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Department of Psychology
Stockholm University magnus.sverke@psychology.su.se
Important questions
How to write up the results in a way that make them interesting and relevant to readers as well as to editors and reviewers? How should the research problem be outlined? How general or specific, and how broad or narrow, should one make the review of previous theory and empirical studies? What to include in the different parts of the paper? Can I further my own standpoints and arguments?
Magnus Sverke magnus.sverke@psychology.su.se
Magnus Sverke
magnus.sverke@psychology.su.se
NB. This is not to say you should be uncritical to your own work
Magnus Sverke magnus.sverke@psychology.su.se
Magnus Sverke
magnus.sverke@psychology.su.se
Problem area/Rationale
Rest of introduction
Theoretical part
Method section
Sometimes interwoven into one section
Results
Discussion
Magnus Sverke
magnus.sverke@psychology.su.se
What does the reference refer to? In principle, one needs a reference for each assertment or truth that is presented
To start with the reference can sound as if only one study has come to this conclusion, i.e., that this is a unique claim
If the reference is placed after a claim, this suggests that the claim is of a more general character
magnus.sverke@psychology.su.se
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Method section
Provide relevant information concerning Setting (when appropriate) Sample & procedure
Population and Sampling method Original sample, response rate, info on non-respondents Measures Reference, sample item, scale range, reliability Methods of analysis Often better to describe this here, not in the Results Necessary only for fairly complex analysis methods
For quantitative studies, it is in many fields recommended to include a correlation matrix for descriptive purposes magnus.sverke@psychology.su.se (here, in the results or in an appendix) Magnus Sverke
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Results section
Present only such information that is related to your research aims Avoid interpretations, such as why you found this, or how it corresponds to other research (of course, you should state whether a finding corresponds to a hypothesis) What could/should be summarized in tables/figures? Dont repeat such information in running text Remember that non-significant results are not insignificant
Magnus Sverke magnus.sverke@psychology.su.se
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Discussion
1. Repeat rationale & aims briefly
4. Conclusions
What major conclusions can still be drawn? Return to the rationale you sketched in the opening of the paper Implications for theory and practice?
Magnus Sverke
magnus.sverke@psychology.su.se
13
Past tense
What was done (method) What was found (in this study and in previous research) e.g., Kalyal et al. found that ; Commitment was positively related to
Future tense
Avoid future tense in hypotheses (sounds as if the predictions relate only to the specific sample)
Magnus Sverke magnus.sverke@psychology.su.se
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Limitations Conclusions
Magnus Sverke
magnus.sverke@psychology.su.se
15
Submitting a manuscript
Pay close attention to the style guidelines of the journal
Have the manuscript carefully proof-read
Magnus Sverke
magnus.sverke@psychology.su.se
16
Revising a manuscript
Carefully check all of the review comments Be sure to write a cover letter detailing how you have responded to each of the review comments Address all the comments in the manuscript and/or the cover letter You dont have to adhere to all comments, but will need good arguments not to Indicate where in the manuscript the corresponding changes have been made Respect the opinions of the reviewer(s) and editor Sometimes the cover letter may be very long. A lot of information (arguments, contra-arguments, additional analyses) can be included here, without being included in the paper
Magnus Sverke magnus.sverke@psychology.su.se
17
Concluding recommendations
Dont submit prematurely
Be critical to your own work Make sure to get comments from colleagues
For revisions, spend much time on the memo on how you addressed the review comments
Magnus Sverke magnus.sverke@psychology.su.se
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Thank you
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magnus.sverke@psychology.su.se