The methods section of a research paper answers the questions of how the data was collected and analyzed in your study. This section allows readers to critically analyze your study design and approach. When writing a methods section for a research paper using APA style, it should be formatted as follows:
Subheadings in title case. The methods section will likely contain several subsections separated by subheadings in title case (capped words with no ending punctuation). Common subsections include Participants, Materials or Apparatus, Design, Procedure, and Data Analysis.
Participants Subsection
Describe your participants in detail including how they were recruited. Provide information on number of participants, relevant demographics, and inclusion/exclusion criteria. For example:
“Participants were 83 undergraduate students recruited from Introduction to Psychology classes who received course credit for their participation. The sample included 34 males and 49 females between the ages of 18-22 years old (M = 19.5 years, SD = 1.3 years).”
Materials/Apparatus Subsection
Provide a detailed description of all materials, equipment, questionnaires, surveys, stimuli, etc. used in your study. Include information about the development and validation of any measuring instruments. For example:
“Questionnaires included a 10-itemmeasure of self-esteem developed by Rosenberg (1965) and the 20-item Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (Watson et al., 1988). Participants also completed a computer task where they viewed 20 words presented individually on screen and indicated whether each word described a living or nonliving item.”
Design Subsection
Describe the research design you used and critically analyze why it was effective for answering your research question(s). Common designs include experimental, correlational, quasi-experimental, etc. Provide specifics on study conditions, independent and dependent variables, and counterbalancing if applicable. For example:
“This study used a 2 (Gender: male, female) x 2 (Instruction type: explicit, implicit) between-subjects experimental design to test the effects of stereotype threat on performance. The independent variables were participant gender and type of instructions given, and the dependent variable was score on a 20-item math test.”
Procedure Subsection
Provide a step-by-step description of the procedures used in your study. Describe what participants did from the time of recruitment to debriefing. Include an overview of the timeline and sessions if multiple visits were required. Detail should allow for replication. For example:
“After providing informed consent, participants completed a demographic questionnaire and were then randomly assigned to one of the two instruction conditions. Those in the explicit condition read instructions stating the study examined gender differences in math abilities. The implicit condition received gender-neutral instructions. All participants then completed the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, PANAS, and computer tasks before beginning the 20-item math test. They were then debriefed and awarded credit for participation.”
Data Analysis Subsection
Describe the specific statistical analyses used to examine your hypotheses and research questions. Specify the independent and dependent variables for each analysis. Provide details on statistical assumptions checked, handling of outliers, alpha level for significance, and follow-up tests. Ensure analysis plan aligns with design. For example:
“Performance on the math test was analyzed using a 2 x 2 between-subjects ANOVA to test for main and interactive effects of participant gender and instruction type. Independent t-tests were conducted as follow-up tests as warranted. Preliminary assumption checking revealed the data met assumptions of normality, homogeneity of variance, and independence. Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlations examined relationships among self-esteem, positive affect, negative affect, and math test scores.”
The methods section aims to inform readers about procedures transparently so the study can be replicated or built upon by other researchers. Providing thorough details on design, participants, materials, and analysis establishes credibility and rigor. Including all relevant information in subsections keeps the writing organized and reader-friendly. Following prescribed APA formatting makes the methods clearly understandable for evaluation.