REPORT WRITING:Conclusions and recommendations, Appended Parts

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Research Methods STA630

Lesson 44

REPORT WRITING

Although every report is custom-made for the project it represents, some conventions of report format

are universal. These conventions have developed over a long period of time, and they represent a

consensus about what parts are necessary to a good research report and how they should be ordered. The

consensus is not an inviolable law, though. Each report writing book suggests its own unique format

and every report writer has to pick and choose the parts and the order that work best for the project at

hand. Many companies and universities also have an in-house, suggested report formats or writing

guides that researchers should be aware of.

Report format: The general plan of organization for the parts of a written or oral research report. The

researchers tailor the format to the project. The format of a research report may need adjustment for

two reasons: (1) to obtain the proper level of formality and (2) to decrease the complexity of the report.

We shall look at the most formal type i.e. a report for a large project done within an organization or one

done by a research agency for a client company. This sort of report is usually bound with a permanent

cover and may be hundreds of pages long.

Students who are writing a thesis shall have to follow the format requirements of the university where

they shall be submitting it. Thesis format is little different, and it shall be explained as we proceed.

The Makeup of the Report the Report Parts

Prefatory parts

1. Title fly page

2. Title page

3. Letter of transmittal

4. Letter of authorization

5. Table of contents

6. Executive summary

Main body

1. Introduction

2. Methodology

3. Results

4. Conclusions and recommendations

5. References

Appended parts

1. Data collection forms (questionnaires, checklist, interview guide, other forms)

2. Detailed calculations

3. General tables

4. Other support material

5. Bibliography, if needed

Let us now look at each one of the parts of the report.

Prefatory Parts

Title Fly Page: Only the title appears on this page. For the most formal reports, a title fly page

precedes the title page. Most of the reports don't have it. May be it is more like the dustcover of some

books.

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Title Page: The title page should include four items: the title of the report, the name(s) of the person(s)

for whom the report was prepared, the name(s) of person(s) who prepared it, and the date of release or

presentation.

The title should be brief but include three elements: (1) the variables included in the study, (2) the type

of relationship among the variables, and (3) the population to which the results may be applied.

Redundancies such as "A report of," "A discussion of," and "A study of" add length to title but little

else. Single-word titles are also of little value.

Addresses and titles of recipients and writers may also be included.

(For thesis follow the format as prescribed by the relevant university)

Letter of Transmittal: This element is included in relatively formal and very formal reports. Its

purpose is to release or deliver the report to the recipient. It also serves to establish some rapport

between the reader and the writer. This is one part of the formal report where a personal, or even a

slightly informal, tone should be used. The transmittal letter should not dive into report findings except

in the broadest terms. This letter may be like:

Virtual University Lahore

December 15, 2006

Mr. K. M. Khalil

Vice President for Marketing

...............................

Subject: Report on Employee Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment

Dear Mr. Khalil,

Here is a report on Employee Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment. The report was prepared

according to your authorization letter of April 15, 2006.

...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................

We are grateful to you for your cooperation in this important study.

Sincerely,

.................

Letter of Authorization: This is a letter to the researcher approving the project, detailing who has

responsibility for the project and indicating what resources are available to support it. The letter not

only shows who sponsored the research but also delineates the original request.

Researcher would not write this letter. In many situations, referring to the letter of authorization in the

letter of transmittal is sufficient. If so, the letter of authorization need not be included in the report. In

case the letter has to be included, exact copy of the original may be reproduced.

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Table of Contents: A table of contents is essential to any report. It should list the divisions and

subdivisions of the report with page references. The table of contents is based on the final outline of the

report, but it should include first-level subdivisions. For short reports it is sufficient to include only the

main divisions. If the report includes many figures and tables, lists of these should immediately follow

the table of contents. If lots of abbreviations have been used in the report, give a list of abbreviations,

alphabetically arranged, after the list of figures/tables.

Executive Summary: It is vital part of the report. Studies have indicated that most managers always

read a report's summary, whereas only a minority read the rest of the report. Thus the only chance a

writer may have to make an impact be in summary.

An executive summary can serve two purposes. It may be a report in miniature covering all the

aspects in the body of the report, but in abbreviated form. Or it may be a concise summary of the major

findings and conclusions, including recommendations. On the whole the summary briefly tells why the

research project was conducted, what aspects of the problem were considered, what the outcome was,

and what should be done.

The summary should be written only after the rest of the report is completed. It represents the essence

of the report. Two to three pages are generally sufficient for a properly condensed summary. (For very

big reports which run into number of volumes, like the one finds in the feasibility reports of big projects,

the summary may be very big.) The summary should be written to be self-sufficient. In fact, it is not

uncommon for a summary to be detached from the report and circulated by itself.

The summary contains four elements:

1. The objectives of the report are stated, including the most important background and specific

purposes of the project.

2. The major results are presented. The key results regarding each purpose should be included.

3. The conclusions that are based on the results. There should be logical interpretation of the

results which could lead to the stated conclusions.

