Assignment:
Structure of your final research report
A quantitative research report should generally include the following sections:
1. Executive summary
2. Introduction
3. Literature review
4. Methodology
5. Results and discussion
6. Conclusion
7. Appendices
8. References
The executive summary
An executive summary is an extended summary of a study usually the last part of the report to be written (since you need to know what you have said in order to provide the summary), and should include the following information:
• brief background to the research;
• purpose/aims of the study;
• methods used and the sample;
• brief conclusions outlining the importance of the study.
The role of the executive summary is to give the reader sufficient information about the study, the essential details, to enable them to decide if they wish to read the full report.
The introduction
The introduction should provide a background to the research, specify the issue that is being addressed and review relevant previous research. The introduction may then close by outlining the purposes and objectives of the study, research questions, and hypotheses.
Literature Review
In reviewing relevant literature, you must carefully structure your findings. It may be useful to do a chronological format where you discuss from the earliest to the latest research, placing your research appropriately in the chronology. Alternately, you could write in a thematic way, outlining the various themes that you discovered in the research regarding the topic. Again, you will need to state where your research fits. From Greasley, P. (2008)
Methodology
The key to the methods section is clarity and specificity, such that a reader could replicate the method and procedure of your study from the information you provide in the report. So we are talking about a very detailed account which should cover:
1. Study design: What is the overall methodology or design of the study? For example, is it an experiment (with independent and dependent variables), a questionnaire study, a qualitative study consisting of a series of interviews or focus groups, etc.?
2. The participants: What is the sampling frame (target sample, e.g., all patients who attend for counselling during one year at a general practice), sampling method (random, quota, all) and sample size? This may need to include demographic information (age,
sex, ethnic background, etc.).
3. The materials: What materials were used in the study to conduct the research and collect data? For example, details of a questionnaire or other outcome measures may be provided in an appendix. If you are using a standardized outcome measure, for example, to measure health and quality of life, you should also provide details of its relevance to your particular study including details of reported reliability and validity (reliability refers to the consistency of the measure over time or with different samples; validity
refers to the extent to which it measures what it is supposed to be measuring, e.g., levels of anxiety or depression).
4. The procedure: How was the study actually conducted? For example, if the study involved a questionnaire, how was it distributed to participants? Was it posted to participants who completed it then returned it, or was it completed in the presence of the researcher?
(Studies have shown that the way in which a questionnaire is administered - self-completion, interview, etc. -can influence the responses (Lyons et al. 1999)).
Remember, the reader should be able to replicate your procedure based on the details you provide in the report.
Results and Discussion
The results should be presented as simply and clearly as possible. Make use of graphs and tables that help to present and explain the results. Where descriptive and inferential statistics are used to analyze the data, you should:
• name the statistic used;
• report the statistical significance of the results obtained;
• indicate that all necessary assumptions were met (e.g., that data were normally distributed if using a t-test).From Greasley, P. (2008)
It is also important for the report to have a logical structure. A good way to do this is to pose research questions or hypotheses which are then either confirmed or not by the data. You can then add words and phrases like ‘surprisingly', ‘as expected' or ‘as predicted' when presenting the results of analysis. This makes the text more interesting than simply listing a ream of analyses; it turns the report into a story with twists and turns.
Graphs, figures and tables should be comprehensible without reference back to the text, so they should be clearly numbered and headed, and fully labeled with all units of measurement. They should only be included where they serve to enhance understanding of the results. Within the text you should lead the reader through the table or figure drawing attention to the relevant data.
The reader should not turn the page and suddenly be confronted with a figure floating in the air: introduce the figure in the text and then explain it.
The discussion section should also provide an interpretation and explanation of the results which should be related to any research questions or hypotheses. It should also include critical reflections on the study (e.g., design of the questionnaire, relevance of outcome measures, limitations for generalizing due to small sample sizes).
Conclusion
The conclusion should include general implications of the study and suggestions or recommendations for further research.
Appendices
These should include any instruments used - such as the questionnaire.
References
A full list of references should be included written in line with APA referencing system. This shows that you have consulted the relevant literature and acknowledged the sources of your work. It also enables the reader to consult the work you have cited if they wish.
Attachment:- Independent Variable Skewness Values.rar