Undergraduate Writing in Psychology: Learning to Tell the Scientific Story, 2012 Revised Edition

by R. Eric Landrum

Overview

Now updated to reflect the changes made from the fifth to the sixth edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, this book takes the reader step-by-step through crafting research questions or theses; executing library database searches; analyzing, evaluating, and synthesizing literature; drafting specific parts of a paper; and more.

Writing samples, including two full-length student papers in draft, marked-up, and final form, illustrate key concepts such as how to synthesize literature, how revision differs from editing, and how to recognize and avoid plagiarism. Guidance on how to communicate with instructors on a professional level is given, and the book shows examples of checklists and grading rubrics instructors might use.

A self-quiz to engage the reader's knowledge of APA style and format is also included, as well as example reference formats and other quick-reference style tools.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781433812163
Publisher:	American Psychological Association
Publication date:	06/15/2012
Edition description:	Revised Edition
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 9.70(h) x 0.30(d)

About the Author

R. Eric Landrum, PhD, is a professor of psychology at Boise State University, Idaho. He received his PhD in cognitive psychology (with an emphasis in quantitative methodology) from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, in 1989. His research interests center on the study of educational issues, identifying those conditions that best facilitate student success (broadly defined).
 
He has made over 200 professional presentations at conferences and has published 17 books or book chapters and over 60 professional articles in scholarly, peer-reviewed journals. His work has appeared in journals such as Teaching of Psychology, College Teaching, Educational and Psychological Measurement, Journal of College Student Development, College Student Journal, and Psychological Reports.
 
He has worked with more than 200 undergraduate research assistants and in 16 years at Boise State, he has taught over 10,000 students.
 
Dr. Landrum is the coeditor and author of two chapters in Protecting Human Subjects: Departmental Subject Pools and Institutional Review Boards (1999) and lead author (with Stephen F. Davis) of The Psychology Major: Career Options and Strategies for Success (3rd ed., 2007).
 
He is a member of APA (fellow; Division 2, Society for the Teaching of Psychology), the Midwestern Psychological Association, and the Rocky Mountain Psychological Association.
 
He is an award-winning teacher (Associated Students of Boise State University Outstanding Faculty Member Award, 1994 and 2005; Boise State University Foundation Scholars Outstanding Teacher Award, 2002) and researcher (Social Sciences & Public Affairs Tenured Research Award, 2004).
 
At Boise State University, Dr. Landrum teaches courses in General Psychology (in the classroom and online), Introduction to the Psychology Major, Statistical Methods, Research Methods, and Psychological Measurements. He has served as national president of the Council of Teachers of Undergraduate Psychology and works with Psi Chi both locally and regionally. He served as department chair from 1996–2000 and again from 2005–2006.
 

Table of Contents

Preface xi

Introduction 3

1 Why Psychology Students (and Not Just English Majors) Have to Write 1

Telling a Good Story With Scientific Information: Can It Be Done? 8

Why Do We Tell the Scientific Story? 11

Types of Assignments 11

Meeting Audience Needs: What Is the Instructor Asking for? 14

Why APA Style and Format Exist 17

2 Starting Your Paper: Finding the Thread of Your Story 21

Selecting a Topic 21

Developing a Thesis Statement or a Research Question 24

Uncovering the Backstory, Part 1: Your Library Search Strategy 27

What Sources Are Allowed? 34

3 Extracting the Useful Nuggets From a Literature Search 37

Uncovering the Backstory, Part 2: Primary and Secondary Sources 38

Evaluating Sources 40

Which Information Is Most Pertinent? 42

Keeping Track of Ideas 48

Keeping Track of Sources 49

Alternate Methods of Recording and Using Research Notes 51

4 How to Write Your Psychology Paper With Style: General Tips 53

Why Instructors Like to Read Stylish Papers 56

Audience Approval Meter: Ask What You Are Being Graded On 64

Telling and Retelling Your Story: Drafting, Editing, Revising, and Proofreading 64

How to Avoid Plagiarism With Style and Good Academic Citizenship 73

Quiz Yourself on APA Style 78

5 Bringing the Audience Up to Speed With Literature Reviews 89

Literature Reviews Provide Story Context 90

Guiding Principles for Writing Literature Reviews 91

Reassembling Pieces of the Story: Synthesis 92

Organizing a Literature Review 95

Sample Literature Review 97

6 Telling an Original Story Through a Research Paper 105

Set the Tone: Introduction and Sample 106

Total Transparency: Method Section and Sample 107

What Happened, but Not Why: Results Section and Sample 114

Explain and Question Again: Discussion Section and Sample 118

7 The Rest of the Story: Title, Abstract, References, and Tables 133

Titles and Abstracts for Posterity's Sake 134

References: Your Paper's Pedigree 135

Tables at a Glance 136

Putting It All Together 137

Sample Research Paper, Completed 137

8 Reshaping Your Story for Different Audiences: Other Types of Writing in Psychology 163

Oral Presentations at Conferences 164

Poster Presentations 165

Writing for the Web 167

Essay Exams 171

Writing for Pleasure and Insight 172

References 175

Index 183

About the Author 191