Structure of Empirical Research Reports: A Comprehensive Guide

1. Chapter Fifteen Developing Empirical Research Reports

2. Structure of Empirical Research Reports • Abstract (Summary) • Arguably the most important section • Should be able to replace the report for readers who will not read the report • Must clearly state purpose and results of report

3. Structure of Empirical Research Reports • Introduction • Statement and importance of the problem • May be combined with the literature review and the purpose statement • Gives the subject, scope, significance, and objectives of the research

4. Structure of Empirical Research Reports • Literature Review • What is known about the topic • Summary of relevant research with parenthetical citations • May be combined with the introduction and the purpose statement • Should support the objectives of the research, why the research is needed, what gap this research will fill in solving the problem

5. Structure of Empirical Research Reports • Purpose • States the purpose of the current empirical research report • May be combined with the introduction and the literature review

6. Structure of Empirical Research Reports • Materials and Methods • Should allow researchers to duplicate research • Helps build credibility • May include the following: • Design of the investigation • Materials used • Procedure—how you conducted the research • Methods used for observation, analysis, and interpretation

7. Structure of Empirical Research Reports • Results • Should coordinate clearly and precisely with the methods section • Outcomes should be tied to the procedure • (Discussion) • Analysis of results • May be incorporated in results section or may be separate section

8. Structure of Empirical Research Reports • Conclusion • Summarizes what the research yielded • May be incorporated in the discussion • Needs to focus on accuracy, any limitations of findings, and any questions that need further investigation • Allows writer to assess experiment and suggest further research

9. Structure of Empirical Research Reports • Acknowledgements and References • Acknowledgements note help of individuals who worked on the research • Acknowledgements may occur in footnotes or in a section at the end of the report • Any resources mentioned in the report should have full citations in the reference section

10. Planning for Empirical Research Reports

11. Trouble Shooting for Empirical Research Reports