Chanderprabhu Jain College of Higher Studies

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School of Law
An ISO 9001:2015 Certified Quality Institute
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Class : B.COM IV

Paper Code : B.COM 214

Subject : RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

E-NOTES

Unit -4

Steps in Report Writing

Introduction

Report writing is the last step in a research study and requires a set of skills which differ from
those used in the earlier stages of research. Research reports are the product of slow, painstaking,
accurate inductive work. A researcher can be a talented and creative person by nature. However,
some activities require attention, persistence and efforts. Report writing is one such activity
where the researcher has to establish effective communication with the readers. This is not an
easy task as the communication has to be done keeping in mind the fact that the report is not
meant only for a selected group of readers.

Steps of Report Writing The usual steps involved in writing a report are:

Logical analysis of the subject matter:

The first step of report writing is to develop a subject, either logically or chronologically. The
logical development is made on the basis of mental connections and associations between the
one thing and another by means of analysis. Logical treatment often consists in developing the
material from the simple possible to the most complex structures. Chronological development is
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School of Law
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based on a connection or sequence in time or occurrence. The directions for doing or making
something usually follow the chronological order.

Preparation of the final outline

After developing the subject, the final outline must be prepared to make a framework. "Outlines
are the framework upon which long written works are constructed. They are an aid to the logical
organisation of the material and a reminder of the points to be stressed in the report". (Elliott S.
M. Gatner and Francesco Cordasco, Research and Report writing, p.37.)

Preparation of the rough draft

Preparation of the rough draft is of utmost importance as the researcher is now ready to start
writing what he has done in the context of his research study. He will write down the procedure
adopted by him in collecting the material for his study along with various limitations faced by
him, the technique of analysis adopted by him, the broad findings and generalisations and the
various suggestions he wants to offer regarding the problem concerned. The rough draft should
be the last of several versions, each an improvement of the preceding one. The researcher should
try to start writing the first version of the draft immediately after completing the outline while the
ideas developed there are still fresh in his mind. The first version should be written as rapidly as
possible keeping focus on what the researcher wants to say rather than how to say it. He should
keep writing down the thoughts as they flow into his mind, following his outline. Going back
over what he has written should be avoided until he is through writing.

Rewriting and polishing of the rough draft

This is the most difficult part of all formal writing which requires more time than the writing of
the rough draft. A careful revision makes the difference between a mediocre and a good piece of
writing. While rewriting and polishing, the researcher should check the report for weaknesses in
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School of Law
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logical development or presentation. The researcher should also "see whether or not the material,
as it is presented, has unity and cohesion; does the report stand upright and firm and exhibit a
definite pattern, like a marble arch? Or does it resemble an old wall of mouldering cement and
loose brick" (ibid., p.50). In addition, the researcher should give due attention to the fact that in
his rough draft he has been consistent or not. He should check the mechanics of writing-
grammar, spelling and usage. Then review this version-but only for its technical content.
Sometimes writing the first version will reveal some unexpected problems that require a change
in the outline. In the second version of the rough draft, writing style becomes important. With the
technical content in a well-organized form from the first version, this is the time to concentrate
on how to say it. The researcher should always keep in mind the reader and should never forget
that the purpose in writing the report is to transmit the information needed to support his
conclusions. To make sure the readers understand his conclusions, he must transmit his
information clearly, logically, concisely, honestly, and tactfully. The last stage of report
preparation, rough-draft revision, is just as important as the previous stages, but it is the one most
scorned by inexperienced writers. Revising a draft is comparable to painting a house: the
appearance is improved without influencing the structure. But a report's "appearance"
(readability) may determine whether or not it is read. "Having at least one colleague read the
report just before the final revision is extremely helpful. Sentences that seem crystal clear to the
reader may prove quite confusing to other people; a connection that had seemed self evident may
strike others as a ‘non-sequitur’. A friendly critic, by pointing out passages that seem unclear or
illogical, and perhaps suggesting ways of remedying the difficulties, can be an invaluable aid in
achieving the goal of adequate communication".(Claire Selltiz et. al., Research Methods in
Social Relations rev., Methuen & Co Ltd., London, 1959, p.454.).
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An ISO 9001:2015 Certified Quality Institute
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Preparation of the final reference/bibliography

The next step is to prepare the final reference or bibliography which is the list of sources either
referred to or taken help while writing the report. There are no absolute rules in referencing but
bibliography should follow a logical arrangement in alphabetical order and may be divided into
two parts; the first part may contain the names of books and pamphlets, and the second part may
contain the names of magazine and newspaper articles

Writing the final draft The last step in report writing is writing the final draft which is done in
a concise and objective style using simple language. Vague expressions such as "it seems",
"there may be", and the like are avoided. Abstract terminology and technical jargon are also
avoided to facilitate easy understanding by any reader. Illustrations and examples based on
common experiences must be incorporated in the final draft as they happen to be most effective
in communicating the research findings to others. A research report should not be dull. It should
enthuse people and maintain interest and must show originality. Every report should be an
attempt to solve some intellectual problem and must contribute to the solution of a problem and
must add to the knowledge of both the researcher and the reader.

