Writing Action Research or Field Report

1. Writing Action Research or Field Report • Introduction • An Example Report • APA Style • The Title • Organization • Paragraphs • Effective Transitions • Strategies for Writing a Conclusion • Peer Editing • Individual Review Meetings • Presentations

2. The Title • Use a subtitle to clarify what the report is about. • Use a reasonably catchy title

3. An Example Report • Follow the College style requirements (paper size, margin, cover sheets). • Table of contents • Abstract • Chapter 1: Introduction (purpose, importance, assumptions, definitions, research questions) • Chapter 2: Review of the Literature • Chapter 3: Methods (subjects, setting, instrument, data collection procedures) • Chapter 4: Result (include graphs or tables) • Chapter 5: Discussion (including conclusion, recommendation, action plan) • References • Appendices

4. Organization The key to your report is not brilliance or even inspiration, but organization. • Use of headings and subheadings • Use of outline

5. The Paragraph • Unity: The entire paragraph should concern itself with a single focus. If it begins with a certain point of discussion, it should not end with another or wander within different ideas. • Coherence: Create logical or verbal bridges in your paragraphs to be coherent. For example, key words or synonymous words can be repeated in several sentences. • A Topic Sentence: Put your topic sentence near the beginning of the paragraph. • Adequate Development: It usually takes more than 1,2,or 3 sentences to have a fully developed paragraph. • Do not use future tense in Ch. 1 verbs as you did with the proposal. Use past tense in data gathering section.

6. Effective Transitions • Does your report have a nice flow ( continuity, or progression)? • Use a lead-in sentence to introduce discussion of a new concept . • The end of a paragraph can set up a clear connection to the next paragraph. • One way to create a transition is to repeat a key word or phrase from the preceding paragraph. • Use these transitional words to link complementary ideas : again, in addition, at the same time, in the same way, by the same token, similarly, likewise, hence, as a result, furthermore, moreover, secondly. To link conflicting ideas, use these words: in reality, in truth, on the other hand, on the contrary, nonetheless, however, in contrast.

7. The Conclusion • Propose a course of action, possible approaches or solutions to the issue raised. • Challenge the reader: Address ideas from a fresh perspective in order to encourage the reader to continue thinking about the topic . • Looking to the future: Raise questions for future study. • Describing the limitations of your study. • Save a provocative or exciting insight or quotation for the conclusion. • Echoing the introduction: Include something from the introduction (e.g. a detail, image, scenario, or example) to bring the report full cycle.

8. Presentation • Present your field or action research report to the rest of class • You are encouraged to use the Powerpoint to make your presentation • It is more of a celebration than an oral defense. GOOD LUCK !