This slide (article) will give you a comprehensive understanding of how to structure and present your findings professionally, ensuring your research reports are impactful and engaging. You'll learn about what a research report is, how to create one, where to find research topics, the importance of citations and various citation styles, how to select the right citation style, the key parts of a research report, and how to put them all together effectively. Having a well-researched project, with proper citations, a good topic, and complete reports, will attract more people and help you do well in your studies and research.

1. By:
Engr. ONOH Ikechukwu Maxwell (Ph.D., MBA, ICAN student)

2. A Research Report in science and technology is
a written document which presents the results
or findings of an experiment or field observation
in a coherent and logical manner.
A good research report must present sufficient
information so that its readers can:-
• assess observations
• repeat experiments and;
• evaluate intellectual processes.

3. To generate a research report, a
research process must have taken
place.
Research can said to be the process
of arriving at dependable solutions
to problems through planned and
systematic collection, analysis and
interpretation of data.

4. To most students, the most difficult aspect of a
research project is the choice of a research topic.
Although there are no standard rules that will ensure
the suitability of a research problem, but a number of
suggestions can be made as guides in the choice of a
research topic. They are:
(i) The topic must be of personal interest to the
researcher.
(ii) The topic should be sufficiently original that it
does not involve objectionable duplication.
(iii) The topic must be significant. (i.e. Capable of
contributing to existing knowledge).
(iv) The research into the problem must be feasible.
(v) The topic must be consistent with the
researcher’s competence, interest and
circumstance.

5. 1) A research topic can evolve from
personal experiences and observation of
a set of problems.
2) A review of literature on subjects of
interest can reveal several important
issues and problems that call for
research.
3) Many past research projects often make
recommendations for future research.
4) Theories, which are propositions
explaining certain phenomena are also
good sources of research topics.
Sources of Research Topics...

6. What is a citation and citation style?
A citation is a way of giving credit to individuals for their creative and intellectual
works that you utilized to support your research. It can also be used to locate
particular sources and combat plagiarism. Typically, a citation can include the
author's name, date, location of the publishing company, journal title, or DOI (Digital
Object Identifier).
A citation style dictates the information necessary for a citation and how the
information is ordered, as well as punctuation and other formatting.
How to do I choose a citation style?
There are many different ways of citing resources from your research. The citation
style sometimes depends on the academic discipline involved. For example:
APA (American Psychological Association) is used by Education, Psychology, and
Sciences
MLA (Modern Language Association) style is used by the Humanities
Chicago/Turabian style is generally used by Business, History, and the Fine Arts

7. APA 7th Citation Examples
Material Type In-text Citation Bibliography
A book (Sapolsky, 2017) Sapolsky, R. M. (2017). Behave: The
biology of humans at our best and
worst. Penguin Books.
An article in a print journal (Weinstein, 2009) Weinstein, J. (2009). “The market in
Plato’s Republic.” Classical
Philology, 104(4), 439-458.
An article in an electronic
journal
(Grady et al., 2019) Grady, J. S., Her, M., Moreno, G.,
Perez, C., & Yelinek, J. (2019).
Emotions in storybooks: A comparison
of storybooks that represent ethnic
and racial groups in the United
States. Psychology of Popular Media
Culture, 8(3), 207–
217. https://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000
185

8. COMPONENTS OF RESEARCH REPORT
a) Preliminary pages.
b) Chapter 1 - Introduction.
c) Chapter 2 - Review of related Literature.
d) Chapter 3 – Materials and Methods.
e) Chapter 4 – Results and Discussion
f) Chapter 5 - Conclusion and Recommendations.
g) References.
The major components of a research paper are;

9. This usually includes:-
 Title Page
 Dedication
 Acknowledgements
 Table of Contents
 List of Tables
 List of Figures (If any)
 Abstract (around 200/250 words), which briefly describes
objectives of study, research methods used in the study, major
findings and implications.
PRELIMINARY PAGES

10. 1. Background to the study which sets
the general tone for the study.
2. Statement of the problem which
informs the reader of the specific
problem under study.
3. Purpose of the study which is a quick
overview of the research itself.
4. Research Questions and Hypothesis.
5. Scope of the study which covers both
the content scope and geographical
scope.
6. Operational Definition of Terms.
CHAPTER ONE - INTRODUCTION
The introduction part of the research report should set
the initial tone for research paper. It should provide the
following;

11. The formulation and the use of hypothesis in research provides a guide and
direction to the research. A tentative “answer” to the question that your
investigation will confirm or disconfirm.
Hypothesis...
There are basically two types of hypothesis:
(i) Non–parametric hypothesis where variables are not expressed in
measurable terms.
(ii) Parametric hypothesis where the relationship between two or more
variables are expressed in statistical and measurable terms.
A good hypothesis should be:
 Testable
 A statement of an expected relationship between two
or more variables
 Plausible
 Consistent with current knowledge
 Unambiguous.

12. This chapter deals with the review of literatures which are considered important
to the study.
It can be discussed under the following sub-headings:-
1) Conceptual Framework — Here, the conceptual model of the study is
provided with explanation of linkages.
2) Theoretical Framework — The major theory or theories related to the topic are
reviewed here and the relevance of the theories to the study are indicated.
3) Empirical studies using relevant sub-headings — Empirical studies are
abstract-like in nature. It should indicate the purpose of study, sample and
sampling technique, instruments for data collection, method of data analysis,
and major findings of the studies reviewed.
4) Appraisal of Reviewed Literature — The literature reviewed should be
summarized and the gap in literature that justifies the current study is
indicated.
CHAPTER TWO - LITERATURE REVIEW

13. CHAPTER THREE - METHODOLOGY
The processes and procedures that were followed in carrying out the study
are discussed under the following sub-headings:-
I. Research Design
II. Population of the Study
III. Sample and Sampling Techniques
IV. Instrument for Data Collection
V. Validity of the Instrument
VI. Reliability of the Instrument
VII. Procedure for Data Collection
VIII. Method of Data Analysis.
I. Research Design
II. Materials and Apparatus
III. Methods/procedures followed
Management Sciences Science & Engineering

14. CHAPTER FOUR – RESULTS AND
DISCUSSION
This is where you report your findings and present them in a systematic
manner. It should be reported in sufficient detail to justify any conclusion.
The use of tables, graphs, charts and figures must be judiciously employed
to present summaries. Number the tables in the order of occurrence in the
text.
Discussion: Explain the significance of your findings by relating what you
observed to the problem you set out to investigate in your introduction.
Did your investigation accomplish your purpose?

15. CHAPTER FIVE - CONCLUSION AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
After presenting results and discussion, the researcher is now in a
position to draw conclusions and implications.
Suggestions for further studies are also made here.

16. REFERENCES
The APA format should be strictly adhered to. All literature/illustrations/figures
used must be well cited.
Students must be conscious of plagiarism.
The research report then ends with APPENDICES
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING