Format for the APA Research Paper continued...

Methodology

           The Method section describes in detail how the study was conducted, including conceptual and operational definitions of the sources and materials used in the study. A complete description of your methods will allow the reader to determine the appropriateness of your methods and will give them the chance to replicate the study if they wish.

Think of this section as the description of the process of your research. The subject/verb relationship of your sentences will reflect this logic. As Professor Haiduck mentioned in class, she wants you to stress what you did, so use the past tense for the final essay. For example: I interviewed; I consulted these documents; I analyzed these scholarly journals; I compared these studies; etc.

In describing your process, make sure to use details. This would pertain to interviews especially. You will want to mention the date of the interview, if an interview was held in a single session of if there was a series of interviews that spanned a certain timeframe. It is important to describe the setting and location of the interviews. These details, even if they are not important to the analysis of the data, are important to give the reader a complete understanding of the what can or can not be generalized from your data.

Professor Haiduck also mentioned that if you would like to break your Methods section into subheadings, you may, but you do not have to. Your subsections can be separated by journal research, interviews, original documents, etc.

Results

Mirroring the order in which you organized your Methods section, answer what your results  were for each part of the process. For instance, if you interviewed a family member, elaborate on the information that you found in this part of the research process. It is important that you present all your findings, in an impartial way. This stance is similar to the non-judgmental manner that we read and discuss texts in class when we try to notice what is repeated or significant. You must be sure to also relate any findings in your research that run counter to expectations. It is important to keep in mind that the report of your findings in this section is unbiased, complete, and insightful. Save your interpretation of the results for your Conclusion, and any implications or deficiencies in research for the Discussion.