Unit5_Report writing.ppt

1. UNIT – 5
RESEARCH REPORT

2. Report
"A report is a statement of collected and considered
facts, so drawn-up as to give clear and Concise-information
to persons who are not ready in possession of the full facts of
the subject matter of the report" .
A research report is:
A written document or oral presentation based on a
written document that communicates the purpose, scope,
objective(s), hypotheses, methodology, findings, limitations
and finally, recommendations of a research project to others.

3. Writing the Research Report
The purpose of the written report is to
present the results of your research,
but more importantly to provide a
persuasive argument to readers of
what you have found.

4. Characteristics of Research Report
Accuracy
Simplicity
Conciseness or Brevity (shortness) & appearance
Comprehensibility & readability
Reliability & economy
Timelines
Logical content
Completeness

5. Report should show originality
It must provide ready availability of the findings.
The layout must be appropriate and accordance with the
objective.
Report should be free from grammatical mistakes.
Report must present the logical analysis of the subject matter.
Index must be prepared and appended at the end.
Report must be attractive in appearance, neat & clear whether
typed or printed.

6. Appendices should be enlisted in respect of all the technical
data in the report.
Bibliography of sources consulted is must for good report.

7. Guidelines for writing Research report
Be objective
Minimize the use of technical language
Use present tense and active voice
Treat the data confidentially
Revise and rewrite
Use visual aids

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REPORT PREPARATION AND PRESENTATION PROCESS
Pre-report
Writing
Activities
Report
Writing
Activities
Post
Report
Writing
Problem Definition,
Research Design
and Methodology
Data
Analysis
Interpretation of
Research
findings
Report
Preparation
Oral
Presentattion
Reading of the
Report by the
client
RESEARCH
FOLLOW-UP

9. TYPES OF RESEARCH REPORT
Types of
Research
Report
Technical
Report
Popular
Report
Interim
report
Summary
Report
Algorithmic
Resarch
Report

10. 1. Technical Report:
A technical report (also: scientific report) is a document that describes
the process, progress, or results of technical or scientific research or the state of a
technical or scientific research problem.
It might also include recommendations and conclusions of the research.
Technical report is suitable for a target audience of researchers,
research managers or other people familiar with and interested in the
technicalities such as research design, sampling methods, statistical details
etc.,
Summary of results
Nature of the study
Research methodology
Details of data
Analysis of data & preparation of findings
Conclusions
Bibliography
Technical appendices
Index

11. 2. Popular Report
It gives emphasis on simplicity and attractiveness. The
simplification should be sought through clear writing,
minimization of technical, particularly mathematical, details
and liberal use of charts and diagrams.
Attractive layout along with large print, many
subheadings, even an occasional cartoon now and then is
another characteristics feature of the popular report.

12. General outline of popular report:
Findings and their implications
 Recommendations for their follow-up
Objective of the study- a general view of how the problem arises is
presented along with the specific objectives of the project under study.
Methods employed- a brief and non-technical description of the methods
and techniques used, including a short review of the data on which the study
is based is given in this part of the report.
Results- it constitutes the main body of the report where in the results are
presented in clear and non-technical terms with Liberal use of all sorts of
illustration such as charts, diagrams.
Technical appendices.

13. 3. Interim report
In projects, an interim report is often compiled to analyze how the
project is proceeding, before its final completion.
This short report may contain either the first results of the analysis of some
aspects completely analyzed.
It facilitates the sponsoring agency to take action without waiting for the
full report.
It helps to keep alive the agency's interest in the study and prevent
misunderstandings about the delay.
This repot also enables the researcher to find the appropriate style of
reporting.
 Interim analysis is important in medical trials, to ensure that the patients are
not exposed to unnecessary danger during the trial.

14. 4. Summary report
 Summary report usually contains a brief statement
of the problem or proposal covered in the major
document(s), background information, concise
analysis and main conclusions.
It is intended as an aid to decision-making by
managers and has been described as possibly the most
important part of a business plan.
They must be short and to the point.

15. 4. Summary report
 It just contains a brief reference to the objective of the
study, its major findings and their implications.
It size is so limited as to be suitable for publication in daily
newspaper.

16. 5. Algorithmic research report
An algorithm is a well defined sequence of steps to
solve a problem in industry, business and government.
There are problems, viz., production scheduling,
JIT, supply chain management, line balancing, layout
design, portfolio management, etc., which exists in
reality.
The solution for the above problems can be
obtained through algorithms.

