Psci Writing Style

---
name: psci-writing-style
description: Use when drafting or polishing a Psychological Science manuscript to fit its distinctive word format (Introduction + Discussion + footnotes + acknowledgments + appendices <= 2,000 words combined; Method + Results excluded; 150-word structured abstract) in APA 7th-edition style. Tightens prose and format; it does not invent content.
---

# Writing Style (psci-writing-style)

Psychological Science has one of the most demanding formats in the field. Writing well here means
making a high-impact argument in **very few words**, in **APA 7th-edition** style, with a **structured
150-word abstract**. This skill is about fitting and polishing — not generating claims.

## When to trigger

- Drafting the Introduction/Discussion or doing final polish
- Over the word budget and needing to cut without losing the argument
- Writing the **150-word** abstract
- Aligning to APA 7th edition before submission

## The word format (know it cold)

- **Introduction + Discussion + Footnotes + Acknowledgments + Appendices ≤ 2,000 words combined.**
- **Method + Results do not count** toward that limit (but should typically stay under ~2,500 words).
- **150-word abstract** (excluded from the limit) that must state **sample sizes, participant
  populations, and important limitations of the research design**.
- ~**40 references** suffice for most Research Articles.

## Writing to the format

1. **Front-load ruthlessly.** The Introduction states the question, the gap, and the contribution in a
   few tight paragraphs (see `psci-literature-positioning`).
2. **Discussion earns every sentence.** Lead with what the result means and its breadth; keep
   limitations honest but concise. Intro + Discussion *share* the 2,000 words — budget them together.
3. **Put detail where it doesn't cost the budget.** Method and Results are outside the 2,000-word cap
   and can carry necessary procedural detail; move extended material to **supplemental online material**.
4. **Structured abstract.** In 150 words: the question, what you did, sample sizes + populations, the
   key finding (effect + direction), and a design limitation. This is content-bearing, not decorative.
5. **APA 7th edition.** Headings, statistics reporting (with effect sizes + CIs), bias-free language,
   and author-date citations; manage references with a tool and prune to the essentials.

## Anti-patterns

- A long literature review or theory section that blows the 2,000-word budget
- A Discussion that restates results instead of interpreting their meaning and breadth
- An abstract that omits sample sizes/populations/limitations or exceeds 150 words
- Padding Method/Results because they're "free" — they still must stay readable (~2,500)
- Stats reported without effect sizes / confidence intervals

## Output format

```
【Intro+Discussion budget】combined word count ≤ 2,000 (incl. footnotes/acks/appendices)?
【Method+Results】readable, ≤ ~2,500?
【Abstract】150 words; states sample sizes + populations + limitations?
【APA 7th】headings, stats (ES+CI), citations consistent? [Y/N]
【Cuts】what moved to supplemental online material
【Next】psci-open-science-and-transparency
```

## Supplementary resources

- [`../../resources/external_tools.md`](../../resources/external_tools.md) — `papaja`, reference managers, reproducible reporting
- [`../../resources/official-source-map.md`](../../resources/official-source-map.md) — word format, abstract rule, APA 7th edition