slides focusing on sections of a report

8/13/2019 Slides Focusing on Sections of a Report

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Focusing on sections of a report

Dr Michelle Reid

Study Adviser, University of Reading


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Overview of the workshop

What is the role of this section in a report?

The main features of this section

What is the appropriate writing style for this

section?

How to write a good


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Icebreaker:

Thinking about your audience

In groups of threeeach person in the group has a

number: 1,2, or 3:

The government is planning to raise fees for universitystudents.

[Insert different example]

Write the story in the style of:

1. A tabloid headline

2. An academic report

3. A text message to a friend


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What is the role of this section?

What do you know about...[discussion]sections?

Why do we include ...[discussion] sections in

reports? What is the most challenging thing about

writing ...[discussion] sections?

[Insert the section you wish to focus on]


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Writing the method

Describe clearly and simply what you did.

It can help to note down all the steps, then you can

write them into proper sentences.

Aim to include enough information so that someoneelse could reproduce your experiment / research.

This is a factual section, so avoid any personalopinions or unnecessary details.


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Writing the results

Describe in words what your data shows

No need to interpret why the data shows this orwhat it meansthis will come in the Discussion.

This section should provide enough information sosomeone can understand what your tables /diagrams / graphs show without having to puzzle

them out.

Imagine you are talking a friend through what youfound outjot this down and then write it into moreformal sentences.


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Writing the intro /

lit review

This section(s) expands on the purpose of yourresearch.

Identify the research questions you are trying toanswer.

Although you may read some background literaturebefore you start your research, you may prefer to

wait until after the methods to write it up fully.

This way you can tailor the lit review to provide theright background context for your research.


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Writing the intro /

lit review When reading for your intro / lit review ask yourself:

- What questions are you seeking to answer?

- How did they arise?

- Why are they worth investigating?

Break your literature review down into a series ofheadings

When you read a textsee what heading it fitsunderwhat does it add to the research alreadygrouped under that heading?


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Writing the discussion

The discussion interprets the meaning of the results you havefound.

It links these results back to the research questions and showshow the findings contribute to the answers to thesequestions.

Also it links the results back to the background research fromthe lit review / intro and says whether your findings confirmor contradict previous findings.

When writing the discussionhave your research questions

in front of you to remind you what you are answering.

Write your discussion early enough so that you still have timeto fill any gaps you find.


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Writing the conclusions /

recommendations These should follow on logically from writing your

discussion.

Pull out the most important points from yourresearch and summarise them.

Imagine someone will read your conclusion firstwhat are the key things they will want to know about

your findings?


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Writing the summary /

abstract

Leave writing the abstract until last.

The abstract is the first thing people will read, so it

should give a clear and accurate overview.

The abstract should very briefly summarise all yourreport: What you were trying to find out (background) How you did this (method)

What your main findings were (results)

Why this is important / what it shows (discussion)


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Activity:

Analysing examples of a ...[discussion] section

Working in small groupseach group has 3

extracts from different ...[discussion] sections

What are the strengths and weaknesses of

each extract?

Which extract do you think is the best and

why?


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How to write a good ...[discussion]

section

Look back at your research questionsyour

discussion should answer these questions.

Dont just describe what your results show explain

whyyour results show thiswhat may have caused

it?

Read through your introduction / literature review

link your findings back to what other people havefound.

Ask yourself, do your results confirm or contradict

other findingswhy might this be?


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How to write a good ...[discussion]

section

Critically analyse your findingsthis means:

- Looking at your findings and asking yourself, "what

do I think about this?"

- Then taking it one step further and asking "what is

making me think that?"

Spend more time on your discussion section


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Further resources

LearnHigher report writing webpages:www.learnhigher.ac.uk/learningareas/reportwriting/home.htmGuides and exercises on all aspects of reports.

Report writing (Napier)www2.napier.ac.uk/getready/writing_presenting/reports.html

A clear and easy to follow introduction to report writing with

interactive exercises on report structure and layout.

Unilearning (Wollongong, Australia)

http://unilearning.uow.edu.au/main.html

Includes different types of report (business, technical, field,

scientific) as well as sections on writing style.


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Further resources

LearnHigher report writing webpages

www.learnhigher.ac.uk/learningareas/reportwriting/home.htm

For guides and exercises on all aspects of reports.

Report writing (Napier)

www2.napier.ac.uk/getready/writing_presenting/reports.html

A clear and easy to follow introduction to report writing with

interactive exercises on report structure and layout.

Unilearning (Wollongong, Australia)http://unilearning.uow.edu.au/main.html

Includes different types of report (business, technical, field,

scientific) as well as sections on writing style.


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Any questions?

Thank you and good luck with yourreport writing!

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