Statistical Pcn 540 Gcu Literature Citations
Provide a concise response to the following response.
* When thinking about APA format with both research and other types of writing, what is the importance of the format? Why do you think there is a need for standardized format for both types of papers?
The original discussion question and answer:
- Define and describe the major sections of a research report used in counseling psychology research. What is the core content included in each section of the report? Distinguish between the writing for research purposes versus writing for standard graduate level courses. How are they similar? How are they different?
Professional counselors are expected to write accurate, detailed, and error-free research reports. The major sections of a research report used in counseling psychology conclusion, abstract, methods, discussion and references. The abstract is the first part of the report and is usually shorter than all other sections. This section contains a summary of the research by presenting the research question, the methodology used, results, and the conclusion. On the other hand, the introduction contains forms the foundation of the research, by stating the study’s research questions, research hypothesis, the report’s overall aim, and its significance. The literature review or review of the past literature on the topic is considered part of the introduction, though it appears as a separate section in some reports (Sheperis, Young, & Daniels, 2016). This part does not just offer a list of past studies, but it provides an argument for why the research question is worth addressing.
The literature review helps convince readers that the research is realistic and worth and pursuing. The closing part of an introduction mentions the study’s significance and helps transition to the next part of the report, which is the method section. The method section describes how the research was conducted in enough detail so that another researcher could replicate the study. In this section, the researcher is supposed to describe all the essential elements of the study. For instance, they should provide information about, but not limited to the demographics of the participants, how participants were recruited, how variables were manipulated, how counterbalancing was achieved, and the method used in data collection such as survey questionnaires, interview, and others (Sheperis et al., 2016). The method section’s main parts can include the participant’s section, the research design section, and the procedure section.
The result section presents the main results of the study, mainly statistical analyses. The result sections’ primary goal is to present the study’s findings and levels of practical and clinical significance, stating whether the initial hypothesis was accepted or not (Thompson, 2002). However, this section can contain raw data such as participant’s responses or scores. Results are logically organized and are supposed to tackle the Research questions one after the other. The discussion part offers some critical insights into some major research components, such as the summary of the research, theoretical implications, practical implications, and suggestions for future research. The summary offers a clear answer to the research question. A suggestion about future research identifies how alternative solutions could be obtained or how the same topic could be studied differently (American Counseling Association, 2014).The conclusion part offers a sweeping or thought-provoking conclusion of the research. The reference part offers a list of all references cited in the text.
Writing for research purposes and writing for a standard graduate-level course have several similarities and differences. Writing a research paper is similar to writing for the undergraduate level, but Research is a more detailed paper that does not only assess writing skills but skills in scholarly research. While writing for undergraduate involves making references to various sources based on the subject, writing research involves demonstrating strong knowledge about a topic, engaging with multiple sources, and making an original contribution to the debate (Sheperis et al., 2016). In undergraduate writing, one does not require a comprehensive understanding of a particular topic, but in scholarly research, one needs a comprehensive understanding of the research topic. However, graduate students are expected to adhere to grammatical rules and writing mechanisms, unlike in research writing, where jargon and a slight deviation from standard grammatical rules are allowed.
American Counseling Association. (2014). 2014 ACA code of ethics: As approved by the ACA governing council. [Electronic version].
Sheperis, C. J., Young, J. S., & Daniels, M. H. (2016). Counseling research: Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods. Pearson.
Thompson, B. (2002). “Statistical,” “Practical,” and “Clinical,”: How Many Kinds of Significance Do Counselors Need to Consider? Journal of Counseling & Development, 80(1), 64. https://doi-org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.1002/j.1556-…