Research Report

Following points should be kept in mind

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Adhere to the study Objectives Be Selective Be Objective Have a purposeful Organisation Write Clearly

Adhere to the study objective

A

good report seeks to achieve certain results consisting primarily of answering the questions that derive from the statement of objective. This requires researcher to be well versed with the problem. Care must be taken that the findings to be reported relate to the objective of research.

Be Selective
It

is important to exclude anything unnecessary. Researcher must use their judgment in deciding what can be omitted. In case required, a note can be mentioned as Certain details have been omitted but are available on request.

Be Objective

Writers must at all times retain their objectivity. Researchers should not manipulate the findings according to the answers that they believe the management is hoping to find. Researchers must have enough courage to present and to defend their results, if they are convinced that the results are sound.

Have a purposeful organization

The

objective of the report is to give the reader an overall picture in shortest possible time. Each paragraph should be written keeping in mind its positioning in he entire report. A working outline shall be prepared which helps the writer make certain that every point is covered without any duplication.

Write clearly

Use short to-the-point sentences. Always prefer simple to complex. Use familiar words. Avoid slangs and cliches. Make certain that the words express precisely what the researcher wants to express. Avoid mechanical flaws such as incorrect grammar. Be sure that the report is in uniform style and format. Rough draft before the final draft should always be written and revised before making the final draft.

THE REPORT FORMAT

The following format is suggested as a basic outline.

Title Page Table of Contents Introduction (Foreword) Statement of Objectives Methodology

Field Work Analysis and Interpretations Findings Conclusions and Recommendations Limitations Appendix

Research Design Data Collection Method Sampling

Title Page
It

should indicate the subject, date of the report preparation, for whom has the report been prepared and by whom.

Table of Contents
If

the report is too lengthy and divided into numerous parts, it is desirable to have table of contents. If the report includes numerous charts, graphs and tables, it is desirable to include a list of them immediately following the table of contents.

Foreword
The

section serves to introduce the reader to the research project. It should give the background of the problem, importance of the problem, various dimensions of the problem and whether any previous research was done that is pertinent to the specific project.

Statement of Objectives
The

reader must know exactly what the report covers. Sometimes it is wise to provide some background information on how the problem arose and what previous research has been carried out. If it is a large problem then overall problem may be stated along with the problem solution process.

Methodology
The

purpose of this section is to describe the research procedure.

The description of the research design should make clear whether the study is exploratory/ descriptive/experimental The researcher must explain why the particular design has been used.

Data Collection Methods

Were

data collected through primary or secondary sources Were the results collected through survey or observation Researcher must explain the method used and its suitability

Sampling
Sampling

procedure should be defined.

Nature of universe Units of sample Geographical limits should be specified Procedures used for overcomig the difficulties been faced in reaching the desired sample Sample size (No. of items required to be covered for the study)

Fieldwork
Researcher

needs to tell the readers the accuracy with which the work was done. This will usually include the description of the number and types of fieldworkers used; how they were selected, trained and supervised; and how their work was verified.

Analysis
The

data collected is analyzed. First the processing operations are used like coding, editing, tabulating etc. and then statistical tools may be applied to check the data and derive conclusions

Findings
Findings

are the results of the study. Summary tables, graphic methods of presentation must be used. The list of information needed to achieve the objectives , which was prepared in the problem formulation step, should limit the scope of findings.

Conclusions and Recommendations

Conclusions should be drawn with direct reference to the objective of study. If the study does not obtain satisfactory data from which to draw a conclusion relative to an objective, this should be acknowledged rather than disguised On every occasion it is not required that researcher can make recommendation s specially where the researchers have worked on a problem but have a limited knowledge of the companys background and general operating policies.

Limitations
In

describing the limitations of the study, researcher should point out the degree to which they could effect the results. Limitations should not be overemphasized as this may tend to destroy the confidence in the study.

Appendix

The purpose of the appendix is to provide a place for those report items which dont fit the main body of the report. It involves the forms used for data collection, detailed graphs, diagrams, statistical tables, Bibliography etc. These are the items necessary in understanding the report but if included in the main text would make the report too lengthy and sometimes reader not interested in such information may loose interest.