Mechanics of Report Writing Definite and set rules should be followed in the actual
preparation of the research report. Once techniques are finally decided, they should be
scrupulously adhered to with no deviation. The following points deserve mention so far as the
mechanics of writing a report are concerned:

Size and physical design: The manuscript should be written on unruled paper 8½˝ x 11˝ in size.
If it is to be written by hand, black or blue-black ink should be used. A margin of at least one and
one-half inches should be allowed at the left hand and at least half an inch at the right hand of the
paper. There should also be one-inch margins, top and bottom. The paper should be neat and
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School of Law
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legible. If the manuscript is to be typed, then all typing should be double-spaced on one side of
the page only, except for the insertion of long quotations.

Procedure: Various steps in writing the report should be strictly adhered to.

Layout: Keeping in view the objective and nature of the problem, the layout of the report should
be thought of and decided and accordingly adopted.

Treatment of quotations: Quotations should be placed in quotation marks and double spaced,
forming an immediate part of the text. But if the quotation is of a considerable length (more than
four or five type written lines) then it should be single-spaced and indented at least half an inch
to the right of the normal text margin.

Footnotes: Footnotes are placed at the bottom of the page on which the reference or quotation
which they identify or supplement ends. They should be numbered consecutively and always
typed in single space though they are divided from one another by double space. The first
footnote reference to any given work should be complete in its documentation, giving all the
essential facts about the edition used. Such documentary footnotes follow a general sequence.
Punctuations and abbreviations: Certain English and Latin abbreviations are quite often used in
bibliographies and footnotes to eliminate tedious repetition.

Use of statistics, graphs and charts: Statistics are usually presented in the form of tables,
charts, bars, line-graphs and pictograms in a neat and attractive manner.

The final draft: The final draft should be prepared after careful revising and rewriting of the
rough draft.

Bibliography: Bibliography should be prepared and appended to the research report.

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Preparation of the index: An index should be given at the end of the report to act as a good
guide to the reader.

Precautions for writing research reports. Writing a report is conditioned by various factors. A
good research report is one which communicates with the readers efficiently and effectively. The
researcher, therefore, should keep in mind the following precautions while writing the report: A
report should not be written in haste. Language and method of presentation should be suitable to
the level of intelligence and knowledge of the readers. Abstract terminology and technical jargon
should be avoided. Reports vary in length. It should be long enough to cover the subject but short
enough to maintain interest. A report should not be dull. Charts, graphs and statistical tables
should be used to make it attractive and to provide ready availability of the findings. The layout
should be in accordance with the objective of the research problem. The report should be free
from grammatical mistakes. All the composite parts must be presented in proper order. A report
should show originality and must contribute to the solution of a problem. It is usually considered
desirable if the report makes a forecast of the probable future of the subject concerned and
indicates the kind of research which still needs to be done in that particular field.

Conclusion The steps and mechanics of report writing are guidelines to produce a report which
can be understood by the readers. They should be adhered to in order to avoid communication
gap between the reader and the writer. Effective communication is possible only when the report
is prepared with caution. Skill combined with caution will help a researcher in preparing a report
with minimum flaws.

Citation and Bibliography- A citation is a reference to a published or unpublished source.

[2]
 More precisely, a citation is an abbreviated alphanumeric expression embedded in the body of
an intellectual work that denotes an entry in the bibliographic references section of the work for
the purpose of acknowledging the relevance of the works of others to the topic of discussion at
the spot where the citation appears.
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Forms of Citations

The forms of Citation generally subscribe to one of the generally accepted citation systems:

 Oxford

 Havard

 Turabian

 Chicago

MLA- Modern language Association of America

ASA- American Sociological Association

APA- American Psychological Association

AAA- American Anthropological Association

CSE: Council of Science Editors

CBE: Council of Biology Editors

Bibliography and References : A bibliography is a list of all of the sources you have used
(whether referenced or not) in the process of researching your work. In general, a bibliography
should include:

 authors' names
 titles of the works

 names and locations of the companies that published your copies of the sources
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 dates your copies were published

 page numbers of your sources (if they are part of multi-source volumes)

A reference list, generally, contains only sources you have cited in-text in your
assignment. A bibliography, generally, is a list of all the sources you used to
generate your ideas about the topic including those cited in your assignment as
well as those you did not cite.
JEL classification - The JEL classification system was developed for use in
the Journal of Economic Literature (JEL), and is a standard method of classifying
scholarly literature in the field of economics. The system is used to classify
articles, dissertations, books, book reviews, and working papers in EconLit, and in
many other applications.