MODULE Study and Thinking Skills

CHAPTER 7: Writing a Research Report

Objectives:
a.) Define a research paper and its guidelines
. steps
b.) Discuss the project proposals and its
. proposals
c.) Distinguish the research paper and project

WRITING A RESEARCH REPORT

A research report is an expanded paper that presents interpretations and
analyses of a phenomenon based on experiments and previous information so
that the readers can better understand it. It is a laborious work produced
through formal investigation and scientific inquiry.

Parts of a Research Report

1. Title Page – contain an informative title that describes the content of the
paper, the name of author/s, addresses or affiliations, and date of submission.
Examples of an informative title are the following:
a. Effects of Facebook on the Academic Achievement of first Year Students
b. Development and Validation of a Software for Detecting Plagiarism

2. Abstract – contains the summary of the research findings and conclusions. It

briefly presents the context of the study, research questions or objectives,
methodology, major findings, conclusions, and sometimes implications. An
abstract does not contain any citation or a great deal of statistical results. Its
length ranges from 100 to 250 words.

3. Introduction – explains the current state of the field and identifies research
gaps. It is also the part where the research focus is presented by addressing the
identified gaps in the topic. It puts the research topic in context. It is usually
three to five paragraphs long.

4. Literature Review – contains the summary and synthesis of all available

sources directly related to the study. In a research report, the literature review
is divided into two sections: related concepts and related studies.
Related concepts present some of the fundamental concepts needed by the
readers to better understand the study. Concepts and theories are defined,
explained, and described. Unlike related concepts, related studies are based on
previously conducted studies directly related to the paper. Both the related

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concepts and studies will help the writer explain the phenomena that may arise
in the study.
This section ends with a paragraph that synthesizes all of the
studies presented and puts the study in context. Hence, the last
paragraph may include the topic and specific research problems.
The length may range from two to three pages. Note that some
cases, the literature review is integrated in the introduction
section.

5. Methodology – describes how the experiments or tests in the research were

conducted. It presents the context within which the study was conducted, the
participants, the instruments used, data gathering procedure, and the data
analysis. In discussing the context of the study and the participants, the number
and the demographic profiles of the participants are explained as well as the
place where the study was conducted.
The discussion of the instrument used presents the tools in gathering data.
These tools may be in the form of a questionnaire, interview, focus group
discussion, survey, and tests, among others. All of the instruments used should
be described in detail, along with the explanation of how they were validated.
The data gathering sections presents the details on how the data were collected
while the data analysis section presents how the data were analyzed, either
qualitatively (coding scheme) or quantitatively (statistical tools).
The past tense is used in writing the methodology.

6. Results – factually describes the data gathered and the tables and graphs that
summarize the collected data. Along with the tables and graphs are their
respective interpretations. The flow of the results section should follow the flow
of the research questions/problems/objectives. It is expected that for each
research problem or objective, corresponding results are presented.

7. Discussion – provides an explanation of all the results in relation to the

previous studies presented in the literature review.

In this section, the research problems or objectives, as well as the

major findings, are restated in the first paragraph. The succeeding
paragraphs should explain whether the study supports or rejects
the previous findings and explain the reasons for this. New
findings uncovered in the research should also be stated. Similar
to the flow of the results, the discussion part follows the flow of
the research problems or objectives.

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8. Conclusion – contains the restatement of the major findings, the limitations

of the study, the recommendations, and the implications. Note that in some
cases, the conclusion is integrated into the discussion.
9. References – contains the different sources used in the study. These may be
academic books, journals, and other online sources. Its format depends on the
school, teacher, or field of study.

Steps in Writing a Research Report

Writing a research report may seem like a daunting task, but if
you break down the process into small steps, you will be able to
accomplish it effectively. The stages of writing a research report
also follow the basic writing process, with the few additions to
accommodate and address the different parts of the report.
1. Select and narrow down the topic. Use any of your preferred prewriting
activities to generate ideas.
2. Conduct a preliminary research by gathering the initial references.
3. Formulate the thesis statement and research questions. A good thesis
statement effectively guides and controls the flow of your paper.
4. Prepare a preliminary outline.
5. Gather additional references. Use the preliminary outline as a guide for this
stage.
6. Prepare the pre final outline.
7. Prepare your instruments, such as your questionnaire. Below are some
guidelines in preparing a survey instrument.

