writing project reports
TRANSCRIPT
Project Report• A project report is a systematic, well
organised document which defines and analyses a subject or problem, and may include:– the record of a sequence of events– interpretation of the significance of these events– evaluation of the facts or results of research– discussion of the outcomes – Conclusions– recommendations
• A good project report has a structure and a proper style.– Structure of Project Report– Academic style of writing
Parts of a Research ReportMatch the following:
Description Part
1. What is the research about? a. Recommendations
2. What is already known in this area? b. Results/Findings
3. What do I expect to find? c. Discussion
4. How did you go about your research? d. Literature Review
5. What did you find? e. Research significance
6. What do the results/findings mean? f. Introduction
7. So what? What contribution? g. Methodology
8. What recommendations for future research in this area?
h. Research question
Parts of a Research Report
Description Part1. What is the research about? f. Introduction 2. What is already known in this area?
d. Literature Review
3. What do I expect to find? h. Research question
4. How did you go about your research?
g. Methodology
5. What did you find? b. Results/Findings
6. What do the results/findings mean?
c. Discussion
7. So what? What contribution? e. Research significance
8. What recommendations for future research in this area?
a. Recommendations
Structure of a Research Report
• Title• Abstract• Table of
Contents• Introduction• Literature
Review• Methodology
• Findings• Discussion• Conclusions• Recommendati
on• References• Appendices
Abstract• This should be a very brief
overview of the entire report covering 4 main areas:–What you did (the topic) –How you did it (methodology) –What you found out (results – major only) –What was the significance (conclusion/recommendations)
Introduction• Provide contextual information to
the problem/questions, identifying the gap of research in this area • Introduce the objectives �• Identify the specific research �
questions • Indicate the structure of• the rest of the report
Literature Review• Review previous work relating to research
problem/questions• Show the gap that the present research
will be filling. –Should be structured thematically –May have a number of sub-sections to
identify themes –Research should be integrated and
combined highlighting areas of similarity and difference
Methodology• Discuss your theoretical • perspectives (this may depend on your area of
research)• Use the literature (theory) to help you justify why
you chose this methodology • Explore the scope and limitations of your chosen
methodology • Explain how data was collected/generated �• Explain how data was analysed �• Explain any methodological problems �• and their solutions or effects
�Results• Present the results (using graphs, tables, etc where appropriate)
Discussion• Interpret and discuss the results • Compare with results of previous �
research (link to the Literature Review) • Discuss the effects of methods used on �
data obtained. • Discuss the shortcomings of the �
research, or the research methodology?
Conclusions• Return to the research questions and
suggest whether they've been answered or "solved". • Return to the objectives and whether �
thy have been achieved? • Indicate what has been learnt from the �
study and how it can be applied • Indicate improvements for the research �
and future possibilities
Recommendations• Things you wanted to do but couldn’t •Why should you do them?•Why didn’t you?•What you would do in a different way & why?
Style of a Research Report• Academic style of writing usually
includes the following features: – Subject specific words – References– Formal tone/language– Examples of writing in the third person
Example 1• Gender has been an issue throughout history
for example women didn’t fight in WW2. This is because people thought that they should stay at home and look after the kids, but I think they could have fought in the wars because some women are stronger than men. – Subject specific words Y/N– Formal Tone/Language Y/N– Writing in the third person Y/N– References Y/N
Example 1• Includes subject specific words.• However, this is a poor example of
academic writing as it:– Includes contractions such as didn’t–Uses informal English such as kids–Should not be written in the first person;
I think–Should include evidence to support
points; people thought
Example 2• Referring to Payne (2000), one of the indicators of
social divisions is unequal access to resources and thus different chances and life styles. Such unequal access is most clearly seen by a person’s ability to acquire goods and services for his or her own personal needs. This is primarily influenced by people’s employment access to income and amount of income. – Subject specific words Y/N– Formal Tone/Language Y/N– Writing in the third person Y/N– References Y/N
Example 2• Includes subject specific words,
references, formal tone and language and examples of writing in the third person:–References and evidence to support
points; Payne (2000).–Subject specific terminology, such as social
divisions–Use of the third person; a person’s ability.
Example 3 • With classification of ownership and form of
leases required for financial statements, the UK has been using the substance over form method, SSAP 21 for operating leases and finance leases. This requires the total expenses be charged as an expense in the profit and loss account, being detailed in a note structure for operating leases. – Subject specific words Y/N– Formal Tone/Language Y/N– Writing in the third person Y/N– References Y/N
Example 3• Includes subject specific words and formal tone and language:–Subject specific words, such as operating leases
Example 4• It can be seen that selected art galleries
around London, often offer members of the public the opportunity to engage with art for free. This can allow members of society who may be jobless, struggling to find work or in between jobs the chance to still experience the developing culture of the art world. – Subject specific words Y/N– Formal Tone/Language Y/N– Writing in the third person Y/N– References Y/N
Example 4 • Includes examples of writing in
the third person; however, this is a poor example as the writing:– Is not concise; in this example there
are a lot of unnecessary words.–Does not include references; which
galleries? –Uses informal colloquial words; jobless
Academic Vs Non-academic Styles
Academic Non-academicReader Academicians Family and friendsContent Serious thought ConversationalStyle (Sentence Construction)
Complex sentences showing considerable variety in construction
Mostly simple and compound sentences joined by constructions such as and or but.
Organisation Clear and well-planned
Less likely to be clear and organised
Grammar Likely to be error free May not always use complete sentences
Vocabulary Technical and academic language used accurately
Use short forms, idioms and slang.
Academic Words• Formal words are– longer than informal words– single words not multi-words– of French/Latin origin rather than their
informal equivalents which are of Anglo-Saxon origin
• Example: "depart" is from French/Latin but "go" is Anglo-Saxon
Formal / Academic Words
Informal / Non-Academic Words
Climb Help
Cease Commence
UseDecrease
Demonstrate Want
Enquire End Tell
Obtain Preserve Reject
Free Mend
Require Live
Formal / Academic Words
Informal / Non-Academic Words
Ascend Climb Assist HelpCease Stop
Commence Begin Consume UseDecrease Shorten
Demonstrate Show Desire WantEnquire Ask Finish End Inform TellObtain Get
Preserve KeepReject Say ‘No’
Release Free Repair MendRequire Need Reside Live