4.

Research Report Writing:

Introduction: Mostly, research work is presented in a written form. The practical utility of
research study depends heavily on the way it is presented to those who are expected to act on
the basis of research findings. Research report is a written document containing key aspects
of research project.

Research report is a medium to communicate research work with relevant people. It is also a
good source of preservation of research work for the future reference. Many times, research
findings are not followed because of improper presentation. Preparation of research report is
not an easy task. It is an art. It requires a good deal of knowledge, imagination, experience,
and expertise. It demands a considerable time and money.

Definitions:

1. In simple words:

Research report is the systematic, articulate, and orderly presentation of research work in a
written form.

2. We can also define the term as:

Research report is a research document that contains basic aspects of the research project.

3. In the same way, we can say:

Research report involves relevant information on the research work carried out. It may be in
form of hand-written, typed, or computerized.

Report Format:

There is no one best format for all reports. Format depends on several relevant variables. One
must employ a suitable format to create desirable impression with clarity. Report must be
attractive. It should be written systematically and bound carefully. A report must use the
format (often called structure) that best fit the needs and wants of its readers. Normally,
following format is suggested as a basic outline, which has sufficient flexibly to meet the
most situations.

Research report is divided into three parts as:

I. First Part (Formality Part):

(i) Cover page

(ii) Title page
(iii) Certificate or statement
(iv) Index (brief contents)
(v) Table of contents (detailed index)
(vi) Acknowledgement
(vii) List of tables and figures used
(viii) Preface/forwarding/introduction
(ix) Summary report

II. Main Report (Central Part of Report):

(i) Statement of objectives

(ii) Methodology and research design
(iii) Types of data and its sources
(iv) Sampling decisions
(v) Data collection methods
(vi) Data collection tools
(vii) Fieldwork
(viii) Analysis and interpretation (including tables, charts, figures, etc.)
(ix) Findings
(x) Limitations
(xi) Conclusions and recommendations
(xii) Any other relevant detail

III. Appendix (Additional Details):

(i) Copies of forms used

(ii) Tables not included in findings
(iii) A copy of questionnaire

Types of reports –

There are many different formats for reporting research; journal articles, technical research
reports, monographs or books, graduate theses or dissertations.

Research is also reported orally at professional meetings, seminars, symposia, and

workshops.

These oral reports, however, are usually based on previous written reports.

Harvard system of referencing –

The Harvard referencing style is another popular style using the author-date system for in-
text citations.

In-text citation:

It consists mainly of the authors' last name and the year of publication (and page numbers if it
is directly quoted) in round brackets placed within the text. If there is no discernable author,
the title and date are used.

Reference list:
The reference list should be ordered alphabetically by the last name of the first author of each
work. References with no author are ordered alphabetically by the first significant word of
the title.

Use only the initials of the authors' given names. No full stop and space between the initials.
Last name comes first.

Here is an example that cites a book with one author using Harvard style.

In-text citation Reference list

(Neville 2010) or Neville (2010, p. Neville, C 2010, The complete guide to referencing
25) stated that..... and avoiding plagiarism, Open University Press,
New York.

Bibliography –

A bibliography is a list of all of the sources you have used (whether referenced or not) in the
process of researching your work. In general, a bibliography should include:

 the authors' names

 the titles of the works
 the names and locations of the companies that published your copies of the sources
 the dates your copies were published
 the page numbers of your sources (if they are part of multi-source volumes)

An annotated bibliography is the same as a bibliography with one important difference: in an

annotated bibliography, the bibliographic information is followed by a brief description of the
content, quality, and usefulness of the source.

Footnotes –

Footnotes are notes placed at the bottom of a page. They cite references or comment on a
designated part of the text above it. For example, say you want to add an interesting comment
to a sentence you have written, but the comment is not directly related to the argument of
your paragraph. In this case, you could add the symbol for a footnote. Then, at the bottom of
the page you could reprint the symbol and insert your comment. Here is an example:

This is an illustration of a footnote.1 The number “1” at the end of the previous sentence
corresponds with the note below. See how it fits in the body of the text?

