. Reading the Articles Avoid Plagiarism –Take notes in your own words Don’t write in complete sentences –Summarize the point in your own words If you can’t put it in your own words then you don’t understand the study

12. Writing the Summary Edit for Completeness and Accuracy –Add info if necessary –Cut redundancies and less important information Edit for Style –Write to an intelligent, interested, naïve and slightly lazy audience –Don’t make readers struggle to understand you –It is your job to make your writing easily readable

13. Writing the Summary –Eliminate wordiness “the results clearly showed that there was no difference between the groups” “There was no difference between the groups” –Use Specific, Concrete Language “This illustrates” “This result illustrates” –Use scientifically accurate language Cannot prove hypotheses: support or fail to support them –Rely on paraphrasing –NO QUOTING –Re-Read PROOF!