Research Methods in Kinesiology (GWAR) KIN 384 Research Poster Your Poster might be 400 words and your Commentary 600 words. Overview You will produce one original research poster. Using existing class data, you will write up and present your findings in the form of a research poster, a common format used at professional conferences.
Your poster should include an introduction, method, results, discussion, and references. Your word count includes a commentary which offers a critical evaluation by discussing the limitations of the study and provides specific recommendations for future research. The commentary is an individual piece of work. Preparation Examining the relationship between negative emotions and extraversion You will conduct a statistical test of a difference or relationship between the variables of interest.
Content and structure Introduction/background Provide a concise background, including any relevant definitions, and establish a rationale for the study. Clearly state the purpose/aims and the hypotheses. You should support the introduction with credible sources (journal articles, textbooks). As with other sections, use of bullet points is appropriate. Methods Provide details of the sample, including key demographic information with descriptive statistics where appropriate (e.g., sample size, gender breakdown, mean and standard deviation of age).
Offer concise details of data collection methods (procedures), including tests and tools. Describe the data analysis methods, stating the statistical test used with a rationale which supports your choice of this method. Results Provide a table and graph which clearly presents your results. These should be labelled according to APA formatting. For differences between groups use a column graph to show means with standard error bars to represent the standard deviation. For relationships between variables use a scatterplot with linear trend lines. Ensure axes are labelled appropriately. For tables include all relevant values to two decimal places.
Discussion Offer a description of the results, showing interpretation of statistical data. Relate to your hypotheses and previous research. Provide a concluding statement on the findings. References You should use 4-5 sources and all sources cited in APA formatting. Format It is recommended to create your poster in PowerPoint or equivalent program. Provide a title for the presentation, along with your full names. Ensure APA formatting is used throughout. This includes in-text citations, reference list, headings, tables and figures (if appropriate). Study other research posters for further ideas on presentation and style. Poster size To format to the appropriate shape and size in PowerPoint select the ‘design’ tab, then ‘slide size’, ‘custom slide size’. Format to 36 x 48 inches.
You can present in landscape or portrait. Commentary Provide a succinct critical evaluation which includes a summary of the key findings. State whether the hypotheses were accepted or rejected, with an explanation. Extended discussion of the findings, offering interpretation and explanation of the results (e.g., why did these findings come about? were the findings expected based on previous research?). You might offer an alternative rival hypothesis if appropriate.
Discuss the limitations of the study including sampling methods, and an assessment of the validity and reliability of the study. Offer specific recommendations for future research. Commentary · What were the aims of your research poster? · What was the statistical test and result? · How would you interpret this result in relation to your hypothesis (or null)? · What might have caused this result? · Were there any issues with the sample and sampling method? · Were there any issues with data collection? · How accurate and reliable was the data collection process?
How externally valid are the results? · Are there any other measures that could have been used to record the variables more appropriately? · What recommendations would you make for future research to address the same research question in a more rigorous way? Please note, the combined total of the poster and commentary should be 1,000 words. As an approximate guide, your poster might be 400 words and your commentary 600 words.
