Research Report
A detailed account of the research experience from selection and definition of the problem, formulation of hypotheses, gathering, analyzing and interpreting data, testing of hypotheses, making conclusion and suggesting further research in the related problem area is called a research report.
Components
The basic components of a research report are as follows;
(i) Introduction of the research problem:
The researcher will write in it;
a) What is the problem?
b) What is its importance?
c) What is the relation of the problem with previous theory and
research?
d) What are the objectives of the study?
e) What are the hypotheses?
(ii) Description of the procedure of the research:
The researcher will write in it;
a) How did he select the subjects?
b) How many subjects were used?
c) How were the subjects assigned to groups?
d) What was done to the subjects?
e) How was it done?
f) When was it done?
g) How long was it done?
h) How was the reliability of the measuring instruments measured?
i) How was the validity of the measuring instruments measured?
(iii) Description and presentation of the results:
The researcher will write in it;
a) Which statistical procedures he used to test the hypotheses?
b) What were the outcomes of those procedures?
c) What were the subsidiary findings of the research?
(iv) Discussion of the study findings:
The researcher will write in it;
a) Why did the results manifest themselves in a particular way?
b) What did there results signify?
c) What was the relationship between this research and the
previous research upon which it was based?
Features
The following are the essential features of a good research report;
(i) Clarity
(ii) Conciseness
(iii) Veracity
(iv) No place for figures of speech, lyrical prose and in using
anecdotes.
(v) No lengthy digressions
(vi) Only necessary details
(vii) Absolute uncompromising honesty
(viii) Serious attempt and not a game
Reasons for Writing
The following are the main reasons on account of which the researcher
should write the research report.
(i) It is a logical conclusion of doing the research.
(ii) It enriches the curriculum vitae of the researcher which helps him
in appointment and promotion.
(iii) Writing of the research report is an easy task and it is not that
difficult as understood.
Mode of Communications
The researcher may use any of the following mode for communicating
his research results;
(i) A research monograph:
The researcher may publish a research monograph on the basis of his
research results through a research journals or a reputed research
publisher.ph depends upon the standard of the research work and the
reputation of the researcher.
(ii) A research journal:
The researcher may publish a research paper in a reputed research
journal. But this requires that the paper should be acceptable to the
Editor of the journal. The prestigious journals send these papers to
reviewers who are conversant with the research area in which te
research paper has been written.
(iii) Presenting in the meeting of the Association/ Society /Congress:
There are annual conferences of the associations, societies and
Congress in each subject area. They provide opportunities to the
researchers to present their research results in the form of a research
paper before the members of the association or the society or the
delegates of the Congress which are followed by the discussions. The
journals of those organizations publish these papers in the form of the
proceedings of the Association / Society / Congress.
Format
The research reports are divided into the following parts;
(a) Preliminary Section:
It consists of the following:
(i) Title Page
(ii) Preface
(iii) Table of Contents
(iv) List of Tables
(v) List of figure, maps and illustrations
(b) Introduction:
It consists of the following:
(h) Importance of the problem under investigation.
(ii) A review of related literature
(iii) Statement of Hypotheses or relationships being studied
(iv) Delimitations of the study
(v) Assumptions of the study
(vi) Definition of important terms
(c) Methods:
It consists of the following;
(i) How was the study conducted?
(ii) From which population was the sample selected?
(iii) How many subjects were selected?
(iv) What were the demographic characteristics of the
subjects?(male/female, average age)
(v) Was there any characteristic which make the sample a typical to
the population?
(vi) How were the subjects assigned to groups?
(vii) What instructions were given to the subjects?
(viii) How conditions were controlled?
(ix) What was the treatment of variables?
(x) How, when and on what were subjects measured?
(xi) What data collection instruments were used?
(xii) What was the format of items?
(xiii) What was the reliability of the instrument?
(xiv) What was the validity of the instrument?
(xv) What are the details of the instruments which was prepared by
the researcher?
(d) Results:
It consists of the following;
(i) What statistical procedure was used to study the hypotheses?
(ii) What was the probability level of each hypotheses test?
(iii) What was the probability level of each statistics?
(iv) What was the attendant degree of freedom?
(v) What was the strength of the relationship of the variables?
(vi) What were the group means and standard deviation?
(vii) What were principle finding?
(e) Discussion:
It consists of the following;
(i) What were the original purposes of the study?
(ii) How were these purpose met?
(iii) Why the obtained occurred?
(iv) What were the conclusions of the researcher for practice, theory
and future research?
(v) What is the contribution of the study to the research literature?
(vi) What are the strengths and weaknesses of the study?
(f) Reference Section:
It consists of the following:
(i) Bibliography
(ii) Appendices: Questionnaires, Copies of letters used, evaluation
sheets, checklists etc.
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