Preparing a Survey Instrument

A survey instrument is a document that lists planned questions used to measure
attitudes, perceptions, and opinions of the respondents. It contains responses
directly related to each specific research questions. It can either be in the form
of an interview guide or a questionnaire.
A survey instrument usually has four parts:
• Personal information section for participants/respondents (this is usually
optional since, except for disclosing the gender and age and other general
demographic information, most participants wish to remain anonymous)
• Basic questions that establish the eligibility of the
participants/respondents
• Main questions that are directly linked to the research questions.
• Open-ended questions (optional)

When preparing a survey instrument, follow these steps:

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a. Do a preliminary research. You may visit your library or use online sources
for this.
b. Talk to a person who is knowledgeable in preparing survey instruments.
c. Master the guidelines in preparing a questionnaire or interview guide.
d. Clarify your research questions. Be sure that the items indicated in your
survey instruments are directly related to each specific research questions.
e. Write the instrument using the appropriate format. Get model instruments if
needed.
f. Edit your instrument and match it with your research questions.
g. Revise when necessary.
h. Pilot your survey instrument to further improve its quality. This means that
you have to get some respondents (colleagues or a small sample of the target
respondents) to try to answer the instrument and give you feedback. Then, revise
the instrument accordingly.
8. Implement the instrument and gather the data.
9. Analyze the collected data and interpret it through tables and
graphs.
10. Write the methodology and result sections.
11. Write the introduction and literature review.
12. Write the discussion. Be sure to link the literature review to the discussion
section.
13. Write the conclusion.
14. Prepare the reference list. Be sure to list all the items citied in the body of
your paper. It is useful to keep a separate word document or physical notebook
where you can list your reference as you come across them to make sure you do
not leave anything out when you have to prepare the reference list
15. Edit and format your paper. Observe the proper mechanics.

Guidelines in Writing a Research Report

Now that you are aware of the steps in writing a research report, follow the
writing guidelines below to ensure that your report is well-written.
1. Fifty to seventy-five percent of the paper should be devoted to results and
discussion.
2. Be sure to cite all your sources whether they are paraphrased or directly
quoted.
3. As with the previous types of written works, use direct quotations sparingly;
paraphrase as much as possible.
4. Strictly follow the required documentation style.
5. Topics should be relevant, interesting, current, and manageable in terms of
resources, skills needed, and time. They should not be too sensitive and too
controversial.

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6. Research questions should directly address the given topic or thesis

statement.

Example:
Title: Effect of Facebook on the Academic Performance of Senior High School
Students
Thesis statement: Facebook has an effect on the academic performance of senior
high school students
Research questions:
(1) Does exposure to Facebook affect students’ performance during examination?
(2) Does exposure to Facebook affect students’ attention span during class
activities?
(3) Does exposure to Facebook affect students’ participation in
curricular activities?

WRITING A PROJECT PROPOSAL

A project proposal is a highly persuasive and informative documents that aims
to address a particular problem or issue. It is a bid or offer to initiate a project
for an individual or a group. It usually ranges from 1,000 to 2,500 words
depending on the complexity of the project being proposed.

A good project proposal specifies the following:

• Goals and objectives that the project wants to accomplish;
• Project plan that details how the set goals and objectives will be
accomplished;
• Financial, human (e.g., experts, consultants), and technical (e.g.,
equipment and facilities) resources useful in implementing the project;
and
• Budget that specifies how much money is needed and for what purpose it
will be spent.
Types of Project Proposal
There are four types of project proposals which vary depending on the context
of the problem and the receiver and sender of proposals.
1. Solicited internal
• It is used when the target reader is within the organization.
• It responds to a specific request within the organization.
• The problem has been identified within the organization and the decision
to solve it has been made.
2. Unsolicited internal
• It is used when the target reader is within the organization.
• It is a self-initiated proposal that no one asked for.

