25 Report Writing and Publication

Dr. Nongthombam Achoubi Devi

Contents:

1.0 Introduction

2.0 Reason of a good report

3.0 The structure of a report

3.1 Title Page

3.2 Terms of Reference

3.3 Summary (Abstract)

3.4 Contents

3.5 Introduction

3.6 Methodology

3.7 Results

3.8 Discussion

3.9 Conclusion

3.10 Appendices

3.11 References and Bibliography

3.12 Acknowledgements

3.13 Glossary

4.0 Publication of report

4.1 Forms of Publications

4.1.1 Conference papers

4.1.2 In-house discussion papers and monographs

4.1.3 Journal articles

4.1.4 Book chapters

4.1.5 Authored and edited books

4.1.6 Consultancy reports

4.1.6 Extension papers

4.2 Importance of high-standing, high impact, high citation rate journals.

4.3 Choosing the Right Journal

4.3.1 Matching the article to the journal

4.3.2 Quality vs quantity – which is more important

Summary

Learning objectives:

To discuss in detail:

•  What is report writing?
•  What are the components or structure of a report?
•  What are the steps or guides needed for producing a good report?
•  What are the various forms of publication?
•  Why we need to publish in high-standing, high impact, high citation rate journals?
•  How to choose a right journal for publication?

1.0 Introduction

Research Report is a condensed form or a brief description of the field work/research work done by the students/researcher. It involves several steps to present the report in the form of thesis or dissertation or a scientific paper. Exact information and evidence are presented, analyzed and applied to a particular problem or issue. The information is presented in such a manner that it is clearly structured format making use of sections and headings so that the information is easy to locate and follow. Reports fill a vast array of informational needs for many of society’s important organizations. Reports are used for keeping track of information, which may be used to make decisions. Reports are used in government, business, education, science, and other fields, are often to display the result of an experiment, investigation, or inquiry. In a research, report holds a very important stage where the information or data generated during the entire research work needs to be presented in a systematic and acceptable format. Thus, emphasis will be given to report writing for students and researchers.

Instructions and guidelines are usually given while writing a report. The report brief may outline the purpose, audience and problem or issue that your report must address, together with any specific requirements for format or structure. This guide offers a general introduction to report writing (http://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/ld/resources/writing/writing-resources/reports).

2.0 Reason of a good report

Two of the reasons why reports are used as forms of written assessment are:

• to find out what you have learned from your reading, research or experience;
• to give you experience of an important skill that is widely used in the work place.

An effective report presents and analyses facts and evidence that are relevant to the specific problem or issue of the report brief. All sources used should be acknowledged and referenced throughout, in accordance with the preferred method of your department (referencing system). The style of writing in a report is usually less discursive than in an essay, with a more direct and economic use of language. A well written report will demonstrate the ability to:

• understand the purpose of the report brief and adhere to its specifications;
• gather, evaluate and analyse relevant information;
• structure material in a logical and coherent order;
• present your report in a consistent manner according to the instructions of the report brief;
• make appropriate conclusions that are supported by the evidence and analysis of the report;
• and make thoughtful and practical recommendations where required.

3.0 The structure of a report

As a guideline, some of the main features usually followed in writing a report are described below. These should be used in conjunction with the instructions or guidelines provided by the concerned department or institution or publisher. (http://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/ld/resources/writing/writing-resources/reports).

3.1 Title Page

The report should include a title page which explicitly describe the purpose of the report should furnish the title of the work/research followed by other details of the author such as name and affiliation institution, the date and the purpose for the report.

3.2 Terms of Reference

Under this heading you could include a brief explanation of who will read the report (audience) why it was written (purpose) and how it was written (methods). It may be in the form of a subtitle or a single paragraph.

3.3 Summary (Abstract)

The summary should briefly explain the content of the report. It should cover the aims of the report, what was found and what, if any, action is called for. The summary should not be too lengthy, it can be varied from journal to journal or the instructions provided, but generally ranges from 150 to 250 words and it is just outline the main points. The summary is the first thing that is usually read. It should provide the reader with a clear, helpful overview of the content of the report.

3.4 Contents

The contents page should list the different chapters and/or headings together with the page numbers. The contents page should be presented in such a way that the reader can quickly scan the list of headings and locate a particular part of the report by providing page references.

3.5 Introduction

The introduction sets the scene for the main body of the report. The aims and objectives of the report should be explained in detail. Any problems or limitations in the scope of the report should be identified, and a description of research methods, the parameters of the research and any necessary background history should be included.

