How to Design and Report Experiments

by Andy Field, Graham Hole

How to Design and Report Experiments is the perfect textbook and guide to the often bewildering world of experimental design and statistics. It provides a complete map of the entire process beginning with how to get ideas about research, how to refine your research question and the actual design of the experiment, leading on to statistical procedure and assistance with writing up of results. While many books look at the fundamentals of doing successful experiments and include good coverage of statistical techniques, this book very importantly considers the process in chronological order with specific attention given to effective design in the context of likely methods needed and expected results. Without full assessment of these aspects, the experience and results may not end up being as positive as one might have hoped. Ample coverage is then also provided of statistical data analysis, a hazardous journey in itself, and the reporting of findings, with numerous examples and helpful tips of common downfalls throughout. Combining light humour, empathy with solid practical guidance to ensure a positive experience overall, Designing and Reporting Experiments will be essential reading for students in psychology and those in cognate disciplines with an experimental focus or content in research methods courses.

Genres: Psychology, Research, Nonfiction

384 pages, Paperback

First published December 20, 2002

About the author

Andy Field is Professor of Child Psychopathology at the University of Sussex. He has published over 70 research papers, 27 book chapters, and 17 books mostly on child emotional development and statistics.

He is the founding editor of the Journal of Experimental Psychopathology and has been an associate editor and editorial board member for the British Journal of Mathematical and Statistical Psychology, Cognition and Emotion, Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review and Research Synthesis Methods.

His ability to make statistics accessible and fun has been recognized with local and national teaching awards (University of Sussex, 2001; the British Psychological Society, 2007), a prestigious UK National Teaching Fellowship (2010), and the British Psychological Society book award (2006). He adores cats, and loves to listen to and play very heavy music. He lives in Brighton with his wonderful wife Zoë and Fuzzy the cat.

Reviews

[cas · Rating 5 out of 5]

as a psychology student who suffers through the torture that is statistics, i only wish i could have been able to pick up this book from the library sooner and way before i took my statistics exam that i only barely passed. my professor recommended it and so i knew it was gonna be a worthwhile read, but to be recommended this book again by another professor from another course (experimental research class to be precise) i knew i had to give this book a read.

now, i knew there were comments online about the comedic nature of this book, and disclaimer: i am easily entertained. but i did NOT expect to see a cat holding a self help book and a gun pointed to its head after the author's rant about pop psychology and freud (The Independent t-Test, 6.3). period tbh

truly, this book was so enjoyable to read i forgot i was reading about my most loathed subject. i was practically tricked into reading the book by reading in anticipation for a witty comment or a certain punchline. but although the humour is a breath of fresh air and a sunny summer's day amidst the more often than not condescendingly stiff and uptight world of academia, it is inevitably still a textbook---not a book about cracking jokes. alongside their commendable ability to crack hilarious jokes almost when you least expect it, the authors are also incredibly articulate and precise in their delivery of both statistical theories and quips. the use of casual language and honestly vulgar examples helped a lot with simplifying the concepts and illustrating a clear picture in my head. i barely had to reread anything to understand it and this is coming from someone with concerning attention span problems!

now on the writing a research paper part: i will be fighting tooth and nail to check out this book for when i have to actually write my upcoming research paper for this class, because these authors had called me out repeatedly all throughout their writing. forgive this creative writer for being forced to write blandly, alright? english and english literature were always my top subjects in school, what can i say? but besides that, honestly this portion of the book wasn't even that long. it was all immensely informative and compact, AND beautifully summarised for ease of referring back. highly highly recommend!

in the best way possible, i felt like i was being taught statistics by a close friend and for once in my life, in a brief and fleeting moment, i actually loved statistics. whether this will hold up in the long run... is to be questioned further.

now go my scarabs (fellow students who need to study statistics and design and report experiments) read this book and be relieved that statistics isn't as evil as it seems (unless you've landed on designing an experiment with data that can only be calculated using the chi-square test. then you've vehemently doomed yourself)

[Jane Kelsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Done! and I am still alive!!! 😂

[Phoebe MacIntyre]

Was just as thrilling 3rd time round x

Andy Fields’ humour and love of cats was 10/1

I hope to never have to read it again

[João · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of course I didn't *read* the book literally, but it wouldn't hurt if I did. A very enjoyable reading if you need to grasp the essentials of statistical analysis for research purposes.

[Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

good

[Max · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting introduction into how psychological experiments are done, and what can go wrong. I stopped reading when they went into report writing, as I already have other books on that topic, so I cannot vouch for that part, but the rest was solid and entertainingly written.