300 W8 Discussion

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Writing a Research Report

Chapter 12

Why Write a Report?

Research Report = a written document that summarizes the way a study was conducted and its major findings, and is a complete report on the research process.

The Writing Process

Know Your Audience
Instructors
Other students
Expert professionals and scholars
Practitioners, managers and policy makers
The general public

The Writing Process

Pick a Style and Tone
Style: type of words, length and form of sentences, and pattern of paragraphs.
Tone: attitude or relation toward subject that matter
Organize Your Thoughts

The Writing Process

Go Back to the Library
Writer’s Block = a temporary inability to write that some people experience when they have a writing task to complete.
Paraphrasing = restating another person’s ideas in your own words, condensing at the same time

The Writing Process

Engage in Prewriting Activities
Prewriting = activities that prepare you for a serious writing process.
Freewriting = a way to begin serious writing in which you write down everything you think of as quickly as it enters your mind, not worrying about correct grammar or spelling.

The Writing Process

Rewrite Your Report
Revising = part of the rewriting process in which you move ideas around or add and subtract ideas or evidence.
Editing = part of the rewriting process in which you focus on improving the mechanism aspects of writing, such as spelling or sentence structure.

The Writing Process

Rewrite Your Report
Suggestions for Rewriting:
Mechanics
Usage
Voice
Coherence
Repetition
Structure
Abstraction
Metaphors

Show Cause-Effect Relationships

Readily seen in experiments

Also can be shown in
surveys and existing statistical methods
field research and historical-comparative research

The Quantitative Research Report

Abstract or Executive Summary
The abstract has information on the topic, the research problem, the basic findings, and any unusual research design or data collection features.
Executive Summary = a summary of a research report that is longer than an abstract and used in applied research studies for practitioners.

The Quantitative Research Report

Presentation of the Problem
introduce readers to the main topic, research question, and overall tone of the report.
present the research question, define major concepts, and begin to guide a reader through the report.
explain the significance of the research question and provide background
includes the literature review and links the specific question of your study to past studies.
define key concepts and present the main hypotheses in general, conceptual terms.

The Quantitative Research Report

Description of the Method
Type of study
How you collected the data
How you measured or manipulated each variable
Description of the sample
Any ethical issues
Results and Tables
Just the numerical facts

The Quantitative Research Report

Discussion
Describe the meaning of the data
Relate back to hypotheses
Conclusions
Restate the research question
Summarize major findings

The Qualitative Research Report

Fewer rules

Less structured

Often longer

The Qualitative Research Report

Report on Field Research
Rarely follows a fixed format
Often in the 1st person
Often intertwines empirical findings with interpretations
Data reduction is a challenge
Can be organized chronologically or by themes

The Qualitative Research Report

1. Introduction 2. The Situation

a. Most general aspects of situation a. Analytic categories

b. Main contours of the general situation b. Contrast between situation and

c. How you collected materials other situations

d. Details about the setting c. Development of situation over time

e. How the report is organized 3. Strategies

4. Summary and implications

Organization of a Report on Field Research

The Qualitative Research Report

Report on Historical-Comparative Research
Connects abstract ideas to specific empirical details
Often include photographs, maps, diagrams, charts and tables of statistics
Can be arranged by topic or chronologically

The Research Proposal

Proposals for Grant Research
Purpose is to provide funding
Purchase equipment and research supplies
Pay salaries
Travel to collect data
Help with publication
Review can take up to a year

Undergraduate Research

High school students and undergraduates often engage in research