1 At the bottom of the page you can insert your comments about the sentence preceding the
footnote.

When your reader comes across the footnote in the main text of your paper, he or she could
look down at your comments right away, or else continue reading the paragraph and read
your comments at the end. Because this makes it convenient for your reader, most citation
styles require that you use either footnotes or endnotes in your paper. Some, however, allow
you to make parenthetical references (author, date) in the body of your work

Footnotes are not just for interesting comments, however. Sometimes they simply refer to
relevant sources -- they let your reader know where certain material came from, or where
they can look for other sources on the subject.

Checklist - Evaluation of Good Research Report

1. Title: The report should have proper title explaining or giving an appropriate glimpse of
the subject matter contained within it.

2. Objective: The report-should be factual. The whims and ideas of the person preparing the
report should not be allowed to influence the report.

3. Timeline: The report should relate to a certain period and the period of time should be
indicated on the top of the report.

4. Clarity: The report should be clear, brief and concise. Clarity should not be sacrificed at
the cost of brevity.

5. Timeliness: The reporting must be prompt because information delayed is information

denied. If a considerable time elapses between happening of events and reporting,
opportunity for taking appropriate action may be lost or some wrong decisions may be taken
by management in the absence of information.

6. Clarity on action plan: A report should distinguish between controllable and non-
controllable factors and should report them separately. It is because management can take
suitable action regarding controllable factors.

7. Margin of error: The report should be taken as correct within the permissible degree of
inaccuracy. The margin of error allowed will depend upon the purpose for which the report is
prepared.

8. Scope of report: The report should draw manager’s attention immediately to the
exceptional matters so that management by exception may be carried out effectively. Thus,
reports should highlight significant deviations from standards.

9. Infographics: Visual reporting through graphs, charts and diagrams should be preferred to
descriptive reports because visual reporting attract the eye more quickly and leaves a lasting
impression on the mind.

10. Detailed analysis: In all possible cases a detailed analysis should be given for all the
resultant variances between actual for the period compared to standards/budgets, be it sales,
purchases, production, profit or loss, capital expenditure, working capital position, etc., so
that exact causes of low performance may be known and timely corrective action may be
taken.
Where comparison is reflected in a report it should be ensured that the same is between
comparable (i.e., like) matters so that meaningful comparison may be made and idea about
efficiency or inefficiency may be formed.

11. Simplicity: Report must be simple to understand. Unnecessary technical words or

terminologies (jargons) should be avoided.

12. Proper Language: Researcher must use a suitable language. Language should be
selected as per its target users.

13. Reliability: Research report must be reliable. Manager can trust on it. He can be
convinced to decide on the basis of research reports.

14. Proper Format: An ideal report is one, which must be prepared as per commonly used
format. One must comply with the contemporary practices; completely a new format should
not be used.

Sample Exercise:

Describe the elements of main body of research report:

The Main Report Body

The body of your report is a detailed discussion of your work for those readers who want to
know in some depth and completeness what was done. The body of the report shows what
was done, how it was done, what the results were, and what conclusions and
recommendations can be drawn.

Introduction

The introduction states the problem and its significance, states the technical goals of the
work, and usually contains background information that the reader needs to know in order to
understand the report. Consider, as you begin your introduction, who your readers are and
what background knowledge they have. For example, the information needed by someone
educated in medicine could be very different from someone working in your own field of
engineering.

 The introduction might include any or all of the following.

 Problems that gave rise to the investigation

 The purpose of the assignment (what the writer was asked to do)

 History or theory behind the investigation Literature on the subject

 Methods of investigation
While academic reports often include extensive literature reviews, reports written in industry
often have the literature review in an appendix.