17. Report Structure
Abstract
Introduction
Method
Results
Discussion & Conclusion
References
Participants
Design
Apparatus/Materials
Procedure

18. Report Structure or Layout of the report
Preliminary Pages
Main Text
End Matter

19. Preliminary Pages Include
These must be title of the research topic and data. There
must be preface of foreword to the research work. It should be
followed by table of contents. The list of tables, maps should
be given.
Introductory pages
•Vita
•Acknowledgements
•Abstract
•Table of contents
•List of tables
•List of charts/figures

20. Acknowledgements
While carrying out the research, the researcher would
have received help from different persons and organizations.
So, all those helps should be acknowledged under this heading.
In an academic research, a sample list of people who are to be
acknowledged is as follows:
•Research supervisor
•Organizational head
•Colleagues of the department who rendered their valuable
suggestions and criticism during the research period.
•The executives in different organizations who provided data
and literature for the research.

21. Abstract
Abstract gives the overview of the research report
outlining the title of the research, objective(s), shortcomings of
exiting literatures, need for further research, proposed measures
of performance and research methods, results of comparison
and highlights of inference and a brief mention about a case
study.
Table of contents
Table of contents is the catalogue of the research report
which summarizes every aspect of the report.

22. List of tables
In research reports, the data and results are presented in
the form of tables for quick grasp. Each and every
Table of contents
The table of contents is an outline of the order of the
chapters, sections and sub sections with their respective pages.

23. (B) Main text
It provides the complete outline of research report
along with all details. The title page is reported in the main
text. Details of text are given continuously as divided in
different chapters.
Introduction
Statement of the problem
Literature review
Objectives of the study
Limitations of the study
Research methodology
Data Analysis
Conclusions
Bibliography
Appendices

24. Introduction
• The chapter on introduction should begin with
the background of the research topic and state
of the art scenario in brief.
• The origin and development of the research
concept along with the most significant
contributions in the past must be summarized
in this chapter.

25. The Written Literature Review
 A literature review is a summary of the
major studies that have been published on a
research topic.
 Literature review is usually included as
part of the introduction in research papers.
This focuses on the past literature in the field
of research and its classification under
different angles.

26. The Written Literature Review
The literature review should accomplish three goals:
 It should identify the major findings on a topic up to the
present;
 It should point out the principal deficiencies of these studies
or provide a sense of what is lacking in the literature; and
 It should conclude by leading into your research question, by
explaining how your research proposes to contribute to the
literature or address some short-coming of a previous study.

27. Statement of the problem
• This is crux of his research. It highlights main theme of his
study. It must be in nontechnical language. It should be in
simple manner so ordinary reader may follow it. The social
research must be made available to common man. The
research in agricultural problems must be easy for farmers to
read it.

28. Objectives of the study
 The specific objectives of the research need to be set
forth clearly. The reader must know exactly what the
report is.
 Based on the direction of the literature review, the
researcher should clearly spell out the objectives of
the research and related hypothesis.

29. Limitations of the study
 The report should also point out the main limitations
of the research reported therein.
 This can be helpful to the reader who can form his
own opinion as to how far the results are liable.

30. Research methodology
Research methodology aims to finalize the activities of research
design and data collection procedure.
Research Design: Research design denotes the description of the
research technique. It defines exploratory, conclusive and experimental
design.
 Data Collection methods: The methodology reveals the methods of
data collection. There may be primary sources and secondary sources of
data collection.
Sampling: In describing the sampling procedure, it is first necessary to
indicate the nature of the universe studied. The exact sampling units, such
as stores, consumers or business executives, must be defined and the
geographical limit be specified.
Fieldwork: The researcher should explain the quality and nature of the
field force.

31. Data Analysis
This chapter deals with the application of statistical tools for the
analysis of data and making inferences.
The data analysis can be classified into
a. Preliminary analysis: In preliminary analysis, the data are presented
in the form of charts and graphs to have insight into the research
problem. This helps the researcher come out with some inferences.
b. Hypothesis Testing: The different hypotheses which have been
formulated earlier are tested at this stage. This section will reveal
certain underlying facts of the research problem which will help the
researcher formulate strategies for the operations of any business
system.
a. It have a major subsections on results and discussions and this
section deals with mathematical models and regression models.

32. Findings and Recommendations
Findings are the result of the study. This section
makes up the bulk of the report. It is not just an
assortment of statistical tables and charts but an
organized narrative of the results.
The researcher can give recommendations according
to the findings made.

33. Conclusion
Conclusion should be drawn with direct reference to the objectives of the
study.
The chapter on conclusions summarizes research findings, contribution of
the study, limitations of the study, and scope for the further research.

