Format of research report

Format of research report

1. Format of Research Report By R.Ramadoss M.Phil Research Scholar, PG & Research Department of Commerce Jamal Mohamed College, Trichy-20

2. Research Reports "Research reports are detailed and accurate accounts of the conduct of disciplined studies accomplished to solve problems or to reveal new knowledge." ( Busha and Harter, 1988). Research reports must be complete, well organized and carefully drafted if their contents are to contribute to fields in which the research efforts are made. This is an essential means of communication to the peers in the field to judge the value of the research work done.

3. Types of Research Report There are a variety of research reports. The audience to whom a research report is addressed has to be kept in view in the preparation of a research report. The research report may be divided into following types: Technical report Popular reports Interim reports Summary report

4. Technical report: The technical report is essentially technical in nature and written in technical language. It also contains technical appendix for methodological details, copies of measuring instruments, scale etc. Popular report: The popular report is for audience like executives/administrators and other non technical users. Complicated statistical techniques and table can be used otherwise using graphical and pictorial representations will be used.

5. Interim report: When there is a long time lag between data collection and the presentation of the results. Interim report will be a suitable kind of a report to present data as and when the phase of the project work gets completed. The interim report contains a narration of what has been done so far and what was the outcome. It presents a summary of the findings of that part if analysis which has been completed. Summary report: A summary report is generally prepared for the consumption of the lay audience. It is written in non-technical, simple language with a liberal use of pictorial charts. It just contains brief reference to the objectives of the study and major findings and their implications.

6. Steps in writing research report After the data analysis is over, report writing cannot be started abruptly. It requires careful pre-planning. The planning process involves the following consolidations and steps: The target audience ( Public/ Children/ Scientists etc.) The communication characteristics of the audience ( Level of Knowledge). The intended purpose of the report ( Award of Degree/Project/Diploma etc.)

7. The type and scope of report ( M.Phil / Ph.D /Scope and Limitations) The style of reporting ( simple/ Clear) The format of the report ( always varies according to the type of report) Outline of the contents ( what to cover and what not) Style of writing Proper footnotes and bibliography

8. Format of research report A research report has a number of clearly defined sections. While the headings of the sections and the order may vary from one situation to another, the following is suggested as a broad sequence of contents of research report. Preliminary items: Title Page Researcher’s declaration The certificate of the research supervisor.

9. Acknowledgements Table of contents List of tables List of graphs and charts Abstract of Synopsis Dedication page ( ii) Body of the report: 1. Introduction Theoretical background of the topic. Statement of the problem Review of literature

10. The objectives of the study Hypotheses to be tested. Definitions of the concepts Models, if any. Chapterization 2. The design of the study: Methodology Overall typology Methods of data collection Source of data Sample plane Data collection techniques Data processing and analysis plan An overview of the report Limitations of the study .

11. 3. Results Findings Discussion 4. Summary Conclusions and Recommendations (iii) Terminal items: Bibliography Appendix Copies of data collection instruments Technical details on sampling plan Complex tables Glossary of new terms used in the report.

12. Thank You