Research Methods: Scientific Reports

Question 1

What is a type 1 error?

Answer 1

The incorrect rejection of a null hypothesis (a false positive).

Question 2

What is a type 2 error?

Answer 2

The failure to reject a false null hypothesis (a false negative)

Question 3

Name the 6 sections of a scientific report:

Answer 3

• Abstract
• Introduction
• Method
• Results
• Discussion
• Referencing

Question 4

What is the abstract?

Answer 4

• First section in a journal.
• A short summary of all the major events (e.g. hypothesis, method, results).

Question 5

What is the introduction?

Answer 5

• A literature review of the general research area, detailing relevant theories that are related to the current study.
• Includes aims and hypotheses.

Question 6

What is the method?

Answer 6

• How the main body of the investigation is carried out.
• Includes design, sampling, materials, procedure, and ethics.

Question 7

What is the results (section)?

Answer 7

• Summary of the key findings from the investigation.
• Includes quantitative (e.g. stats test) and qualitative ( e.g. thematic analysis) methods of research.

Question 8

What is the discussion?

Answer 8

• Summary of the results verbally (rather than statistically).
• Includes the limitations of the investigation and the wider implications of the research.

Question 9

What is the referencing (section)?

Answer 9

• The full details of any source material referenced to in the report, in the following format:
  Book-
  Author, date, title of book, place of publication, publisher.

Question 10

What is objectivity?

Answer 10

All sources of personal bias are minimised so as not to influence the research process.

Question 11

What is an empirical method?

Answer 11

Scientific approaches that are based on the gathering of evidence through direct observation and experiences.

Question 12

What is replicability?

Answer 12

The extent to which scientific procedures and findings can be repeated by other researchers.

Question 13

What is falsifiability?

Answer 13

The principle that a theory cannot be considered scientific unless it admits the possibility of being proved untrue.

Question 14

What is a paradigm?

Answer 14

A set of shared assumptions and agreed methods within a scientific discipline.

Question 15

What is a paradigm shift?

Answer 15

The result of a scientific revolution where there is a significant change in the dominant theory within a scientific discipline.