Presenting Results & Evaluating Research

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Presenting results &evaluating research report

Md. Shahriar ShafiqNFCE, IER, DU


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What is research report?

A research reportis a completed study that reports aninvestigation or exploration of a problem; identifies

questions to be addressed; and includes data

collected, analyzed, and interpreted by the

researcher.

It is composed for audiences, varies in length and

format, and differs for qualitative, quantitative, andmixed approach research.

Creswell, 2008

Shah Shamim Ahmed, EER, IER, DU


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What are the types of research reports?

Dissertation and Thesis

Journal articles

Conference papers

Report for policy maker or school personnel



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How should you structure the report?

Front Matter

Title page

Preface & acknowledgements (optional)

Table of contents (optional)

List of tables (optional)

List of figures (optional)

Abstract (optional)

Body of the Paper

Introduction

Statement of the problem

Purpose statement

Research questions or hypothesesTheoretical or conceptual explanation

Review of the literature

Review of previous research

Summary of major themes

How present the study will extend literature

Quantitative Study

Methods

Sample & site

Access & permissions

Instruments & their reliability & validity

Interventions (if used)

Procedures of data collection

Analysis of data

Results

Descriptive analysis of all data

Inferential analysis to address Qs/hypothesis

Tables and figures to display the data

Discussion

Summary of major results

Relationship of results to existing studiesLimitation of the study

Implications for future research

Overall significance of the study

Back Matter

References

Appendices (e.g., instruments, table, etc.)Shah Shamim Ahmed, EER, IER, DU


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How should you structure the report?Front Matter

Title page

Preface & acknowledgements (optional)

Table of contents (optional)

List of tables (optional)

List of figures (optional)

Abstract (optional)

Body of the Paper

Introduction

Statement of the problem

Purpose statement

Research questions

ProceduresRationale for qualitative approach

Sample & site

Access & permissions

Data gathering strategies

Data analysis approach

Qualitative Study

FindingsDescriptive of site or individuals

Analysis of themes

Discussion

Major findings

Comparison of findings with existing studies

Limitation of the studyImplications for future research

Overall significance of the study

Back Matter

References

Appendices (e.g., instruments, table, etc.)



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Title page

It contains running head, title, author(s), and institutionalaffiliation of the author(s).

The running head is the abbreviated title, in uppercase

letters, places at top left, and not more than 50 characters

including the space. The title should be 10 to 12 words long.

The title page and each subsequent page have a header and

page number in the upper-right hand corner.

The header consists of the first one to three words of the titleplaced above or five spaces to the page number.

All pages should be numbered consecutively, beginning with

the title page.



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Abstract

The abstract is the comprehensive summary of the contentsof the research report.

It should not be exceed 120 words.

It should be typed on a separate page with the word Abstract

centered at the top of the page in uppercase and lowercaseletters.

It should be accurate, concise, specific, and self-contained.

It should include a brief statement of the problem, a

description of the research participants, a summary of themethod used, the findings or results of the study.



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Introduction

The research report begins with the introduction, which is notlabelled.

It presents the specific problem being investigated in the

context of prior research and describes the research strategy.

It begins with a general introduction to the problem area andperhaps a statement of the point of the study.

It explains clearly the purpose of your study.

It continues with a review of prior studies that have been

conducted in the area and relating to the specific issue beinginvestigated.

After that you should tell what you did in the study.



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Method

The method section follows the introduction.

The purpose of it is to tell the reader exactly how the study

was conducted.

It permits the reader to evaluate the appropriateness of the

design of the study and be able to make an assessment of the

reliability, and validity of the results.

To facilitate communication of the method section, it is

typically divided into subsections.



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Participants

The participants subsection should identify the majordemographic characteristics of the participants e.g., age,

gender, etc.

You should tell how they were selected for the study, thenumber according to their characteristics and other factors

that were considered during sample selection.



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Instrumentation

This subsection describes the apparatus or instruments usedand they were used.

Sufficient detail should be included to enable the reader to

obtain comparable materials or equipment.

