GROUP 12: WRITING RESEARCH REPORT

(Researching Second Language Classroom by Sandra Lee Mckay)

GUIDELINES
Thesis Guidelines
Most departments or universities have specific guidelines regarding the format of a thesis.
In some instances the guidelines specify the organization of the thesis, typically adhering to a
pattern similar to the following:
• Introduction
• Review of the literature
• Methodology
• Findings
• Conclusions and implications
Journal Guidelines
There are several steps you should follow if you intend to submit a research report to a journal
for publication:
 Determine an appropriate journal
 Review and follow the journal guidelines
 Submit your manuscripts
 Revise and Resubmit your manuscript
RESEARCH REPORT
a. INTRODUCTORY MATERIALS
1. Introduction
For both a thesis and journal publication, the introduction is a critical component
of the paper. Not only must the introduction get the interest of the reader, but it should
also explain how the research project has addressed an important gap in the field. Model
for introduction by Swales (1990): establishing a territory, establishing a niche, and
occupying a niche

2. Abstract
Because an abstract is often what readers use to decide whether or not to read a
research report, it is a very important part of the report. It should contain a statement of the
purpose of the study, the methods used, and the findings.
 3. Title
Another essential component of the introductory materials is the title. The title needs
to summarize in a concise and creative manner the major purpose of the study.

4. Style
In deciding style in research report, it is useful to consider the audience.

b. LITERATURE REVIEW
o Organization
A literature review can be a separate section or chapter occurring at the opening of a
thesis or journal paper; it can also be integrated throughout the paper as support for
particular topics addressed in the paper.
o Purpose
For both a thesis and journal article, a literature review is a selective account of
previous work on a topic that in some way is relevant to the present study. Although part
of the purpose of a thesis literature review is to demonstrate that you have thoroughly
reviewed the existing literature on the topic, it still should not be a mere recounting of
everything you read.
o Citation Options
There are two widely used options for citing the authors of the studies referred to
in a literature review. One is to directly give the author’s name in the summary, using what
Swales and Feak(2000) call an integral citation. The second is to cite the author in
parenthesis or in a footnote, using what Swales and Feak call a nonintegral citation.

c. METHODOLOGY
In both a thesis and journal article, the methodology should be reported in such detail that
the study can be replicated. Frequently the methods section includes the following subtitles:
• Participants
It describes the characteristics of the participants (age, gender, ethnicity, and linguistic
background). It should also include on what basis you selected these particular participants.
• Materials
A description or copy of any research instrument that being used. For example, if you used a
survey or interview to gather data, this instrument should be included in the report, most likely
in an appendix.
• Procedures
It describes what the researcher did in undertaking the study
• Analysis
It describes how the researcher went about analyzing the data
d. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
 Organization
There are various ways to organize the findings of your study. If you undertook a case
study of several students, you might choose to organize your results section by
summarizing each student in the case study, or if you developed categories from your data
analysis you can use these categories as the basis for your organization.
 Tables
For many kinds of studies, using tables to summarize the findings is an effective
strategy. The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (1994) has a
variety of suggestions for the use of tables. To begin, it suggests that because tables are
difficult to set and may be complicated to read, they should be reserved only for crucial
data that is directly related to the content of the study. They also include the following
advice about the use of tables.
• Examples from the Data
In some types of studies, examples from the data are included to illustrate some of the
issues that are discussed.
e. CONCLUSION
The conclusion of a study plays an important function in demonstrating the value of the
study. The conclusion can have a variety of moves:
• A summary of the major findings of the study
• A call for further research on questions raised by the study
• A statement of the limitations of the study
• A repetition of a theme or issue raised in the introduction
• An explanation of the pedagogical implications of the study
• A statement of the overall significance of the topic addressed in the study