Full text of DOI:10.1207/S15327841Mpee0402_6

Measurement in Physical Education and Exercise Science
ISSN: 1091-367X (Print) 1532-7841 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/hmpe20
Mentoring Students in the Development of a
Research Journal Manuscript
Barbara E. Jensen , Kathleen A. Martin & Deborah L. Arthur
To cite this article: Barbara E. Jensen , Kathleen A. Martin & Deborah L. Arthur (2000)
Mentoring Students in the Development of a Research Journal Manuscript, Measurement in
Physical Education and Exercise Science, 4:2, 117-122, DOI: 10.1207/S15327841Mpee0402_6
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MEASUREMENT IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND EXERCISE SCIENCE, 4(2), 117–122
Copyright © 2000, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
TEACHER’S TOOLBOX
Mentoring Students in the Development
of a Research Journal Manuscript
Barbara E. Jensen
Physical Education Teaching Administration
Springfield College
Kathleen A. Martin
School of Graduate Studies
Springfield College
Deborah L. Arthur
Movement Arts, Health Promotion, and Leisure Studies
Bridgewater State College
The process of developing a research journal manuscript at the undergraduate or be-
ginninggraduatelevelisagreatchallengeformoststudents.Withoutproperguidance
and mentoring, the average student will likely feel overwhelmed and confused. How
canyou,asateacher,helptoguideandmentorbeginningstudentsthroughtheresearch
process? In teaching a Performance Assessment course over the past years, we have
developed a step-by-step plan that has been effective in guiding students through the
process of conducting a miniature research investigation, including the development
of a research journal manuscript. The steps that are emphasized include conducting a
brief review of literature, proposing the research hypotheses, testing the participants,
analyzing the data, and writing up the research journal manuscript.
We have taught classes that have ranged from 40 to 80 students for the Perfor-
manceAssessmentcourse.However,thestudentsaredividedintothreetofourlabo-
Requests for reprints should be sent to Barbara E. Jensen, Judd Building, Alden Street, Springfield
College, Springfield, MA 01109.

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JENSEN, MARTIN, ARTHUR
ratorysectionsdesignedtoprovideguidancetotheclassintheprocessofdeveloping
theresearchmanuscript. Thelabsaregenerallytaughtbyagraduateteachingfellow
and have served to ease the burden for the main instructor of the course in reading
drafts and helping the students in the stages of the research process.
For the students to complete the research assignment with success, the process
needs to be divided into steps for the beginning researcher. Currently, we use five
detailed assignment sheets to outline the requirements.1 Assignments are due each
week in the laboratory session. The laboratory instructor evaluates each assign-
ment, providing feedback to the students through each step of the process. The
stages used in the step-by-step process include the Planning Stage, Proposal Ap-
proval Stage, Introduction Stage, Testing and Beginning Analysis Stage, and Final
Analysis and Conclusion Stage.
PLANNING STAGE
The first step in the process is to have students select a “test” in a topic area of inter-
est. In our plan, tests (e.g., fitness, motor skills, cognitive, rubrics, affective scales)
from all three domains (psychomotor, cognitive, affective) are selected by the main
instructor to be the focus of the research assignments. Within each semester, ap-
proximately 10 different tests are selected by the main instructor; studentsare asked
to sign up for 1 of these tests based on their area of interest. From year to year, the
manuscripts developed by students are carefully monitored and copies are kept by
the main instructor. The same test is not used again within a 5-year time span. With
this system of test rotation and assignment monitoring, there is less likelihood that
students will have the opportunity to utilize the work of previous students.
In the first laboratory session, the students receive a sample manuscript to estab-
lish an expectation level for the students. This provides the students with a format,
style, and organizational model to follow. During this session, the students also se-
lect their test and receive their first assignment sheet. The assignment sheet clearly
indicates each of the steps that need to be followed for the first stage of their assign-
ment. The assignment includes a computer search for research literature in the test
topicarea.Thestudentsarerequiredtofindaminimumofthreeresearcharticlesand
to type the References part of the manuscript in American Psychological Associa-
tion (APA) format (APA, 1994). The References assignment is collected during the
secondlaboratorysession.Eachweek,thelaboratoryteachingfellowprovidesfeed-
backtothestudentsontheworksubmitted.Partofthefinalgradeforthelaboratoryis
based on the points received by the students for these weekly assignments.
At this point, the students are encouraged to contact a school, team, or group to
be used as the participant sample. Students are encouraged to use an off-campus
1If interested, please write to Barbara E. Jensen for copies of the assignments, error list, and other re-
lated materials.

