Making Sense in Psychology: A Student's Guide to Research and Writing

A new addition to the best-selling Making Sense series, Making Sense in Psychology is an indispensable research and writing guide for students in psychology.

Specifically designed to help psychology students gather information about the kinds of topics they will encounter in their courses, this book offers up-to-date, detailed information on writing essays, research proposals, and lab reports; conducting research; evaluating Internet sources; APA guidelines; avoiding plagiarism; studying for tests and exams; delivering oral presentations; and more.

Maintaining the same clear, straightforward style of the other books in the series, this comprehensive guide is an invaluable resource for students throughout their academic careers and beyond.

FEATURES

A clear and concise approach. With over twenty-five years of proven success, the Making Sense series is known for its clear and concise approach to research and writing in all areas of undergraduate study.

Student-friendly language. The accessible writing style allows readers to use this book as either a quick and casual reference or as a text that can easily be read from cover to cover.

Practical advice. Through a rich variety of examples, the book helps students overcome common pitfalls in grammar, style, punctuation, and usage.

Rich visual content. A fresh, modern layout, with visuals tailored to topics in psychology, actively engages students in the material.

Engaging learning and review tools. In order to help students grasp the material, the book incorporates helpful pedagogical features including chapter outlines and overviews; Internet icons; writing checklists and a list of common proofreading symbols and abbreviations; an end-of-text glossary; and practical appendices providing a "catchlist" of misused words and phrases, suggestions and strategies for writing examinations, and tips on how to write a proper résumé or letter of application.

Current information. Up-to-date, in-depth information--including the latest guidelines for APA style documentation and referencing--ensures that students are well-equipped with the knowledge they will need to communicate successfully.

A strong emphasis on the research and writing process. In-depth coverage on how to prepare scientific writing, along with three sample documents--a research paper, a lab report, and a research proposal--provides students with a thorough guide to researching and writing in the field.

Coverage of important ethical issues. In order to stress the importance of maintaining academic integrity, the book places the issue of scholarly ethics into a broader context through various historical and contemporary examples.

A stand-alone chapter on presentations and seminars. The book argues that all students--even those who struggle with public speaking--can give a good presentation by following a few simple rules, the two most important of these being good preparation and good organization. This chapter also covers PowerPoint and poster presentations.

Margot Northey, a specialist in communication, is the former dean of the School of Business at Queen's University in Canada.

Brian Timney is the Dean of the Faculty of Social Science and Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Western Ontario. Born in England, with an undergraduate degree from the University of Edinburgh and a PhD from Brandeis University, he completed his post-doctoral fellowships at Queen's University and Dalhousie University, before moving to Western in 1978 where he's been ever since. His primary area of research is Visual Neuroscience, having worked on visual development and on the visual capacities of various animals including bees, cats, meerkats, horses, and camels.