Guidelines for Development of Research Report
The research report should follow from the student's investigations during the course. The report is a written extension of the final student presentation. The following components should be included in the paper. The paper should be a minimum of 8-10 pages in length, double-spaced. The final paper should be the result of numerous drafts that are fine-tuned during the final days of the project. The research report should be submitted on the day of the final presentation (students are expected to provide an electronic copy saved on disc as a Word file).
Title Page
The title page should include the title of the paper/presentation, author's name, and the title of the course and instructor.
Abstract
The abstract should describe the most important aspects of the study, including the problem investigated, the types of instruments involved, the design, the procedures, the major results and conclusions. The reader should be able to tell from the abstract exactly what a study was about and what it found (Gay, 1996). The abstract should not exceed one page.
Background
The background includes a review of the literature and theoretical aspects related to the study. This section is an analysis of the relationships and differences among related studies and reports.
Research Question/Problem
The research question or problem which you are investigating should be clearly stated so that the reader understands the nature of the investigation and the variables involved.
Methods
The methods section includes a description of the instruments, the design, and the procedures for conducting the research. All instruments used to collect data should be described. The description of the design should clearly define how the study was carried out, including details of each step followed in doing the study, in chronological order, with enough detail to allow another individual to repeat your study.
Results
Describes the techniques used to analyze the data and the results of each analysis. This section should make references to tables and graphs. Figures and illustrations can be used to show relationships.
Conclusions/Recommendations/Extensions
The conclusion should address the research problem/question. This is a discussion of how the results support or inform the problem being investigated. The student should include recommendations for further study and/or raise questions which their exploration left unanswered.
References
The references should include ALL sources used in writing the report, alphabetically by author's last name. The format should follow APA guidelines.
Tables/Data/Graphs (Appendices)