MENTORING STUDENT RESEARCH
119
group, if possible, and are required to follow research protocol in terms of obtain-
ing the appropriate permission and consent. In the third laboratory session, the stu-
dents are required to submit an abstract worksheet for each of the research articles
that they find. The worksheet includes the following headings: Citation, Hypothe-
sis or Research Question, Participants, Tests Used, Important Methods, Statistical
Analyses, and Conclusions. These worksheets will be used later by the students in
writing the Introduction to the research journal manuscript.
During the next laboratory session, the students are assisted in completing a Pro-
posed Statistical Analysis form. The students create four hypotheses that are related
to four statistical analyses (which they will compute by hand and by computer).
Usually, we require two correlation coefficients, an independent groups t test, and
one unique analysis. The unique analysis can be another correlation or t test, or the
students can select a different statistical analysis of interest. The students need help
on deciding which information to gather from their participants in order to conduct
their statistical analyses. Usually, demographic information is needed from the par-
ticipants to make comparisons on variables such as age, grade, or gender.
PROPOSAL APPROVAL STAGE
After the Planning Stage, students sign a short contract identifying the parameters
of their investigation: when and where they will test, the equipment they will need,
and the primary source for the test they will be administering. These parameters
will be used later by the students in writing the Method section of the research jour-
nal manuscript. The students are asked to sign the contract as an indication that they
understand the requirements for the research assignment. Possibly, you would want
them to include the name of a contact person with whom they are working so that
you will be able to check on whether the assignment was actually completed (or to
get feedback from the contact person on the effectiveness of the testing process).
At approximately the 5th week of the semester, the main instructor of the course
checks the final approval packet. The approval packet includes all project-related
work submitted to the laboratory instructor during these first 5 weeks: abstracts;
photocopies of journal articles; typed reference list; contract; and typed copy of
any written tests such as cognitive exams, scoring rubrics, or affective scales. An
important requirement is that the changes suggested by the lab instructor be made
by the student. When a student has successfully completed all of the preliminary
work, approval is given to begin testing the participants.
INTRODUCTION STAGE
In our experience, the most challenging part of the process for the students is to
write the three- to four-page Introduction to their manuscript. The Introduction
needs to be typed and submitted as the first draft of the research journal manuscript.

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Approximately 2 weeks before the due date, another assignment sheet concerning
how to write the Introduction is distributed and discussed in detail in the laboratory
session. The students will need specific directions regarding what to include in the
Introduction, such as the introductory paragraph to the topic area, three to four para-
graphs for the review of the research articles, statement of the importance and rele-
vance of the study, and the substantive hypotheses. Because this is likely the first
exposure the students have had to research writing, they are encouraged to use the
sample journal manuscript for guidance in format and style. Many students find it
helpful to use published journal articles or a thesis or dissertation (if journal format
is used) as a guide as well.
TESTING AND BEGINNING ANALYSIS STAGE
Another assignment sheet is given to the students for the fourth stage of the process.
After the proposal is accepted and approval is granted to begin testing, a 2-week pe-
riod is allotted for the students to complete the testing of the participants. After the
students have their data, they are required to submit a Data File from the Statistical
Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) program (SPSS, 1998). They also need to run
the FREQUENCIES program for each of the variables to obtain frequencies and
descriptive statistics. They are required at this point to submit a Descriptive Statis-
tics table (which will be labeled Table 1) for the research journal manuscript. Ex-
amples of how to run the program and example tables are given in the assignment
sheet. Table 1 and the SPSS (1998) printouts, along with hand calculations for the
descriptive statistics from SPSS, are submitted to the laboratory instructor. Once
checked and approved, Table 1 and the statistical analyses are included with the
next draft of the manuscript.
This second draft of the manuscript includes the rewrite of the Introduction, the
Method section, References, Table 1, SPSS printouts for the descriptive statistics,
and hand computations for the descriptive statistics. The main instructor of the
course reads these papers. The assignment sheet should clearly indicate that the
changes in the Introduction, previously suggested by the laboratory instructor,
must be made and that the first draft of the Introduction must be included with this
second draft of the manuscript. The assignment sheet should provide brief descrip-
tions of the expectations for students concerning the sections needed within
Method (i.e., Participants, Testing Protocol, Procedures, and Statistical Analyses).
Even though specific expectations are outlined, writing in scientific style chal-
lenges most students. We have found it extremely helpful to develop a list of
“Most Common Errors” that is given to the students before they write. Included in
this document are various guidelines from the APA (1994) manual, common prob-
lem areas that the instructors have noted, and suggestions on what to avoid. We
also have found that annotating the number of the error eases the grading for the in-
structor and encourages the students to learn the correct format or writing style

