Dr. Gass
HCOM 308
ANATOMY OF AN EXPERIMENT
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=
The main
sections of a published empirical study:
=
Rationale
Review of Literature
Methods
Results
Discussion
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=
Detailed
breakdown of a published experimental study
=
Title
Abstract: summary or synopsis of the study
Introduction/Rationale: problem statement, definitions of key concepts,
justification for undertaking the investigation, theoretical backdrop for t=
he
study. (Note: in many scholarly journals, the introduction, rationale, and
literature, are combined and truncated)
Review of Literature: review of previous research in the topic area, analysis
and integration of studies, critique of studies, relationship of studies to
experiment in question
Hypothesis or Research Question: formal statement of the pred=
icted
relationship between the independent and dependent variables. (Note: the
location of the hypotheses or research questions varies somewhat from study=
to
study)
Methods:
Design Statement: typically a one sentence description of type of
experimental design. (Note: n=
ot all
experiments include a design statement).
Subjects/Participants: description of the sample group(s), method of
selection/recruitment, procedure for obtaining voluntary informed consent,
demographic data regarding subjects.
Equipment/Apparatus: description of specialized equipment, measurement devic=
es,
scales, standardized instruments. (Note: this is usually only included if
complex equipment such as a polygraph or augmentative communication device =
is
being used)
Procedures: step by step description of the procedures in sufficient
detail to allow another researcher to replicate the experiment
cover story (optional) and instructions to subjects
operationalization of independent variable(s): descripti=
on
of the stimulus conditions, or how the independent variable was manipulated=
.
measurement of dependent variable(s): how=
the
dependent variable was measured, what type of data was gathered.
debriefing (dehoaxing, desensitizing)
Results
Data Treatment: coding of data, transformations of data<= o:p>
=
Analysis
of Data: statistical tests performed on the data
Tables, Graphs, Charts: tabular summaries and/or graphic
representations of the data
Significance/Non-Signif= icance of Results: answers to research questions or hypotheses
Discussion: implications of the study, limitations or qualificatio=
ns
of the study, directions for future research
References
Appendix: sample subject consent form, copies of scales and standardized tes=
ts,
additional material such as scripts used in various stimulus conditions, et=
c.
(Note: not all experiments include appendices)