What is a report

Composing the Materials for the

research report

Outlining the research paper

In the preparation of the research
paper , there are three stages :
1.While the formulation is still in the
notes, it classifies the subject groups
and makes periodic attempts to work
the groups into a running outline.
 2.Makes a preliminary outline to
discover a thesis as to test one which
is beginning to shape in mind.
3.Revises subject heading and plans
ways to put them in order .studies
notes to detect gaps in information.
RULES FOR EFFECTIVE WRITING OF
THE RESEARCH REPORT
1.CONCISENESS MEANS THE
OMISSION OF NEEDLESS
WORDS,AND SENTENCES. THIS IS A
CARDINAL RULE IN RESEARCH
REPORT.
2.DICTION AND PHRASEOLOGY
DICTION PERTAINS TO THE CHOICE
AND USE OF WORDS. IT IS
NECESSARY FOR PRECISION OF
STATEMENT AND FOR CLARITY OF
VOCABULARY AND TECHNICAL
TERMINOLOGY. EFFECTIVE DICTION
EMPLOYS A SIMPLE,FORCEFUL AND
DIRECT VOCABULARY.
 PHRASEOLOGY IS THE
ARRANGEMENT OF WORDS IN
GROUPS. THERE SHOULD BE
VARIATION IN THE
STRUCTURE OF CLAUSES,
SENTENCES, AND
PARAGRAPHS BUT WHICH
SHOULD EXHIBIT
UNITY,CLARITY, AND
COHERENCE.
 3.SENTENCES ANF PARAGRAPHS
THAT HAVE UNITY EXPRESS ONLY A
SINGLE COMPLETE THOUGHT, ONE
IDEA, OR ONE PHASE OF AN IDEA.
ONLY THOSE DETAILS NECESSARY
TO UPHOLD AND ENRICH THE
THOUGHT OR IDEA ARE INCLUDED.
4.CLARITY ENABLES THE READERS
TO EASILY UNDERSTAND WHAT
THE MATERIAL MEANS TO
CONVEY.THE INFORMATION IS
PRECISE,OBVIOUS,AND FREE
FROM AMBIGUITY.
 THIS IS ACHIEVED THROUGH THE
PRECISE USE OF WORDS, THE
INTELLIGENT USE OF PARAGRAPHS,
AND PROPER PUNCTUATION.
5.COHERENCE-MEANS THAT ALL THE
PARTS OF THE SENTENCE SHOULD
BEAR A CLEAR AND LOGICAL
RELATIONSHIP TO EACH OTHER. TO
ACHIEVE COHERENCE IN A
PARAGRAPH, THE SENTENCES MUST
FOLLOW EACH OTHER IN SUCH A WAY
THAT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
THEM IS IMMEDIATELY CLEAR.
 6.CONSISTENCY REQUIRES
DISCUSSION TO CENTER ON THE
WAY TERMS HAVE BEEN DEFINED,
AND THESE TERMS SHOULD BE
USED CONSISTENTLY
THROUGHOUT. IF THE DISCUSSION
EMPLOYES THE WORD
PERCENTAGE OR PERCENT AND
