Research Methods and Statistics

Most research reports in psychology appearing in journals have a standard format, which is specified in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.). The use of a consistent style makes it easier for readers to know where to find information in the paper. In addition, once writers learn the basics of APA style, it can be easier to write up a report because it is clear where to put various kinds of information.

In general, APA style papers have the following components in this order:

Occasionally, there are deviations from this listing. For instance, if a manuscript reports on two or more studies, the author might combine the Results and Discussion section for each study rather than creating two sections. Then there might be a General Discussion after the final study. Once you learn the basic format and after you read a large number of published journal articles, you may find it fairly easy to decide how to modify a manuscript if you need to. Following APA style isn't difficult, but you have to pay attention to a lot of small details. The hardest part of formatting is keeping track of those details.

As with any writing you do, it is important to communicate well. The former editor of the journal Teaching of Psychology, Charles Brewer, has commented that writers should strive for “clarity, conciseness, and felicity of expression.” This means that you should be clear in making your points; you should use economy in your writing, keeping it as short as you can while still getting your message across; and you should write so that your readers doesn't have to fight their way through a tangled thicket of words to get your point.

Each section of your report will answer certain questions for your reader. For instance, if readers want to know the topic of your research, they know to look in the introduction. If they are asking what you found when you analyzed your data, they know to look in the results section.