Business Research Methodology by SRINIVAS R RAO - HTML preview

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2.9

2.6

2.5

2.4

2.3

2.2

2.1

212

Statistical Table-4: F-values at 10% level of significance

df : degrees of freedom for greater variance

df : degrees of freedom for smaller variance

d f 2 / 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

df1

39.8 49.5 53.5 55.8 57.2 58.2 58.9 59.4 59.8 60.1

8.5

9.0

9.1

9.2

9.3

5.5

5.4

5.3

5.2

4.5

4.3

4.1

4.0

3.9

4.0

3.7

3.6

3.5

3.4

3.3

3.2

3.7

3.4

3.2

3.1

3.0

2.9

3.5

3.2

3.0

2.9

2.8

2.7

3.4

3.1

2.9

2.8

2.7

2.6

2.5

3.3

3.0

2.8

2.6

2.5

2.4

3.2

2.9

2.7

2.6

2.5

2.4

2.3

3.2

2.8

2.6

2.5

2.4

2.3

2.2

3.1

2.8

2.6

2.4

2.3

2.2

2.1

3.1

2.7

2.5

2.4

2.3

2.2

2.1

3.1

2.7

2.5

2.3

2.2

2.1

2.0

3.0

2.6

2.4

2.3

2.2

2.1

2.0

3.0

2.6

2.4

2.3

2.2

2.1

2.0

3.0

2.6

2.4

2.3

2.2

2.1

2.0

3.0

2.6

2.4

2.2

2.1

2.0

1.9

2.9

2.6

2.3

2.2

2.1

2.0

1.9

2.9

2.5

2.3

2.2

2.1

2.0

1.9

2.9

2.5

2.3

2.2

2.1

2.0

1.9

2.9

2.5

2.3

2.2

2.1

2.0

1.9

2.9

2.5

2.3

2.2

2.1

2.0

1.9

1.8

2.9

2.5

2.3

2.1

2.0

1.9

1.8

2.9

2.5

2.3

2.1

2.0

1.9

1.8

2.9

2.5

2.3

2.1

2.0

1.9

1.8

2.9

2.5

2.2

2.1

2.0

1.9

1.8

2.8

2.5

2.2

2.1

2.0

1.9

1.8

2.8

2.4

2.2

2.1

2.0

1.9

1.8

2.8

2.4

2.2

2.1

2.0

1.9

1.8

***

213

214

CHAPTER V

1. Structure And Components Of Research Reports

What Is A Report?

Characteristics Of A Good Report

Framework Of A Report

Practical Reports Vs Academic Reports

Parts Of A Research Report

A Note On Literature Review

Understand the meaning of a research report

Analyze the components of a good report

Structure of a report

Characteristic differences in research report-

ing

WHAT IS A REPORT?

A report is a written document on a particular topic, which conveys

information and ideas and may also make recommendations. Reports

often form the basis of crucial decision making. Inaccurate, incomplete

and poorly written reports fail to achieve their purpose and reflect on the

decision, which will ultimately be made. This will also be the case if the

report is excessively long, jargonistic and/ or structureless. A good report

can be written by keeping the following features in mind:

1. All points in the report should be clear to the intended reader.

2. The report should be concise with information kept to a necessary

215

minimum and arranged logically under various headings and sub-

headings.

3. All information should be correct and supported by evidence.

4. All relevant material should be included in a complete report.

Purpose Of Research Report

1. Why am i writing this report? Do i want to inform/ explain/ persuade,

or indeed all of these.

2. Who is going to read this report? Managers/ academicians/

researchers! What do they already know? What do they need to

know? Do any of them have certain attitudes or prejudices?

3. What resources do we have? Do i have access to a computer? Do i

have enough time? Can any of my colleagues help?

4. Think about the content of your report – what am i going to put in it?

What are my main themes? How much should be the text, and how

much should be the illustrations?

Framework Of A Report

The various frameworks can be used depending on the content

of the report, but generally the same rules apply. Introduction, method,

results and discussion with references or bibliography at the end, and an

abstract at the beginning could form the framework.

STRUCTURE OF A REPORT

Structure your writing around the IMR&D framework and you will

ensure a beginning, middle and end to your report.

