GPPW
TEMPLATE AND GUIDANCE
The final written Research Report should contain: Title; Introduction; Context; Aims; Method; Results;
Conclusion; Evaluation; Further Research; Bibliography; Appendices.
Section Contents
Title A descriptive name or
heading for the report.
Introduction This section provides an
overview or summary of the
research and explains the
reasons for the choice of the
topic. It may give some
indication of how the
outcomes of the research may
be used.
Context This section provides a
detailed description of the
background to the research
which has informed the
development of the research
aims.
Aims This section provides a
summary of the main purpose
and intended outcomes of the
research.
Method This section describes the
methods used to gather data
and information which will be
used as evidence.
Results This section summarises the
information and data gathered
from the practical research
which is relevant to the
purpose of the project.
RESEARCH REPORT
Guidance
The title should be short and concise. It should give a clear
indication of the purpose of the research
This section is usually quite brief and provides a summary
of the motivation behind the research and the reasons for
the selection of the topic. It could relate to prior learning,
influence of past research, previous experience, personal
interest and the beliefs and values of the learner. The
advice and guidance of teachers or others could also be
mentioned. Personal values and beliefs that might
influence the research and may be a potential cause of
bias may be declared in the interests of objectivity.
This is usually one of the longer sections of the Report. It
should contain a description of the issue being explored,
key definitions, past research and the main sources that
have guided the design of the research project. The
material described should be used to explain how the aims
and purpose of the research were developed. This often
takes the form of ‘progressive focusing’ in which learners
outline the wider issue and then explain how the research
is directed towards a narrower aspect of the issue that is
suitable and manageable for the scope of this type of
research project. If secondary sources and data are used in
the research they are usually described in this section.
Sources and past research should be cited and referenced.
Care should be taken to ensure that the material described
is relevant to the purpose of the research.
This is usually a brief statement of the purpose and aims of
the research, which arise out of the context. Usually aims
are expressed as research questions or hypotheses to be
tested. Some indication of the possible uses and potential
implications of the research may be included, if appropriate
and relevant.
This is usually one of the longer sections of the Report. It
should describe the overall research design and each of
the methods used. The population and sample for the
research should also be described and justified. The
description should be in enough detail to enable another
person to repeat the research in the future. The selection of
the methods should be fully explained and justified in
relation to the purpose of the research and the type of data
or evidence that is sought. Learners should explain clearly
how and why the methods and sources selected will enable
them to fulfil their aims and answer the research questions.
Appendices may be used to provide examples of the
research instruments. Learners should be encouraged to
use the terms of critical thinking and research e.g.
authority; validity; reliability; representative; generalise;
bias; etc
This is usually one of the longer sections of the Report. The
data and information gathered from the practical research
should be summarised in a clear, concise and structured
way. This may be organised around the methods used or
the research questions. Use of tables, graphs, charts and

Conclusion This section describes the
judgements made about
outcomes of the research.
Evaluation This section evaluates the
quality of the research and the
strength of the conclusions.
Further This section describes
Research suggestions for further
research that arise out of
research project. It should
also contain reflection by the
learner about what they have
learned from doing the
research and how their
personal perspectives may
have changed.
Bibliography This section should contain a
list of all references and
sources used in the research.
Appendices This section should contain
additional material that
illustrates key aspects of the
main report.
The description of the different sections is a model. In practice learners include all of the possible features
suggested for each section and may produce a report in which some sections are of higher quality than
others. Other approaches may be used.
bullet points may help to maintain clarity and brevity.
Appendices may also be used to present more detail or to
illustrate the analysis of data. This might include exemplars
of completed questionnaires, tally tables, transcripts of
interviews, and other raw data. It is not necessary to
include all of the data gathered in the appendices.
This section summarises the outcomes of the research and
provides answers to each of the research questions, based
on the results. The conclusions should be stated clearly
and concisely. This section usually includes a discussion of
the implications or consequences of the conclusions for the
purpose of the research and the global issue under
consideration. Some discussion of the degree of
confidence or level of certainty about the conclusions might
also be appropriate.
This section highlights the strengths and weaknesses of
the research design, implementation and outcomes. Each
method should be reviewed carefully and suggestions for
improvement presented. The degree of generalisation from
the outcomes and applicability of the conclusions should be
discussed. Learners should be encouraged to use the
terms of critical thinking and research e.g. authority;
validity; reliability; representative; generalise; bias; etc
This section should briefly describe several suggestions for
further research. These should be carefully related to the
outcomes of the research, perhaps exploring unexpected
results or new questions that have arisen. Ways to improve
the confidence of conclusions or generalisation from the
research are also possible. Some indication of the purpose
or implications of the further research for the understanding
of the issue should be stated. Reflection by the learner is
also an important element of this section. The learner
should carefully describe what they have learnt about the
issue and how their perspectives have changed. Some
discussion of what the learner has discovered about
conducting practical research into issues is also
appropriate.
The list of references and sources should follow one of the
academic conventions in a consistent way. Teachers will
need to give advice and exemplars to learners.
This is the final section of the report. The appendices
should be kept to a minimum and may not be necessary.
The appendices are useful for providing exemplars of
research instruments and summaries of data analysis.