1. REPORT WRITING FOR PREP
STUDENTS

2. PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THE
FOLLOWING BEFOREHAND
• Total number of pages: 5 (NOT INCLUDING COVER
PAGE, REFERENCES AND APPENDIX)
• What is required in the 5 pages:
–
–
–
–
–
INTRODUCTION
LITERATURE REVIEW
METHODOLOGY
DATA ANALYSIS
CONCLUSION
• Font and format:
– Double-spacing
– Times New Roman 12

3. • Information on cover page must be included
in the following order:
– UNIMAS LOGO
– RESEARCH TITLE
– NAME OF COURSE AND CODE
– SESSION
– NAME OF INSTRUCTOR
– NAME OF GROUP MEMBERS

4. REFERENCES
• You will use the American Psychology
Association format or commonly known as
APA Style.
• REMEMBER, TOTAL NUMBER OF REFERENCES
USED IS 5 AND ONE REFERENCE MUST BE
FROM A BOOK.
– Hence, you are not allowed to use ONLY internet
references.
• More info later.

5. DATA INSTRUMENT
• For your current level, the instrument is in a
form of a questionnaire which is a method of
gathering data for quantitative analysis.
• Limited to only 15 questions.
• Data collected requires a total of 30
respondents.

6. Additional Information
• Avoid using wikipedia.
• DEADLINE SET ON 21 MARCH 2014, FRIDAY.

7. • Stage 1: Topic proposed and a simple intro
made
• Questionnaire, 5 references (must use at least
1 book), apa format
• Progressive update, question limited to
15, respondents 30
• Marks (10%)

8. Recap
• The following are the basic writing style you have
been exposed so far:
– Introduction
•
•
•
•
Define (Not literally) the topic
Lead in to thesis
Agree or disagree (Not explicitly but implicitly)
Thesis statement (A simplified sentence that encompass
your topic sentences)
– Body of Paragraph
• Main Idea 1
– Topic Sentence 1
– Supporting details
– Conclusion (optional)

9. • Main Idea 2
– Topic Sentence 2
– Supporting details
– Conclusion (optional)
• Main Idea 3
– Topic Sentence 3
– Supporting details
– Conclusion (optional)
– Conclusion
• A summary of what you have discussed in your essay
and NO MORE ADDITIONAL IDEAS.

10. How to write APA style
• References must be in alphabetical order
according to author’s surname.
Basic referencing skill:
• If it is a book:
Author’s Surname, Initial of Author’s First Name.
(Year, Month Date). Title (in italics). Location:
Publisher.

11. • For example:
Fatima, A. (2004). Gender, literacy and
empowerment in Morocco. United Kingdom:
Routledge. IF THERE IS NO AUTHOR’S
WHAT
NAME, YEAR OR ETC?
Nash, R. (1990). The closing of the American heart –
What’s really wrong with America’s
schools. Dallas, Texas: Probe Books.

12. • Easy, omit them and the same goes for
internet references.
– If there is no author’s name:
• (2004). Gender, literacy and empowerment in Morocco.
United Kingdom: Routledge.
– If there is no specific year:
• Fatima, A. Gender, literacy and empowerment in
Morocco. United Kingdom: Routledge.

13. • If it is from the internet:
Author’s Surname, Initial of Author’s First Name.
(Year, Month Date). Title (in italics). Retrieved on
Month Date, Year, from URL
For example:
• Baldry, I. (2007, February 18). Alternative energy solutions
in a time of power crisis. Retrieved March 16, 2009 from
http://www.freearticles.co.za/environment
• Wong, B. (2007, April 18). Is alternative energy worth the
investment? Retrieved March 16, 2009, from
http://www.freearticles.co.za/environment

14. Additional information
• There are other ways of making references out
there. My suggestion to you is:
– LEARN THEM AS A PART OF YOUR JOURNEY IN
OBTAINING KNOWLEDGE.
– IN UNIVERSITY, THERE SHOULDN’T BE ANYMORE
SPOONFEEDING.

15. PRACTICE!
DEMANDING RESPECT
THE EVOLUTION
Lopes, P. Demanding Respect: The OF THE
Evolution of theAMERICAN COMIC BOOK
American
Cookbook. Philadephia: Temple
University Press.
PAUL LOPES
TEMPLE UNIVERSITY PRESS
Philadephia

16. Schlosser, E. (2012). Fast Food
Nation. New York: First
Mariner Books.

17. URL: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2014-0212/bhubaneswar/47269101_1_water-pollution-urban-waterbodies-israel-help
Website:
TIMES NEW INDIA
Israel help to reduce water pollution
Israelhelp to reduce water pollution. (2014, February
17). The Times
Feb 12, 2014, 02.34PM IST Of India. Retrieved February
BHUBANESWAR: A 17, 2014, from
team of experts from Israel on Tuesday
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/
reached Bhubaneswar to study groundwater pollution in
2014-02the city. The Chilika Development Authority (CDA), which is
12/bhubaneswar/47269101_1_water-p
managing the wetlands at Chilika, is facilitating the team's
ollution-urban-water-bodies-israel-help
visit.
…….
Additional note: Let us assume you read this
article yesterday.

18. IN-TEXT CITATION
• Very easy
• In your writing let’s say the reference is:
Fatima, A. (2004). Gender, literacy and empowerment
in Morocco. United Kingdom: Routledge.
• In your text it is written as, (Fatima, 2004).
• No author, then it is written as (Gender, literacy and
empowerment in Morocco, 2004).
• Same rule applies for internet citation

19. How to write your introduction
• It must answer the following questions:
– What is the background of your research?
– What is the purpose you want to carry out the
research?
– What are your enquiries to pursue the research?
– What is your expected outcome for the research?
– What is the significance of your research?

20. How to write your literature review
• Using the 5 references you have selected, extract the
key points to discuss further and justify your research
• Be organised around and related directly to the
research question
• Synthesise results into a summary of what is and is not
known
• Identify areas of controversy in the literature (if any)
• Formulate questions that need further research (if you
can)

21. Ask yourself questions:
• What is the problem or research question that my lit.
review helps to define?
• What type of literature review am I doing? Am I
looking at issues of theory? methodology? Policy?
quantitative research? qualitative research?
• What is the scope of my lit. review? What type of
publications am I using?

22. How to write the methodology
•
•
•
•
•
What is your approach? Clue: Quantitative
How do you approach it?
When will it be carried out?
What is your population and sample?
Organise your questionnaire according to the
research question.
• How will you analyse and present the data?

23. How will you analyse the data
• What is your return rate?
• What is your demographic profile?
• You only write about observable data similar
like non-linear writing.

24. How will you write your conclusion
• I limit you to only write 3 paragraphs
• Did your findings corroborate to your research
questions?
• What are proposed recommendations on
improving your research?