The document outlines the typical structure of a research report, which consists of 7 components: 1) Abstract, 2) Introduction, 3) Literature Review, 4) Methods, 5) Results, 6) Conclusions, and 7) References. Each section serves a specific purpose, such as the abstract summarizing the main points, the introduction providing context and importance, the literature review summarizing prior research, and the methods, results, and conclusions sections describing the study. Proper formatting and inclusion of all relevant components is important for a high-quality research report.

1. Presentation
on
‘Writing a Research Report’
Prepaired By:
Nirmal Singh Kaserla
M.A,M.LIB.SC,M.ED,M.PHIL (UGC NET)
Dept of Library & Information science
Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra

3. Writing a Research Report
A article, paper, or report about research generally takes
a structure or form that seems difficult but is intended to help
make reading it or using it for research quick and efficient.
A research report has seven components:
I. Abstract or Summary
II. Introduction
III. Review of Literature
IV. Methods
V. Results
VI. Conclusions and Discussion
VII. References

4. I. Abstract or Summary
The abstract or summary tells the reader
very briefly what the main points and findings of
the paper are.
 This allows the reader to decide whether the
paper is useful to them.
 Get into the habit of reading only abstracts while
searching for papers that are relevant to your
research.
 Read the body of a paper only when you think it
will be useful to you.

5. Abstract or Summary—an example

6. II. Introduction
i. The introduction tells the reader:
• what the topic of the paper is in general terms.
• why the topic is important.
• what to expect in the paper.
ii. Introductions should:
• funnel from general ideas to the specific topic of the
paper.
• justify the research that will be presented later
iii. Introductions are sometimes folded into literature
reviews.

7. Introduction—an example

8. III. Review of Literature
The literature review tells the reader what other
researchers have discovered about the paper’s topic or tells the
reader about other research that is relevant to the topic. Often
what students call a “research paper” is merely a literature
review.
 A literature review should shape the way readers think
about a topic—it educates readers about what the
community of scholars says about a topic and its
surrounding issues.
 Along the way it states facts and ideas about the social
world and supports those facts and ideas with evidence
for from where they came .

9. Review of Literature—examples of citing

10. IV. Methods
A METHODS SECTION MUST CONTAIN:
1. Descriptions of Data (Think in terms of: “Who, What, When, Where, Why
and How?”)
Report:
A. The Target Population
B. The Ways Data were Collected:
1. Sampling
2. Delivery Methods
C. Response Rates
D. Sample sizes resulting from various decisions .

11. A METHODS SECTION MUST CONTAIN:
2. Descriptions of Variables
First for dependent, then for independent variables, report:
A. Names for the variables—make them intuitive!
B. Word for word description of the questions.
C. Final coding scheme—the numbers you assigned to responses.
3. Manipulations of the variables or data.
4. Reflection on ability of data to generalize to the target population.
5. Statistical techniques that will be used to test your hypotheses and
the statistics program used.

12. Methods-an example

13. V. Results
The results section chronicles the outcome
of the statistical analyses, assessing whether
your hypotheses were correct and why or why
not.

14. The results section includes:
a. Narrative describing most relevant findings
b. Professional tables showing descriptive and inferential
statistics
• Tables must be numbered and have a descriptive
title.
• There are conventions for formatting.
For example:
– Asterisks are used to highlight results that are
statistically important
– All numbers in a column are aligned on decimals

15. Results-an example

16. VI. Conclusions and Discussion
This section assesses how one’s research findings relate
to what the community have accepted as facts.
Things that should be done:
1. Summarize the most salient points of your research (tell
the reader what you found out about your topic).
2. Discuss the general significance of your topic and
findings.
3. Discuss the shortcomings of your study and how these
might affect your findings.

17. The Conclusions and Discussion section includes:
4. Discuss things future researchers should investigate
about your topic to advance knowledge about it.
5. Help the reader gain the knowledge that you think he or
she ought to have about the topic. You spent a lot of
time exploring the, you should share your expertise.

18. VII.References
The references are just as important as any other part of
your paper.
 References are the empirical support for claims in a paper
that are not directly observed in the research. They are
needed for researchers to remain empirical in their
descriptions of topics.
 Link the paper to the community of scholars, permitting
readers to assess the worthiness claims in a paper.
 Make the research process much more efficient because
they make it very easy to look up sources of facts and ideas.

19. References—an example

20. Conclusion
A research report is an eye-opener to others
to judge the work done by the researcher in the
field of given research. The research report
consists of research that one does on the topic as
well as interpretation of the information,
including applicability to the teaching
assignment. It explains how one will use the
information that comes to the focus, how it will
impact on teaching pedagogy, discipline methods,
curriculum development, assessment, etc.