Dr.

Abdul ADAMU
Department of Business Administration
Nasarawa State University Keffi

RESEARCH
REPORTS
 Definitions

Types

Why the need to write papers and

reports?

characteristics

Components of a research reports

Components of a technical reports

Contents Formatting
What is?
• A research report is a document that describes the results of a
research project or study.
• It is a written account of the research process, including the
research question or problem, the methods used to investigate
the question or problem, the results of the investigation, and the
conclusions drawn from those results.
• A research report is a reliable source to recount details about a
conducted research. It is most often considered to be a true
testimony of all the work done to garner specificities of research.
Types

Thesis/Dissertation/
Technical reports
Project reports
Thesis/Dissertation/Project
reports

• Important academic paper

• Presents the research and
findings of an author
• Requirement for a degree.
• Format provided by SPGS
Technical reports

• Written in various formats;

Presents technical information,
data, or findings related to a • research articles,
specific topic or field. • conference papers,
• white papers.

• They can be used to;

Written for a specialized • Present research findings,

audience, • New technologies,
other
engineers, technical • Methodologies, or
scientists,
or professional
s. • Best practices in a particular field.
 Originality

Significant contribution to
knowledge in the field(s) of
study.
Clear, concise, and
informative
Characteristics Elegance and clarity are
always desirable

Grammar and spelling errors,

typos - not acceptable

Excessive use of jargon

should be avoided
Why?

To make your
To fulfill your
research
degree
accessible to
requirements
others.
Components of a
Thesis/Dissertation/Project Reports

• Three (3) broad divisions:

• Preliminary (Front matters)
• Main body (Body matter)
• Supplementary materials (Back matter)
Preliminary (Front matters)
Half-title page
• Contents page
Title page
• List of Tables
Declaration page
• List of figures
Certification page
• List of Abbreviations
Dedication
• Abstract
Acknowledgements
Half-title page & Title page
Declaration & Certification Page
Dedication

To
One Could be Should not
Whoever
person God be flooded
you want
Acknowledgements
Thank the people who have contributed to your degree

Main supervisor,

Co-supervisor(s) and

People who have helped you shape your academic profile.

Administrative staff at the Faculty,

Close colleagues, friends, spouse, kids, parents, and (optionally) God.

Only place where you may reveal personal information about yourself
and your life.
List of Tables/figures/abbreviations

Abbreviatio
Tables Figures
ns
Contains all Contains all Abbreviations
tables and their figures and their used in the
page numbers. page numbers. body,
Titles of the Titles of the listed in an
tables may be figures may be alphabetical
shortened if shortened if order.
needed. needed.
Abstract
• Concise description of the thesis • Should not contain references.
• The problems discussed in it and • Best written towards the end of
their proposed solution. the repot writing process.
• Brief problem
• The abstract will be the most
• Methodology
widely read and published part of
• focus on the result
your thesis:
• Major recommendations
• Potential reader will first look at it
• It is a self-contained text
• Word limits (300-350)
Main body (body matter)
Chapter 1: Chapter 2:
Introduction Literature review

Chapter 3: Chapter 4: Data

Research Presentation and
Methodology Analysis

Chapter 5;
Summary,
Conclusions and
Recommendations
Chapter 1: Introduction
Background to the study
Problem statement
Research questions
Objectives of the study
Significance of the study
Scope of the study
Definition of terms (if any)
Chapter 2: Conceptual review
Literature
review Empirical reviews

Theoretical reviews

Literature gap(s)
Chapter 3: Research Methodology

Research design

Population and sample

Data collection and model
specifications
Data analysis

Justifications of methods
Chapter 4: Data presentation
Data
Presentatio Data analysis
Preliminary tests
Test of hypotheses

n and
Post estimation tests

Analysis Discussion of findings

Contribution to
knowledge/implications
Chapter 5; Summary, Conclusions and
Recommendations

Summary

Conclusions

Recommendations

Suggestions for further studies

Limitations of the study

BACK
References or
MATTERS Bibliography
• Styles of the discipline

Appendices
• Questionnaire
• List of population/sample
• Tables
• Analysis results
Formatting Font and spacing

Margins

Paginations

Illustration

languages
Font and Spacing
General text is double-spaced in portrait format

Single spacing used for footnotes or lengthy quotations

Triple or larger spacing may be used where necessary to set off headings, sub
headings, or illustrations
Font, font size, style of footnotes and references must be consistent

Times New Roman 12pt is recommended

Smaller fonts may be used for footnotes, graphs, etc. but must be sufficiently
clear
Margins For thesis/Dissertation
binding, use these
margins:
• Left: 3.8 cm (1.5 inches);
• Right: 2.5 cm (1.0 inch)
• Top and Bottom: 3.0 cm (1.25
inches)

For upload on
repositories,
• all margins should be 2.5 cm
(1.0 inch)
Pagination
All pages must have a number

All page numbers are centered at bottom of page

Acknowledgements, Abstract, Summary, and Table of Contents use lower case

Roman numerals (i, ii, iii)
Title page is (i) but suppress the number (not indicated)

Body of thesis text uses Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3)

Figures, Tables, Plates, Appendixes are numbered consecutively with Arabic

numerals to the end of the Bibliography/References
Illustrations
• Tables, figures, photographs, scanned images and other non-text material
whether in black/white or colour should be legible, arranged neatly and
effectively, and must always be referred to in the text.
• Title of a table should be placed above the table, and the title of a figure or
plate should be positioned below the figure.
• Oversize maps, charts or diagrams must be folded so that they can be bound
with the pages or, as is most common, inserted in a pocket fastened to the
inside of the back cover when the thesis is bound.
• If possible, media containing additional print or non-print material should be
included in a pocket fastened to the inside of the back cover when the thesis
is bound.
• Prints, photo-offsets or scanned images should be provided in all required
copies of the thesis.
• Where not forming a complete page, non-text material should be properly
Language

Language of All theses – English

Exception may be for some
Departments
• French
• Arabic
• Modern Languages,
• Literatures and Cultures
Q&A
THANK
YOU