GUJARAT INSTITUTE OF NURSING

EDUCATION & RESEARCH

AHMEDABAD

SUB: RESEARCH APPLICATION & EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICE IN

CRITICAL CARE
TOPIC: WRITING RESEARCH PROPOSAL & RESEARCH REPORT

SUBMITTED TO: SUBMITTED BY:

MRS. AMI MENON PANCHAL KOMAL.R.
LECTURER CL-II F.Y. N.P.C.C. STUDENT
G.I.N.E.R.A ROLL NO: 03
G.I.N.E.R.A.
SUBMITTED ON:
23/03/2020
WRITING A RESEARCH REPORT:
A research report is the ultimate outcome of the research process. A research
process cannot be considered complete until its report has been written and
disseminated. Writing a report highlights the research project and helps in the
dissemination of the research findings. Dissemination of research findings serves
scientific, professional, and public functions. An effective dissemination of
scientific information leads to an overall improvement in knowledge and practice
among health care providers.
Characteristics of Good Research Report:
Research reports are an effective means of communicating the research findings to
the readers and interested audience. A well-written research report is one which
effectively, efficiently, and widely disseminates the research information among its
users. A good research report has following characteristics
 A research report must have characteristics of conciseness, clarity, honesty ,
completeness and accuracy.
 A research report must be long enough to cover the subject content and short
enough to maintain interest among its users and consumers.
 It must be written and presented logically so that different pieces of the research
process fit effectively.
 Abstract terminology and technical jargons must be avoided in the research
report • Presentation of the research report must be lucid and visually attractive,
so that it can be interesting to its users.
 Research report must reflect its originality.
Format of Research Report:
The format of the research reports varies from institution to institution and
university to university. However, basic contents of the reports remain
nearly the same. Quantitative research reports typically follow a
conventional format referred to as IMRAD format. It involves the
organization of the study material in four sections: introduction, methods,
results, and discussion.
Tips for Writing Good Research Report:
 Use short, simple sentences.
 Write in active voice.
  Use headings and subheadings to guide the readers.
 Use bold type in headings to attract attention.
 Use tables, graphs to break up print pages.
 Use left and right margin justification.
 Make sure there are good transitions between sections.
 Follow directions as stated in the guidelines for writing report
 Have peer review of the research report, if possible.
 Be ready to edit the proposal many times.
Introduction:
It is often written in a funnel - shaped structure. The researcher begins broadly to
establish a framework to understand the study and narrows it down to the specific
of what he or she intended to learn. It should include the clear and concise problem
statement, its significance, existing literature, conceptual framework of study,
research questions, hypotheses, underlying assumptions, and the need of the study.
So, in a nutshell, introduction generally includes:
 Background of the study
 Need of the study
 Research problem
 Objectives
 Hypothesis / assumptions
 Operational definitions
 Conceptual framework Literature review
Materials and methods:
The methods section is often subdivided into several parts, which include stages ,
such as:
o Research design
o Research setting.
o Target population
o Sampling technique and sample size
o Development and description of data collection tools
o Validity and reliability of research tools
o Methods and procedures of data collection
o Pilot study and tool tryout
o Feasibility of the study
o Ethical considerations
o Plan for data analysis
o Plan for reference writing
Results:
It is the heart of a research report. If both descriptive and inferential statistics
have been used, then results start with descriptive statistics to present sample
characteristics. Later analyzed data are presented in accordance with study
objectives using descriptive and inferential statistics. Inferential statistics are
generally used to test the preset hypotheses and inferences after the rejection or
acceptance of the hypotheses,
Discussion:
A typical discussion section addresses the following questions:
 What were the main findings?
 What do the findings mean?
 How do the results compare with prior knowledge on the topic?
 What can be concluded about the findings Vis - à - Vis their use in nursing
practices and nursing theories and in future nursing research?
Conclusion:
Conclusion includes the paragraphs that summarize what was done and found
from present study as precise as possible.
Other aspects of the report:
Title: It should include the variables under study, study population, and place
of the study. The title should be clear and concise, ideally not more than about
15 words.
Abstract: It is an unstructured paragraph of 100 - 200 words or in a structured
form with probably a subhead. It should be written clearly so that a reader can
decide whether to read the entire report or not.
Keywords: Substance, methodology, and theoretical terms can be used as
keywords: these keywords are used in the index to help others locate the study.
References: The reference style should be selected after reviewing the
manuscript or report. Usually, Vancouver reference style is used in health
sciences literature.
Acknowledgement: Those people whose contribution does not qualify them for
author ship are sometimes acknowledged at the end of the report or the
beginning of the report.
Steps in Writing Report:
Research reports are the products of slow, painstaking, and accurate inductive
work steps involved in writing a report include:
Logical analysis of the subject matter:
It is the first step which is primarily concerned with the development of a
subject.
Preparation of the final outline:
It is the next step in writing the research report. ‘Outlines are the framework
upon which works are constructed. They are an aid to the logical organization
of the material and a remainder of the points to be stressed in report.'
Preparation of the rough draft:
This step is of utmost importance for the researchers as it involves actually
writing down what they have done in the context of their research studies. The
researchers write down the procedures adopted by them in collecting the
material for their study along with various limitations, the techniques of
analysis adopted by them, the broad findings and generalizations, and the
various suggestions they want to other regarding the problems encountered.
Rewriting and polishing the rough draft:
This step happens to be the most difficult part of all formal writing. The careful
revision makes the difference between a mediocre and a good piece of writing.
While rewriting and polishing one should check the report for weaknesses in
logical development or presentation. The researcher should check the
mechanics of writing grammar, spelling and usage.
Preparation of final bibliography:
Next in the order comes the task of the preparation of the final bibliography. It
is a list of books, journal articles, papers presented, etc. that have contributed
or are in some way pertinent to the research which has been done. The
bibliography should be arranged alphabetically and may be divided into two
parts: the first part may contain the names of books and journals, and the
second part may contain the names of magazines and newspaper articles
Writing the final draft: This constitutes the last step. The final draft should be
written in a concise and objective style and in simple language, avoiding vague
expressions, such as it seems ', ' there may be ', etc. While writing the final
draft, researcher must avoid abstract terminology. It must be remembered that
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.