MENTORING STUDENT RESEARCH
121
change. If you edit the paper for them with a red pen, they will tend to make correc-
tions without understanding why the change was needed. By indicating that some-
thing they have written is “Error #32,” the students then need to locate the error on
the numbered list and determine what change is needed.
FINAL ANALYSIS AND CONCLUSION STAGE
The second draft of the papers will take a few weeks for the main instructor to grade
and return to the students. During this time period, the laboratory instructor helps
the students do the correlation and quasi-experimental statistical analyses for their
data. The last assignment sheet is distributed, which includes additional directions
on how to do the correlation and t-test statistical analyses on SPSS (1998), how to
write the Results and Discussion sections, and how to proofread the manuscript.
Very specific directions need to be given on what should be included in the Results
and Discussion sections. In the Results section, we emphasize a certain order to the
information. The students begin by presenting the descriptive statistics, including
an introduction to Table 1. Then for each statistical analysis, the presentation in-
cludes which statistic was computed, what was compared or correlated, and finally
a properly worded statistical finding statement. For the Discussion section, we em-
phasize a reiteration of the focus for the study, past tense summary of the findings,
connection between the findings of the student and the findings in the research liter-
ature, present tense conclusion statements, and suggestions for future research.
In this final phase, we usually require that the students submit the SPSS (1998)
output printouts for the statistical analyses. The printouts must be labeled so that it
is clear that students understand whether or not significance was obtained and
where certain pertinent pieces of information exist on the printout. We also require
our students to complete these same analyses by hand to promote an understanding
of the statistical processes involved.
With these hand computations, we require a graph of the computed correlation
coefficient or t ratio compared to a table value, so that the statistical decision is
clear. Then, we require a properly worded, past tense, statistical finding (included
eventually in the Results section), as well as a properly worded, present tense, con-
clusion statement (included in the Discussion section). The laboratory instructor
reviews the work of each student and compares the hand calculations with the
computer printouts. Feedback again can be offered to the student prior to the final
draft. Finally, the student needs to combine all the pieces of the research assign-
ment, proofread the manuscript, and submit the manuscript and statistical analyses
for grading by the main instructor.
In summary, this step-by-step process has been a valuable tool. Students are
provided with an organizational method that allows them to progressively create a
manuscript that, to many students, is a new experience. The process helps to en-

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sure that all students are able to complete each stage, with frequent feedback and
guidance. A research journal assignment, viewed from a holistic perspective, can
be overwhelming and intimidating to the novice. However, a research journal as-
signment, reduced to manageable steps, can be quite achievable and even reward-
ing. Students who have been taught with this step-by-step process have been very
appreciative and, because of the understandings developed through this process,
have tended to find success in their graduate level research classes.
REFERENCES
American Psychological Association. (1994). Publication manual of the American Psychological Asso-
ciation (4th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
Statistical Package for Social Sciences. (1998). SPSS base 8.0 for Windows: User’s guide. Chicago:
SPSS.