Commercial marketed equipment should be accompanied by

the suppliers name and location as well as model number of

the equipment or, in the case of a measuring instrument suchas an achievement test, a reference that will able the reader

to obtain the same test.



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Procedure

The procedure section tells the reader exactly how the study wasexecuted, from the moment the participant and the researcher

came into contact to the time the participant left the study.

It represents a step-by-step account of what the experiment andparticipant did during the study, including any instructions,

stimulus conditions that were presented to the participants and

the responses they were to make, and any control techniques

that were used.



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Results (Quantitative research)

The purpose of the result section is to summarize the data

were collected and their statistical treatment.

Remember that any discussion of the results takes place in

the discussion section.

This section is limited to presenting the data and the analysis

of the data.

It should tell the reader how the data were analyzed and the

results of the analysis.

In presenting the results of statistical analysis, always state

the alpha level used because it determines whether theresults are statistically significant.

When reporting the results of each statistical test, you should

report the actual probability value of the computed statistic.



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Results (Quantitative research)

Results of any inferential tests should be accompanied by the

magnitude of the obtained value of the test, along with the

accompanying degrees of freedom, probability level, anddirection of the effect.

Be sure to include sufficient descriptive statistics, such as

means, correlations, and standard deviations, so that the

nature of the effect can be understood.

Generally, tables are preferred for presenting quantitative

data and illustrate main effects most efficiently.

Figure illustrate interactions most efficiently.

If you use table or figure, make sure that you tell the reader,

in the text of the report, what data it depicts.

Then give a sufficient explanation of the presented data to

make sure that the reader interprets them correctly.



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Results (Qualitative research)

Perhaps it is the most important section in a qualitative research

report.

This is where the researcher provides the bulk of evidence

supporting his/her arguments.

The overriding concern when writing a result section is to provide

sufficient and convincing evidence.

Assertions made by the researcher must be based on empirical

data.

Qualitative researchers should try to minimize the situation in

which their readers must take the researchers word for their

arguments.

The qualitative researcher says to the reader, Here is what I

found and here are the details to support that vies (Bogdan &

Biklen, 1998).Shah Shamim Ahmed, EER, IER, DU


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The qualitative researcher needs to find an appropriate balance

between description and interpretation to write a convincing results

section.

You do not need to overkill with extensive descriptive detail and little

interpretive commentary.

You do need to provide sufficient descriptive detail to support your

conclusion and interpretive commentary.

One effective strategy for writing a result section is to provide quotes

from your research participants and to include short sections from your

field notes and other data to bring your reader close to your research

participants and to the real-world situations.

You should provide some rich and vivid description of the context,

setting, participants, cultural scenes, and interactions among the

participants.



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The results section of a qualitative report usually includes

more subheadings.

The qualitative research results may organized around-

the research questions or research issues examined in the research

an a priori literature-based conceptual scheme applied to the research

data a typology that is developed during data analysis

the key themes found in the data, or

a conceptual scheme based on a grounded theory generated from the

research data.



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Discussion

The discussion section has the purpose of interpreting and

evaluating the results obtained, giving primary emphasis to the

relationships between the results and the hypothesis of the

study.

Begin the discussion by stating the answer of your research

question generally. Follow this statement with an interpretation

of the results, telling the reader what you think they mean. In

doing so, you should attempt to integrate your research findings

with the results of prior research.

Note that this is the only place in the research report where youare given any latitude for stating your own opinion.

When discussing the shortcomings, you should mention only the

flaws that might have had a influence on the result obtained.



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Discussion (cntd)

In general, the discussion should answer thefollowing questions:

What does the study contribute?

How has it helped solve the study problem?

What conclusion and theoretical implications can be

drawn from the study?



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Quantitative criteria for evaluating

quantitative research

Research Problem:

Is it stated?

Is it clear?

Is it complete & accurate?

Does it offer theoretical & practical values?

The Literature Review:

Is it clear, relevant, recent, based on studies reporting numbers?

Are the citations & references accurate?

