Discuss the ingredients of a good research report format with regard to written Reports.
Discuss the ingredients of a good research report format with regard to written Reports.
Ans.
Following are the ingredients of a good research report format with regard to a written report. These are only ingredients not the actual organs of a written report. These may very depending upon the form and contents of a research project. Generally, this approach can be followed by a researcher for presenting his/her research results in a written report form.
1. Title page. The title page must give the title of the research project. It must give information about: who prepared it, who supervised it, who sponsored it, data on which it was presented and place where it was presented.
2. Contents: (a) The chapters, sections, and other headings used in the report and the pages on which each of them is found, are listed here.
(b) List of Tables. All the tables used to present the data must be given along with the pages on which they appeared in the report.
(c) List of Figures. All the figures, charts, diagrams, pictures, etc., given within the report must be indicated along with the pages on which they have appeared.
3. Foreword. It says a few words on the problem and the author. The foreword is generally given by a person whom the researcher thinks is highly a master-mind (expert) on the pursued research project. The researcher may also be introduced in this section. Sometimes, a word about the author (researcher) is also given on the inner front or end flap. Sometimes, it appears at the end of the report.
4. Preface. Preface gives a general introduction to the project and says a few words about its importance. Then a scheme of chapterisation is given. The scheme of chapterisation contains a brief of the contents presented in each of the chapters of the research report. At the end, the preface contains a section of acknowledgements. Here the researcher expresses his/her gratitude to all those who helped him/her in completing the research work. The researcher puts his signature, place and date at the end of the preface.
5. Letter of Transmittal. This is a certificate from researcher to the authority sponsoring the research and it describes that the work is original and satisfactory.
6. Introduction. It gives background of the problem, importance of the problem, dimensionality of the problem, previous research done and relevance of that to the present work. The problem at hand is fully explained here.
7. Review of Literature. A review of earlier researches done in relation to the research project is given in this chapter. The research gap is determined and need of study is also justified in this section. All studies carried out earlier are listed out here in a sequence.
8. Statements of Objectives. The objectives established and to be accomplished during the research are to be highlighted in this section. If some hypotheses are to be tested in the research, they are also stated here.
9. Methodology. This section deals with the research design to be used, data collection methods to be used, sampling techniques to be used field work to be carried out, analysis and interpretation to be done, limitations inherent in the project and finally, coverage (scope) of the research work is given in this section.
(a) Research Design. It gives details about the exploratory, explanatory or descriptive or experimental nature of the research work. Why a particular design is used and what is its importance, is also put in this section.
(b) Data Collection Method. Whether secondary or primary data is to be collected is explained. A copy of the questionnaire or schedule used is to be attached in appendix and its importance is highlighted in this section.
(c) Sampling Plan. Who is to be surveyed (sampling unit); how many are to be surveyed (sample size); how are they selected (sampling design); and how are they reached (sampling media). All these details are to be given in this section.
(d) Field Work. This section deals with the details of the field work to be carried out and methodology for administering the questionnaire or collection of secondary data. Not-at-homes, refusal to co-operate, respondent’s bias, and interviewer’s bias are also highlighted. These create problems in the data collection and subsequently, give rise to data collection errors.
(e) Data Analysis and Interpretation. Various statistical tools to be used (like averages, percentages, measures of dispersion, correlation, regression, and different statistical tests) to analyse and interpret the collected data are mentioned. If advanced techniques like multiple-regression analysis, discriminant analysis, factor analysis, and cluster analysis (which are termed as multivariate techniques for analysis of data) are to be used, these must be mentioned and justification for their use must be put forward in this section of the report.
(f) Limitations. Various constraints (viz., finance and time) facing the researcher which deter him/her in detailed analysis of the problem may be pinpointed. Also various limitations or demerits associated with the research problem must be pointed out in this section.
(g) Scope. What aspects are to be covered in the research are to be highlighted in brief in this section of methodology. A justification for limiting the research work to these limits is to be provided in this section.
10. Results and Discussion. This part of the research is also called analysis and interpretation. It forms the body of the written report. Here, results and findings are given and discussed. This part contains an assortment of tables, charts, graphs and an organised narratives of the results. Each table, chart, graph and picture is followed by a detailed summary interpreting that. The study objectives must be kept in mind while presenting results. All the information collected need not be given in the results. Only those information which have bearing on the objectives of the research should be included in the report.
11. Conclusions. The researcher should consider each of the objective and conclude the findings in view of that. Attempt must be made to show through the conclusions that the set objectives have been accomplished. Therefore, all the conclusions must be put forward in view of the objectives of the research.
12. Recommendations. For making recommendations, there must be a support from the results of the study. Recommendations must not be made just on utopian basis. The resources of the company to which recommendations are being made must be kept in mined.
13. Summary (Abstract). A brief summary of the report may be given at the end of the research report. In this section, the scope for further research must also be highlighted. An abstract is a brief on the research given in the beginning of the presentation.
14. Appendices. The information which are not directly related to the main body of the research report should be included in the appendices for those readers who want to go in-depth of certain aspects of the research work. This information are either too detailed or too much specialised. This information may encompass a detailed statement on the sample design, formulae used to determine the sample size, detailed statistical tables, the questionnaire, the detailed instructions for the interviewer and respondents, etc. If this information hinders in any way the understanding of the report should not be taken to the appendices. As such certain tables given as appendices may be explained in detail in the text of the report. So these tables must remain in the text itself. Because in their absence the text cannot be clearly understood by the reader.
15. Bibliography. Some researchers include bibliography in the appendices. But, it is wrong and it should be given at the end of research work. Some references given in the bibliography might not be used in the research work. But, they are given for the purpose of the future researchers so that these can also be consulted, if the need be. Because of this reason, the bibliography must be relegated to the end of the research work.
