Can you provide guidance on how to write each section of a psychological research paper?

Answer 1

Psychology academic papers typically include five big sections. These sections include the Abstract, Introduction, Method, Results, and Discussion. In this article, I define each of these sections, and I summarize some of the key elements that should go a psychology research paper or article. I hope that these tips help to clarify how to clearly organize the structure of your paper.

1. Abstract

The Abstract is a summary of your entire study, and it is the first section of your paper. I actually recommend writing your Abstract last, after you have finished the other sections of your paper. This advice may sound counter intuitive given that the Abstract is the first section. But my reasoning for this advice is that it is usually easier to summarize your whole study within your Abstract after you have taken the time to fully write out the rest of the manuscript. As a general rule of thumb, I typically devote one or two sentences max to each of the following components of the Abstract: 

1. The purpose of the study/rationale of the project.
2. A brief explanation of the methodological approach.
3. Summary of the key findings.
4. Summary of the conclusion and implications of the findings.

2. Introduction

The Introduction section introduces the reader to the purpose of a study. This section includes the study rationale, the literature review, and the key study aims and hypotheses. It is important to take time to make this section clear, logical, and interesting so that readers care enough about your paper to continue on with the other sections. Here are some guidelines for how to create a strong Introduction section.

1. Create a strong opening sentence (e.g., a quote, a gap in the literature, a well-known finding) that gives a snapshot picture of the focus of your study.
2. Write a thorough literature review, with well-cited sources, that discusses all sides of an argument.
3. State the key study aims and hypotheses.
4. Clearly explain the importance of your study. Why should the reader care about your study? 

3. Method

The Method section lays out how you are going to test your study aims. The major subsections of the Method section often include:

1. Procedure - Describe your data collection process. Did you use survey data, secondary data analysis, daily diary methods, a random assignment experimental design? Explain the strengths of your study procedure.
2. Participants - describe your sample (e.g., number of participants, average age, numbers of males and females, educational background).
3. Measures - how did you measure your variables? Are your measures valid? What are the inter-item reliability scores?
4. Data analytic approach - What data analytic tools or statistics (including statistical programs) did you use to test your study aims?

4. Results

The Results section is where you report your key findings. Here are some guidelines on how to create a strong Results section.

1. Include all of your relevant statistical results - do not omit findings that were surprising to you or that did not support your hypotheses.
2. Clearly define all statistical symbols and equations for your readers.
3. Organize this section so that each finding clearly relates to each corresponding study aim or hypothesis.
4. Graphically represent your main findings in the form of Tables and/or Figures.
5. Summarize your findings so that the reader can easily understand your findings on their totality.

5. Discussion

The Discussion section is the final section of a formal psychology academic paper. It is the section where you explain to the reader what you found, what your findings mean, and why your findings are important. This is your chance to discuss the real world and/or clinical implications of your study. Authors often find the Discussion section to be the most challenging part of the paper to write. So to help you out, I provide some tips on how to create a great Discussion section.

1. Re-state your primary findings.
2. Explain what the findings mean and why they are important. 
3. Relate your findings to previously published works - do your findings support or negate previous research, and why is that important?
4. Discuss potential clinical or real-world implications of your research - what can readers take away from your results?
5. Discuss potential limitations of your work. 
6. Discuss important avenues for future research to extend or expand upon your results.

If you are looking to improve your academic writing skills, the two most important pieces of advice I can give you are to seek guidance on writing from a professional and to dedicate time each day to writing and re-writing your paper. With time, patience, and perseverance, you CAN learn to write a strong and compelling psychological research paper!