The Principles of Writing in Psychology

Book excerpt: Most people experience some difficulty with writing formal or technical papers. Students, in particular, can experience problems with the requirements of writing papers in psychology. This book is a comprehensive companion to the entire writing process, covering: - Thinking analytically and critically - Taking notes - Organizing information and ideas - Preparing and planning - Writing drafts and editing. It emphasizes the principles and logic underlying the thinking and writing process, so that these may be applied to a range of essays, literature reviews and research reports. The book also includes advice and guidance on the reporting of statistics, and on the design, preparation, and use of figures and tables to illustrate research results. It also includes reference material on grammar, punctuation, spelling, abbreviations, and on typing and presentation. For ease of finding relevant material it is organized into parts that relate to various aspects of writing and types of papers, and includes internal cross-references, a checklist of the writing process and examples of good and bad research reports. The Principles of Writing in Psychology is suitable for use at all levels of study and beyond. It is consistent with the 5th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association but also covers deviations from this and includes material not included in the manual. T.R. SMYTH held academic appointments at many of Australia's foremost universities, including Charles Sturt University, the University of Adelaide, Flinders University and the University of Canberra. He also authored The Psychology Thesis: Research and Coursework and Writing in Psychology: A Student Guide.