Writing a Research Report Writing Centre Learning Guide As a university student you may be required to write a variety of reports for assessment purposes. A research report is one type that is often used in the sciences, engineering and psychology. Here your aim is to write clearly and concisely about your research topic so that the reader can easily understand the purpose and results of your research.
Structure You must carefully read your course information details to ensure that you comply with what the lecturer/tutor stipulates. A report is typically made up of three main divisions: (1) preliminary material, (2) body and (3) supplementary material. Each of the sections contains a different kind of content. Refer to the tables below: Table 1: Divisions and sections of a report Broad Divisions
Individual Sections Title of Report
(1) Preliminary material
Table of Contents (not always required) Abstract/Synopsis Introduction Literature Review (sometimes included in the Introduction) Methodology
(2) Body of report
Results Discussion Conclusion Recommendations (sometimes included in the Conclusion)
(3) Supplementary material
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