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• The target reader has not yet identified that a problem exists within the
organization; hence, no decision has been made to solve the problem.
3. Solicited external
• It is used when the target reader is not within the organization.
• It responds to a specific request from someone who is not within the
company.
• The problem has been identified and the decision to solve it has been
made.
4. Unsolicited external
• It is used when the target reader is not within the organization.
• It is self-initiated proposals that no one ask for.
• The target reader has not yet identified that a problem exists; hence, no
decision has been made to solve the problem.
Parts of a Project Proposal
1. Cover letter
• Introduces the proposals to the reader
• States the project proposal title, date the proposal was requested (if
solicited), general purpose and scope of the proposal, and
acknowledgement of people who have contributed to the completion of
the proposals
• Includes the highlights of the proposal and directs the readers to this
highlights

2. Title Page
• Includes the project title that is concise and informative
• Includes the lead organization, place and date of project, client’s or
donor’s name, proponent’s name and the department or organization
he/she represents, and date of submissions

3. Abstract of Executive Summary

• Includes the objectives, implementing organization, major project
activities and total project cost
• Usually composed of 200 to250 words and highlights only the major
points; some abstract may be longer depending on the culture of the
funding agency
• Uses a paragraph format

4. Context of the Proposal

• Describes the socio-economic, cultural, and political background in
which the proposal is situated.

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• Presents data collected from other sources that are relevant to the
planning stage

5. Project Justification
• Provides a rationale for the project
• Includes the problem statement that specifies the problem addressed
by the project
• Points out why the problem is an issue that requires immediate
attention
• Specifies the target group’s needs that arise from the adverse effect of
the described problem
• Presents the approach or strategy that will be used to address the
problem
• Describes the capability of the implementing organization or group by
stating its track record
Note: When writing this section, justify why your organization or group is the
best group to implement the project.

6. Personnel Involved
• List the people involved in the project, their corresponding roles, and
their summary of qualifications

7. Project implementation
• Is divided into an activity plan which specifies the schedule of activities
and a resource plan which specifies the items needed to implement the
project
• Describes the activities and resource allocation in detail, as well as the
person in charge of executing the activities
• Indicates the time and place of activities

8. Budget
• Presents the expected income and expenses over a specified time period
• Itemizes the budget

9. Monitoring and Evaluation

• Specifies when and how the team will monitor the progress of the
project
• Specifies the method for monitoring and evaluation
• Specifies the personnel in charge of monitoring and evaluation

10. Reporting Scheme

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• Specifies the schedule for reporting the finances and progress of the
project

11. Conclusion
• Briefly describes the project, the problem it addresses, and its benefits
to all stakeholders through a summary
• Directs the readers back to the good features of the project
• Urges the readers to contact the proponent to work out the details of
the project proposals

12. References
• Lists all the references used in drafting the project proposal using the
format required the funding agency

Guidelines in Preparing for a Project Proposal

1. Decide what the problem is and prepare a rough idea on how this problem can
be addressed.
2. Develop or select a framework that will help you organize your
ideas systematically.
3. Identify the organization that will probably fund your project. These can be
government agencies, non-governmental organizations, private companies, and
foundations, and international funding agencies.
4. Build your project proposal team and appoint a project leader who is
responsible for coordinating activities and communicating with the funding
agency.
5. Identify the organization that will probably fund your project. These can be
government agencies, non-governmental organizations, private companies and
foundations, and international funding agencies.
6. Hold and initial meeting with your team to discuss the plans in preparing the
project proposal.
7. Allot sufficient time for planning.
8. Involve all the team members by assigning specific responsibilities to them.
9. Be realistic with your project proposal. Make sure that your objectives and
activities are within the given time and resources.
10. Contact the funding agency if some items and requirements are not clear to
you.
11. Always put yourself in the shoes of the receiver of the project
proposal.
Guidelines in Writing a Project Proposal

1. The title page must be unnumbered but it is considered page I; the back page
of the title page is unnumbered as well; but it is considered page ii. The abstract,

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which follows after the title page, is considered page 1 and must already be
numbered.
2. Do not use abbreviations on the title page.
3. Attach the curriculum vitae of the personnel who are part of them.
4. In the project implementation section, use a Gantt chart for presenting the
timeframe.
5. Write the abstract after you have completed the report.
6. Study the successful proposals that are similar to yours.
7. Be factual but use technical terms sparingly.
8. Choose a reader-friendly format
9. Use sections words to make your proposal more dynamic

For More Knowledge:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1kjWgIiPRM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsGBuu88WE0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moJNIbsjgI4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=166FXhGd9T4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1b3iteSyg1I

Reference:
https://www.grammarly.com/blog/how-to-write-a-research-
paper/

https://www.mavenlink.com/resources/project- -
proposal#:~:text=A%20project%20proposal%20is%20the,an%20organization%20an
d%20outside%20contributors.&text=Proposals%20are%20generally%20drafted%20
during,made%20and%20resources%20are%20allocated

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