Appendix 1 research reports

Postgraduate students often need to write reports on their research; in an extended form these become dissertations or theses. The framework or structure of research reports is as follows.

Basic Framework for a Research Report

Preliminaries

1. The title The fewest words possible that adequately describe the paper.

2. Acknowledgements Thanking colleagues, supervisors, sponsors, etc. for their assistance.

3. List of contents The sections, in sequence, included in the report.

4. List of figures / tables The sequence of charts or diagrams that appear in the text.

Introduction

5. The abstract An extremely concise summary of the contents of the report, including the conclusions. It provides an overview of the whole report for the reader.

6. Statement of the problem A brief discussion of the nature of the research and the reasons for undertaking it. A clear declaration of proposals and hypotheses.

Main body

7. Review of the literature A survey of selective, relevant and appropriate reading, both of primary and secondary source materials. Evidence of original and critical thought applied to books and journals.

8. Design of the investigation A statement and discussion of the hypotheses, and the theoretical structure in which they will be tested and examined, together with the methods used.

9. Measurement techniques used Detailed descriptions and discussion of testing devices used. Presentation of data supporting validity and reliability. A discussion of the analysis to be applied to the results to test the hypotheses.

10. Results The presentation in a logical order of information and data on which a decision can be made to accept or reject the hypotheses.

Conclusion

11. Discussion and conclusion The presentation of principles, relationships, correlations and generalisations shown by the results. The interpretation of the results and their relationship to the research problem and hypotheses. The making of deductions and inferences, and the implications for the research. The making of recommendations.

12. Summary of conclusions A concise account of the main findings, and the inferences drawn from them.

Extras

13. Bibliography An accurate listing in strict alphabetical order of all the sources cited in the text.

14. Appendices A compilation of important data and explanatory and illustrative material, placed outside the main body of the text.