Laboratory report
Lab Report – Introduction Closing Paragraph(s)
Research Methods
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1
Getting Started
Go to the Laboratory Report dropbox in eLearning
Download and save the Laboratory Report file you just submitted with the title page, opening paragraph(s), summary of Sigler and Couch (2002), summary of Skolnick and Shaw (2001), and references.
Re-name the file LastnameF_Lab_05.docx
This will be your 5th draft
Wait for further instructions…
Introduction: Opening
Introduction - the purpose of the introduction is to build a case for why you would conduct the study that you are reporting
Inverted pyramid: Very broad at first, but increasingly more specific
Open with general information that:
provides the reader an introduction to topic under study (e.g., descriptions/definitions)
shows the place of the study in a broad context (e.g., why it is important to study jury decision making, eyewitness testimony, etc.)
includes a statement of the GENERAL purpose (as opposed to the specific purpose, which comes at the end of the intro)
INCLUDE CITATIONS!
Loftus (1974)
DONE! (but start revising based on feedback)
Introduction: Middle/Lit review
The middle and bulk of the introduction is dedicated to reviewing the literature in a way that makes an argument for why you conducted the study being reported.
Review the published literature:*minimally you must have
Sigler and Couch (2002)
Skolnick and Shaw (2001)
For each reviewed study, include a brief synopsis (1-2 paragraphs) of the study’s purpose/hypotheses, what was done, what was found, and what the authors concluded
DONE! (but start revising based on feedback)
Introduction: Closing
Close the introduction with a summary of the problem to be addressed by the research in the report (one paragraph should do it)
A statement of the purpose of the present research, often stated in terms of the research questions or specific hypotheses
“The purpose of the present study was.......”
Briefly summarize the method - 2-3 sentences. This should set the reader up for what they are about to read next, which is the detailed method section.
If the introduction is written well, the reader should be “expecting” what you say in this last section.
This should flow logically from the literature review section
So… what is our project specifically about?
What do we know? What don’t we know?
Sigler & Couch (2002) – discredited vs credible [eyewitness]
evidence
Skolnick & Shaw (2001) – [strong credible] physical evidence vs [strong credible] eyewitness
Our study: systematic replication with added condition
How are we going to do it?
Sample of what participants will experience in D2L.
| Evidence Type | |||
| Eyewitness | Physical | ||
| Credibility | Credible | Sigler and Couch Skolnick and Shaw | Skolnick and Shaw |
| Discredited | Sigler and Couch | Gap in the literature OUR STUDY! |