Introduction Why did i do this research?

(beginning)

What did i do and how did i

Method

(middle)

go about doing it?

Results

What did i find?

(middle)

AND

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Discussion

What does it all mean?

(end)

What do I put in the beginning part?

Title of project, Sub–title (where

TITLE PAGE

appropriate), Date, Author,

Organization, Logo

BACKGROUND

History(if any) behind project

Author thanks people and

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

organization who helped during

the project

A condensed version of a

report – outlines salient points,

emphasizes main conclusions

SUMMARY(sometimes

and (where appropriate) the main

called abstract of the synopsis) recommendations. N.B this is often

difficult to write and it is suggested

that you write it last.

An at- a – glance list that tells the

LIST OF CONTENTS

reader what is in the report and

what page number(s) to find it on.

LIST OF TABLES

As above, specifically for tables.

As above, specifically for

LIST OF APPENDICES

appendices.

Author sets the scene and states

INTRODUCTION

his/ her intentions.

AIMS – general aims of the

audit/ project, broad statement of

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

intent. OBJECTIVES – specific

things expected to do/ deliver(e.g.

expected outcomes)

217

What do I Put In the middle Part?

Work steps; what was done – how,

METHOD

by whom, when?

Honest presentation of the findings,

whether these were as expected

RESULT/FINDINGS

or not. Give the facts, including

any inconsistencies or difficulties

encountered

What do I put in the end part?

Explanation of the results.( you

might like to keep the SWOT

analysis in mind and think about

DISCUSSION

your project’s strengths, weakness,

opportunities and threats, as you

write)

The author links the results/

findings with the points made in the

introduction and strives to reach

clear, simply stated and unbiased

CONCLUSIONS

conclusions. Make sure they are

fully supported by evidence and

arguments of the main body of

your audit/project.

The author states what specific

actions should be taken, by whom

and why. They must always be

RECOMMENDATIONS

linked to the future and should

always be realistic. Don’t make

them unless asked to.

A section of a report, which

provides full details of publications

REFERENCES

mentioned in the text, or from

which extracts have been quoted.

218

The purpose of an appendix is

to supplement the information

APPENDIX

contained in the main body of the

report.

PRACTICAL REPORTS VS. ACADEMIC REPORTS

Practical Reports:

In the practical world of business or government, a report conveys

an information and (sometimes) recommendations from a researcher

who has investigated a topic in detail. A report like this will usually

be requested by people who need the information for a specific

purpose and their request may be written in terms of reference or

the brief. Whatever the report, it is important to look at the instruction

for what is wanted. A report like this differs from an essay in that

it is designed to provide information which will be acted on, rather

than to be read by people interested in the ideas for their own sake.

Because of this, it has a different structure and layout.

Academic Reports:

A report written for an academic course can be thought of

as a simulation. We can imagine that someone wants the report

for a practical purpose, although we are really writing the report as an

academic exercise for assessment. Theoretical ideas will be more to the

front in an academic report than in a practical one. Sometimes a report

seems to serve academic and practical purposes. Students on placement

with organizations often have to produce a report for the organization and

for assessment on the course. Although the background work for both

will be related, in practice, the report the student produces for academic

assessment will be different from the report produced for the organization,

because the needs of each are different.

219

RESEARCH REPORT: PRELIMINARIES

It is not sensible to leave all your writing until the end. There is

always the possibility that it will take much longer than you anticipate and

you will not have enough time. There could also be pressure upon available

word processors as other students try to complete their own reports. It is

wise to begin writing up some aspects of your research as you go along.

Remember that you do not have to write your report in the order it will

be read. Often it is easiest to start with the method section. Leave the

introduction and the abstract to last. The use of a word processor makes

it very straightforward to modify and rearrange what you have written

as your research progresses and your ideas change. The very process of

writing will help your ideas to develop. Last but by no means least, ask

someone to proofread your work.

STRUCTURE OF A RESEARCH REPORT

A research report has a different structure and layout in comparison

to a project report. A research report is for reference and is often quite a

long document. It has to be clearly structured for the readers to quickly

find the information wanted. It needs to be planned carefully to make

sure that the information given in the report is put under correct

headings.

