Writing a Research Report

Writing a Research Report

The steps to writing a research report that can make a difference

Parts of a report

If you are unsure of how to write a research report, there are specific steps that can be taken to write a research report that can make a big positive difference in one’s grade point average. 

What is research report writing?

When people approach our online custom essay writing service to buy a custom essay for a cheap price, we tell them, when they ask, “What is research report writing?” that a research report is precisely what it sounds like. It is a written report that gives details about research that was conducted.

An objective of writing a research report is to present a well-organized paper to enable people to read one’s work in a selective way. Readers may be interested in just the methods used to conduct the research, or in a specific result, or, perhaps, in the interpretation of the research.  Writing a research report delineates all of these things. If you do not know how to write a research report, please continue to read.

For most studies, the way to write a research report includes these individual sections that are submitted in the listed order. Each section begins on a new page. Our custom essay writing service can provide all sections of a report for a cheap price to students that might prefer to buy their reports online. Sometimes, journals will request that a summary of the work be placed at the very end of the section that contains the main discussion of the topic. There are journals that will occasionally deviate from this particular format, by combining the results with the discussion. The advice for these particular reports will stick to the standard format.

Style

In every section of a report, the writer should use paragraphs to separate our each crucial point.  This does not apply to the abstract. The points should be presented in a logical order. Present tense should be used to report any background information that has already been established. For instance, 'the tree is all.' Past tense should always be used to describe the results of an experiment. For instance, 'When a buzz saw was applied, the tree fell down'. In other words, present tense is used for background, and past tense is used for results.

Title Page

The title should be informative and say something about the subject. A title that reads, "Psychology Lab #12" does not inform. The writer should always include the name(s) and address(as) of the authors, as well as the date the work was submitted.

Abstract

The abstract summarizes the study and focuses on the major conclusions that are drawn during the experiment. It should exist as a single paragraph and be extremely concise. The abstract should be able to stand on its own without reference to any other section of the report. It should also be written in past tense.

Introduction

• The overall question should be stated and its relevance explained as it pertains to science
• Acceptability of the model used to address the research question
• Experimental design should be explained along with the hypothesis
• Significance of the results to the hypothesis

Inclusive background information should be included.

Materials and Methods

This section’s purpose is to document all research procedures so that any other scientist could replicate all or part of the experiment. It should not be written as a set of instructions. Report methods and materials in the past tense and in passive third person should be used. One’s laboratory notebook needs to contain each of the details of all steps taken in the lab, and all additional information that is required in order to conclude this section.  

Results

A research paper should never contain raw data. Data should first be analyzed and then presented in the form of a figure, table, graph or in a well-written narrative form. The writer should only present the same data once, and in the most effective manner possible. By presenting converted data, the point can be made succinctly and clearly.

Use figures instead of tables, whenever possible, and tables instead of straight text, when appropriate. Sometimes a figure is inappropriate, and at times, data can come across more clearly when described in some type of narrative form.

To add continuity, try to describe the relationships between sections of converted data to the study. Then present the study’s table, while including the title and all of the headings. Converted data go into the report’s body following the methods, yet before the discussion. Avoid putting graphs onto the back of the report. It is ill advised to draw conclusions to put in the section that calls for the results. Place all data interpretation for the discussion.

Discussion

The discussion section should be used to interpret the data. A decision should be made about whether each hypothesis is rejected or supported, or if the writer is unable to make a decision based on empirical evidence. All observations should be explained in as much detail as possible. The writer should also determine whether or not the design of the experiment addressed the hypothesis adequately and if variables were correctly controlled. 

Literature Cited

Any literature that is cited in a report should be listed in alphabetical order. The author’s name should come first. Some reports may possibly not require references. In these cases, the writer should write, “No references were used or consulted.”