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Research Rundowns
Uncomplicated Reviews of Educational Research Methods

Writing a Research Report

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This review covers the basic elements of a research report. This is a general guide
for what you will see in journal articles or dissertations. This format assumes a
mixed methods study, but you can leave out either quantitative or qualitative
sections if you only used a single methodology.

This review is divided into sections for easy reference. There are ve MAJOR parts
of a Research Report:

1. Introduction
2. Review of Literature
3. Methods
4. Results
5. Discussion

As a general guide, the Introduction, Review of Literature, and Methods should be

about 1/3 of your paper, Discussion 1/3, then Results 1/3.

Section 1: Cover Sheet (APA format cover sheet) optional, if required.

Section 2: Abstract (a basic summary of the report, including sample, treatment,

design, results, and implications) ( 150 words) optional, if required.

Section 3: Introduction (1-3 paragraphs)

Basic introduction
Supportive statistics (can be from periodicals)
Statement of Purpose
Statement of Signicance

Section 4: Research question(s) or hypotheses

An overall research question (optional)
A quantitative-based (hypotheses)
A qualitative-based (research questions)
Note: You will generally have more than one, especially if using hypotheses.

Section 5: Review of Literature

Should be organized by subheadings
Should adequately support your study using supporting, related, and/or
refuting evidence
Is a synthesis, not a collection of individual summaries
Section 6: Methods
Procedure: Describe data gathering or participant recruitment, including IRB
approval
Sample: Describe the sample or dataset, including basic demographics
Setting: Describe the setting, if applicable (generally only in qualitative designs)
Treatment: If applicable, describe, in detail, how you implemented the treatment
Instrument: Describe, in detail, how you implemented the instrument; Describe
the reliability and validity associated with the instrument
Data Analysis: Describe type of procedure (t-test, interviews, etc.) and software
(if used)

Section 7: Results
Restate Research Question 1 (Quantitative)
Describe results
Restate Research Question 2 (Qualitative)
Describe results

Section 8: Discussion
Restate Overall Research Question
Describe how the results, when taken together, answer the overall question
***Describe how the results conrm or contrast the literature you reviewed

Section 9: Recommendations (if applicable, generally related to practice)

Section 10: Limitations

Discuss, in several sentences, the limitations of this study.
Research Design (overall, then info about the limitations of each separately)
Sample
Instrument/s
Other limitations

Section 11: Conclusion (A brief closing summary)

Section 12: References (APA format)

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About Research Rundowns

Research Rundowns was made possible by support from the Dewar College of Education at
Valdosta State University.

This resource was created by Dr. J. Patrick Biddix (Ph.D., University of Missouri - St. Louis). Dr.
Biddix is assistant professor of Higher Education and Research Methodology in the Department
of Curriculum, Leadership, and Technology.

Pages

INTRO
 Experimental Design
What is Educational Research?
Writing Research Questions
MIXED
Mixed Methods Research Designs
QUAL
Qualitative Coding & Analysis
Qualitative Research Design
QUANT
Correlation
Eect Size
Instrument, Validity, Reliability
Mean & Standard Deviation
Signicance Testing (t-tests)
WRITING
Writing a Literature Review
Steps 1-4: Finding Research
Steps 5-6: Analyzing & Organizing
Steps 7-9: Citing & Writing
Writing a Research Report

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