Vocabulary List

• Implications: The possible effects or consequences of something.
  
• Prevalence: The proportion or percentage of a population that has a particular disease or condition at a specific point in time. 
  
• Randomized: Selected by chance or without bias.
  
• Indented: Set in from the margin or starting point.
  
• Concisely: Expressing ideas or information in a clear and brief manner.
  
• Concise: Brief and to the point.
  
• Transformations: Changes or alterations in form, appearance, or nature. In public health, transformations can refer to changes in health behaviors, policies, or interventions aimed at improving health outcomes or addressing health disparities.

6.1 Writing the Final Research Paper

(Price et al., 2017)

6.1.1 Title Page

An APA-style research report begins with a title page. The title is in bold and centered in the upper half of the page, with each important word capitalized. The title should communicate the research question in 12 words or fewer. The following are examples of titles:

• Social Determinants and Implications for Infectious Diseases

• Effects of Mosquito Nets on Malaria Prevalence Rates

• Antibiotics for Prevention: Results of a Randomized Clinical Trial

Below the title are the authors’ names and, on the next line, their university. Multiple authors list their names alphabetically. The next three lines list the name of the course, the instructor’s name, and the date.

6.1.2 Abstract

The abstract is a brief summary of the study, limited to 200 words. It is on the second page of the manuscript, with the heading Abstract centered and in bold. The first line is not indented. The abstract concisely presents the research question, a summary of the methods, the basic results, and the most important conclusions. 

6.1.3 Introduction

The introduction begins on the third page of the manuscript and should be three to four pages long. The heading at the top of this page is the full title of the paper.

Contents of the Introduction:

• An introduction to your research topic.

• A concise and comprehensive review of the literature.

• A summary of what we know and how we know it.

• A summary of what is still unknown about the subject.

• A concluding paragraph summarizing the topic and how it connects to your study and hypothesis.

• In-text citations for all sources cited in your literature review with matching references at the end of the paper. 

6.1.4 Methods

The Methods section is approximately one page long and contains four subsections: methods, design, participants, and procedures.

6.1.5 Results

The results section presents the main results of the study and the statistical analyses. 

Begin with the number of responses, a justification of why any were excluded, and any data transformations or scoring that needed to be performed. Next, answer your research question(s), presenting the relevant statistics and including the following:

• At least one demographic statistic.

• One statistical test using the Analysis ToolPak.

• One statistic of your choosing, such as ANOVA, t-test, or other demographic statistic.

Summarize the general finding. You can follow up by describing any secondary analyses you did that further explain what you found using a similar pattern.

Embed tables and figures within the text after they are first mentioned. Number each table and figure in the order they are discussed in your paper.

6.1.6 Discussion

Begin with at least one paragraph summarizing your results without using statistics, that includes a clear answer to your research question. Then include the following:

• Implications: Explain what impact your results have on the scientific understanding of the topic. Briefly refer to previous research.

• Limitations: Identify what makes your conclusions strong and weak.

• Future Research: Identify what researchers should do next regarding this topic of study.

• Conclusion: Write three sentences to summarize your project’s hypothesis, methods, and primary finding.

6.1.7 References

(Brigham Young University-Idaho, Pryor, 2024)

The References section is on a separate page at the end of your paper. 

The following are APA rules for the reference page:

• Center and bold the heading. List all sources that have in-text citations earlier in your paper, in alphabetical order.

• Use double line spacing and hanging indents for each entry.

• For each entry, you must include the author, date, title, and source. 

• Author: Listed with last name and initials, no titles. May be an individual, group, or organization. Examples: Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. or World Health Organization.

• Date: In parentheses. Examples: (2020). (2020, August 26). (2022, July).

• Title: Use the title of the article or chapter, using sentence case without capitalizing each word. Example: Parks build healthy communities: Success stories.

• Source: Use italics for a journal or book title, and include DOI. For a website, give the title and URL. Example: National Recreation and Park Association. https://www.nrpa.org

NOTE: All content is licensed CC-BY-NC unless otherwise noted. This courseware includes resources from multiple individuals and organizations. See the “References” section at the bottom of each page for copyright and licensing information specific to the material on that page. If you believe that this courseware violates your copyright, please contact us.

References

Price, P. C., Jhangiani, R., Chiang, I.-C. A., Leighton, D. C., & Cuttler, C. (2017). Research Methods in Psychology. Pressbooks. https://opentext.wsu.edu/carriecuttler/chapter/11-2-writing-a-research-report-in-american-psychological-association-apa-style/

            License: CC-BY-NC