4. The recommendations or suggestions for action, which are based on the conclusions. The

recommendations must logically emerge from the results.

In many cases managers prefer not to have recommendations included in the report or summary. The

consultant may have to go by the demand of the client.

Note: In many reports you may see that the executive summary comes first which is followed by the

table of contents.

For students writing their thesis, in place of executive summary, they write an abstract of their thesis.

This abstract is usually of one or two paragraphs. Abstract has information on the topic, the research

problem, the basic findings, and any `unusual' research design or data collection features.

Main Body

The main body constitutes the bulk of the report. It includes: Introduction, Methodology, Results,

Conclusions, and Recommendations of the study.

Introduction: The introduction prepares the reader for the report by describing the parts of the project:

background material, the problem statement, and research objectives of the study. In most projects,

introduction can be taken from the research proposal submitted earlier by the consultant. The proposal

itself was based on the terms of reference (TOR) supplied by the client.

Background could help in looking at the magnitude of the problem. It may include the results of

exploration from an experience survey, focus group discussion, and secondary data from literature

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review. The background includes definitions, qualifications and assumptions. It gives the reader the

information needed to understand the remainder of research report.

Problem statement contains the need for the research project. The problem is usually represented by the

research question raised by the client. It explains why the project was worth doing.

Research objectives address the purpose of the project. These objectives may be research questions and

associated investigative questions. In correlational or causal studies, the hypothesis statement may be

included. At the end of the study the researcher may see the extent to which these objectives have been

addressed.

For Thesis: After introduction, for students writing their thesis, it is recommended that they should

have three separate chapters on review of literature, theoretical framework, and hypothesis or research

question along with the operationalization of variables. These chapters may be in line with the steps in

research that we discussed as part of the research process.

Methodology: Technical procedures for carrying out the study must be explained in a manner

appropriate for the reader. It may be useful to supplement the material in this section with more detailed

explanation in the appendix. This part of the report should address seven topics:

1. Research design: Was the study exploratory, descriptive, or causal? A specific strategy was

used to conduct this study. Why was this particular design suited to the study?

2. Data collection methods: Did the data come from primary sources or secondary sources? How

the primary data were collected survey, experiment, observation? It is possible that multiple

techniques may have been used all these have to be explained.

3. Sample design: What was the target population? What sampling frame was used? What type of

sampling was used? What was the selection procedure used?

4. Instrument(s) of data collection: What instrument(s) of data collection was (were) used? Why

a particular instrument was selected? Include a copy of each instrument in the appendix.

5. Fieldwork/data collection: How many and what type of fieldworkers were used? What training

and supervision did they receive? How was the quality control assured?

6. Analysis: How was the analysis carried out? How was the data reduction handled? Tell about

the scoring scheme used. Outline the statistical methods applied for the analysis of the data.

7. Limitations: No report is perfect, so it is important to indicate the report's limitations. If there

were problems with non-response error or sampling procedures, they should be discussed. The

discussion of limitations should avoid overemphasizing the weaknesses. Its aim should be to

provide a realistic basis for assessing the results.

Results: The presentation of results will occupy the bulk of the report. This section presents in some

logical order those findings of the project that bear on the objectives. The results should be organized as

a continuous narrative, designed to be convincing but not oversell the project. Summary tables and

charts should be used to aid the discussion. Tables and charts may serve as points of reference to the

data being discussed and free the prose from an excess of facts and figures. Comprehensive or detailed

charts should be reserved for the appendix.

Conclusions and recommendations: The last part of the body of the report presents the conclusions

and recommendations based on results. Findings state facts; conclusions represent inferences drawn

from findings. A writer is sometimes reluctant to make conclusions and leaves the task to the reader.

Avoid this temptation when possible. As the researcher, you are the one best informed on the factors

that critically influence the findings and conclusions.

Recommendations emerge out of conclusions. These are actually suggestions for action in an applied

research. The researcher may present several alternatives with justification. In academic research, the

recommendations are often further study suggestions that broaden or test understanding of the subject

area.

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The conclusions and recommendations are presented here in more detail than in the executive summary,

with whatever justification is needed.

References: All citations used in the study must be given by arranging them alphabetically by the last

name of the author.

For your thesis

For your thesis the following outline of chapters is suggested:

Introduction

Review of Literature

Theoretical Framework

Hypothesis and Operationalization of Concepts

Research Design

Analysis of Data

Summary, Conclusions, and Recommendations

References

Appendixes

Appended Parts

Appendix: The appendix presents the "too ..." material. Any material that is too technical or too

detailed to go to the body should appear in appendix. This includes materials of interest only to some

readers, or subsidiary materials not directly related to the objectives. Some examples of appendix

material are data collection forms (instruments), detailed calculations, discussions of highly technical

questions, detailed or comprehensive tables of results, and a bibliography (if appropriate).

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