PARTS OF RESEARCH REPORT

Cover sheet: This should contain some or all of the following:

Full title of the report

Name of the researcher

Name of the unit of which the project is a part

Name of the institution

Date/year.

Title page: Full title of the report.

Your name

Acknowledgement: a thanks giving to the people who helped you.

Contents

220

List of the Tables

Headings and sub-headings used in the report should be given

with their page numbers. Each chapter should begin on a new page. Use

a consistent system in dividing the report into parts. The simplest may be

to use chapters for each major part and subdivide these into sections and

sub-sections. 1, 2, 3 etc. Can be used as the numbers for each chapter. The

sections of chapter 3 (for example) would be 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, and so on. For

further sub-division of a sub-section you may use 3.2.1, 3.2.2, and so on.

Abstract or Summary or Executive Summary or Introduction:

This presents an overview of the whole report. It should let the

reader see in advance, what is in the report. This includes what you set out

to do, how review of literature is focused and narrowed in your research,

the relation of the methodology you chose to your objectives, a summary

of your findings and analysis of the findings

BODY

Aims And Purpose or Aims And Objectives:

Why did you do this work? What was the problem you were

investigating? If you are not including review of literature, mention the

specific research/es which is/are relevant to your work.

Review of Literature

This should help to put your research into a background context

and to explain its importance. Include only the books and articles which

relate directly to your topic. You need to be analytical and critical, and not

just describe the works that you have read.

Methodology

Methodology deals with the methods and principles used in an activity,

in this case research. In the methodology chapter, explain the method/s

you used for the research and why you thought they were the appropriate

221

ones. You may, for example, be depending mostly upon secondary data or

you might have collected your own data. You should explain the method of

data collection, materials used, subjects interviewed, or places you visited.

Give a detailed account of how and when you carried out your research and

explain why you used the particular method/s, rather than other methods.

Included in this chapter should be an examination of ethical issues, if any.

Results or Findings

What did you find out? Give a clear presentation of your results.

Show the essential data and calculations here. You may use tables, graphs

and figures.

Analysis and Discussion

Interpret your results. What do you make out of them? How do

they compare with those of others who have done research in this area?

The accuracy of your measurements/results should be discussed and

deficiencies, if any, in the research design should be mentioned.

Conclusions

What do you conclude? Summarize briefly the main conclusions

which you discussed under “Results.” were you able to answer some or all

of the questions which you raised in your aims and objectives? Do not be

tempted to draw conclusions which are not backed up by your evidence.

Note the deviation/s from expected results and any failure to achieve all

that you had hoped.

Recommendations

Make your recommendations, if required. The suggestions for

action and further research should be given.

Appendix

You may not need an appendix, or you may need several. If you have

used questionnaires, it is usual to include a blank copy in the appendix.

You could include data or calculations, not given in the body, that are

222

necessary, or useful, to get the full benefit from your report. There may

be maps, drawings, photographs or plans that you want to include. If you

have used special equipment, you may include information about it.

The plural of an appendix is appendices. If an appendix or

appendices are needed, design them thoughtfully in a way that your

readers find it/them convenient to use.

References

List all the sources which you referred in the body of the report. You

may use the pattern prescribed by American Psychological Association, or

any other standard pattern recognized internationally.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

In the case of small projects, this may not be in the form of a

critical review of the literature, but this is often asked for and is a standard

part of larger projects. Sometimes students are asked to write Review of

Literature on a topic as a piece of work in its own right. In its simplest

form, the review of literature is a list of relevant books and other sources,

each followed by a description and comment on its relevance.

The literature review should demonstrate that you have read and

analysed the literature relevant to your topic. From your readings, you

may get ideas about methods of data collection and analysis. If the review

is part of a project, you will be required to relate your readings to the issues

in the project, and while describing the readings, you should apply them

to your topic. A review should include only relevant studies. The review

should provide the reader with a picture of the state of knowledge in the

subject.

Your

literature search should establish what previous researches

have been carried out in the subject area. Broadly speaking, there are three

kinds of sources that you should consult:

1. Introductory material;

2. Journal articles and

3. Books.

To get an idea about the background of your topic, you may consult

223

one or more textbooks at the appropriate time. It is a good practice to <