GENERAL OUTLINE OF THE
RESEARCH REPORT
The
Preliminaries/Front Matter
1. Abstract—A brief
summary which restates the problem, the procedures, the main findings,
and the major conclusions. It is usually about 200 words or less
in length. It is considered optional unless the report or journal format
specifically calls for it.
2. Title—The title, in
effect, serves as part of the abstract and should, within a reasonable
length, be descriptive of the study.
3. Copyright notice—copyright protection is effective for the life of the author plus seventy
years. All publications automatically receive copyright
protection, but there are possible advantages to be gained from actually registering
a publication with the Copyright Office.
4. Acknowledgments
(optional).
5. Table of contents—this
is particularly important if the report is relatively long.
6.List of tables (where
needed).
7.List of figures
(graphic illustrations other than tables).
The Text
1. Introduction and
problem
a. Brief
introduction—This is not always considered desirable as it usually
summarizes the report and therefore becomes somewhat redundant. It
can help to express the purpose of the study at an early point
in
the report.
b. Statement of the
problem—This section also typically includes a brief
review of
documents relevant to the problem.
c. Identification of
subproblems, if any
d. Delimitations of the
study
e. Conceptual definitions
of key terms
f. Abbreviations, if
needed
g. Statement of the need
or justification for the study
h. A note on the
organization of the remainder of the report
2. Review of related
literature—This review will build on the briefer literature
review
provided for the problem statement. It should provide the conceptual
basis for the hypothesis to follow. It may also draw on related
subject
fields. If individuals are cited, their authority should be
indicated.
3. Conceptual framework
of the study—As is true for the proposal, many
researchers prefer
that this section precede the literature review and
often include it
in the introductory or problem section.
a. Hypothesis(es) and/or
research questions
b. Assumptions—These
basic assumptions help to support the logic of
the hypothesis.
c.Operational definitions
of important concepts
4. Design of the
study—The design of the study is broader than the basic
research
method (e.g., survey), which should already be apparent at
this
point. The description of the design should be clear and precise
about what was done and how it was done.
a. The population and
sampling procedures, if any—This section should
include a
description of the research locale or setting if important.
b. Sources of relevant
data, including criteria for admissibility
c. Data collection
techniques and instruments
d. Data analysis
techniques.
5. Results
a. Descriptive
statistics, if utilized
b. Inferential
statistics—The section where hypotheses, if any, are tested
c. Other findings—An
optional section of miscellaneous findings or
results not directly
related to the hypothesis
d. Summary of results
6. Summary and
conclusions
a.
Summary of the study
b.Interpretations and
conclusions
c.Limitations of the
results
d.Recommendations, if
any, for future research
Back Matter
1. References—The list
of citations or footnotes, if not provided at the
appropriate
locations in the text.
2. Bibliography—A list
of other “classic” studies and highly relevant
items; it also
will include the references, if not listed separately.
3. Appendix—The
appendix or appendices should include only supplementary material not
essential to an understanding of the text.
