Psychology 467

Peer Review/Draft #1 Guidelines

 

Content:

 

Title Page:     -Title (self-contained and not to exceed 15 words)

                        -Author’s Name

                        -Affiliation (Western Oregon University)

                        -Running Head: twice on the title page, once above the title in ALL CAPS and in the upper right hand corner of each page along with page number.

 

Introduction: Remember your introduction section should resemble a funnel shape. It should start out broadly and end narrowly. It should include three main sections starting with the problem under investigation (general theories related to your topic). You must have at least one paragraph describing major theories regarding your topic (remember that theories are meant to explain a phenomenon. The second major section of your introduction section involves developing the background. In this section you should describe specific research conducted in this area specifically focusing on how others have manipulated and measured these variables in the past. Studies which most closely resemble your work should be described in detail including information about the participants, the researcher’s hypothesis, how the IV was manipulated and the DV was measured, the results and what these results mean for this topic. Finally, your introduction section should end with a clear statement of the purpose and rationale of your study (your hypotheses/predictions). When stating your hypothesis, be sure to include operational definitions of your variables (how you will manipulate your IV and how you will measure your DV) and a formal statement of your hypothesis, specifying exactly what you expect to find.  Be sure to consider the following questions in closing your introduction section:

            -What variables do I plan to manipulate? to measure?

            -What results do I expect and why do I expect them? (the logic and rationale for each hypothesis should be clear and follow logically from prior research in this area).

 

Method: Your method section should include the three main subsections: Participants, Apparatus, and Procedure. Each subsection should be include enough detail for your research to be replicated.  Write this section in past tense, as if you have already done the research.

            -Participants: Who will participate? How many? How will they be selected and assigned to groups? Report relevant demographic characteristics such as sex and age. If a subject characteristic is a variable of interest (ethnic background, marital status, level of education) be sure to specify in as much detail as possible.

            -Apparatus: Provide details on the apparatus or materials to be used in your study.  How will you measure your variables? Identify/cite specialized equipment or questionnaires and provide sample questions. 

            -Procedure: Step by step what you plan to do including general instructions to participants, how groups will be formed, and specific experimental manipulations. Describe randomization or counterbalancing procedure to be used. Summarize instructions to be given to participants. If deception will be used, how will you debrief your subjects? How will you ensure privacy and confidentiality?

 

 

References: All references must be in APA (5th edition) format. Be sure to include everything that is cited in your paper. There should be a one to one match between all references that appear in your text and all references listed on the references page. At this point, you should have at least 7 references.

 

Format:

 See summary of APA format & referencing guide attached.   
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Psychology 467

Draft #1 Grade Sheet

Title Page

            Title

            Author’s Name

            Author’s Affiliation

            Running Head

Problems

_____Title too long or not self-contained

_____Missing relevant information (as listed above)

_____Unimportant information included (i.e., Psy 467)

_____Running head not used appropriately

_____Other

Introduction

            Title

            Introduce the Problem (General Theories)

            Develop the Background (Specific Research)

            State Purpose & Rationale (Hypotheses)

            Referencing APA style throughout

Problems

_____The word Introduction appears instead of paper’s title

_____Does not start out broadly and end narrowly

_____Lacks theoretical support

_____Insufficient Literature Review

_____Needs to describe more research in detail

_____Statement of problem/hypothesis too brief or lacking

_____Rationale for Hypotheses unclear from previous background

_____APA referencing & citations incomplete or missing

_____Don’t quote unless quote is unique and cannot be paraphrased

_____Don’t give personal opinions (unless critiquing previous research)

_____Other

Method

            Titles

            Participants

            Apparatus

            Procedure

Problems

_____Detail not sufficient to replicate this study

_____How will consent be obtained?

_____How will participants be selected/sampled?

_____How will participants be assigned to groups?                                                                                Randomization/Counterbalancing?

_____What will participants be told about the research?

_____Materials need citations

 

 

_____How will participants be debriefed?

_____Operational definitions of variables unclear

                                    how will IV(s) be manipulated?

                                    how will DV(s) be measured?

_____How will privacy & confidentiality be maintained?

_____Ethical Considerations?

_____How will confounding/extraneous variables be controlled?

_____Design of study unclear: between, within, mixed

_____Unclear how study will test hypothesis

_____Other

 

References

            Title

            APA Style

            Everything cited appears here

            At least 7 scholarly references

Problems

_____APA Style not followed or used inconsistently

_____Not in alphabetical order

_____Not enough sources used

_____Does not match text

_____Too many secondary source cited (don’t use more than 2)

_____Other

Format

            Margins (1 to 1½ inches) and Double Spacing

            Indentation & Dark Type

            Running Head & Pagination

            Font 12 point

            Grammar

            Spelling

Problems

_____Don’t use bold

_____Don’t use all caps

_____Margins inconsistent

_____Double spacing not used

_____Running head & page numbers in the wrong place

_____Spell check not used

_____Fragmented sentences/grammatical problems

_____Don’t use 1st person

_____Use active rather than passive voice

_____Other