SCIENTIFIC METHOD STEPS

Scientific Research Methods (MIC)

Instructor: Irma Cervantes
Designed by: Victoria Nevárez

I. PROBLEM

Base your idea for the science project on an observation and state the question of
investigation.

II. THEORETICAL FRAME

Do background research to find out what is already known about the topic of
investigation that you selected.

III. HYPOTHESIS

State your hypothesis (an educated guess which try to answer your question of
investigation).

IV. HYPOTHESIS VERIFICATION OR DESIGN OF INVESTIGATION

Find out the appropriate design of investigation that helps you to prove your hypothesis.

V. DATA
Select your sample and collect and analyze data.

VI. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

Present your results with a conclusion to state if your hypothesis

was proved true.

Scientific Research Methods

 Instructor: Irma Cervantes

Lecture 3 : References format

Book

Must follow a strict alphabetical order, according to the last name of the authors.
Write the last name of the author, coma, space, then initial of first name(s) followed by a
period.
Year of the publication in parenthesis, period. Name of the book, period. Name of the
chapter or
subject. City, colon, editorial house, and period. Pages from where information is taken:
abbreviate “pp.” if it’s more than one page, and “p.” if information is located in only one
page.

Last name, name of author. (year). Title of book. City: Publisher, year.

Example:

Jiménez, G. F. (1990). Introducción al Psicodiagnóstico de Rorschach y láminas proyectivas.

Salamanca: Amarú Ediciones.

Magazine or newspaper

Name and year same as for a book. The title with normal Font, appearing first, period. Name of
the magazine in italic, coma, number of the magazine, coma, pages separated with dash.

Last name, name of author. (year). “Title of article”. Name of magazine or newspaper.
Month. Year. Pages.

Example:

Sprey, J. (1988). Current theorizing on the family: An appraisal. Journal of Marriage and the
Family, 50, 875-890

World Wide Web

Author(s) and year must be identified and follow same rules as those for a book. Name of
the organization, institution or master of the site. If it’s an article (from a magazine)
write: “[Electronic version]”. Then write: “Extracted on January 15, 2010 from:”, and
then the URL of the address.

Example

Jencks, C. & Phillips, M. (1999). Aptitude or achievement: Why do test scores predict
educational attainments and earnings?. Extracted on January 31st, 2001 from:
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/indiv/ets/offsite.html#finding