WRITING UP RESEARCH

Experimental Research Report Writing

for Students of English

Robert Weissberg and Suzanne Buker

Pearson Education Taiwan Ltd.

Writing Up Research: Experimental Research Repon Writing for S tudents o f English

A uthor: Roben Weissberg, Suzannt: Buker

Pub lisher: Pearson Education Taiwan Ltd.
Address: SF, No. 147, Chung-Chi ng South Road, Sec. I, Taipei. 100, Taiwan, R.O.C.
Tel: 02-2370-8 168
Fax: 02-2370-8169
Website: www.pearsono:d.com.tw
E-mail: hed.srv@pearsonedcom.tw

Printed in Taiwan Aug. 2008

ISBN 986-1S4-1l.6-8

Original edition. enti tl ed WRITING UP RES EARCH: EXPER IMENTAL RESEA. RC H REPORT WRmNG
FOR STUDENTS OF ENGLIS H. hI Edi ti on. 01397083 16 by WIESS BERG, RO BERT: BUKER,
SUZANNE. published by Pearson Education, (nc. publishing as Pearson Education ESL Copyrigh t C 1990
by Pnnlicc-Hall
All righl$ re.$erved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form Of by . ny means.
clec tronic or meclianicaJ, indudin g photocopying, reCOfding or by any info rmation storage fCtriev aJ system.
without permission from PtatSOn Education, ln t.
TAIWAN edition published by PEARSON EDUCATION TA IWAN and CRANE PUBLISHI NG CO LTD,
Copyright C 2005
This edition is manufactured in TA IWAN, and is aUlhorbed fQf sale on ly in TAIWAN.
Stage V
C fonce to teachers in providing them the necessory background to
tea ch lessons in form records.

WHAT HAVE YOU OBSERVED?

1. What do you think is the purpose of each of the five stages in this
introduction?
2. Why do you think the writers put the five stages In this particular order?
3. Do you think this order of information could be used for writing
introductions in other fields. or is it valid only for education?
4. Which stage is the longest? Can you see any reason for this?

Ordering your Information

The preceding example is typical of introductions to experimental research re-
ports in many different fields in terms of (1) the kinds of information it provides
to the rea der and (2) the order in which the information is sequenced . Figure
2 .2 illustrates this sequence.

FIRST STAGE: General statement(s) about a

field of research to provide the reader with a
setting for the problem to be reported
OlNlIIAL SECOND STAGE: More specific statements
about the aspects of the problem already
studied by other researchers
THIRD STAGE: St.tement(s) that indicate the
need for more investigation
FOURTH STAGE: Very specific statement(s)
giving the purpose/objectives of the writer's
study
FIFTH STAGE: Optional statement(s) that
give a value or justification for carrying out
the study
FIGURE 2 .2 The fives stages of the introduction.

22 ESTABLISHING A CONTEXT