Research reports: Scientific journal article
There are very clear rules for writing scientific
journal reports. Most journals follow a particular style manual. A style
manual is a handbook or guide that describes the accepted format
for presenting the information and citing references in articles, theses,
and term papers. More....
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This section is based on the Publication
Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA), a
frequently-used style manual. Once you have mastered a style, it is not
difficult to revise an article for another style. Bibliographic software
programs will format the references in the appropriate style. More....
The report must have sufficient detail to allow
replication of the study by an independent investigator. Only include
what is needed. A journal article is not a place for elaborate prose.
There is very little guesswork. The rules for coverage are straightforward,
although sometimes the boundaries are fuzzy as to placement within each
section. |
The manuscript is typed double-spaced with 1-inch
margins, using a 12-point font. If you
plan on sending an article to a journal, consult the APA publication manual
for detailed information.
Here is the outline of an APA-style paper with a brief
description of each section's content. Click on each heading to get an expanded
description of the section.
Journal article - APA style
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Section heading |
Contents |
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Title
page |
Title and author information |
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Abstract |
Very concise (brief) summary (120 words maximum) of the report |
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Introduction |
Question or issue, what is known or theorized about it, report's
specific focus. |
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Method |
What was done (direct and factual) |
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Participants |
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to whom. |
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Apparatus/materials |
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with what. |
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Setting |
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where. |
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Procedure |
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how. |
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Results |
What was found (direct and factual). |
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Discussion |
What it means (interpretation belongs here). |
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References |
Whose information was included (list of articles and other
information sources). |
NOTE: The sections are not written
in order. The Abstract is the last section to
be written as it requires compressing the content of the entire report into
a few words. The Introduction can be completed
before the research data are collected. Once the research design is established
and the participants selected, the Method section
can be written.
Self-test
#1 - What's wrong with this abstract?
Self-test
#2 - Research report sections
Next section: Helpful
hints (short)
