How do second-year psychology students describe their experiences of university stress?
Abstract: 150-200 words
• Key words: 3-5 words
• Introduction: 500-600 words
• This is the same as a quant lab report.
• Once you have decided on your research question, find and discuss relevant literature to your research
question and build a rationale for your study.
• Final paragraph – can draw the key points/arguments you have created throughout, and then state the aim
(you have to write this) and the research question (we have given you this).
• This is the only place you should mention your own study in the Introduction.
• Method (composed of 4 sub-sections): 600-800 words
• Participants
• Procedure
• Analytical approach
• Reflexivity
• Findings: 800-1000 words
• Presentation of interpretation of analysis.
• Remember, you analyse your entire dataset, but you present a representation of that analysis in the Finding
section.
• Introductory paragraph at start of Findings section reminding the reader of your research question. And state
what the key findings were:
• IF IPA, refer reader to the table and state each superordinate/master theme and their corresponding
subordinate/sub themes will be discussed in turn.
• IF NA, tell the reader the main ways in which participants have constructed their sense of selves.
• You will present the findings in different ways depending on the analytical method:
• IPA = table of super-ordinate with corresponding sub-ordinate themes.
• NA = coded stories in tables – present around 3 (no less than 3, no more than 4).
• Present a theme/narrative as relevant. Describe it. Present illustrative quote to support. A little more
descriiption (perhaps) and then your interpretation:
• Sign-posted to the reader by key words such as ‘this suggests that…’, ‘this illustrates that…’
• Interpretation is where you will get your marks! We cannot give many marks for a descriiptive Findings section
this is where many previous students have gotten low marks in their reports.
• Remember that although your analysis is of your entire dataset, you will only be able to present some of it in
the lab report – choose the most illustrative! Quotes do not count towards word count.
• No lists of quotes! 1 (2 max) per point being made, and another to support the point.
• Discussion: 500-600 words
• This is the same as a quant lab report. Show how the research question has been addressed, the theoretical
frameworks within which the findings can be interpreted. Return to papers cited in introduction and further
papers if relevant to findings. Summary of the key findings.
• First paragraph is a summary of the key findings.
• Discuss your findings in relation to the results of the existing literature. It should be a critical discussion. What
your findings do not support the findings of other studies, you will need to discuss why you think this may be
and support it with literature depending on the point being made.
• Do NOT discuss individual participants here – refer to the findings as a whole.
• No quotes here!
• Evaluation – strengths and limitations (do not state lack of generalisability or small sample size for qual
research as a limitation!).
• Directions for future research. Although you may discuss these in conjunction with the limitations depending
on how you write it up.
• Conclusion paragraph that draws your whole report together.
• No new information here. A summary.
• What is the take-home message you want to leave your reader with about your entire report?
• References:
• We will check whether these match the citations in the report.
• Need to be in APA format.
• Check the formatting of each different type of source
• Each one will be different!
• APA blog helpful and show examples
• Needs to be extensive to reflect the reading you have done
• Appendices:
• Needs to include all appendices:
• e.g. semi-structured interview schedule, Information Sheet, Consent Form, Debriefing form.
• APA format – label each one in accordance and refer to them in the text, e.g. ‘a semi-structured interview w
used to… (see Appendix A).’