Hypotheses and Variables:

What are the hypotheses & what types are they?

Does the study indicate the independent, dependent, intervening moderator,

and control variables?

Were operational definitions given for the variables?

Were extraneous effects controlled in the study so that bias did not have an

effect on the participants, their experiences, or the generalization of the results?

Were certain variables manipulated?



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Quantitative criteria for evaluating

quantitative research (cntd)

Design: Was the study design identified?

Were the scores from the measures valid and reliable?

Were the statistics the right choice?

Findings and Discussions:

Did the findings fit the problem?

How significant and important were the findings?

Did the discussion section report conclusions & were they consistent with

the studys results?

Did the discussion section offer reasonable interpretations of why results

did and did not match expectations? Did the discussion section suggest reasonable implications about what

readers should do with the results?



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Standards for evaluating the quality of

qualitative research Standards set in the inquiry community such as guidelines for publication.

Positionality:The text should display honesty or authenticity about its ownstance and about the position of the author.

Community: All research takes place in, is addressed to, and serves the

purposes of the community in which it was carried out.

Voice:Participants voices must not be silenced, disengaged, or

marginalized.

Critical subjectivity: Researchers need to have heightened self-awareness in

the research process and create personal and social transformation.

Reciprocity: Reciprocity must exist between the researcher and those being

researched.

Sacredness of relationships: The researcher respects the sacredness of the

relationships and collaborates on equal terms with participants.

Sharing privileges: The researcher shares rewards with persons whose lives

they portray.

Lincoins philosophical criteria, 1995Shah Shamim Ahmed, EER, IER, DU

St d d f l ti lit ti h


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Standards for evaluating qualitative research

It employs rigorous data collection, which involves multiple forms of data,

extensive data, and a long period in the field collecting data.

It is consistent with the philosophical assumptions and characteristics of aqualitative approach to research. These include an evolving design, the

presentation of multiple perspectives, the researcher as an instrument of data

collection, and the focus on participants views.

It employs a tradition of inquiry, such as case study, ethnography, grounded

theory, or narrative inquiry as a procedural guide for the study. It starts with a single focus on a central phenomenon rather than a

comparison or relationship (as in quantitative research).

It is written persuasively so that the reader experiences being there.

Analysis consists of multiple levels of analysis to portray the complexity of the

central phenomena. The narrative engages the reader because of unexpected ideas and believable

and realistic information.

It includes strategies to confirm the accuracy of the study.

Creswells procedural criteria, 1998Shah Shamim Ahmed, EER, IER, DU


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Standards for evaluating qualitative research

Substantive contribution: Does this piece contribute to our understanding

of social life? Aesthetic merit: Does this piece succeed aesthetically? Does the use of

practices open up the text and invite interpretive responses? Is the text

artistically shaped, satisfying, complex, and not boring?

Reflexivity: How did the author come to write this text? Is there adequate

self-awareness and self-exposure for the reader to make judgementsabout the point of view?

Impact: Does this affect me? Emotionally? Intellectually? Move me to

write? Move me to try new research practices? Move me to action?

Expression of a reality: Does this text embody a fleshed out sense of lived

experiences? Does it seem true?

Richardsons participatory and advocacy criteria, 2000



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References

For further study:

Creswell, J. W. (2008). Educational research: Planning, conducting,and evaluating Qualitative and Quantitative research. New Jersey:Merrill Prentice Hall.

Fraenkel, J. R., & Wallen, N. E. (2009). How to design and evaluateresearch in education. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Gall, M. D., Gall, J. P., & Borg, W. R. (2007). Educational research: Anintroduction. New York: Allyn and Becon.

Johnson, B. & Christensen, L. (2008). Educational research:Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed approaches. Los Angeles:Sage.

Lunenburg, F. C., & Irby, B. J. (2008). Writing a Successful Thesis orDissertation. California: Corwin Press.

Sharp, J. G. (2009). Success with your education research project.Cornwall, UK: Learning Matters


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Presenting Results & Evaluating Research