. Format and Elements of Reports
(review reports and reports of empirical studies)
Review reports, including meta-analyses, are critical evaluations of material that has already been published. By organizing, integrating, and evaluating previously published material, the author of a review report considers the progress of current research toward clarifying a problem. In a sense, a review repot is tutorial in that the author defines and clarifies the problem; summarizes previous investigations in order to inform the reader of the state of current research; identifies relations, contradictions, gaps, and inconsistencies in the literature; suggests the next step or steps in solving the problem.
The components of review reports, unlike the sections of reports of empirical studies, are arranged by relationship rather than by chronology.
1. Title page
Title page contains following elements:
title,
author’s name(first name, diddle initial and last name),
institutional affiliation(the institution where the investigation was conducted);
2. Abstract(write this section last)
Abstract usually contains following elements:
background information(present tense),
purpose(past or present perfect tense),
method(past),
results(past),
conclusion or recommentation(present);
Sample Abstract and its Elements
Background In many cultures it is standard behavior for people to have a short period of
Purpose sleep after the noon meal. The aim of our study was to determine if such a
Method sleep period enhances the overall work efficiency of office workers. Two
groups participated in the study. One group slept after the noon meal and the
Results other group continued working after the noon meal. Results indicated that
those who slept had better overall work efficiency according to the well-
Conclusion known Richards work efficiency scale. The results suggests that employers
may benefit by giving their employees the option of sleeping undisturbed
after the noon meal.
3. Introduction
Introduction section usually contains following elements:
setting(present and past),
previous research by others(past),
need for more investigation/significance(present),
purpose or objectives of the study or research(past or present);
Sample Introduction and its Elements
Setting During the past few decades, computers have gained enormous popularity in many aspects of United States’culture. One reason for this is that computer technology has been advancing so quickly that even small computers can now perform a large number of useful tasks. Beccause of this, schools are purchasing more and more microcomputers and incorporating them as teaching tools in many of their courses.
Previous Study Most researchers agree that microcomputers will play an important role in by Others the future educational system of the US. Grizter(1990) and Boyd(1991) suggested that microcomputers would be used much more in private home, businesses, and schools in the near future. Schaeffer(1989) mentioned three ways in which microcomputers would be used in schools: as the object of study, as a teacher’s support tool, and as a way to give instruction. Kim and Davis(1992) noted that in the teaching of agriculture, microcomputers
could be used by the students to (1) review lessons, (2) preview lessons, and (3) pose problems which help with the solution.
Many studies have been conducted which evaluated the effectiveness of microcomputers as a teaching tool. The results of these studies have been mixed. Studies by Bixler(1988) and Edwards(1990) indicated that micro- computers could greatly enhance teaching effectiveness. However, studies by Schmit(1986), Colby(1988) and Muller(1990) indicated that micro- computers had little or no effect on teaching effectiveness.
Significance Although many studies have already been performed, more studies are needed to determine the effects of microcomputer-assisted instruction in various teaching situations
Purpose The purpose of this study was to compare microcomputer-assisted instruction with the standard lecture-discussion instruction, and to ascertain if it is cost-effective for agriculture schools to purchase microcomputers and incorporate them into their graduate course. Justification/ This reseach was identified as being useful to agricultural school in Value that it provides them with objective facts that can be used to help them decide whether or not to purchase microcomputers.
4. Method(all section done in past tense and passive voice)
Method section usually contains following elements:
overview of experment or research
materials/apparatus
population sample/participants
procedures
Sample Method and its Elements
Overview A taste test was conducted to determine student’s preferences and ttitudes toward sugar-sweetened and artificially-sweetened
Population beverages. Ten people, five male and five female students, from Science English class 1, were chosen at random to participate in the test. The Materials materials used were thirty straws, two cups, one blindfold, and two
containers of Kool-aid, a popular drink in the United States. On container
held four cups of orange Kool-Aid sweetened with one-half of sugar. The other container held four cups of orange Kool-Aid sweetened with 9 packets of NutraSweet brand artificial sweetener.
The steps included in the test were as follows. Ten volunteer students were Procedure chosen, five male and five female students. They were placed into two lines, one for males and the other for females. Alternately, men and women completed the taste test. To complete the test a blindfold was first fastened over the eyes of the tester so that he/she could not see. Then the two cups were filled with beverage, one with artificially-sweetened Kool-aid and the other with sugar-sweetened Kool-aid. The tester was then asked three
questions from a survey and the answers were tabulated. Next, using a straw, the tester took a sip from each cup. Then the final two questions on the survey were asked and the answers tabulated. Finally, the remaining drink was thrown away, and the next tester came forward to repeat the process.
5. Results
Resutls section usually contains following elements:
figure(chart, diagram, illustration,etc.),
sentence locating the figure(present tense/active or passive voice),
presenting findings(past),
commenting on results(present);
Sample Results and its Elements
Locating the figure Figure 1 shows the average scores for a standard English test given to two groups: Asians learning English in the US and Presenting the Findings Asians learning English in Asia. Students studying in the US scored at least two times higher than their counterparts in all four of the basic skill areas. For instance, for the listening test students studying in the US scored an average of five times Comments higher than those who studied in Asia. These results can be explained by noting that students in the US must often use their language skills outside of the classroom in practical
situations. The results seem to indicate that being exposed to a foreign language outside of the class-room enhances one’s ability to learn that language.
6. Discussion/Conclusion
Discussion, sometimes written as conclusion, usually contains following elements: main purpose or hypothesis(past),
review of most important findings(past),
explanations(present or past),
implications of the study or research(present, modals),
recommendations or applications(present, modals);
Sample Conclusion and its Elements
Main Purpose An experiment was performed to determine the wear-protection properties of a newly developed engine oil additive. It was
Hypothesis anticipated that the new additive would provide added protection to engine components in the event that the engine loses its oil Findings pressure.It was found that engines using the additive were able to operate an average of two minutes longer than engines not using Explanations the additive. It is likely that the additive, a polymer having a
single-chain molecular structure, provides a thin layer of protection on engine components which resists break-down much longer than Limitations ordinary engine oil. Whether or not the additive improves perform- ance during normal engine operation is yet unknown. However, Implications this experiment suggests that in the event of oil pressure loss, the additive substantially increases the amount of time an engine can be Recommendations/ operated without being damaged. This additive could be used in Applications automobile engines and could save the general public millions of dollars in engine repair costs.
References
Documenting Sources:
(1) Order of Information for Books
Author’s name
Title of part of book
Title of book
Name of editor, translator or compiler
Edition used
Number of volumes
Name of series
Place of publication, shortened name of publisher, date of publication
Page numbers
Sample:
1. A book by a Single Author:
Langbaum, Robert. The Modern Spirit: Essays on the Continuity of Nineteenth- and Twentieth-Century Literature. New York: Oxford UP, 1970.
2. A Book by Two Authors:
Liehm, Antonin J., and Mira Liehm. The Most Important Art: Soviet and Eastern
European Film after 1945. Berkeley: U. of California Press, 1977.
(2) Order of Information for Articles
Author’s name
Title of article
Name of periodical
Series number or name
Volume number
Date of publication
Page number
Sample:
An Article in a Journal:
Cooper, Arnold M. “Psychoanalysis at One Hundred: Beginnings of Maturity.”
Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association 32 (1984): 245-267.
编号：_________
研 究 生 读 书 报 告
姓名：_________ 导师签名：_________ 时间：_______