Unit 5

Structure & Components of research

report (layout)
A) Preliminary pages
B) Main Text
C) End Matter
 Structure & Components of research
report
A. Preliminary pages
– Title & Date (cover page)
– Acknowledgements (preface or foreword)
– Table of contents
– List of tables, figures, variables & Illustrations
 Structure & Components of research
report
B) Main Text
– Introduction
– Statement of findings & recommendations
– Results
– Implication of results
– Summary
 Structure & Components of research
report
C. End Matter
– Appendices ( questionnaires, sample
information, mathematical derivations, etc..)
– References & Bibliography
– Index (alphabetical listing of names, places,
topics)
 Types of reports
A. Technical report
B. Popular report
 Types of reports
A. Technical report (general outline)
– Summary of results
– Nature of the study
– Methods employed
– Data
– Analysis of data & presentation of findings
– Conclusions
– Bibliography
– Technical appendices
– Index
 Types of reports
B. Popular report (gives emphasis on simplicity
and attractiveness- minimization of technical
details)
– The findings and their implications
– Recommendations for action
– Objective of the study
– Methods employed
– Results
– Technical appendices
Mechanics of writing a research report
• Size and physical design
• Procedure
• Layout
• Treatment of quotations
• The footnotes
• Documentation style
• Punctuations and abbreviations in footnote
• Use of statistics, charts and graphs
• The final drafts
• Bibliography
• Preparation of index
Referencing in academic writing

Part-1
• Why reference?
• In order to acknowledge other people’s work whenever
you make use of their work in your own writing.
• This applies whether you quote their words directly or
express their ideas in your own words.
• If you do not do this, you can be accused of plagiarism.
• What is plagiarism?
• Plagiarism is actually intellectual theft.
• It means you are presenting someone else’s work as your
own and this can have serious disciplinary consequences.
 Why Should You Cite?

• To avoid accusation of plagiarism

• To prove that your paper / assignment is
supported by facts
• To enable other researchers to trace or
refer to your sources
 How to Avoid Plagiarism ?

• Inevitably your writing will involve discoveries,

ideas and writings of experts in your field of
study but this must be incorporated carefully in
your work

• Quoting, Paraphrasing and Summarising are

different ways to incorporate the work of other
writers in your own writing
 Methods of notemaking
• Three Methods of note-making:

1.Quoting Sources
2.Paraphrasing sources
3.Summarizing sources
 Quoting

• Use brackets, ellipses, the

present tense and attributive
phrases when quoting.
 Example:
Quote the below:
• Malls are designed to maximize profits. They
were not built as a replacement for the Main
street. If Intimacy encourages sales, there will
be intimacy

(Interview with Richard Marks, the Chairman of the

Environmental sub committee for the International
council of Shopping Centres)
 Sample answer
• The Chairman of Environmental
Subcommittee for the International
Council of Shopping Centres, asserts. “
Malls are designed to maximize profits”.
 Example:
Quote the below:
• In 1979, one week after receiving a 13.3% pay
rise, she was called on the carpet.

(about Virginia Rulon-Miller)

 Sample answer
• According to the report “ [i]n 1979.....
[Virginia Rulon-Miller] was called on the
carpet.
 Paraphrasing
• A paraphrase is a restatement,
in your own words, of a
passage of text. Words and
sentence structure should not
reflect that of the source. Only
an occasional word is allowed
(not whole phrases).
 Example:
Paraphrase the below:
• Parents need to be able to talk to their children
about where they are going and what they are
doing. This same commonsense rule applies to
their children’s lives on the screen. Parents
don’t have to become technical experts, but
they do need to learn enough about computer
networks to discuss with their children what
and who is out there and lay down some basic
safety rules.
– Sherry Turkle, “Life on the Screen: Identity in the Age of Internet’, page 227
 Sample answer
• Just as parents should make sure they know
their children’s where abouts and activities in
real life, so should they monitor their
children’s online activities. Without having to
master the complexities of these new
technologies, they can still become familiar
enough with online systems to talk with their
children about their online activities. In
doing so, they should also establish
guidelines for their children to follow.
 Summarizing

• A summary is a brief ,
objective account , in your
own words, of the main
idea in a source.
• Writing a summary involves two things:
–Understanding the original passage
or information thoroughly and,
– Writing the passage or
information in shortened form

To understand the original passage requires very careful reading. Read

it several times . After you have completely understood the passage,
make a note of the important points
 Useful tips for summarizing
• Leave out unimportant details
• Use a word which can replace several words
• Leave out some examples
• Leave out repetitions or redundant sentences
• Leave out some adjectives
 Example:
Summarize the below:
• In the United States, communities seem to be deteriorating
from a complex combination of causes. In the inner cities of
big urban centres, many people fear street crime and stay of
the streets at night. In the larger suburban and post-subarban
areas, many people hardly know their neighbours and ‘latch
key ‘children have little adult contact after school. An African
proverb which says that “it takes the whole village to raise a
child” refers to a rich community life with a sense of mutual
responsibility that is difficult to find in many new
neighbourhoods. Some advocates believe that computer
technology in concert with other efforts could play a role in
rebuilding community life by improving communication,
economic opportunity, civic participation and education.
– Ron Cling, “Social Relationships in Electronic forums : Hangouts, Salons, Workplaces and Communities.” CMC Magazine, July 22, 1996.
 Sample answer
• CMC is potentially so powerful a medium of
exchange that some believe it can promote
dialogue within communities that are
declining. A community, afterall, is built on
people acting in the interests of their
neighbours for the common good. Via E-
mail, online newsgroups, and e-forums,
neighbours will have new ways of looking
out for one another.
 Referencing in academic writing
• Harvard
• Chicago
• APA (American Psychological Association)
• AMA (American Medical Association)
• Vancouver - health sciences
• CSE (Council of Science Editors)
• IEEE(Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)
• MLA(Modern Language Association of America)