Presentationon

‘Writing a Research Report’

Prepaired By:Nirmal Singh Kaserla

M.A,M.LIB.SC,M.ED,M.PHIL (UGC NET)Dept of Library & Information scienceKurukshetra University, Kurukshetra

Writing a Research Report

A article, paper, or report about research generally takesa structure or form that seems difficult but is intended to helpmake reading it or using it for research quick and efficient.A research report has seven components:

I. Abstract or SummaryII. IntroductionIII. Review of LiteratureIV. MethodsV. ResultsVI. Conclusions and DiscussionVII. References

I. Abstract or Summary

The abstract or summary tells the readervery briefly what the main points and findings ofthe paper are.

This allows the reader to decide whether thepaper is useful to them.

Get into the habit of reading only abstracts whilesearching for papers that are relevant to yourresearch.

Read the body of a paper only when you think itwill be useful to you.

Abstract or Summary—an example

II. Introduction

i. The introduction tells the reader:• what the topic of the paper is in general terms.• why the topic is important.• what to expect in the paper.

ii. Introductions should:• funnel from general ideas to the specific topic of the

paper.• justify the research that will be presented later

iii. Introductions are sometimes folded into literaturereviews.

Introduction—an example

III. Review of Literature

The literature review tells the reader what otherresearchers have discovered about the paper’s topic or tells thereader about other research that is relevant to the topic. Oftenwhat students call a “research paper” is merely a literaturereview.

A literature review should shape the way readers thinkabout a topic—it educates readers about what thecommunity of scholars says about a topic and itssurrounding issues.

Along the way it states facts and ideas about the socialworld and supports those facts and ideas with evidencefor from where they came .

Review of Literature—examples of citing

IV. Methods

A METHODS SECTION MUST CONTAIN:

1. Descriptions of Data (Think in terms of: “Who, What, When, Where, Why and How?”)Report:

A. The Target Population B. The Ways Data were Collected:

1. Sampling2. Delivery Methods

C. Response RatesD. Sample sizes resulting from various decisions .

A METHODS SECTION MUST CONTAIN:

2. Descriptions of Variables

First for dependent, then for independent variables, report:

A. Names for the variables—make them intuitive!

B. Word for word description of the questions.

C. Final coding scheme—the numbers you assigned to responses.

3. Manipulations of the variables or data.

4. Reflection on ability of data to generalize to the target population.

5. Statistical techniques that will be used to test your hypotheses and the statistics program used.

Methods-an example

V. Results

The results section chronicles the outcomeof the statistical analyses, assessing whetheryour hypotheses were correct and why or whynot.

The results section includes:

a. Narrative describing most relevant findings

b. Professional tables showing descriptive and inferential statistics

• Tables must be numbered and have a descriptive title.

• There are conventions for formatting.

For example:

– Asterisks are used to highlight results that are statistically important

– All numbers in a column are aligned on decimals

Results-an example

VI. Conclusions and Discussion

This section assesses how one’s research findings relateto what the community have accepted as facts.

Things that should be done:

1. Summarize the most salient points of your research (tell the reader what you found out about your topic).

2. Discuss the general significance of your topic and findings.

3. Discuss the shortcomings of your study and how these might affect your findings.

The Conclusions and Discussion section includes:

4. Discuss things future researchers should investigateabout your topic to advance knowledge about it.

5. Help the reader gain the knowledge that you think he orshe ought to have about the topic. You spent a lot oftime exploring the, you should share your expertise.

VII.References

The references are just as important as any other part of your paper.

References are the empirical support for claims in a paper

that are not directly observed in the research. They are

needed for researchers to remain empirical in their

descriptions of topics.

Link the paper to the community of scholars, permitting

readers to assess the worthiness claims in a paper.

Make the research process much more efficient because

they make it very easy to look up sources of facts and ideas.

References—an example

Conclusion

A research report is an eye-opener to othersto judge the work done by the researcher in thefield of given research. The research reportconsists of research that one does on the topic aswell as interpretation of the information,including applicability to the teachingassignment. It explains how one will use theinformation that comes to the focus, how it willimpact on teaching pedagogy, discipline methods,curriculum development, assessment, etc.