The Research Companion A Practical Guide for the Social and Health Sciences

Tables from the book

TABLE 8.1

Structure of a report/dissertation/project

(Table created with J. Nicholls, CHIME, UCL)

Section of report What it should contain
Title The ideal title length is about 12-15 words (see Parrott, 1999, p. 57). The title should interest and engage the reader, use active words, and accurately reflect the study.
Acknowledgements Not all reports require this section: check with your course guidelines. However, if acknowledgements are permitted you should list who has helped you with your research (for example in supervision of your work, or assistance with data collection or analysis).
Contents page States the sections of the report (as outlined in this table), and the pages where these sections may be found. Ensure the sections and page numbers match. You may need to include a separate contents page for tables/ diagrams.
Abstract This is a summary containing a brief account of the content, purpose and theoretical background of the study. The ideal length for this section is between 100 and 150 words. Think of the abstract as a way of "selling" your report, particularly as most research archives contain abstracts so others can decide whether to read them (see also Parrott, 1999, pp. 59-60).
Introduction You now "set the scene" for your reader, by describing relevant past research. Begin with a clear indication about the question that your research is attempting to answer. Describe the area in a broad way and then become more specific. You need to state your aims and objectives at the end of this section, and make sure these are clear and specific (even if you are using action research or ethnography, you should still clearly outline the area that you plan to investigate). Don't overload these-you should have one clear aim, and a few easily achieved objectives. Illustrate how you considered possible methodological approaches, and justify your selected one.