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1. BRM UNIT 5 Dr. Nidhi Tiwari Ph.D. Management

2. IMPORTANCE OF REPORT WRITING The research report fulfills the historical task of serving as a concrete proof of the study that was undertaken. This serves the purpose of providing a framework for any work that can be conducted in the same or related areas.

3. It is the complete detailed report of the research study undertaken by the researcher, thus it needs to be presented in a comprehensive and objective manner. This is a one-way communication of the researcher’s study and analysis to the reader/ manager, and thus needs to be all-inclusive and yet neutral in its reporting.

4. For academic purpose, the recorded document presents a knowledge base on the topic under study and for the business manager seeking help in taking more informed decisions, the report provides the necessary guidance for taking appropriate action.

5. As the report documents all the steps followed and the analysis carried out, it also serves to authenticate the quality of the work carried out and establishes the strength of the findings obtained.

6. TYPES OF RESEARCH REPORTS Brief Reports : These kinds of reports are not formally structured and are generally short, sometimes not running more than four to five pages. The information provided is of a limited scope and is prepared either for immediate consumption Eg : Survey Report: The aim of a survey report is to present the findings in a comprehensive format that includes figures, charts and tables .

7. Detailed Reports These are more formal and pedantic in their structure and are essentially either academic, technical or business reports. Sometimes, the researcher may prepare both kinds—for an academic as well as for a business purpose. The language, presentation and format of the two kinds of reports would be vastly different as they would need to be prepared for the understanding of the reader’s capabilities and intentions

8. Technical Reports These are major documents and would include all elements of the basic report, as well as the interpretations and conclusions, as related to the obtained results. This would have a complete problem background and any additional past data/records that are essential for comprehending and interpreting the present study output. All sources of data, sampling plan, data collection instrument(s), data analysis outputs would be formally and sequentially documented.

9. Business Reports These reports would not have the technical rigour and details of the technical report and would be in the language and include conclusions as understood and required by the business manager. The tables, figures and numbers of the first report would now be pictorially shown as bars and graphs and the reporting tone would be more in business terms rather than in conceptual or theoretical terms. If needed, the tabular data might be attached in the appendix.

10. Report Writing The layout of the report should be as follows The preliminary pages The main text The end matter

11. Preliminary pages Title: name, affiliation and address Undertaking Certificate by organization/Supervisor Acknowledgements Table of contents List of tables List of graphs

12. Main Text Introduction Review of Literature: Research Gap Research Methodology Data Analysis and Findings Conclusion(s) Recommendation(s) Implication(s) Limitation (s)

13. End Matter Bibliography: Books References: journals, reports Appendices: data, questionnaire

14. Title page Name , affiliation and address of the Author The title of the study presented in a manner to clearly indicate the study variables; the relationship or status of the variables studied and the population to which the results apply. The title should be crisp and indicative of the nature of the project Comparative analysis of BPO workers and schoolteachers with reference to their work–life balance An assessment of behavioural factors impacting consumer financial investment decisions.

15. Table of contents All reports should have a section that clearly indicates the division of the report based on the formal areas of the study as indicated in the research structure. The major divisions and subdivisions of the study, along with their starting page numbers, should be presented.

16. Executive summary The executive summary essentially can be divided into four or five sections. It begins with the study background, scope and objectives of the study, followed by the execution, including the sample details and methodology of the study. Next comes the findings and results obtained. The fourth section covers the conclusions which are more or less based on the opinion of the researcher.

17. Acknowledgements A small note acknowledging the contribution of the respondents, the corporates and the experts who provided inputs for accomplishing the study is to be included here.

18. Limitations The last in this section is a brief discussion of the problems encountered during the study and the constraints in terms of time, financial or human resources. There could also have been constraints in obtaining the required information, either because the data about the topic of interest has not been collected or because it is not readily available to all. These clear revelations about the drawbacks are thus kept in mind by the reader when analysing the results and the implications of the study.

19. Bibliography It provides the complete details of the information sources and papers cited in a standardized format. It is recommended to follow the publication manuals from the American Psychological Association (APA) or the Harvard method of citation for preparing this section. In fact, with the advancement in computer technology the Microsoft office Word 2007 can automatically generate a bibliography based on any of these formats, based on the source information provided in the document.

20. Features of a good research report It should be long enough to cover the subject but short enough to maintain interest. A research report should not, be dull; it should be such as to sustain reader’s interest. Technical jargon should be avoided in a research report. The report should be able to convey the matter as simply as possible.

21. Charts, graphs and the statistical tables may be used for the various results in the main report in addition to the summary of important findings. The layout of the report should be well thought out and must be appropriate and in accordance with the objective of the research problem.

22. The reports should be free from grammatical mistakes and must be prepared strictly in accordance with the techniques of composition of report-writing such as the use of quotations, footnotes, proper punctuation. A research report should show originality and should necessarily be an attempt to solve some intellectual problem. It must contribute to the solution of a problem and must add to the store of knowledge.

23. Appendices should be enlisted in respect of all the technical data in the report. Bibliography of sources consulted is a must for a good report and must necessarily be given. Index is also considered an essential part of a good report and as such must be prepared and appended at the end. Report must be attractive in appearance, neat and clean, whether typed or printed. In spite of all that has been stated above, one should always keep in view the fact report-writing is an art which is learnt by practice and experience.