## PSYC Article Summary Guidelines: A Comprehensive Guide This guide outlines the requirements for completing an article summary for PSYC 201S, PSYC 203S, or other permitted courses to earn Sona credit. Each summary is worth up to 1 Sona credit, and partial credit is not awarded. Remember, the key to success is thorough understanding and clear, concise writing. ### I. Article Selection and Formatting You must choose ONE article from the provided list, categorized by research area (Sensation & Perception, Learning, Memory, etc.). * **Formatting:** Double-spaced, 1” margins, 12-point Times New Roman font. No extra spacing between paragraphs. The minimum length is two double-spaced pages; filler will result in a failing grade. Adding extra spaces or using quotes will result in a zero grade. Ensure your chosen course is clearly stated at the top of your submission. ### II. Article Summary Content: Five Essential Sections Your summary *must* include these five sections, each with its own heading: #### A. Authors and Title Clearly state the authors' names and the article's title. This is straightforward but crucial for proper identification. Example: "The power of personality: The comparative validity of personality traits, socioeconomic status, and cognitive ability for predicting important life outcomes" by Roberts, B. W., Kuncel, N. R., Shiner, R., Caspi, A., & Goldberg, L. R. (2007). #### B. Article Selection Rationale Explain *why* you chose this specific article. What aspects of the research topic or methodology interested you? This demonstrates engagement with the material. Consider mentioning the relevance to your own interests or the study's innovative approach. #### C. Study Purpose Summarize the authors' hypotheses and the overall purpose of the study. What question(s) were they trying to answer? Example: "The purpose of Roberts et al.'s (2007) study was to investigate the relative predictive validity of personality traits, socioeconomic status, and cognitive ability for various life outcomes." #### D. Study Methodology Describe the study's design, participants, materials, and procedure. Be specific! * **Participants:** Number, age range, gender distribution, relevant demographics. * **Materials/Measures:** What tools or instruments were used to collect data (e.g., questionnaires, experiments, observations)? * **Procedure:** How was the study conducted? Was it a lab experiment, a survey, a field study, etc.? Detail the steps involved. Use clear and concise language to explain complex procedures. Avoid jargon unless you define it. #### E. Findings and Discussion Summarize the study's key findings *in your own words*. Avoid statistics; focus on the overall conclusions. Then, address these two critical points: * **Limitations:** Identify at least one significant limitation of the study and explain its impact on the results or interpretations. * **Future Research:** Suggest at least one direction for future research that would build upon or address the limitations of the current study. Justify your suggestion. Example: A limitation might be a small sample size, which could limit the generalizability of the findings. Future research could replicate the study with a larger, more diverse sample. ### III. Submission and Grading Submit your completed summary through the designated Sona Canvas dropbox by the deadline (November 29th, 11:59 pm). Grading is all-or-nothing; all five sections must be adequately addressed to receive credit. You can request feedback in the comments section. Plagiarism (including direct quotes or previously submitted work) will result in a zero and referral to the Office of Student Conduct and Academic Integrity.