NOT% , THIS SHOULD BE
CONSISTENT. IF THE SYMBOL % IS
PREFERRED, IT IS ALSO
ACCEPTABLE PROVIDED THAT IS
CONSISTENTLY USED.
 7 DIRECTNESS
AND BREVITY
A SIMPLE RATHER THAN A
COMPLICATED STYLE IS IDEAL FOR
THE RESEARCH REPORT. SHORT
RATHER THAN LONG SENTENCES
SHOULD BE USED EXCEPT WHERE
QUALIFYING PHRASES ARE
NECESSARY TO MAKE THE MEANING
OF A STATEMENT CLEAR. MOREOVER,
THE REPORT MUST POSSESS
SMOOTHNESS OF EXPRESSION IN
SUCH A WAY THAT THE READER IS
NOT CONFRONTED WITH DULL
MASSES OF UNINTERESTING and
8 . FOR OBJECTIVITY, THE
PERSONAL PRONOUNS, I
,WE ,YOU, MY , OUR AND
US SHOULD NOT BE
USED. SUCH
EXPRESSIONS AS”THE
INVESTIGATOR” OR THE
RESEARCHER” ARE USED
INSTEAD OF THESE
PERSONAL PRONOUNS.
 9.THE PAST TENSE SHOULD BE USED
IN DESCRIBING RESEARCH
PROCEDURES THAT HAVE BEEN
COMPLETED. EVEN THE RELATED
LITERATURE SHOULD BE IN THE PAST
TENSE SINCE THE QUOTES WERE SAID
IN THE PAST. ALLUSIONS TO A TABLE
DURING THE PRESENTATION OF THE
DATA SHOULD, HOWEVER, BE IN THE
PRESENT TENSE. THE FUTURE TENSE
IS USED FOR THE RECOMMENDATIONS
AND IMPLICATIONS.
 10. NUMBERS IN THE
BEGINNING OF A
SENTENCE SHOULD BE
WRITTEN IN WORDS. IN
THE MIDDLE
OFSENTENCES, NUMBERS
UNDER 10 SHOULD BE
SPELLED OUT AS WORDS
WHILE 10 AND ABOVE
SHOULD BE WRITTEN AS
NUMBERS.
11. ABBREVIATIONS SHOULD NOT BE
USED IN THE TEXT OF THE
RESEARCH REPORT. IN THE
FOOTNOTES, BIBLIOGRAPHY, AND
TABLES, ONLY A FEW ABBREVIATIONS
ARE CONSIDERED APPROPRIATE, IN
CASE OF DOUBT, WORDS SHOULD
BE SPELLED OUT.
12.THE LANGUAGE AND STYLE OF
THE RESEARCH REPORT SHOULD
REFLECT ACCURATE RULES OF
GRAMMAR ,CORRECT SPELLING, AND
CORRECT PUNCTUATION.
 13.THE RESEARCH REPORT MUST
HAVE SUBSTANTIAL CONTENT THAT IS
TO BE COMMUNICATED. THE SAID
CONTENT MUST BE WELL-ORGANIZED
AND PRESENTED IN PROPER FORM
AND STYLE IF THE DESIRED
COMMUNICATION IS TO TAKE PLACE.
IN GENERAL, PROPER FORM AND
STYLE ARE ASSOCIATED WITH CLEAR
THINKING, LOGICAL ORGANIZATION,
AND SOUND INTERPRETATION. A
REPORT OF REAL SUBSTANCE IS
SIMPLE, CLEAR , AND DIRECT.
 WRITING,REVISING,EDITING FOR
PROPER DOCUMENTATION, AND
FINALIZING THE REPORT.

