Introduction to the Research Report

So you’ve been assigned the task of writing a research report? Don’t Panic!

Research reports can be quite enjoyable to complete They give students an opportunity to explore interesting topics in-depth There are explicit guidelines to follow: this makes the process straightforward The steps follow a cycle of inquiry and evaluation This allows students to collect, evaluate, absorb, and restate information they have gathered This produces a learning experience that students remember and can draw on their entire lives

The Research Cycle Question identifying and listing the questions you need to explore Plan developing a strategy to find pertinent information rapidly Gather harvesting information which casts light on the key questions Sort, Sift and Analyze rearranging the puzzle pieces, looking for patterns Synthesize making sense of the puzzle pieces – getting the picture Evaluate figuring out what’s missing, what else is needed

The Research Cycle, Cont. Most challenging questions require several passages through the stages above before acquiring enough insight and evidence to move to the next and final stage. This process is called a cycle because the researcher intentionally goes round in circles while seeking understanding Report sharing insights persuasively

What a Research Report IS A collection Summary Analysis Interpretation and Presentation of Expert knowledge on a chosen subject Following a specified format (i.e., MLA) With accurate citations, quotes and paraphrases from the original source

What a Research Report Is NOT Your personal thoughts Your personal knowledge A copy-and-paste collection of data Someone else’s work, uncredited

Step One Choose a topic Your teacher may assign a topic for your report or you may be allowed to choose your own subject You must have a topic that is wide enough to effectively research using a variety of up-to-date resources But the topic must be narrow enough to cover in a single report Once this is done, have your teacher approve the topic

Step Two Brainstorm/Web/Outline Decide what you are going to include in your report by brainstorming Create a web Prioritize/organize ideas from the web into an outline Have your teacher approve your content before you begin researching

Step Three Write your statement of purpose and thesis statement Statement of Purpose: This report will inform the reader about (your topic). A thesis statement in a research report is the same as you would use in an essay Make a point that will be proven throughout the report. Your entire report must be based on this thesis statement You should provide concrete facts and supporting details

Step Four Decide what format your report will follow Expository – Simply provide information in an organized form without attempting to persuade the reader or taking a position on the topic Persuasive – Take a position about your topic and support it with research data. You must NOT include your personal opinions beyond the thesis statement! Compare/Contrast – Evaluate a topic’s positive and negative aspects in a non-emotional manner Problem/Solution – Present a problem, explore it, and present alternative solutions

Step Five Select Your Data Sources State standards require that students learn to research using a variety of research sources A well-researched report will include a mixture of these sources: Book Magazine Newspaper Encyclopedia CD/DVD/Film/other media Interview Internet sources

Step Five, Cont. Please Note! – It’s Not All About the Internet! ANYBODY can host a Website, even 4 th grade students There is no guarantee that content on all Internet sites is valid You must carefully evaluate any Internet sources to determine the credibility of the information Try to find peer-reviewed sources (these have been reviewed by experts on the topic and approved for publication) Look for credible organizations hosting the Website If the content seems to be controversial, read it carefully. You probably don’t want to use that source!

Step Six Research Hit the library and search for as much information as you can to help you understand your topic Copy pages from encyclopedias and other resources that you can’t check out (see the librarian) Check out books on your subject Look for magazines and newspapers that contain articles on your topic. Copy pages Use your style guide to be sure you are notating the information you need to properly cite the source of your material Do your Internet searches LAST. You can do this from any PC anywhere…don’t waste library time and access!

Step Seven Source Cards Using a 4x6 note card, carefully list the source of the information you have selected Number each card consecutively in the upper right-hand corner. This will be cross-referenced with your note cards Use your style guide as you write your source cards! If you follow your style guide in regard to how to list Works Cited on your source cards, you will save yourself a great deal of time and frustration Make sure you have a source card for every source you research HOWEVER – you may not use all of the sources you evaluated! If you don’t use the source in your report, get rid of the source card. It has no value.

Step Eight Note Cards Using a 4x6 note card, cross-reference the source card number in the upper right-hand corner Use your outline to determine the sub-topic you are taking notes on. Example: You are writing a report on professional baseball. Your first sub-topic is the history of baseball. On your note card, write History of Baseball at the top and take notes on that topic only for that card You may use any format you wish – bullets, numbers, etc. If you are gathering quotes that you may use as direct quotes or may paraphrase, write them in direct quote (word-for-word) format, so that you don’t have to go back to the source to verify the exact words once you start writing your report

Step Eight, Cont. Note Cards You may write your note cards on both sides You may have multiple note cards for one source (staple these together for convenience in reviewing) Some sources will have a great deal of data, requiring many cards and others may include a single important fact In general, you will have 2 or more cards per source. Your teacher may establish a minimum number of note cards to be turned in Write your notes so that you can effectively use the information without having to go back to the source. Save yourself the time and frustration!

Step Nine The Title Write a title, using these guidelines Five words maximum Stick to the topic – it should be very clear what your report is about from the title Try to catch your reader’s attention by using clever words, literary techniques (alliteration, etc.)

Step Ten The Hook or Attention Grabber Write a hook or attention grabber, using one of these techniques. (Choose one that is appropriate to the format you have chosen) Ask a question Provide interesting but relevant fact or statistic Use a relevant quote Have your teacher approve the hook

Step Eleven Write the Introductory Paragraph Should include the following: Hook/Attention Grabber (1 st sentence) Bridge or transitional statement to the thesis if needed (it usually is) Thesis statement Bridge or transitional statement to introduce and list each of the major sub-topics to be included in the report This report will inform the reader about (a) (b) (c) (subtopics of your report)

Step Eleven, Cont. Use Formal Language Research reports are formal writing Do NOT use 1 st or 2 nd person point of view Use appropriate vocabulary for the topic Keep your audience (reader) in mind Spell out words you later plan to reference with an acronym. Follow with the acronym in parentheses