ADS511 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND DATA ANALAYSIS

1. ADS511RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND DATA ANALAYSIS LESSON 9 Writing Research Report

2. What is research report? A research report presents the results of your investigations on a selected topic. Based on your own thoughts and the facts and ideas you have gathered from a variety of sources, a research report is a creation that is uniquely yours. The experience of gathering, interpreting, and documenting information, developing and organizing ideas and conclusions, and communicating them clearly will prove to be an important and satisfying part of your education.

3. The purposes of research report • To present the research activities that have been conducted. • To explain the research result and findings that related to management questions. • To present the analysis on the findings and conclusion of the study. • To suggest the recommendations and policies necessary for solving the management questions.

4. ABSTRACT The purpose of this section is to provide a brief and comprehensive summary of the study. It is very important because it is all that many people will read. It should include a brief description of the problem being investigated, the methods used, the results, and their implications.

5. Sample of abstract Distance learning programmes in Malaysian universities started in 1971 when Universiti Sains Malaysia offered its degrees in humanities and social sciences through distance learning. Institut Teknologi MARA followed soon after by offering its diploma programmes in banking, business studies and public administration. In 1995, the government directed all the public universities to offer distance education programmes with the objective of increasing the much needed manpower to propel it towards achieving fully developed nation status by year 2020. Although many research has been done on distance education since it was introduced, not many of the research focused on identifying the main sources of information used by adult learners in selecting the preferred institution. This study attempt to identify criteria considered important in choosing higher institution and determine factors that influence them to continue study via distance education. 1500 questionnaires were distributed to the first year social science distance learning programmes and 980 valid responses were received.

6. CHAPTER ONEINTRODUCTION OF THE STUDY The main purpose of this section is to tell the reader why you performed the study. In other words, you have to inform the reader of the research question and indicate why it is important, and how it is unique when compared to previous studies. - Problem statement - Research questions - Research Objectives - Scope of study - The importance of study - Limitations of study - Key terms/concepts

7. CHAPTER 2LITERATURE REVIEW Describing in detail the research issue. Examining the issue based on various information published in company report, news paper, journals, books, and internet web sites. - What are the major issues. - What are the key theories. - What are the main questions have been addressed to date. - What are the definitions of the topic. - What are the political standpoints.

8. CHAPTER 3RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY The purpose of this section is to describe in detail how you performed the study. Someone should be able to replicate your study based on the information you provide in this section. - The nature of data. - How the data was collected. - What are the methods used to gather the data. - The instruments used. - The sampling procedures. - How the data was analyzed.

9. CHAPTER 4RESULTS AND THE FINDINGS OF THE STUDY Presenting the results of statistical tests, give descriptive statistics before the corresponding inferential statistics. In other words, give means and/or percentages (perhaps referring to a table or figure), before talking about the results of any statistical tests you performed.

10. Sources Number Percentage Family/Friends/relatives 411 41.9 Electronic media/Electronic 468 47.8 Pamphlet/ seminar/exhibition 99 10.1 Newspaper 2 0.2 Total 980 100 Table 2: Source of information

11. Figure 2: Distribution of Campus Students’ CGPA At Semester 01

12. CHAPTER 5DISCUSSION ON THE FINDINGS The purpose of this section is to evaluate and interpret the results, especially with respect to the original research question. Start off with a brief, non-technical summary of the results. In other words, tell the reader about the main findings without using statistical terminology. Then go on to discuss the implications of the results. In other words, whatever was found needs to be discussed. It is also important to discuss how the results relate to the literature you cited in the introduction. In other words, emphasize any theoretical consequences of the results.

13. CHAPTER 6CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS Finally, you need an ending paragraph in which you make a final summary statement of the conclusions you have drawn. You are also encouraged, when appropriate, to comment on the importance and relevance of your findings. How are your findings related to the big suggestions. Also mention any limitations of the study and any suggestions for future research in this section.

14. REFERENCES Any citations made in the report must be presented in this section and vice versa. That is, if something is not cited in the text, then it should not appear in this section. In still other words, this is not a bibliography This section is alphabetized by last name (of the first author involved in the study). Beck, A. T. (1967). Depression: Clinical, experimental and theoretical aspects. New York: Hoeber.

15. Beck, A. T. (1967). Depression: Clinical, experimental and theoretical aspects. New York: Hoeber. • Alverez, A. (1970). The savage god: A study of suicide. New York: Random House. • Garner, B. A. (2003). Garner's Modern American Usage. New York: Oxford University Press

16. Journal Wheatcroft, G. (2004, June). The Tragedy of Tony Blair. The Atlantic, 293 56–72. Thomas, E. & Hosenball, M. (2004, May 31). Bush's Mr. Wrong: The Rise and Fall of Chalabi. Newsweek, 143, 22–32.

17. News Paper • Poirot, C. (2004, March 17). HIV prevention pill goes beyond 'morning after'. The Hartford Courant, pp. F1, F6 • New exam for doctor of future. (1989, March 15). The New York Times, p. B-10. • Silverman, P.H. (2004, June). Genetic Engineering [Letter to the editor]. The Atlantic, 293 14

18. REFERENCESAzni Zain Ahmed (1994) Laporan Tahunan Pra Sains ITM, Sesi Januari-Jun 1994, July, unpublished.Buku Panduan dan Maklumat : Program Pra Sains ITM. (1995, October), unpublished.Hadariah Bahron, Noraini Mohd Nasir and Zaidi Mohd Aminuddin (2002), Pre Science Program – A Second Chance for Academic Advancement, a paper presented at the Malaysian Science and Technology Congress 2002, organized by COSTAM, Kuching, Sarawak, December.Mohd Hanafiah Abidin & Muhd Fauzi Safian (1993), Keberkesanan Kursus Pra Sains, Paper presented at Seminar Pra Sains 1993, organised by ITM Perlis and ITM Shah Alam, December.Wan Noraaini Wan Jaafar (1996), Perbandingan Pencapaian Pelajar Lepasan SPM dengan Pencapaian Pelajar Lepasan Pra Sains di dalam Bidang Kejuruteraan : Satu Tinjauan, Paper presented at Seminar Kebangsaan Pendidikan Sains dan Matematik organized by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, November.

19. The Contents of Research Report • Declaration • Abstract • List of Tables/Figures • Table of Contents • Chapter 1 Introduction • Chapter 2 Literature Review • Chapter 3 Research Design and Methodology • Chapter 4 Result and Findings of Study • Chapter 5 Discussion on the Findings • Chapter 6 Conclusion and Recommendations • List of References • Appendices