This document provides guidelines for writing a research report in social science. It outlines the typical components of a research report which include a title page, abstract, introduction, literature review, method section, results section, discussion section, and appendices. It describes the purpose and content that should be included in each section, such as problem statement, hypotheses, participants, tools, data collection/analysis procedures, findings, conclusions, implications, and limitations. The document emphasizes writing concisely, logically organizing content, and communicating research in a clear and impartial manner.

1. Report Writing in Social Science Research
Sudarshan Mishra, Ph.D.
Ravenshaw University
Cuttack
Email:

2. Sources
Ary, D. Jacobs, L.C. and Sorensen, C.K. (2010). Introduction to
Research in Education. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning
Creswell, J. W.(2012). Educational research : planning, conducting,
and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research. Delhi: Pearson.
American Psychological Association (2010). Publication manual of the
American Psychological Association. — 6th ed. Washington, DC: Author.
Gay, L.R. Mills. G.E. and Airasian, P. (2012). Educational research :
competencies for analysis and applications. Delhi: Pearson.

3. Web Sources
University of Houston
https://libraries.uh.edu/find/theses/
University of Massachusetts Amherst
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/
George Fox University
https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/

4. Outline
What is a Research Report?
Purpose of Research Report?
Types of Research Report
Guidelines for writing Research Report
Ethical consideration
Components of a Research Report
Preliminary Pages
Main Body of the Report (Introduction, Review of
related literature, Method, Results and Discussion)
Appendices

5. What is a Research
Report?
A well-written report
describing a study in
enough detail

6. What is a Research
Report?
Describes what you
did, how you did,
what you found, and
how your study is
related to the body of
knowledge in your
area

7. Purpose of Research
Report?
To share/communicate

8. Thesis/
Dissertation Journal article Conference Paper
Types of Research Report

9. Guidelines for writing Research Report
.

10. Guidelines for writing
Research Report
Nobody knows your work
better than you

11. Guidelines for
writing Research
Report
Just write. However,
the report should
contain correct
spelling, grammatical
construction, and
punctuation.

12. Guidelines for
writing Research
Report
Write, edit,
rewrite and
reedit

13. Guidelines for
writing Research
Report
Write in a clear,
simple and
straightforward
style

14. Guidelines for
writing
Research
Report
as concise and
as logically
organized as
possible

15. Guidelines for
writing Research
Report
arranged in such a way that
readers know exactly where
to find those specific parts
they may be seeking.
Otherwise, time is lost in
seeking relevant information.

16. Guidelines for
writing Research
Report
keep the tone impersonal.
first-person pronouns are never
used in quantitative reports,
although they are acceptable in
qualitative reports

17. Guidelines for writing
Research Report
Spell out a number that comes
at the start of a sentence (e.g.,
Six hundred schools were
contacted).
Use words if the number is nine
or less (e.g., a total of five
lists………)

18. Guidelines for writing
Research Report
Anecdotes, stories of personal
experiences, and argumentative
discourse are out of place in a
quantitative report.

19. Ethical consideration
Confidentiality:
don’t reveal
identity

20. Ethical consideration
Do not falsify
data to support
a hypothesis

21. Ethical consideration
Citation of
sources

22. Components of a Research Report

23. Preliminary Pages
Title page
Certificates
Declaration
Acknowledgements
Contents
List of Tables and Figures
Abbreviations
Abstract

24. Title/Cover Page
Title
Purpose (A Dissertation submitted to…..)
Name of the Researcher
Institution with logo
Date of submission

25. Title/Cover Page
Title
should summarize the main idea of
the manuscript
should identify the variables or
theoretical issues under
investigation and their relationship

26. Title/Cover Page
Title
Avoid emotion-laden/ humorous/
journalistic titles (incredible,
amazing, effortless, fantastic, etc.)
Avoid interrogative words (like
how, what, when, or why)
This merely distract from the
seriousness and authority of your
research

27. Title/Cover Page
Title
Avoid words that serve no
useful purpose (A Study of/ An
Investigation of/ An
Experimental Investigation of/
A comparison of, etc.

