Writing Research
report/ Dissertation
Structure of Report
Difference between a research
report, and dissertation and thesis
• Research report-writing the result of a research project for wide
audience. Normally has executive summary, introduction, Literature
review, methods, results and conclusion.
• Dissertation- a piece of research to be produced as part of a degree
• Thesis- for the degree itself.
• Structure of dissertation /thesis include research problem, literature
review, chapters presenting and discussing results , conclusion
Basic elements of a
thesis/dissertation
• Form: Physical Attributes
• Structure- the arrangement of chapters, sections,, sub-sections
• Content: the subject matter
• Style: the literary presentation
Structure of Thesis: Three main
Parts
• Preliminaries
• Body of Report- THE TEXT –Chapters in sequence including
Introduction and Conclusion
• Reference Section- bibliography, annexures, coding sheet,
questionnaire, observation schedule, interview guide
PRELIMINARIES
• Title Page
• Title
• Course, degree
• Name of the Author
• Name of Supervisor
• Year
• Institution
• Certificate/declaration
• Preface and Acknowledgements
• Table of Contents- should include preliminaries as well as reference material.
Preliminaries are numbered in small roman numerals
• List of Tables
• List of Figures
• Abbreviations
A preface in a thesis is a brief introductory section where the author
provides a personal account of the research journey, setting the context
for the work that follows. Unlike the abstract or introduction, the preface
is more reflective and allows the author to share motivations for choosing
the research topic, acknowledge personal experiences or challenges
during the research process, and express gratitude to individuals or
institutions that provided support. It may also include information about
the origin of the research (e.g., if it evolved from coursework or
professional work), the role of collaborators (if any), and a note on the
structure or scope of the thesis. Overall, the preface adds a human
dimension to the academic work, offering readers a glimpse into the
author's perspective.
List of tables
Table No. Page
Table 1: titile…………………………………………………………………….4
• Title of tables in small and capitals- Each word starts with capital
letter
List of fig-------graph,diagrams ,
photograph and maps
Text of the thesis- three part
(Chapters)
• Sciences
• Introduction
• Research Findings
• Discussion
• Conclusion and Recommendations
• Social sciences
• Introduction
• Chapters…results and discussion together
• Conclusion
Chapter--introduction
• Statement of Research Problem
• Objectives/ Questions
• Hypothesis
• Literature review
• Data sources and Methodology
• Study Area
• Organisation of chapters
• Limitation
INTRODUCTION
1. Nature of problem/Introduction- Background (quote some secondary
data), your research problem/ statement of Research Problem
2. Objectives
Hypothesis
3) Literature Review-
3. Data Sources and Methodology-, secondary (census) and primary data, sampling
method, personal observation, simple statistical treatment, tables, graphs, thematic
maps
4. Study Area – map of India and state
5. Limitations of the Study
Nature of problem/ research
problem
• A statement of the research problem is a clear and concise description of
the issue that the study aims to address. It should outline the context of
the problem, explaining why it is important and relevant to the field.
• The statement should also highlight what is not yet known or what needs
further exploration, thereby justifying the need for the research.
• It may include references to existing literature to show how the problem
fits within the broader academic discussion.
• Additionally, the statement should define the scope of the problem and
indicate the specific aspects the study will focus on. A well-crafted research
problem sets the direction for the research objectives (quantitative
research)and questions (qualitative research)that follow.
To help guide the reader, it is essential that there is a concise statement
of overall research problem along with the research objectives and or
research hypothesis to be examined.
Research objectives are specific, clear, and focused statements that
outline what the study intends to achieve. They break down the main aim
of the research into smaller, manageable goals, guiding the overall
direction and scope of the study. Mention variable
• A hypothesis is a testable statement that predicts a possible
relationship between two or more variables in a research study. It is
usually based on existing theories, observations, or prior research, and
serves as a foundation for empirical testing.
Literature review
• The literature review section of a thesis is crucial as it provides the academic
foundation for the research by examining existing studies related to the topic.
• It demonstrates the researcher's understanding of the field,
• It identifies key theories, concepts, and debates, and highlights gaps or
limitations in the current knowledge that the thesis aims to address. This section
helps to position the research within the broader scholarly context and justify the
need for the study.
• A good literature review is not just a summary of past studies but a critical
analysis and synthesis of relevant sources. It typically includes discussion of
major themes, methodological approaches used in previous research, and
theoretical frameworks. By doing so, it helps refine the research problem,
informs the choice of methods, and shapes the interpretation of findings.
• The data sources section of a thesis explains where the information
used in the study comes from. These sources can be primary
(collected directly by the researcher through surveys, interviews,
observations, experiments, etc.) or secondary (existing data such as
reports, statistics, maps, scholarly articles, or archival materials). This
section should clearly describe the type of data, how it was accessed
or collected, and why it is suitable for addressing the research
questions. Transparency in data sources is essential for the reliability,
validity, and replicability of the research. It also helps readers assess
the scope and limitations of the study.
• The methodology section outlines the overall research approach and
specific methods used to conduct the research. It includes details
about the research design (qualitative, quantitative, or mixed
methods), sampling techniques, data collection methods (e.g.,
interviews, surveys, fieldwork), and data analysis procedures (e.g.,
thematic analysis, statistical testing). This section also explains why
these methods were chosen and how they are appropriate for
answering the research questions or testing hypotheses. A clear and
well-justified methodology helps establish the credibility of the
research and ensures that the study can be understood, evaluated, or
replicated by others.
• This final chapter presents a comprehensive conclusion to the study,
summarizing the main aspects of the research and offering practical
suggestions and recommendations. It begins with a brief overview of the
research problem, objectives, and the methodology employed. The key findings
are then summarized, highlighting how they address the research questions or
hypotheses posed at the beginning of the study. Rather than repeating detailed
data, the summary focuses on the core results and their significance.
• Major conclusions
• Limitations
• Suggestions- policy or for future research
• Subtitles -no
WRITING STYLE
• Four important characteristics of writing style
• Clarity of idea and language
• Precision-Exact correspondence between matter to be conveyed and its
verbal expressions
• Concise- meaning in fewest words
• Objectivity
• Language
• short simple sentences
• Plain words
• Active voice
Writing style- REFER TO PAGE 220-21 OF Researching
Geography by Gopal Krishan
• Not foggy
• Geographic flavour
• Sence of rhythm
• Past tense
• Symmetry
• Avoid categorical statements
DOCUMENTATION- IN TEXT
REFERENCE
• Quote/Acknowledge when borrow an idea , finding of some study or
data.
If writing the same language put in quotes
If changing the language acknowledge in form of in-text citation
EXAMPLE
Sen (1998) emphasized the importance of women education in the
these words- “……………………………”
……………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………
Documentation
• Four ways:
• Notes at the end of each chapter, followed by reference relevant to
the chapter.
• Footnotes at the bottom of each page and list of references at the
end of the text.
• The usual practice of citing authors names, publication date and page
number in the text with the full reference at the end of each chapter.
• Authors name, date and page number in the text with the full
reference at the end of all the chapters.
Reference/bibliographic styles
APA
CHICAGO