34. Bibliography
The Bibliography contains the detailed information
on books, journals, and materials, showing the title of
the books, reports used in the preparation of the
reports, names of authors, publishers, the year of
publications and if possible the page numbers.

35. Annexure
This is the last section of the report. An annexure
gives supplementary information which supports the
body of the report but which cannot be given within
it.

36. Successful Report Writing
• Start writing early – important details about
the study may be forgotten if the write-up is left
to the last minute.
• Remember – a naive reader should be able to
follow your report and replicate your findings.
• Read – reading journal articles and past
dissertations will help you with structuring your
report and understanding the required style.
• Reflect – reflect upon the comments you
receive on your practical reports and essays –
these are provided to help you!

37. Report Writing: General Style
• Reports should be double-spaced.
• Each major section (Abstract, Introduction, Method, Results and
Discussion) should start on a new page with the title of the
section in bold.
• All pages should be numbered.
• The last section is the Appendices and includes raw data, Ethics
Approval Form and other relevant information.

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Most research reports include the following elements:
I. Title page
II. Letter of transmittal
III. Table of contents
IV. List of tables
V. List of graphs
VI. List of appendices
VII. List of exhibits
VIII. Executive summary
a. Major findings
b. Conclusions
c. Recommendations
IX. Introduction
a. Background to the
problem
b. Statement of the problem
X. Approach to the problem
XI. Research design
a. Type of research design
b. Information needs
c. Data collection from secondary sources
d. Data collection from primary sources
e. Scaling techniques
f. Questionnaire development and pretesting
g. Sampling techniques
h. Field work
XII. Data analysis
a. Methodology
b. Plan of data analysis
XIII. Results
XIV. Limitations and caveats
XV. Conclusions and recommendations
XVI. Appendix
a. Questionnaires and forms
b. Statistical output
c. Lists

39. “Ethics” Means
Ethics – the discipline concerned with
what is morally good and bad, right and
wrong
Ethics is a way of understanding and
examining what is “right” and what is
“wrong”.

40. Principles of ethical research
• Non – Malfeasance
• Beneficence
• Autonomy
• Justice
• Fidelity
• Respect for participants right and dignity
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41.  Ethics is a code of professional conduct
like the Hippocratic Oath ("First of all, do
no harm")
Ethics are more principles or values
generally governing the conduct of an
individual or group.

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Definition of Ethics in Research
•Ethics is a branch of philosophy concerned with the
study of what is good and bad.
* Ethical behaviour is based on written and
unwritten codes of principles and values held in
society.

43. Ethics in Research – Why?
To protect rights and welfare of
research participants
and
to protect the wider society or community
within which the research is being conducted

44. Principles of Research Ethics
Respect for Persons
Beneficence/Non-Maleficence
Justice/Non-Exploitation

45. Principles of Research Ethics
Respect of persons
Beneficence/Non-
Maleficence
Justice/Non-Exploitation

46. Respect for Persons
Autonomy
 Says that each individual:
 Is unique and free;
 Has the right and capacity to decide;
 Has value and dignity; and
 Has the right to informed consent.
Protection for vulnerable persons
 Special protections must be in place for those whose
decision–making capacity is impaired or diminished,
whether due to physical or social factors.

47. Beneficence/Non-Maleficence
Protection of the study participants is the
most important responsibility of the
researcher
Researchers must:
• Protect the physical, mental and social well-
being of each research participant;
• Minimizes physical and social risks;
• Maximize the possible benefits; and
• Retain the community perspective.

48. Beneficence
• The duty to benefit others
• The duty to maximize net benefits
• Produce benefits for subjects themselves, other
individuals
• Produce benefits for society as a whole and for
the advancement of knowledge (usually the
primary benefit)

49. Beneficence/Non- Maleficence (not doing
harmful)
ON BALANCE:
 The research should generate more good
than harm; and
 Risks of research should be reasonable in
light of the expected benefits to the
individual and to society.

50. Non – malfeasance
• Duty to avoid, prevent or minimize harm
• No unnecessary risk of harm
• Participation must be essential to achieving
scientifically and societally important aims
that cannot be realized without the
participation of human subjects
• Minimizing harm requires smallest number of
human subjects that will ensure valid data

51. Justice/Non-Exploitation
The principle that calls for fairness in the conduct of
research is the principle of justice/non-exploitation
Research must:
 Ensure a fair distribution of risks and benefits
 Research should not be done in a community
that is not likely to benefit from the result
 Conduct equitable recruitment of research
participants; and
 Provide special protection for vulnerable groups.