28. Title/Cover Page
Title
The recommended
length for a title is no
more than 12 words
(APA 6th edition, 2010)

29. Abstract
brief, comprehensive summary of
the contents
the problem under investigation
the participants
study method
main findings
conclusions and the implications

30. Main Body of the Report
Introduction (Chapter One)
Review of related literature (Chapter Two)
The Method (Chapter Three)
Results (Chapter Four)
Discussion ((Chapter Five)

31. Introduction
Theoretical Framework of the Study
Rationale of the Study
Statement of the Problem
Research Questions/ Objectives
Hypotheses of the Study
Operational Definitions
Scope and Delimitations

32. Rationale of the Study
Justifies the study with sufficient
theoretical base and research gap
Should not be justified with personal
experience

33. Statement of the Problem
brief but formal statement
of the purpose of the
research
indicates the variables
examined in the study

34. Statement of the Problem
Internship is an indispensable part of any pre-service teacher
education programme. It gives practical real-life exposure for
professional preparation of prospective teachers. It provides an
opportunity to develop true understanding of the teaching profession.
Two-Year B.Ed. Programme of Regional Institute of Education,
Bhubaneswar is a model pre-service teacher education programme
throughout the eastern region. Its internship programme is very
systematic and rigorous. The investigator is keen to study about the
various processes involved during internship of a particular teacher
education institution i.e., Regional Institute of Education,
Bhubaneswar. The result of the study may not be generalized.
However, the study will give an insight about the various process of
internship in depth.

35. Statement of the Problem
Continuous and comprehensive evaluation (CCE) scheme has already
been implemented in schools in Odisha. However, whether the real
aim of CCE is achieved or not needs to be studied. In this context, it is
essential to appraise the present practice of CCE at elementary school
level in Odisha. Continuous evaluation will be studied in terms of
regularity in assessment of the progress and comprehensiveness will
be studied by evaluation of curricular areas, other curricular areas and
personal social qualities of the children. To substantiate the study, as
children, parents and teachers are major stakeholders of elementary
education, it will examine the level of awareness of teachers and
parents about CCE. The study will also investigate the perception of
different stakeholders such as, students, teachers and parents.

36. Review of related literature
indicates what is known about the
problem
to educate the reader about the area
under study
not a series of abstracts but rather a
summary and analysis of the relations
and differences among relevant studies
and reports.

37. Review of related literature
The review should conclude with a brief
summary of the literature and its implications
Gives a cumulative understanding of the
field.
Assume that the reader is knowledgeable
about the basic problem and does not require
a complete accounting of its history.

38. Review of related literature
When summarizing, avoid non-essential
details; emphasize pertinent findings, relevant
methodological issues, and major conclusions.
Demonstrate the logical continuity between
previous and present work.

39. The Method
Design
Population and Participants
Tools and Techniques Used
Procedure of Data Collection
Procedure of Data Analysis

40. Results
summarize the collected data
and the analysis performed on
those data
Report the data in sufficient
detail to justify conclusions.

41. Results
Mention all relevant results, including those
that run counter to expectation;
Do not hide uncomfortable results by omission.
Do not include individual scores or raw data,
with the exception, for example, case study
Accurate, unbiased, complete, and insightful
reporting

42. Discussion
Major Findings and Conclusion
Discussion
Implications
Suggestions for Further Research
Limitations of the Study

43. Discussion
Evaluate and interpret the result with respect to your
original hypotheses
critically analyse the findings and develop an argument
that supports your recommendations
Similarities and differences between your results and
the work of others should be used to contextualize,
confirm, and clarify conclusions.

44. Appendices
Provide information and data that are pertinent to the
study but are either too lengthy or not important enough
to be included in the main body of the report.
Commonly contain materials especially developed for the
study (e.g., tests, questionnaires, cover letters, raw data,
data analysis sheets, etc.)