Question 1

Describe three goals of the introduction section of a research report

Accepted Answer

The first goal of the introduction is that it should clearly articulate the purpose of your research. This means that it should articulate why it was done and what motivated you to conduct the study. By doing so, it should also convince the audience that the research was worth doing.
The second goal is that it should make clear to readers why they should be interested in your research. Your reader should feel compelled to keep reading because the research is presented to be interesting
The final goal of the introduction is that it should set your research up in the context of past work. This gives the reader a sense of what was done, and what your research adds to the existing literature.

Question 2

Describe three common issues that might occur for inexperienced researchers when writing a research report.

Accepted Answer

Students often use the word "prove," as if their research has found definitive evidence for a certain phenomenon or effect. This is misleading, as often no single study, or even group of studies, can sufficiently provide evidence to prove a certain finding.
A second issue is that students may underreport their statistical techniques. Many students may claim that they conducted an ANOVA to test for findings without spelling out what they tested for and the conditions and levels that were involved.
A third issue may be that students mindlessly copy and paste output from statistical software reporting 4 or even 5 decimal places without carefully considering what their measurement tool actually allows for.
(Or any other 3 in chapter 15)

Question 3

Describe three qualities of a good research report

Accepted Answer

A good research report should be clear. This means that the report should be straightforward, and easy to understand. A good report should also be concise, as researchers do not wish to spend time reading a lengthy article that could have been shorter and equally clear and effective. Finally, a good research report should be compelling, suggesting that it should be interesting to read and intriguing.

Question 4

Describe the purpose of each subsection of the methods section by explaining the information they should contain.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe the purpose of each subsection of...

Question 5

List seven sections/components of a quantitative research paper in the correct order that they should appear.

Accepted Answer

The answer of List seven sections/components of a quantitative research...

Question 6

Which of the following is not a trait of good scientific writing, according to your textbook?

Accepted Answer

Good scientific writing aims to communicate ideas clearly and directly, rather than leaving the interpretation open to the reader. It should be precise and unambiguous, ensuring that the science is understood as intended, rather than being open to interpretation.

Question 7

A well-written scientific manuscript is usually described having the shape of:

Accepted Answer

An hour-glass shape is the most accurate way to describe a well-written scientific manuscript as it starts broad with an introduction, gets specific with a clear research question and methodology, presents specific findings and data, then ends broad with a discussion and implications for the overall field.

Question 8

Which if the following is the least valid reason why APA provides guidelines for how manuscripts ought to be prepared and written?

Accepted Answer

The statement "It ensures that the research is valid and protects against fraud" is not necessarily true. While following APA guidelines can certainly improve the clarity and accuracy of research, it does not guarantee that the research itself is valid or that fraud will not occur. The other options (A, C, and D) are all valid reasons why APA provides guidelines.

Question 9

What is necessarily true if you know that a researcher is an author on a certain research article?

Accepted Answer

Being an author on a research article implies a significant intellectual contribution to the study, which could involve conceptualization, design, analysis, or interpretation of data. This does not necessarily mean hands-on involvement with every aspect of the project.

Question 10

What is usually omitted from the abstract?

Accepted Answer

The abstract typically focuses on the main findings, methods, and implications, rather than the detailed history of the research.

Question 11

What is necessarily true of a well-written methods section?

Accepted Answer

The methods section is designed to provide a clear description of how the research was conducted, including the apparatus used, so that another research team can replicate the study under the same conditions.

Question 12

Researchers who examined the effects of administering hot chocolate during an exam at various times of day reported the following statement in their paper:
We used a 2 (condition: chocolate vs. no chocolate) x 2 (time: morning vs. afternoon) fully between subjects ANOVA to analyze our data on exam score. We found a significant main effect of our condition variable (F(1,83) = 12.15, p < .05) but no main effect of time. We also found a significant interaction, F(1, 83) = 15.89, p < .05.
Which of the following pieces of information do you know must be true?

Accepted Answer

The study used a 2x2 fully between-subjects design, meaning participants were assigned to one of four conditions: chocolate in the morning, no chocolate in the morning, chocolate in the afternoon, or no chocolate in the afternoon.

Question 13

Error bars in a graph represent:

Accepted Answer

Error bars in a graph typically represent the amount of variability in the sample data. This can include measures such as standard deviation, standard error, or confidence intervals, and is used to give a sense of how much the data varies from the sample mean or average.

Question 14

Here is an excerpt of a research report:
"Our findings shed light on the nature of human's ability to identify in- and out-groups based on language. Our study is one of the first to examine the effects of early language exposure on in-group bias in 4-month-old infants."
What section of the research report is the excerpt most likely to be in?

Accepted Answer

The excerpt discusses the findings and implications of the study, indicating that it is likely part of the discussion section. It is less likely to be in the introduction, which typically provides background information and sets up the study, or in the methods section, which describes the procedures used to conduct the study. While the results section may report on the study's findings, it is typically more focused on presenting data and statistics rather than reflecting on their implications.

Question 15

Which of the following is not a goal of the introduction of a quantitative research report?

Accepted Answer

The procedure of the study is typically explained in the methodology section of a quantitative research report, which comes after the introduction. Therefore, it is not a goal of the introduction. The introduction is meant to provide context and background information that will help readers understand the purpose and significance of the research.

Question 16

Stella claims that the introduction section of a research report should contain a deep history of the ideas behind the study to convince reviewers that the authors are experts in their field. Is Stella right or wrong?

Accepted Answer

While there may be some value in providing a historical overview of the research topic, the primary focus of the introduction section should be to clearly and concisely state the research problem or question and its significance. The introduction should provide the necessary background information to justify the need for the study and convince the reader that it is worth investigating. However, including excessive detail about the history of the ideas behind the study may detract from the main point and make the paper less engaging for the reader.

Question 17

Which of the following ways of reporting the omnibus ANOVA analysis follows the APA format?

Accepted Answer

The correct format for reporting an omnibus ANOVA analysis in APA style includes the F-value, degrees of freedom in parentheses, and the significance level (p-value). It should also be noted that the p-value should be reported to at least two decimal places, making option A the correct choice. The other options are all identical to A, but they are unnecessary and would not typically be included in a report.

Question 18

Which of the following is a reference in APA format?

Accepted Answer

This is the correct APA format for a journal article reference. It includes the authors' names, publication year, article title, journal name, volume and issue number, and page number. The format is consistent and includes all necessary information, including the use of italics for the journal name and capitalizing only the first word of the title and subtitle. Choice A is missing the volume and issue number and does not have consistent use of capitalization. Choice C is missing the month of publication and has inconsistent use of spaces and commas. Choice D does not have consistent use of spaces and uses a period after the page number instead of "p."

Question 19

Consider the following quote from a research report:
"A key question here was whether our results could be explained by cross situational learning, without invoking comparison, by assuming that children formed a set of hypotheses when they saw the initial standard and then used the other standard to filter these guesses. Contrary to this account, children showed relational insight only when they saw the standards simultaneously and were invited to compare them." (Christie & Gentner, 2010, p. 369)
Which section of the report is this quote likely to be from?

Accepted Answer

This quote is discussing the interpretation of the results and contrasting it with a possible alternative explanation. Therefore, it is most likely to be found in the discussion section of the research report.

Question 20

Which of the following is usually not included in the abstract of a research report?

Accepted Answer

The acknowledgements to certain individuals who assisted with the project are usually not included in the abstract of a research report. The purpose of the study, participants, and interpretation of results are commonly included.

Quiz 15: Writing up Your Results