How to Write Psychology Research Papers

By  //  June 6, 2022

Psychology papers can be complicated. But with a proper guide, things can be better. Today, we want to make your school life better. We will give you a guide on how to write psychology research papers. By following this step-by-step guide, you will write a good paper. Remember to begin by reading instructions.

You must always follow your teachers’ instructions. Read, highlight, and understand all requirements. Then, you will be ready to start working on your paper. 

1. Select a topic

After reading the instructions, select a topic for your paper. This is a very important step on how to write psychology research papers. With a good topic, you will be motivated to write your paper. If your instructor provided a topic, you are lucky. Skip this step. If you have to find a topic, you a lucky too.

You are free to choose any topic. In case of any difficulty, seek professional help. Putting you assignment in the hands of an essay writing service can help you save time since Psychology research paper writers can help find some good topics with a short time.. 

2. Research

The research will help find evidence to support your paper. You need enough time to complete this section. Have your pen and notebook ready. You can also use your laptop to make notes. Begin your research by finding relevant articles. You can use various databases. For example;

PsycInfo contains many psychology-related articles. You will find citations and abstracts to relevant articles.

Medline provides access to peer-reviewed journals. You will findpsychology literature. 

Scopus also provides access to relevant journal articles. 

During your search, identify the most relevant sources. Read these sources, and highlight important points. 

3. Psychology research paper structure

This is the next step on how to write psychology research papers. You need to decide about the structure of your paper. You may have to follow the guidelines of the American Psychological Association. Based on these guidelines, a psychology paper should have the following sections;

Title page

The first page of your research paper will be the title page. You should start by providing your title. It should be short and clear. The title should be about 12 words. Below the title, provide your name, and institution details. Details on this page may differ from one institution to another. See if your professor needs some specific details.

Abstract

The second page is where you place the abstract. This is a summary of your psychology research paper. Answer the following questions in the abstract. 

 What is your research question? 

What is known about your topic? 

Which methodology did you use? 

What were the main findings? 

What was your conclusion? 

Answering these questions can help write a good abstract. Your abstract should be below 200 words. What if the teacher wants 400-words? In this case, follow your teacher’s instructions.

How to Write Psychology research paper Introduction 

On the third page, present your introduction. In this section, you will address three things. 

First, introduce your topic or research question. Explain why the topic is important. For example, you may tell the reader that your answer will fill an identified research gap. Let the reader know why your research paper is important. Why should your reader care about your work?

Second, provide some background details. Don’t provide a lot of details. You will have another section to provide more information. These details show the need for your research.

Finally, you should present your main argument. You should also provide an overview of your research paper outline.

How to Write Psychology research paper Literature review

The next step on how to write psychology research papers is writing a literature review. You may include this section in the introduction section. However, your teacher may need it in a separate section. Here, you need to provide a detailed analysis of the previous research. Tell your reader what is already known about your topic. The literature review will lead to a research gap. Your research paper will be filling this gap. You may choose to organize this section into themes. 

How to Write Psychology research paper Method

The next section in psychology research papers is the methodology section. How did you do your research? This section should be detailed and clear. Other researchers should be able to follow your method and get similar results. Provide all important details of your study. Explain the research design you used. Explain why you chose that design. Create a participants’ section. Indicate the number of participants in your study. Discuss the recruitment process. Describe your data analysis procedure.

Results

Next, present the main findings. It is important to have the findings organized. For example, you may answer specific questions one at a time. Present the findings statistically where possible.

Discussion

This is the next major section in your psychology research paper. Begin by providing your general research question. Then, provide the answer based on the findings. Tell, the reader what your findings mean. Do the findings support your main argument? How do these findings relate to the available literature? Are there differences between your prediction and the results? Do the findings support some existing theories? Then, how can the results be used in the real world? These are the practical implications. Finally, what are the limitations of your study?

Conclude your work with some recommendations. For example, you may suggest further research on your topic. If your teacher needs a separate concluding section, follow the instructions.

References

Here, you will provide a list of the sources you have used. Ensure that your sources are formatted properly. 

Appendix 

Materials such as questionnaire items go here. Label them as Appendix 1, Appendix 2, and so on.

4. Psychology research paper outline

At this point, you have a good topic. You have done your research. You also have a structure for your paper. The next step is outlining your paper. Write major points under each section. A psychology research paper outline will help create a paper with a smooth flow.

5. Draft

Next on how to write psychology research papers is drafting. This is where you write your paper. Use your outline as a guide. Skip the abstract section. You should write it after concluding other sections. Don’t worry about mistakes. Just focus on writing your paper. Revising the paper at this point will distract the flow of your thoughts. So, just focus on the writing. After you are done, take a break. 

6. Revise your psychology research paper

Now, you can revise your paper. Some students ignore this step. They allocate few minutes or none to this step. This is wrong. You need enough time to revise your paper. This is also a very important step on how to write psychology research papers. Remember you have to read and reread your work. Yes, it may be boring. However, it will help you achieve better grades. Use the following questions as a guide;

Have I answered the question?

Is the content relevant?

Are the paragraphs clear? 

Is there a smooth flow from one paragraph to the next?

Have I addressed all important points?

Have I included citations?

Are the sentences short and clear?

Have I used correct words?

Have I eliminated all spelling and punctuation errors?

Have I followed all the instructions?

Conclusion

This was a guide on how to write psychology research papers. It can help you write a good psychology paper. But you don’t have to worry if you don’t know how to start your paper. You can ask for professional help. Essay writers for hire, can help you with psychology papers. Contact us now.