The assignment submission must contain the following components and will be assessed according to the descriptions provided.
1. Research methods essay
Mark: Worth 70% of assignment mark, with a maximum of 35% allocated for each of the two research studies.
Within the essay, you must provide the title of the two studies you selected. For each of the
selected studies, you will:
• describe the purpose of the research,
• identify and explain the research method used,
• discuss how the method is (or is not) appropriate for its intended purpose, and
• consider the advantages and limitations of that research method.
When explaining the research method, please be sure to include sufficient detail to demonstrate your understanding of that method within the context of the study.
• For example, if the researchers used an experiment, you should identify the independent variable(s) (IV) and dependent variable(s) (DV), and relate them to the purpose of the study.
• As another example, if the researchers used a correlational study, you should identify the variables whose relationship the researchers are interested in, identify the predictor and outcome variables (if relevant), and relate them to the purpose of the study.
You may choose to write this essay in whatever way you find most appropriate. For example, you may choose to write two separate essays (one for each of the selected studies), you may choose to write one essay (with separate paragraphs for each of the selected studies), or you may choose to write one essay that discusses the studies together. When deciding how to present the information, you should ensure that your arguments are clear and easy to follow.
2. References, appendix and style
Mark: Worth 10% of assignment mark.
You must include the debriefing forms from the two studies in an appendix. Your assignment must be written in APA format.
• You must include a reference list at the end of your assignment in APA format.
• Your citations and references should match (i.e. if you cite something in the essay, it should appear in the reference list, and vice versa).
• Your essay should be written clearly, be free of grammatical and punctuation errors, and use APA referencing style.
