The organizational structure below is a guide for writing your report. However, you will need additional headings and subheadings to help focus your work and direct your readers.
Readers of a report need to know why this research is important to them. To accomplish this, your report should announce the topic and explain the significance of your research.
Announce Topic
This can be done in the first sentence of the introduction. (For
the past six months, Technology Inc. has been developing an
assembly line safety system which will eliminate worker injuries
without hampering production.)
Explain Significance of Your Research
1. Relevant Benefits: Explain what problem your research will
solve, improvement it will make, or need it will fulfill (e.g.,
reduce costs, improve safety, increase production, etc.). To do
this, you must first explain the current problem or need and then
describe how your research set out to improve this situation.
2. Literature Review: Involves (a) presenting main pieces of knowledge communicated in literature about your subject and (b) identifying some significant gap in this knowledge--the gap your research will fill.
The introductory information above gives readers necessary background information for understanding your report.
A report must supply readers with criteria for measuring the success of your project. This is done by stating your project's objectives, including the final goal and significant steps involved in achieving this goal.
Outlining objectives sets the scope of your document. At no point should you be discussing information that does not clearly relate to these objectives. Furthermore, readers should always be aware of this relationship.
Detailing your method (how you went about achieving your objectives) helps persuade readers that your research design was sound. It is often necessary to discuss why you chose one particular method or procedure over another.
Results are the heart of your report, but they may take up only a small bit of space. Generally they are presented in two ways:
1. Tables and Graphs (must be referenced in text--e.g., "see graph 4.2").
2. Prose (see "Combining Results and Discussion" below).
Reports must not only present data but must interpret this data. Results and discussion of those results can be treated separately or integrated into one section. If combined, your headings and subheadings should make this clear to readers. Either way, the discussion must link interpretive comments with corresponding results.
Combining Results and Discussion When results are presented in prose only--rather than graphs and charts--begin paragraphs with general interpretations of data. Then, cite relevant results as evidence in support of the interpretation.
In studies of several assembly line arrangements, machine group B demonstrated the greatest positive impact on production. For example, during the two-week test period, group B completed 55 units compared to only 44 and 31 units from machine groups A and C, respectively.
Separate Results and Discussion When commenting in the "Discussion" section, refer to corresponding results shown on tables or other visual aids when appropriate.
As Table 4 shows, radio transmissions were only 51% successful with model A. Considering the need for radio communication in the mountainous terrain, this model proved inadequate for the trucking company's needs.
Conclusions explain the significance of your results as they relate to your original objectives and research problem.
Discuss whether or not your project achieved its intended goal, and account for any discrepancies. You might also compare your results with those of similar studies, assessing the impact of your findings on the state of current research.
A report must ultimately recommend a course of action. The "Recommendations" section should include general as well as specific suggestions dealing with both the task at hand as well as future research.
Recommendations for future studies might stem from the limitations in your own research. For example, a report dealing with developing a satellite communication system for a specific topographical region might suggest that later research adapt the system to regions with different topographies.
List the sources of any information you've used.
Present (1) data tabulations, (2) derivations of equations, (3) sample calculations, (4) visuals, and (5) other supporting material in your appendices.
(2) Try always to proceed from the familiar to the unfamiliar.
(3) Present tense vs. past tense.
b. Other studies: When referring to other studies, discuss their procedures in the past tense and any conclusions or findings in the present tense:
A design description language was developed by Shah et al. (1993) based upon Prolog (p. 32). The researchers investigated the high-level representation of design processes . . . . According to Shah, developing a brand-new language for design automation is not economically justifiable (my paraphrase from 1995 Journal of Mechanical Design, 117, p. 390)
Certain writing situations may call for different ways of handling verb tense. Whatever way you choose, be consistent.
(4) Avoid first-person language (I, we, us, me).
Preferred: Ceramic was substituted for aluminum alloy in the brake pads.
General headings such as "Introduction," "Method," "Results," and etc. provide an organizational structure for reports but are too vague to lend much reader guidance in longer documents.