This document provides an overview of quantitative research and report writing. It discusses the researcher's responsibility to report findings to stakeholders and communicate practical significance. It also describes the main differences between style manuals, particularly the American Psychological Association (APA) style. The main parts of a research report are outlined as the title, abstract, introduction, literature review, methodology, results, conclusion, references, and appendix.

1. Quantitative Research
Report writing
Syed Shahzad Ali

2. Quantitative Research
“Any study using numerical data with an
emphasis on statistics to answer the
research question.” (Perry, Research in
Applied Linguistics)

3. Researcher’s Responsibility
• American Educational Research Association
(AERA 2002) describes the researcher’s
responsibilities.
• “To report their findings to all relevant stakeholders
and that their reports to the public should be written
straightforwardly to communicate the practical
significance for policy” (Guiding Standards)

4. Style Manual
• The most prominent differences between the different style
manuals include the way we cite references in the text (i.e.
the format of the in-text citations) and to prepare the final
list of references in the bibliography (i.e. the format of the
end of the text references)
• Headings
• Sub-headings
• Figures and tables
• Use of certain symbols
• Abbreviations.

5. American Psychological
Association (APA) Style
• Different journals adopt different format according to
their needs but APA Style manual is the most
commonly used style and it is published in a book
format and its most recent Edition is the 6th
Edition.
• APA not only offers format prescriptions but also
provides elaborate guidelines on how to structure
research reports and how to present and organize the
content of the various parts.

6. Main Parts of Research Report
TITLE
• It summarizes the main idea of the work
describing the topic and the actual
variables/ issues under investigation.
• It should be “Catchy” that it should attract
the reader attention.
• It should be succinct and informative.

7. ABSTRACT
• Important paragraph at the beginning of
research article.
• It performs the “inform- and attract”
function of the title.
• Strict word limit for abstracts.

8. Five Essential Elements of Abstract
• Purpose of the study.
• Source of the data.
• Method for collecting data.
• General results.
• General interpretations of the results.

9. 3. Introduction of the Study
• It is the brain of the study.
• It provides historical context to the study.
• It presents the specific topic/ problem and addresses the following
questions.
Why this topic is being investigated?
The research question.
Any theory being considered.
Any hypothesis being proposed.
Any predictions made.
Constructs and Terminology is defined here.

10. 4. Literature Review
• It accomplishes at least four different
functions.
• 1. Map of the terrain
• Providing a comprehensive and historical
overview of the books, articles and
documents.

11. Literature Review
• 2. Specific Theoretical background of the empirical
investigation reported
• Trustworthiness that the author is knowledgeable
• University knows that the author has done his “homework”
• He has a wide range of relevant theoretical and research
approaches.
• Literature Review could be 20 percent or 50 percent of
total length of the article. Constraints are set by the
auditors of the journals.
•

12. Conti……….
• APA Guidelines states
• “Discuss the literature but do not include an
exhaustive historical review. Assume that the
reader is knowledgeable about the field for
which you are writing and does not require a
complete digest.”

13. 5. Methodology
• Skeleton of the study.
• Provides the technical details how the investigation
was conducted.
• Crucial in convincing the audience about the
credibility of the results.
• Focus entirely on our own study. Don’t describe
details of other people’s work

14. Methodology
• Methodology is divided into subsections.
• 1. Participants
• The appropriate description of the research sample
is critical to quantitative research because only in
the light of this, it can be decided whether the
generalization of the findings is legitimate.

15. Methodology
• 2. The Instruments
• These are devices which are used to collect data.
Instruments determine both the type and kind of the
data that can be collected
• Surveys through interviews and questionnaires
• Tests
• The instruments should be described accurately. The
actual instrument is often included in an appendix.

16. Methodology
• 3. Procedure
• It is the procedure which is followed
• During the data collection phase.
• How the instruments were administered.
• Summarizing the conditions under which the
measurements were taken ( for example, format,
time, place, and personnel who collected the data)

17. Methodology
• Data Analysis
– Although APA Guidelines do not high light data
analysis as an obligatory section, many studies
include it because it helps the reader to prepare
for the next coming analytical techniques.
– It discusses possible problem issues such as
missing data, attrition and non-response and
how these were handled.

18. 6. Conclusion
• Every research article does not have “Conclusion’
because if results and discussion sections are there
separately, the latter can conclude the whole paper.
• Conclusion can include certain things.
• Summary of the major findings.
•

19. Conclusion Contd.
• Call for further research.
• Questions raised by the investigation.
• An explanation of the pedagogical implication of the results.
• Statement of the overall significance of the topic addressed by
the study.
• Mckay(2006) suggests “The conclusion should end on a
strong note with some general statement that leaves the
reader a positive sense of the article”.

20. 7. References or Bibliography
• There are two basic rules.
• All the citation in the report must appear in the
reference list, and all references in the list must
be cited in the text.
• The format requirements of the presentation
style of the particular publication must be
adhered to rigorously.

21. 8. Appendix
• An appendix is helpful as detailed descriptions of
certain relevant material are included in Appendix
because that material is distracting or inappropriate
to the main body of the work.
• Copies of the instruments.
• Transcripts.
• Other supplementary material for readers to have a
better idea of what exactly went on.

22. • THANK YOU