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11 - Making Claims in Papers and Talks

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 June 2012

By
Barbara A. Spellman ,
Judy DeLoache  and
Robert A. Bjork
Edited by
Robert J. Sternberg ,
Henry L. Roediger III  and
Diane F. Halpern
Barbara A. Spellman
Affiliation:
University of Virginia
Judy DeLoache
Affiliation:
University of Virginia
Robert A. Bjork
Affiliation:
University of California – Los Angeles
Robert J. Sternberg
Affiliation:
Yale University, Connecticut
Henry L. Roediger III
Affiliation:
Washington University, St Louis
Diane F. Halpern
Affiliation:
Claremont McKenna College, California
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Summary

Getting stuff published is easier than getting people to read what you've published.

– Dennis Proffitt

INTRODUCTION

So, you've done some research and have some interesting results; perhaps you've even written drafts of your method and results sections. Now you have to write your introduction and discussion and figure out how to present your research to the world outside your lab. In addition to describing what you found, how are you going to frame the contribution of your research to psychology? In other words, what claims will you make?

This chapter is about how to make claims; that is, how to develop and communicate the sorts of arguments that make for informative, interesting, and persuasive papers and talks. In the first part of the chapter, we describe different types of claims and discuss how to assess your claim; that is, how to create an argument of “the right size.” In the second part, we discuss when and how to communicate your claim; that is, how to use the standard formats of papers and talks to your best advantage. Although we write in terms of empirical papers, these strategies are also relevant for review papers and talks. In the last part of the chapter, we offer tips specific to giving talks.

We believe that this chapter – focusing on the appropriate way to make research-based claims – will be of particular benefit to fledgling psychologists.

Type
Chapter
Information
Critical Thinking in Psychology , pp. 177 - 195
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2006

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