Instruction
Research Report
The goal of this assignment is to write a basic research report, including some data analysis. The report and analysis will be relatively simple; this assignment is just to get your feet wet.
We will write the report using an APA (American Psychological Association) approach. APA report writing follows a “Question – Answer” logic, and uses a sequence of four sections to
build a narrative about the research question and how it was answered. These four sections are: Introduction, Method, Results, and Discussion. One challenge in learning to write reports is simply sorting information into the correct sections, a skill you practiced when you did your Article Summary Assignment.
In the Results section of the report, data analysis can be done using online calculators and/or a spreadsheet program. If you are proficient in doing statistics by hand or using available statistical software, you may of course use those approaches. I will consult with you on the appropriate types of data analysis to employ.
STEPS
1. Choose a research topic. I suggest that you pick something related to your work or everyday activities. Driving, cooking, sports and fitness, finances, and teaching all provide natural opportunities to work with data that you collect (empirical work) and then interpret (theoretical work).
2. Frame the research question such that it can be answered using data. I strongly suggest that you restrict yourself to one of two kinds of questions, either a comparison of means or a correlation of variables:
Comparison of Means: One kind of question is: "Are these two means different?" For example, you might collect preference ratings from 10 family members on two different recipes for chocolate chip cookies. You can use a t-test to compare the mean ratings of the two recipes statistically. (If each family member rated both cookies, it would be a "paired" t-test. If different groups rated each cookie recipe, it would be an "independent groups" t-test.) You should also construct a properly labeled bar graph to show your comparison of the two means. (Tip: In your Results section, write about how the graph looks and its meaning, and not just about the outcome of the statistical test.)
Correlation: A second kind of question is: "Are these two variables related?" For example, you might want to know whether the daily temperature (X) is related to the money you spend on bottled water (variable Y). Once you have obtained temperature-money pairs of values for several days, you can use a Pearson correlation
coefficient to find out how these two variables are related to one another. You should also construct a properly labeled scatterplot showing the relationship between the two variables graphically. (Tip: In your Results section, write about the pattern of data revealed by the points in your scatterplot, and not just about the outcome of the statistical test of the correlation.)
3. Plan and carry out systematic data collection on the question you have picked. You will first need to choose what variables to measure and manipulate. Then, depending on what your research question is,
Comparison of Means: Measure each person in each of your two groups (or conditions,
e.g. type of recipe), and calculate two averages; or
Correlation: Collect your two measures from each person (or other unit of analysis, e.g. day), and calculate the correlation coefficient.
4. Organize your data so that it can be easily entered into an online calculator or computer program or hand procedure. Use examples from books or online to guide you.
5. Carry out your statistical test, asking (i) if you are comparing means, whether the two means are significantly different, or (ii) if you are looking at the correlation of variables, whether the correlation between the two variables is significantly different from zero. If you get statistical significance, ask yourself whether the effect is small, medium, or large in size. Record the results clearly. Ask for guidance if needed. You are free to discuss your methods and findings with other members of the class.
6. Present the data graphically. This is very helpful for readers who like visual displays to assist their understanding. For a comparison of groups, I suggest a bar graph. For a two-variable correlation, use a scatterplot.
7. Draft your report, organizing the question-answer narrative into Introduction, Method, Results (descriptive), and Discussion (interpretive).
8. Revise before submitting.
s for instructions and sample research paper