You have chosen a topic and have developed a work plan to research your report topic. (THE proposal)
In this assignment you will demonstrate your ability to follow the necessary steps for research: define a research question, develop a research methodology, gather information using that methodology, and analyze the information (see Figure 11.2 (p. 317) and Chapter 14). You will then demonstrate your ability to write an analytical report based on that research. Your report will follow the general analytical report structure—Introduction, Methodology, Results, Discussion, Conclusions and/or recommendations—the IMRaD structure.
Format:
- Length: 10-12 pages, double-spaced (not including the front matter, bibliography, or appendix)
- Include at least two visuals such as a table, chart, or graph to illustrate findings
Research sources:
Identify and use at least 7 sources including an electronic, a print, and an empirical source (section 14.5, page 401, in your text). (See Appendix C in your text for citation guides or Center for Writing documentation resources.)
Remember, this is a general structure and can be modified for the specific type of report you are writing (see Chapter 11). For example, the results and discussion can be combined, or the conclusions can be presented along with the discussion. (Report example Figure 11.6, pages 322-331, with discussion of how to develop sections)
The report should contain the following elements:
- Front Matter. These are elements that appear before the main report:
- Letter or memo of transmittal (Figure 6.1, p. 141)
- Title page
- Abstract or Executive summary
- Table of Contents
- Introduction. In this section, state the topic, the purpose, the importance of the topic, background information, and your overall conclusion. Forecast the remainder of the report.
- Methods. In this section, describe how you conducted your research. Remember, you are required to identify and use at least 7 sources to include an electronic source, a print source, and an empirical source. Specifics, such as interview questions or a survey can be provided in Appendices and referred to in the text of this section.
- Results. Summarize the major findings of your study. Raw data can be provided in Appendices and referred to in the text of this section. Along with the Discussion section, this should be one of the largest sections of your report. You may use tables, charts, graphs, or other visuals if applicable to share results.
- Discussion. Discuss the results, explaining what these results demonstrate, how they relate to your research question(s) and/or how they prove a hypothesis. Discussion can highlight strengths or weaknesses of your findings, insights, explanations, or connections. Explain how you have answered your research question and/or addressed the problem/topic of your report. Along with the Results section, this section should be one of the largest sections of your report.
- Conclusion and Recommendation (can be combined or separate sections). Restate the main points of your report, stress the importance of the study, explain the significance of the facts, and state your recommendations. Recommendations should logically flow from the results.
- Back Matter (elements that appear after the main report). Back matter may include a number of items such as:
- References / bibliography of any sources you used, including names of persons interviewed, electronic sources, and print sources with proper citations. (See “sources” above.)
- List of interview or survey questions
- Appendices: Any other documents relevant to the report
- Glossary of terms
Finally, be sure to consider the use of the following in your report:
- Style (consider issues of audience and vocabulary, as well as mechanical and grammatical correctness, as you have been practicing in editing activities)
- Document design (refer to Unit 3)
- Visuals such as tables, charts, and graphs that illustrate your findings (refer to forum 4.2–data displays)
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