Report Writing and

Presentation

Writing and
Formatting of Reports

Aparna Vajpayee
Aparna Vajpayee
 Research Reports
 Types of Research Reports
 Guidelines for writing a report
 Report Format
 Report Presentation
 Practical Tips for Doing Research

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You write a research report to inform your
readers of:

 Importance of the topic

 Your research question
 What you did to answer the
question
 Your findings
 Your interpretation of the
findings

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 Sections of a Research Report

 Title Page
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References and Appendix

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 Title Page
 The article title
 Author name(s)
 Author affiliation
 Manuscript page header
 Running head
 Page number

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 Other rules
 Title page should contain the title of your
paper (not a topic, but a title that reflects the
content of the paper), your name, the course
name the paper is for, and the date you wrote it
 You may use headers and footers (Ex:
Running head: CMC and loneliness)
 Headings
Using headings makes it easier to navigate your
paper. In a short paper like your lit review,
you’d probably only use the first-level heading,
but this is what they look like in order:
First-Level Heading
Second-Level Heading
Third-level heading. Begin text of paragraph…
Abstract: A complete and concise one-
paragraph summary

 State the research question or

hypothesis
 Describe the method used
 Describe the subjects/participants
 Mention the research procedures
 State findings
 Include implications

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Methods: What you did to try to solve the
problem

Subsections

 Subjects/Participants
 Procedures
 Measurement
 Research Design

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The Literature Review: What others did to
solve the problem
 Review important relevant sources
 Identify
 Theoretical framework
 Variables
 Methodological or conceptual gaps/flaws of
previous research
 Leads to your research question/hypothesis

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 Citing while quoting
 You need to put the author last name(s) and
date, like while paraphrasing, but also the
PAGE NUMBERS or PARAGRAPH NUMBERS
(for online sources).
 Example: “the research findings clearly
indicate support for the hypotheses”
(Douglass, 1986, p. 55).
 Warning
 Keep quotations to a minimum (less than 3 per
paper)
 Don’t forget the quotation marks and page
numbers (or paragraph numbers), or you will
be guilty of plagiarism!
If you have references, tables, and
appendices…
They go in this order…
1. Title page
2. Paper
3. References
4. Appendices
5. Notes
6. Tables, Figures, etc.
 Subjects/Participants

 Demographics
 Age
 Gender
 Location
 Race
 Socioeconomic status
 Number (sample size)
 Adequacy of sample size
 Maintain confidentiality

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 Procedures

 Describe how the data

were collected
 Describe each step in
sequence
 Provide enough details
for replication

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 Procedures

 Describe how the data

were collected
 Describe each step in
sequence
 Provide enough details
for replication

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 Research Design

 Discuss appropriateness
of the design for the
research question
 Address validity
 internal validity
 external validity

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 Results: What you found
 For qualitative research
 present organized or
categorized data in order
to answer the research
question
 present newly discovered
consideration or variables
(if applicable)
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 For quantitative
research
 restate the hypothesis
 state whether you were
able to support it
 present a summary of the
results for the statistical
tests
 use tables, figures, graphs
or charts to present the
results if necessary
Discussion: What you think your findings
mean

 Summarize and interpret the

results
 Answer your research question
 Discuss your findings in the
context of previous research
 Discuss implications
 Identify limitations
 Suggest directions for future
research

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 References and Appendix

References:
-- start on a separate page
-- follow APA style
Appendix:
-- consent form
-- survey
-- charts, figures, graphs

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Introduction: Justifying the importance of
the problem
 Provide historical background
 Argue for significance of the topic
 Review relevant research and identify
gaps/flaws
 Apply a theoretical/conceptual framework (if
applicable)
 State your research question/hypothesis
 Operationally define your variables

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 More about the Title Page
 The title should include the independent variable and
dependent variable
 The manuscript page header consists of the first couple
of main words of the title
 The running head:
 a short descriptive title
 should include no more than 50 characters (including spaces and
punctuation)
 does not have to be the same as the page header
 Use plain type face

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 Research Reports
 Presentation of research findings to a specific audience which may be
either technical or popular in orientation. The methodology, findings,
conclusions and recommendation differ considerably in terms of detail,
writing style, use of technical terms and length.

 Technical Report : enable another researcher to critique

methodology, check calculations and accuracy

 Popular Report : intended for a more general audience, one that is

not conversant with the details of research methods and terminology

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Report Format
 Title Page
 Table of Contents
 List of Tables (or figures, graphs,
etc.)
 Executive summary
 Objective
 Results
 Conclusions
 Recommendations

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 Body
 Introduction
 Methodology
 Results
 Limitations
 Conclusion and Recommendation
 Appendix
 Sampling plan
 Data collection forms
 Supporting tables not included in the body

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 TRANSMITTAL
 The function of the transmittal is to introduce the report
and say the kind of things that we might may say if we
were to deliver it ion a person. It must contain:
 A mention of the authorization
 A carbon copy notation of receiver
 Any other specific comment regarding this

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 Title Page
 The title page should contain a title which conveys the
essence of the study, the date, name of the organization
submitting the report and the name of the recipient
organization. The title should be descriptive and catchy.
 Example:
 “Profile of car owners in Delhi city”
 “Hard contact lenses: is the market softening”
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 Table of Contents
 Background, purpose and method
 Statistical Methodology
 Marketing conclusion and recommendation
 Research conclusion and summary of findings
 Statistical section
 Index of statistical tables
 Appendix
 Questionnaire
 Exhibits
 Summary
 Abstract and key word

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 CONTENTS OF EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
 Objective of the research reports
 Nature of the decision problem
 Key results
 Conclusion
 Recommendation for action
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Report Presentation
Researchers should plan their report
presentation carefully making sure that
they have suitably designed visual aids
which clearly project salient findings.
Clients cannot be expected to digest a
range of quantitative and qualitative data
merely given verbally.

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Checklist for Researchers
 Is the title of the research relevant?

 Does the table of contents reflect

logical sequencing?

 Are all areas of thesis well handled?

 Is the bibliography adequate?

 Are the tables and appendices follow

order of their reference?

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 Don’t get tied up in knots…
Ask your instructor if you’re unsure about anything..