Basic Tips
           Writing a research report is like telling a story.
           You must persuade the reader that research is 
            needed to address a problem.
           You must persuade the reader (through your 
            literature review) that other authors have 
            addressed or failed to address the problem.
           You must use the literature review to provide a 
            rationale for your research questions, 
            operational definitions, and research methods.
           Your methodology section should logically flow 
            from the literature review.
        Basic Tips for Data 
        Analysis Chapters
         Don’t try to report on every piece of 
          data in your survey or interviews.
         Your main goal should be to provide a 
          demographic profile of your 
          respondents and to answer your 
          primary research questions.
         For most students, you will have three 
          or four primary questions to address in 
          this chapter. 
        Outline of Data Analysis 
        Chapter
         Introduction to Chapter (identifies the 
          content of the chapter)
         Demographic Analysis of Respondents
         Analysis to Support Question #1
         Analysis to Support Question #2
         Analysis to Support Question #3 (etc).
         Conclusion (what were the main 
          things you found out in this chapter)
        Format for 
        Quantitative/Descriptive 
        Studies
          Include tables (integrate with text)
          Don’t describe every cell in table in your 
           text. Only describe primary findings – for 
           example largest comparisons across cells 
           – what info is needed to answer your 
           research question
          Refer reader to the table for additional 
           findings.
          Findings of no differences among groups 
           or categories are significant only if they 
           pertain to your primary research questions
         Format for qualitative 
         studies
          Use to answer primary research questions.
          May be formatted to analyze specific 
           questions asked respondents (only if most or 
           all respondents answered those questions).
          Alternatively, it may be organized around 
           specific response categories or major 
           themes identified in the research. 
          Purpose of narrative is to tell the 
           participant’s story or the writer’s story of 
           gaining new knowledge of the participant.