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Unit-30: Writing a Research Report

benefit to either science or anyone else. It is important that the complete survey and research-work notes
objectives, area, used techniques and methods, description of compiled data, analysis and description,
results and recommendations are properly documented so that they become gems of science, and other
scientists can carry out research on the same subject to re-examine the results and prepare a outline
of the social planning and reforms based on the results and recommendations.

Notes Towards the fulfilment of objectives, a written description of the complete research
survey is prepared. this is known as survey or research report.

30.2 Objectives of Preparing the Report

Good and Hatt have written that research activity is very interesting and attractive for a scientist.
But still at sometime it becomes necessary to prepare a report. in any type of study, there is always
a stage after which it seems rather not useful to continue the research or carry out the analysis and
description of compiled data. sometimes, it happens that due to earlier agreed conditions, it is
mandatory for the scientist or student to complete the research work within stipulated time frame
and present the results. Moreover, the information and the new data obtained during research and
survey is so interesting that the scientist is himself too excited to present the results to others. finally,
whoever has contributed in the research by explaining, recommending, helping or giving sufficient
time are also very excited to know the results of their help and support. To fulfil these requirements,
a report is prepared towards the end stages of the survey.
in this way, preparing report is the last stage of the survey, whose objective according to ‘American
Marketing Society’ is, “To put forward in sufficient details the complete results of the study and
to arrange the results in such a way that every reader is able to understand the data and verify the
correctness of the results.”
from the above statement, we can say that the primary objectives of preparing a report of a survey
or research are as following-
1. To Present Document of Knowledge—result of every survey or research is a source of the
one or the other type of knowledge. It involves sufficient time, money and effort. Even after
this, if the researcher restricts the knowledge to himself only, then the real usefulness of
that knowledge itself vanishes and others also do not get benefit from this. Therefore, it is
extremely important to give it a logically arranged written form so that it becomes a written
document of knowledge and it becomes easier to conserve it as gem of science. towards this
objective, often a report of the survey or research is prepared.
2. For the Extension of Knowledge—this is also of not less importance towards preparing a
report. We have already seen in the last section that analysis and description of the data not
only facilitates clarity and results on research subject but also helps in finding out the other
problems related to that subject which can be studied in detail later on. When a researcher
documents his research-work and results, then he himself hints upon similar problems, new
questions and subjects that may become subjects of research. in this way, reports help us to
know about new topics in research and maintain the continuous expansion of knowledge.
3. To Present the Result of the Investigation for other’s Information—it is important for a
researcher to publish the results of his research for several reasons. firstly, it is the duty
of the researcher to present the results of his research to the concerned people or those

loVely professional uniVersity 243