exist certain characteristics of a research report that distinguish it from other types of academic texts. In that sense, academic writing refers to a style of expression that exhibits some distinctive features.
Among them is the use of a formal tone, the preference for the employment of the third person and the precise choice of words.
On the other hand, a research report is a written document that describes an investigative work from beginning to end. The specific details in a report vary according to the type of inquiry.
In addition, specific conventions for writing in each of the scientific disciplines must be taken into account.
Main characteristics of a research report
Clarity of thought and language
Clarity of thought and language are among the most essential characteristics of a research report. It is important to highlight that research is a thought process that begins even before choosing the topic of study.
The reasoning power of the researcher is the effective tool for the decisions that must be made throughout the process. This process demands a patient, deep and alert thinking.
In this way, clear thinking results in clear writing. As far as possible, sentences should be simple and important points should be highlighted in small paragraphs. This clarity will make the reader easily understand what the author of the report wants to say.
Conceptual clarity
Another characteristic of a research report is its conceptual clarity. The concepts in a study must be defined and explained. In general, the explanations of a dictionary are almost never adequate for research purposes.
Therefore, it is important to be very explicit, even with that terminology that seems to be very simple. It must be taken into account that the same term may have different definitions in different areas of knowledge.
Explicit statement of the research problem
The research report must establish the problem studied explicitly and unambiguously. In the case of Quantitative investigation , the problem statement must specify the variables and the population subject to study.
This approach can be made in declarative or question form. For its part, in qualitative research, the approach is much broader and indicates the general purpose of the study.
Organization and format
Research reports must observe certain standards of format and organization. The details of the format (type and size of source, margins, form of citing sources, presentation of the list of references, among others), are regulated by each institution.
On the other hand, other characteristics, such as the general organization, reflect the expectations of the scientific community. In this way, it is expected that the report contains a general summary, introduction (with the background and motivation of the study), materials and methods, results and the analysis of results.
Use of citations and list of references
It is very common that when conducting an investigation the intellectual property of another author is used. In research reports, an appointment should be suitably included when referring, summarizing, paraphrasing or quoting from another source. There are multiple formats for dating styles, and they vary according to the academic discipline.
In addition, the report must contain the list of references. These offer all the necessary information to locate the sources.
References
- University of Southern California. (2017, December 08). Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper: Academic Writing Style. Retrieved on December 29, 2017, from libguides.usc.edu .
- Locke, L. F.; Silverman, St. J. and Spirduso, W.W. (2004). Reading and Understanding Research. Thousand Oaks: SAGE.
- Cauvery, R.; Sudha, U. K.; Girija, M. and Meena kshi, R. (2003). Research Methodology. New Delhi: S. Chand Publishing.
- Profetto-McGrath, J.; Polit, D. F. and Beck, C. T. (2010). Canadian Essentials of Nursing Research. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
- Ary, D.; Jacobs, L. C. and Sorensen, C. (2009). Introduction to Research in Education. Belmond: Cengage Learning.
- Westervelt, M. (s / f). Research Paper Organization and Content. Retrieved on December 29, 2017, from seas.upenn.edu.
- Penn State University. (2017, October 12). In-text Citation. Retrieved on December 29, 2017, from guides.libraries.psu.edu.
- The University of Tennessee. (s / f). Citing Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism. Retrieved on December 29, 2017, from guides.libraries.psu.edu.