Summary or background

This section gives the theory or previous work on which the experimental work is based if
that information has not been included in the introduction.

Methods/procedures

This section describes the major pieces of equipment used and recaps the essential step of
what was done. In scholarly articles, a complete account of the procedures is important.
However, general readers of technical reports are not interested in a detailed methodology.
This is another instance in which it is necessary to think about who will be using your
document and tailor it according to their experience, needs, and situation.

A common mistake in reporting procedures is to use the present tense. This use of the present
tense results in what is sometimes called “the cookbook approach” because the description
sounds like a set of instructions. Avoid this and use the past tense in your
“methods/procedures” sections.

Results

This section presents the data or the end product of the study, test, or project and includes
tables and/or graphs and a brief interpretation of what the data show. When interpreting your
data, be sure to consider your reader, what their situation is and how the data you have
collected will pertain to them.

Discussion of results

This section explains what the results show, analyzes uncertainties, notes significant trends,
compares results with theory, evaluates limitations or the chance for faulty interpretation, or
discusses assumptions. The discussion section sometimes is a very important section of the
report, and sometimes it is not appropriate at all, depending on your reader, situation, and
purpose.

It is important to remember that when you are discussing the results, you must be specific.
Avoid vague statements such as “the results were very promising.”

Conclusions

This section interprets the results and is a product of thinking about the implications of the
results. Conclusions are often confused with results. A conclusion is a generalization about
the problem that can reasonably be deduced from the results.

Be sure to spend some time thinking carefully about your conclusions. Avoid such obvious
statements as “X doesn’t work well under difficult conditions.” Be sure to also consider how
your conclusions will be received by your readers, and as well as by your shadow readers—
those to whom the report is not addressed, but will still read and be influenced by your report.
Recommendations

The recommendations are the direction or actions that you think must be taken or additional
work that is need to expand the knowledge obtained in your report. In this part of your report,
it is essential to understand your reader. At this point you are asking the reader to think or do
something about the information you have presented. In order to achieve your purposes and
have your reader do what you want, consider how they will react to your recommendations
and phrase your words in a way to best achieve your purposes.

Conclusions and recommendations do the following.

 They answer the question, “So what?”

 They stress the significance of the work
 They take into account the ways others will be affected by your report
 They offer the only opportunity in your report for you to express your opinions

What are the differences between Results, Conclusions, and Recommendations?

Assume that you were walking down the street, staring at the treetops, and stepped in a deep
puddle while wearing expensive new shoes. What results, conclusions, and recommendations
might you draw from this situation?

Some suggested answers follow.

 Results: The shoes got soaking wet, the leather cracked as it dried, and the soles
separated from the tops.

 Conclusions: These shoes were not waterproof and not meant to be worn when
walking in water. In addition, the high price of the shoes is not closely linked with
durability.

 Recommendations: In the future, the wearer of this type of shoe should watch out for
puddles, not just treetops. When buying shoes, the wearer should determine the extent
of the shoes’ waterproofing and/or any warranties on durability.
Bibliography
Chand, S. (n.d.). https://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/management/essentials-of-a-good-
report-business-management/25777. Retrieved from
https://www.yourarticlelibrary.com.

https://www.plagiarism.org/article/what-are-footnotes. (2017, June 07). Retrieved from

https://www.plagiarism.org.

Jaideep, S. (n.d.). https://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/marketing/marketing-

research/principles-of-a-good-research-report/48716. Retrieved from
https://www.yourarticlelibrary.com.

MACQUARIE University. (n.d.). https://libguides.mq.edu.au/referencing/Harvard. Retrieved

from https://libguides.mq.edu.au.

p.org. (2017, June 7). https://www.plagiarism.org/article/whats-a-bibliography. Retrieved

from https://www.plagiarism.org.

Purdue University. (n.d.).

https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/writing_in_engineering/handboo
k_on_report_formats/the_report_body.html. Retrieved from https://owl.purdue.edu.