52. Ethical Issues in Research
In market research there are four stakeholders, and the ethical issues
relating to these stakeholders are as follows.
Public
Respondent
Client
Researcher

53. Ethical Issues in Research
Public:
For public, ethical concerns revolve primarily around the
methods of gathering and reporting research results. Therefore, it is the
joint responsibility of public and researcher to avoid the following.
1. Incomplete reporting
Whenever a client or researcher does not reveal the complete
results, incomplete results occurs.
2. Misleading Environment
This involves the distortion(misrepresentation) of
information. The information presented to the public is false. It
leaves the public with an erroneous impression.

54. Ethical Issues in Research
Respondent:
These are one of the stakeholders because without their
involvement the research is not possible. The following will show the
respondent – researcher relationship
1. Conducting a survey to sell products
2. Invasion of the privacy of the respondents.

55. Ethical Issues in Research
Client:
The complexity that is surrounding the research client
relationship deserves special attention.
1. Abuse of position
2. Unnecessary research

56. Ethical Issues in Research
Researcher:
The researcher has the right to be treated ethically. Ethical
treatment by clients involves several issues
1. Misrepresentation of findings
2. Additional request

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Seven Areas of Scientific
Dishonesty
1. Plagiarism
2. Fabrication and falsification
3. Nonpublication of data
4. Faulty data-gathering procedures
5. Poor data storage and retention
6. Misleading authorship
7. Sneaky publication practices

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Plagiarism
• Plagiarism—using the ideas, writings, and
drawings of others as your own
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Fabrication and Falsification
• Fabrication and falsification—making up or
altering data
Prominent Cases in Kinesiology-related
Research
Eric Poehlman – exercise physiologist at University of
Vermont and University of Montreal
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Poehlman
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60. Researcher Faces Prison for Fraud in NIH Grant
Applications and Papers
Science 25 March 2005: Vol. 307. no. 5717, p. 1851
A researcher formerly at the University of Vermont College of Medicine
has admitted in court documents to falsifying data in 15 federal grant
applications and numerous published articles.
Eric Poehlman, an expert on menopause, aging, and metabolism, faces up
to 5 years in jail and a $250,000 fine and has been barred for life from
receiving any U.S. research funding.
The number and scope of falsifications discovered, along with the stature
of the investigator, are quite remarkable. "This is probably one of the
biggest misconduct cases ever,"
Poehlman, 49, first came under suspicion in 2000 when Walter DeNino,
then a 24-year-old research assistant, found inconsistencies in
spreadsheets used in a longitudinal study on aging.
In an effort to portray worsening health in the subjects, DeNino tells
Science, "Dr. Poehlman would just switch the data points."
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Nonpublication of Data
• Sometimes called “cooking data”
• Data not included in results because they don’t
support the desired outcome
• Some data are “bad” data
• Bad data should be recognized while it is being
collected or analyzed
• Outlier – unrepresentative score; a score that lies
outside of the normal scores
• How should outliers be handled?
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Faulty Data Gathering
• Collecting data from participants who are not
complying with requirements of the study
• Using faulty equipment
• Treating participants inappropriately
• Recording data incorrectly
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63. Data Gathering
• Most important and most aggravating.
• Always drop non-compliers.
• Fix broken equipment.
• Treat subjects with respect and dignity.
• Record data accurately.
• Store data in a safe and private place for 3
years.

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Poor Data Storage and Retention
• Data should be stored in its original collected
form for at least 3 years after publication
• Data should be available for examination
• Confidentiality of participants should be
maintained
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Misleading Authorship
Misleading authorship—who should be an
author?
– Technicians do not necessarily become joint
authors.
– Authorship should involve only those who
contribute directly.
– Discuss authorship before the project!
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MSSE Information for Authors
• Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise®
• Authorship Requirements
To be an author, each individual shall have contributed to the
manuscript in at least two (2) of the following areas:
– Significant manuscript writer
– Significant manuscript reviewer/reviser
– Concept and design
– Data acquisition
– Data analysis and interpretation
– Statistical expertise
• Manuscripts with more than six (6) authors require
justification for exceeding that number
More info can be found here: http://www.icmje.org/

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Sneaky Publication Practices
• Publication of the thesis or
dissertation
– Should be regarded as the
student’s work
– Committee chair and
members may be listed as
secondary authors
• Dual publication – a
manuscript should only be
published in a single
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68. Sanctions
• Freeze your job.
• Reduce your job.
• Lose your job.
• Loss of institution money and privileges.
• Faculty are responsible for students.