1. Research Methods: Level 6 Final Year Project Toolkit Laura Lake

2. Essay writing ‘An essay is a piece of writing on a specific subject, often including discussion... which forces the writer into a very powerful kind of learning.’ (Northedge, 2007) Reports or essays? Report writing ‘A report is the formal writing up of a piece of research or project work... Written in a concise style, giving precise detail.’ (Cottrell, 2008)

3. Difference between? list of contents abstract or summary titles and subheadings presents data, states theory, uses evidence analyses findings recommendations for action continuous text no subheadings presents an argument or ideas discusses, analyses and evaluates ideas written at length and in depth consistent style ReportEssay

4. A set formula? WHAT the purpose is? WHAT kind of research is being reported? WHO it is being written for? No. Every report is different and depends on...

5. Learn Higher Learn Higher interviewed academics who regularly set and mark reports and asked what they felt were the most common problems in poor reports. They said: What makes a good report? Doesn’t answer the briefToo much/too little/irrelevant material Badly structuredExpression not clear Inappropriate writing styleDoesn’t relate results to purpose Poor grammar and punctuationUnnecessary use of jargon Incorrect or inadequate referencing

6. Learn Higher Learn Higher top tips are: Read the brief Check which sections your report should have Remember that reports are meant to be informative Consider who you are writing for Write simply and appropriately Spend more time on your discussion section Make sure your references are correct and complete Make sure you know the scope Plan your time Proof read carefully What makes a good report?

7. Reading reports Order in which people tend to read reports: Based on Turner et al. (2010) Abstract/ summary IntroductionConclusionsDiscussion Findings and methodology Appendices

8. General report structure: Report structure Title Abstract Introduction Literature Review Methods Results Discussion Conclusion References Appendices

9. Report structure TITLE: concisely state the topic of the report ABSTRACT: (Summary or Executive Summary) ‘shop window’ for report. First section to be read and should be the last to be written. Length – depends on the report but usually no more than two paragraphs and always less than a page. To write, think of it as a series of brief answers to questions. What is the purpose of the work? What methods did you use for your research? What were the main findings and conclusions reached as a result of your research? Did your work lead you to make any recommendations for future actions? ABSTRACT: (Summary or Executive Summary) ‘shop window’ for report. First section to be read and should be the last to be written. Length – depends on the report but usually no more than two paragraphs and always less than a page. To write, think of it as a series of brief answers to questions. What is the purpose of the work? What methods did you use for your research? What were the main findings and conclusions reached as a result of your research? Did your work lead you to make any recommendations for future actions?

10. Report structure INTRODUTION: (Background or Context) states what the report is about, explains the rationale for undertaking the work reported on, how the report is going to progress and the background to the study. It should be written in an explanatory style. LITERATURE REVIEW: summary of the review of research work that has already been done on the topic of your report. Only include directly relevant studies. Should be written like an essay in a discursive style, with an introduction, main discussion grouped in themes and a conclusion (how it has informed your research).

11. Report structure METHODS: (Methodology) state clearly how the research was carried out explaining reasoning behind choices including techniques and any equipment used. Go through each step and be thorough. Write in a very factual informative style. RESULTS: (Data or Findings) present the findings of your research as simply and clearly as possible. Use the format that will achieve this most effectively e.g. text, graphs, tables or diagrams. See additional slide resources.

12. Report structure DISCUSSION: brings everything together, showing how the findings respond to the brief outlined in the introduction and previous research outlined in the literature review. Write in a discursive style – discuss what findings show and why they show this, using evidence from previous research to back up your explanations. Mention if there were any problems and how they were or could have been solved. CONCLUSION: a short section summing up the main points of the research with no new arguments or evidence. May also include recommendations for action and suggestions for further research.

13. Report structure REFERENCES: full details for any works referred to in the report, including books, journals, websites and other materials. May also need to list works used in preparing the report but have not been explicitly referred to. Check any instructions for this and for the correct style of referencing to use. APPENDICIES: any additional information that may help the reader but is not essential to the report’s main findings e.g. interview questions, raw data or a glossary of terms used. Label all appendices and refer to them where appropriate in the main text (e.g. ‘See Appendix A for an example questionnaire’).

14. Referencing helps to... distinguish your own ideas from those gained from external sources. construct, structure, support and communicate arguments and links your work to the existing body of knowledge. Referencing Learn Higher have produced an interactive website offering an overview of the principles and practice of referencing sources, and advice on avoiding plagiarism.website To learn more – give it a try! A referencing exercise can be found on the Learn Higher websitereferencing exercise

15. Cottrell S. (2008) The study skills handbook. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan Press Northedge, A. (2007) The good study guide. Milton Keynes: Open University Press Turner, J., Shahabudin, K. and Reid, M. (2009) Better report writing for university students. Available at: http://www.learnhigher.ac.uk/learningareas/reportwriting/betterreportwriting.htm http://www.learnhigher.ac.uk/learningareas/reportwriting/betterreportwriting.htm Learn Higher, Report Writing - Resources for Students. Available at: http://learnhigher.ac.uk/Students/Report-writing.html http://learnhigher.ac.uk/Students/Report-writing.html Learn Higher, Referencing Resources for Students. Available at: http://learnhigher.ac.uk/Students/Referencing.html http://learnhigher.ac.uk/Students/Referencing.html Learn Higher, Referencing Web Resource. Available at: http://www.learnhigher.ac.uk/referencing/index.php http://www.learnhigher.ac.uk/referencing/index.phpReferences

16. This resource was created by the University of Plymouth, Learning from WOeRk project. This project is funded by HEFCE as part of the HEA/JISC OER release programme.Learning from WOeRk This resource is licensed under the terms of the Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK: England & Wales license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/).http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/ The resource, where specified below, contains other 3 rd party materials under their own licenses. The licenses and attributions are outlined below: 1.The name of the University of Plymouth and its logos are unregistered trade marks of the University. The University reserves all rights to these items beyond their inclusion in these CC resources. 2.The JISC logo, the and the logo of the Higher Education Academy are licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution -non-commercial-No Derivative Works 2.0 UK England & Wales license. All reproductions must comply with the terms of that license. Author Laura Lake InstituteUniversity of Plymouth Title Reporting Description UKOER, Learning from WOeRK, LFWOER, UOPCPDRM, Work-Based Learning, WBL, Continuous Professional Development, CPD, Research methods, Referencing Date Created July 2011 Educational Level Undergraduate (Level 6) Keywords Referencing Back page originally developed by the OER phase 1 C-Change project ©University of Plymouth, 2010, some rights reserved