Writing and Formatting a Thesis or
Manuscript
• Thesis format:
• http://grad.uta.edu/currentStudents/Virtual
GraduateSchoolAdvisor.asp#ThesisDisser
tation
Writing and Formatting a Thesis or
Manuscript
• Preliminary Items
– Title page (committee member names)
– Acknowledgements
– Table of Contents
– List of Tables
– List of Figures
– Abstract
Writing and Formatting a Thesis or
Manuscript
• The Text (i.e., proposal)
– Chapter 1: Introduction
• Statement of the Problem
• Purpose of the Study
• Delimitations, Limitations, Assumptions,
Hypotheses, and Definition of Terms
– Chapter 2: Review of Literature
– Chapter 3: Methods
• All tables and figures should be embedded…
Writing and Formatting a Thesis or
Manuscript
• The Text (i.e., defense)
– Chapter 4: Results and Discussion
• Often the same chapter, but 2 different sections
– Chapter 4.1 – Results
– Chapter 4.2 – Discussion
– Chapter 5: Summary, Conclusions, and
Recommendations
• I.e., practical applications, too…
Writing and Formatting a Thesis or
Manuscript
• Other Items:
– References
– Supplementary Items
• Copies of Informed Consent
• Copies of Health History Questionnaire
• Any documents and forms that are appropriate…
Writing and Formatting a Thesis or
Manuscript
• Abstract
– 150 words!
• PURPOSE
– Take directly from the purpose statement in the
Introduction
• METHODS
– Very brief
• RESULTS
– Very, very brief
• CONCLUSION
– One or two sentences.
Writing and Formatting a Thesis or
Manuscript
• Order of writing proposal:
– 1. Review of Literature (Ch 2)
– 2. Methods (Ch 3)
– 3. Introduction (Ch 1)
• After study, before defense:
– 4. Results (Ch 4.1)
– 5. Discussion (Ch 4.2)
– 6. Summary (Ch 5)
– 7. Abstract (before Ch 1)
Writing and Formatting a Thesis or
Manuscript
• Order of writing a manuscript:
– 1. Methods (4)
– 2. Results (5)
– 3. Discussion (6)
– 4. Introduction (3)
– 5. Abstract (2)
– 6. Title (1)
Selection of Research Participants
• Population (N)
– An entire group or aggregate of people or
elements having one or more common
characteristic.
• Sample (n)
– A small portion or subgroup of the population
Sampling Process
•
•
•
•
•
Identify the target population
Identify the accessible population
Determine the desired sample size
Select the specific sampling technique
Then, sample…
Sampling Process
• Random sampling
– The process of randomly attaining subjects
from a population
– Must occur if you want to generalize the
findings of a study
• Random assignment
– Once the sample has been obtained, the
researcher randomly assigns subjects to
treatment groups
• Must occur for good internal and external validity
Sampling Methods
1. Probability Sampling
– The probability of selecting each participant
is known; relies on the random processes of
sampling
•
•
•
Simple Random Sampling
Stratified Random Sampling
Systematic Sampling
2. Nonprobability Sampling
– Random processes are not used in the
sample selection
Sampling Methods
• Simple Random Sampling
• Fishbowl technique
• Table of random numbers
• Stratified Random Sampling
• Group the population, then simple random
sampling
• Systematic Sampling
• Sample every kth member of the population
Sampling Methods
• Nonprobability sampling
– No random sampling techniques
– Recruiting volunteers by visiting classes and
posting signs
• That is what we do!
– Purposive Sampling
• Certain subjects have characteristics of interest
– Convenience Sampling
• KINE undergraduate students
– This is also what we do!
Sample Size
• The size of a sample necessary to conduct
a study
– Rules of thumb:
•
•
•
•
n = 30 per group
Never needs to exceed 50% of the population size
Sample size tables
Sample size calculators
– http://calculators.stat.ucla.edu/powercalc/
Sample Size
• Statistical power
– The power of a statistical test is the probability that
the test will reject the null hypothesis when, in fact,
the null hypothesis is false
– Type I Error
• Rejecting the null hypothesis when the null is actually true.
• Alpha (α) level = the Type I error rate (i.e., α = 0.05, 0.01,
etc.)
– Type II Error
• Failing to reject the null hypothesis when the null is actually
false.
ACTUAL SITUATION
No Effect, H0
True
Effect exists, H0
False
Reject H0
Type I error
Correct
decision
Retain H0
Correct
decision
Type II error
Experimenter’s
Decision
Statistical Power Calculations
• Step-by-step instructions on estimating
sample size by calculating statistical
power
• Reference:
– Howell, D.C. Statistical Methods for
Psychology (4th ed).
Step 1
• Means (μ1 and μ0)
– You need to use literature references to
determine useful means
– Example μ0 = 75 kg
– Example μ1 = 82 kg
• Average strength values
– Trying to identify a “meaningful change”
Step 2
• Standard deviation
(σ)
– You need to use
literature references to
determine a “useful” σ
– Example SD = 5 kg
SS
SD 
n 1
(X )
SS  X 
n
2
2
Step 3
• Noncentrality Parameter
– See handout
Step 4
• Type I error rate (α)
– Usually α = 0.05
Step 5
• Use these equations
for one dependent
sample (repeated
measures)
1   0
d

 
N  
d 
2
Step 6
• Use these equations
for two independent
samples
1   0
d

 
N  2 
d 
2