1.WRITING THE FIRST DRAFT

THE RESEARCH REPORT IS A
SCIENTIFIC PAPER, AND AS SUCH, IT
MUST CONFORM TO CERTAIN
STANDARDS OF STYLE AND FORM AS
WELL AS OF READABILITY AND
DOCUMENTATION.
THE FIRST CONSIDERATION WHICH
THE RESEARCHER MUST TAKE INTO
ACCOUNT AS HE STARTS THE TASK OF
WRITING THE FIRST DRAFT OF HIS
REPORT, AND WHICH CONSIDERATION
HE MUST ALWAYS HAVE IN MIND, IS
RELIABILITY. THIS MEANS THAT THE
REPORT IS CORRECT, EXACT, PRECISE,
 THE PRIMARY AIMS OF THE
RESEARCH IS TO CONVEY TRUTH
AND TO DO AS HE OR SHE WILL
NOT BE TEMPTED TO BRING IN
HIS OR HER BIAS. EVERY ASPECT
OF THE RESEARCH WILL AVOID
UNEVEN EMPHASIS AND WILL
EXPOSE THE WEAKNESSES OF
HIS OR HER POSITION WITH THE
SAME CARE THAT HE OR SHE
DEVOTES TO SHOWING THE
STRENGTH.
RESEARCHER SHOULD PROCEED TO THE
NEXT CHAPTER FOLLOWING THE
GUIDELINES EARLIER DISCUSSED AS
REGARDS PRESENTATION,
INTERPRETATION,AND ANALYSIS OF
DATA.
AFTER FINISHING THE FIRST DRAFTS THE
RESEARCHER NECESSARILY HAS TO GO
OVER THE WHOLE MANUSCRIPT AND
THEN REVISE AS NEEDED. AFTER
CAREFUL READING,THE RESEARCHER
MAY THEN PROCEED TO REVISE HIS OR
HER PRODUCT METICULOUSLY AND
OBJECTIVELY. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE
REPORT MAY BE TOO LONG SO HE OR
SHE MUST MAKE EFFORT TO SHORTEN IT.
UNNECESSARY PHRASED AND PASSAGES
WILL HAVE TO BE ELIMINATED.
 REVISING THE DRAFT
IN THE PROCESS OF REVISION, THE RESEARCH HAS TO
BE GUIDED BY THE FOLLOWING PRINCIPLES AND
TECHNIQUES:
A.ACCURATE,OBJECTIVE AND PRECISE PRESENTATION
OF DATA;
B.ADEQUATE ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA IN
A DIRECT,CONCISE,AND INTERESTING MANNER;
C.SMOOTH AND CLEAR TEXTUAL DISCUSSION;
D.CONSISTENCY OF USAGE AS REGARDS FOOTNOTE AND
BIBLIOGRAPHIC TREATMENT;
E.VALID AND ACCURATE FINDINGS DRAWN FROM THE
ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA;
F.VALID AND ACCURATE CONCLUSIONS MADE FROM THE
FINDINGS;
G.SUITABLE RECOMMENDATIONS MADE IN THE LIGHT OF
FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS OF THE STUDY;
H.CORRECT PUNCTUATION,CAPITALIZATION,AND
PARAGRAPHING; AND.
I.MEANINGFUL,USEFUL,AND INTERESTING CONTENT THAT
KEEP APPEAL TO THE READER.
3. EDITING FOR PROPER
DOCUMENTATION
AS MARK OF INTELLECTUAL HONESTY
AND FOR VALIDATION PURPOSE, THE
RESEARCHER MUST ACKNOWLEDGE
ALL SOURCES OF MATERIALS
GATHERED. THIS IS DONE THROUGH
DOCUMENTATION, WHICH, IS
DEFINED BY GOOD(1954,129), IS THE
PROCESS OF CITING ILLUSTRATIVE
OR SUPPORTING REFERENCE FOR
STATEMENTS MADE , USUALLY
THROUGH FOOTNOTES.
E. FOOTNOTES
CONTENT AND END REFERENCE
CONTENT IS FOR PURPOSE OF ELABORATING
ON OR AMPLIFYING CERTAIN POINTS IN THE
TEXT;
END REFERENCE IS FOR CITING NAMES OF
AUTHORS AND TITLES OF PUBLICATIONS.
1.TO AMPLIFY THE IDEAS OR INFORMATION
BEYOND THE POINT DEEMED SUFFICIENT
FOR THE TEST;
2.TO ESTABLISH THE VALIDITY OF EVIDENCE;
3.TO ACKNOWLEDGE INDEBTEDNESS; AND
4.TO PROVIDE CROSS-REFERENCE TO
VARIOUS PARTS OF THE RESEARCH REPORT.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1.REFERENCES ARE ARRANGED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER;
THE LAST NAME OF THE AUTHOR’S LISTED FIRST.
2.EACH ENTRY IS PLACED FLUSH WITH THE LEFT MARGIN OF
THE PAGE , AND SUBSEQUENT LINES ARE SINGLE-SPACED
AND INDENTED FIVE SPACES FROM THE LEFT MARGIN.
3.A DOUBLE SPACE SEPARATE ENTRIES.
4.THE BIBLIOGRAPHY MAY BE DIVIDED INTO PARTS.
5.BIBLIOGRAPHIC ENTRIES SHOULD CONTAIN THE
FOLLOWING FACTS ABOUT THE REFERENCE.
1.NAME OF AUTHOR, LAST NAME FIRST;
2.PLACE OF PUBLICATION ,PUBLISHER, AND DATE OF
PUBLICATION;
3.NUMBER OF VOLUMES,EDITION, PAGE NUMBER.
C.EVALUATING THE RESEARCH REPORT
FOR FINALIZATION
WITH THE USE OF THE PROPER FOOTNOTES,
BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCE,ORGANIZATION OF
THE REPORT INTO DISTINCT DIVISIONS, AND THE
EMPLOYMENT OF CERTAIN STANDARDS IN TYPING,
THE INVESTIGATOR WILL SUCCEED IN
COMMUNICATING THE SUBSTANCE OF HIS
INVESTIGATION. ASIDE FROM THE FORM AND
MECHANICS, THE INTRINSIC VALUE OF THE
CONTENT OF THE REPORT SHOULD NOT BE LOST
SIGHT OF.
BEFORE FINALIZING THE REPORT, THE
RESEARCHER MUST EVALUATE THE RESEARCH IF IT
WILL CONTRIBUTE TO HUMAN KNOWLEDGE AND
THE SOLUTION OF THE PROBLEMS OF MAN AND
SOCIETY.