Method
The Method section is where you explain what you did and how you did it. This section follows the introduction (not on a new page), with ‘Method’ as a Level 1 heading. This section should be concise but also detailed enough for someone else to repeat the study from the information provided. The Method section consists of subsections:
Participants,
Materials / Apparatus/ Stimulus,
Design (optional),
Procedure.
Participants
This subsection has a heading 'Participants' and it is a Level 2 heading. It explains who participated in the study, how they were selected and from where they came. Also state whether any rewards were given for participation, or if it was voluntary. You need to describe your sample in enough detail to allow the reader to assess how generalisable your results are. You should, therefore, provide details on:
Demographics: detail all major demographic characteristics that are relevant to the study such as gender, ethnicity/racial group, education, marital status. You should also describe topic-specific information such as sexual orientation if your study is on that topic.
Sampling: detail how the participants were recruited. Include how many were initially approached and how many consented to take part and also how you recruited them (e.g., advertisements, approached on the street). Provide details if they were paid or incentivised.
Sample Size: detail how the minimum sample size was determined (i.e., a power analysis) and state how participants were allocated to groups (if relevant), how many there were and whether group allocation was randomised.
Figure 1 below shows an example of the participants subsection.
Materials / Measures/ Apparatus
This subsection has a heading 'Materials' (or Measures or Apparatus, whichever is relevant for your study) and it is a Level 2 heading. It describes the equipment and instruments used to collect the data. For apparatus (i.e., the physical tools used such as computers), describe these if relevant to the data collection. The Apparatus subsection is required only if you use technical equipment.
For studies that use questionnaires use the term 'Measures'.
The Materials subsection describes the stimuli (e.g., surveys or videos) and their related properties and the criteria for selecting or constructing them that are relevant to the study (there is no need to list self-evident objects [e.g., paper, pencils, tables]). For example, if participants viewed a video of a traumatic event you should describe from where that footage came. If you used questionnaires, these should be described using brief examples and sources cited (if a published scale) or a copy provided as an appendix if you devised the instrument yourself.
To describe each questionnaire or scale you should:
Write a paragraph for each scale or set of items.
Include the citation to the author of each scale.
The number of items in each scale.
One or two examples of items from each scale.
The type of response required by the participant (e.g., 5-point Likert-type responses, where 1 = ‘strongly disagree’ and 5 = ‘strongly agree’).
How the scales were scored (e.g., a total score was calculated, with higher values indicating higher x or y).
The reliability and validity of each scale.
For your report, include Cronbach's alpha coefficients for each scale/subscale.
Include description of any demographic questions.
Design (optional)
This subsection has a heading 'Design' and it is a Level 2 heading. Include this subsection if you have a complex experimental design (e.g., numerous independent and dependent variables),otherwise include this information in the procedure. This section clearly explains the different conditions of the experiment and how they were manipulated (if applicable). Included also is how many participants took part in each condition, how were they allocated to a group and what they were asked to do. For example, did each person perform in all experimental conditions or only some (i.e., repeated-measures vs randomised design)? Also state the independent variables and dependent variables and how they were operationalised.
Procedure
This subsection has a heading 'Procedure' and it is a Level 2 heading. This subsection details how you administered the research. It includes information about:
how the data was gathered,
how informed consent was gained,
how the participants were allocated to groups (if relevant),
where the testing took place (e.g., in a lab, online),
how the dependent variables were assessed,
how participants responded (e.g., to a questionnaire, computer, or video).
Provide enough detail for replication and only relevant information. For example, you would not describe that participants entered the laboratory and then sat down unless related to the study.
Next: Results