How to Write a Research Report

As a college student, you will usually be required to write various reports for purposes of assessment. Research reports are commonly used in multiple fields including engineering, sciences, and psychology among several others. Your primary objective when it comes to a research report is to write it concisely and clearly on the required topic to allow the reader to quickly comprehend both the purpose and the results of your research.

What is a Research Report?

A research report or research paper is recorded data which is prepared by a statistician or researcher after evaluating information collected by carrying out a systematic investigation, generally in the form of qualitative methods or surveys. These assignments are often spread across various topic horizons although they are centered on conveying information on a specific topic and a distinct target market.

There are various types of reports depending on the purpose, and some of the most common ones include an academic, business, clinical, research project and market research report. Samples of the above are readily available online.

Why writing Research Report is important

The primary objective of a research report is to communicate the fundamental details of a study. An effective research report template helps develop or demonstrate your capacity to embark on a complete piece of research. It is mainly used to aid in assessment purposes; hence the need for you to convey specific facts, events among other essential details as required the relevant individuals.

How to write a Research Report

Essentially, this type of assignment needs to be extremely accurate to effectively and convey the necessary information. You should follow a well-defined research report format with a clear outline of the required details. If you have no idea, you can refer to various formal report examples available online as a reference guide.

Structure:

When drafting your paper, it is vital that you carefully read through all the course information to ensure that you comply with everything as stipulated by your tutor/lecturer. It comprises three main parts:

• Preliminary material: This category encompasses various components including the title, table of contents, and a Synopsis/Abstract.
• The body: This category encompasses various components including Introduction, Literature Review, methodology, results, discussion, conclusion, and Recommendations, the latter which can sometimes be included in your conclusion.
• Supplementary material: This is the last category of a report and usually includes a Bibliography/References and Appendices.

Main Components

While the details of a report vary depending on the topic, the main parts remain constant. Below are the main components:

1.  Introduction:

This is the purpose of the report. You can include a short appraisal of your main literature review on the given topic. You can also add brief details about what methods you have used not to mention outlining your structure.

2.  Literature Review:

This is a comprehensive and broad survey of the entire literature inclusive of any theory.

3.  Methodology:

This is the section where you outline the approach and methodologies you used during your research. In essence, you describe what did you do? And how did you do it? It needs to be written clearly so that it allows any other interested researcher who is looking to duplicate your research to do so with ease.

4.  Results:

This is where you need to indicate everything you identified in your research. Essentially, you outline your results without interpreting them.

5.  Discussion:

This is the section where you need to discuss both the relevance of the report results not to mention how the findings fit with other studies within the context.

6.  Conclusion:

It is a summary of all the essential findings/results.

7.  Recommendations:

Usually outlined in order of importance, recommendations can include suggestions for what should be done about your findings.

Step-by-step Guide To Writing a Research Report

STEP 1: Start by analyzing the task

Just like with any other write my assignment requests, it is essential first to analyze what your tutor/lecturer expects of you. Usually, this entails you carefully reading the assigned task as outlined in your main course book. Below are some useful components you may find to help you analyze the task:

• Main Purpose: depending on your task, it can usually be outlining, describing, persuading, or examining an investigation.
• The target audience
• Word count limit
• Topic: it can be specified by your tutor, or you can have a choice
• Expected format

STEP 2: Create a draft/Rough Plan

Start by scribbling down anything and everything you already know relating to the topic in all the relevant sections. Also, create a thesis statement which defines the general purpose of your paper.

STEP 3: Do the Research

Use steps 1 and 2 to guide your writing efforts. While doing your research, be sure to keep referring to both your rough plan and analysis to remain on course.

Ensure you allocate yourself adequate time to carry out this step since this is the most time-consuming step in the entire process.

STEP 4: Draft the Body

The body of your paper includes all the main components of a report starting from the introduction down to the recommendations. Ensure all the components are written clearly and as per the instructions.

STEP 5: Draft the Supplementary Material

As earlier mentioned, the supplementary materials of your paper mainly include the References/Bibliography and the Appendices.

When it comes to Bibliography/references, it comprises all the references you have used in your work, or you have referred to for background information. Ensure you do so in line with the referencing layouts and formatting as stipulated by your tutor/lecturer.

As for the Appendices, you need to refer them in the body of your report and ensure that they have a clear purpose for their inclusion. You should also ensure that you effectively name and number all your appendices.

STEP 6: Draft the Preliminary Material

As aforementioned, the preliminary is the final section that includes the Title, Synopsis/Abstract, and Table of contents. Your Title should be clear and concise and outline precisely what your research is about, while the abstract should give a brief overview of your report.

STEP 7: Polish Your Report

The final step is to go through it and ensure that it is in line with the requirements as outlined in your coursework guide.

5 TIPS FOR WRITING RESEARCH REPORTS FOR STUDENTS

1. Start by creating an outline: Remember how your middle school teacher taught you about organizing your work before you start writing? It should also take a similar approach.
2. Have a clear, concise format: Ensure that you are consistent with numbering, lettering, indentation, among other relevant components. Adhere to the specified format!
3. Establish a working model: Every study needs to have core logic to it established on the evidence and the report.
4. Check your grammar and spelling: Like with all other writings, ensure your spelling and grammar is spot on! No one wants to read research packed with typos and grammatical error.
5. Be creative with your titles: This is especially so in quadrant analyses or segmentation studies. Simply go for names that speak some life to your work! You can refer to numerous research report templates which are available online to get a clear picture if what is required of you.