The second edition of Writing in Psychology by Scott A. Miller is a comprehensive guide to addressing the most challenging issues that students face while writing about psychology, including what to say and how to say it. It offers practical tools to overcome the challenges and create an engaging work.
The book is a valuable resource for helping readers become better writers of psychology with the aid of various helpful learning tools, which provide detailed coverage of how to write empirical reviews, research proposals, literature reviews, term papers, and posters. It examines examples from journal articles that give readers a grasp of the content they will encounter in writing psychological reports. Furthermore, it includes exercises that provide an opportunity to apply the points conveyed in each chapter, examples of ways to avoid the most common mistakes made by students, and a guide to the best practices for improving one’s writing. Readers will also develop a thorough understanding of how to write in an engaging yet accurate style, using grammatical and word use rules that govern writing in general, and the rules of seventh edition APA (American Psychological Association) Publication Manual that determine the expression of that content. Throughout, the book emphasizes inclusion, diversity, and fair treatment of those with whom psychologists deal, in research and writing.
The book will benefit anyone looking for guidance on how to write about psychological content. It is ideal for research scholars and psychology students as a primary text for writing in psychology courses and a supplement for graduate or advanced undergraduate courses in research design or research methods.
Table of Contents
Preface
Chapter 1: The Importance of Writing
Chapter 2: Some General Advice About How to Write
Chapter 3: Conducting a Literature Search
Chapter 4: Sections of an Empirical Report: Title Page, Abstract, Introduction, and Method
Chapter 5: Sections of an Empirical Report: Results and Discussion
Chapter 6: Research Proposals
Chapter 7: Literature Reviews
Chapter 8: Tern Papers and Posters
Chapter 9: Rules of Writing: APA
Chapter 10: Rules of Writing: General
Appendix: APA Guidelines for Students’ Communication Skills at the Conclusion of the Psychology Major
Biography
Scott A. Miller is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Psychology at the University of Florida. He is a member of the Cognitive Development Society and the Society for Research in Child Development and a fellow of the American Psychological Association and the Association for Psychological Science. His research has examined parents’ beliefs about children, children’s understanding of Piagetian concepts, and children’s understanding of theory of mind.
This book is an excellent resource for psychology students striving to become better scientific writers and skillful consumers of scientific writing. Miller provides valuable guidance on core as well as contemporary topics such as reporting on qualitative research, the use of inclusive language, and conforming to APA style, 7th edition. - Dr. Anne Moyer, PhD, Professor of Psychology, Stony Brook University, USA.
I’m pleased to see Scott Miller’s new edition of his useful book on academic writing in psychology and science. This should be a helpful guide for anyone attempting to write an academic paper, at whatever stage of career: whether undergraduate, postgraduate, or more experienced academic. As with his earlier edition, Miller offers the reader sensible guidance on how to write up research, or produce a literature review, at whatever stage of career; whether writing a student assignment (‘term paper’), or submitting work to an academic journal.
This book should appeal to anyone looking for straightforward advice on academic writing. Drawing on his extensive experience, Miller helps the reader negotiate the niceties of academic communication, with tips on how to negotiate the sometimes bewildering range of online resources available today. The emphasis on how to incorporate the American Psychological Association’s (APA) style guidelines when writing in psychology is a particular strength.
The ability to communicate clearly and concisely is a necessary skill; Miller shares his extensive academic experience with his audience using an easy-to-understand approach. Each chapter is supported with ideas for self-directed exercises to help reader’s learning. I’m particularly pleased to see the introduction of sections on producing a poster and writing up qualitative research. Miller also provides a helpful section on ‘trouble shooting’ when composing a paper, including useful tables on ‘problems to avoid’ and helpful advice on use of grammar, with tips for the reader on words that may ‘pose challenges’.
This is a jolly useful book for any scholar who is interested in communicating their ideas clearly: a welcome addition to any student or academic bookshelf. - Dr Deborah Biggerstaff, PhD, Associate Professor, Mental Health and Wellbeing, Division Health Sciences, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick ,UK