3.6 Methodology

Information under this heading may include a list of equipment used; explanations of procedures followed; data collection method; relevant information on materials used; reference to any problems encountered and subsequent changes in procedure. For quantitative research, statistical tools used in the analysis part also need to be discussed.

3.7 Results

This section should include a summary of the results of the investigation or experiment together with any necessary illustrations such as diagrams, graphs or tables of gathered data that support the results. Results should be in a logical order without comment.

3.8 Discussion

The main body of the report is the discussion part. The facts and evidence (results) gathered should be analyzed and discussed with specific reference to the problem or issue. While discussing, the findings of the study need to be discussed along with the secondary sources on the concerned topic. If the discussion section is lengthy it might divide it into section headings. Use headings and subheadings to create a clear structure for your material. As with the whole report, all sources used should be acknowledged and correctly referenced.

3.9 Conclusion

The conclusion should show the overall significance of what has been covered. The most central issues or findings should be highlighted or reported. However, no new material and text reference should be introduced in the conclusion.

3.10 Appendices

Under this heading all the supporting information used that is not published should be included. This might include tables, graphs, questionnaires, surveys or transcripts. Refer to the appendices in the body of your report.

3.11 References and Bibliography

References contain source of material like quotes or texts, which has been actually used and cited when writing the report. Bibliography on the other hand will contain all listed relevant research materials which might have not been cited inside the text while writing the reports.

Both bibliography and references appear at the end of a research report. But bibliography comes after the reference list. Usually both references and bibliography are arranged alphabetically. However, reference list can also be arranged in numeric style, while corresponding to the sequence or order in which it is cited within the text or following some other universal reference format such as APA Citation Guide.

3.12 Acknowledgements

Where appropriate you may wish to acknowledge the assistance of particular organisations, financial support or individuals who provided information, advice or help.

3.13 Glossary

It is useful to provide an alphabetical list of technical terms with a brief, clear explanation of each term.

It can also include explanations of the acronyms, abbreviations or standard units used in the report.

4.0 Publication of report

It will not necessarily be required to use all of the headings described above, nor will they necessarily be in the order given above for publishing a report. The dissemination of research results and findings is an integral part of the research process and the career in academia. Researchers write to keep records of their work for themselves, but more importantly for readers and peers who are expecting a standard form, language and style when reading research papers. Writing in a scientific style may be hard in the beginning for novices, but clear communication and concise writing for a scientific audience can be trained (Davis, 1997). Even when a researcher writes highly original and interesting papers, publication is by no means assured, and there is a good deal of strategy involved in having papers accepted for publication. Choice of journal is important, since research quality is assessed by quality of the journal in which it is published and it is therefore necessary to aim for as journal of as high standing as possible (Harrison and Herbohn, 2002).

4.1 Forms of Publications

There are various forms of papers, and to some these forms can be stages in the production of a journal article (Harrison and Herbohn, 2002). Some of the important forms of publications are discussed below.

4.1.1 Conference papers

This is often the first form of publication of research or review findings. A commitment to a conference presentation provides a deadline which can increase a researcher’s focus – one needs to prepare something useful to say. A conference is a made-to-order feedback mechanism, though often the most useful comments will be obtained outside the formal sessions. Audience members may draw attention to other related research. Often the proceedings will be published, in which case these are claimable publications. Sometimes conferences result in an invitation to submit a paper to a journal.

4.1.2 In-house discussion papers and monographs

These are sometimes used as a first run, or as a more durable form for an unpublished conference paper, to establish claim in the field, publicise research and obtain feedback. These have higher status if subjected to peer review process.

4.1.3 Journal articles

In general, the greatest publication credit is obtained for having papers published in refereed journals.

 This  can  be  a  time  consuming  and  exacting  task.  Choice  of  an  appropriate  journal  is  critical.

Sometimes papers rejected in one journal will be accepted by another.

4.1.4 Book chapters

These are another well respected form of publication, though often ranked not quite as high as publication in journals. The review process for books typically is not as exacting as for journals.

4.1.5 Authored and edited books

Authored books tend to be regarded more highly than collections of chapters individually authored by contributors. Also, books with a mainly research focus tend to be regarded more highly than textbooks. Notably, the weight given to books depends to some extent on the peculiarity of the appraiser. For instance some people say that nothing new ever appears in text books, and that the only worthwhile publications are those presenting original research in journal articles. Others regard books with publishers of high standing as important publications.

4.1.6 Consultancy reports

To some extent, taking on consultancies is competitive with undertaking research projects. In an academic environment, consultancy reports typically are not considered as ‘publications’ in terms of the narrow criteria which bring academic recognition, funding and promotion. However, taking part in consultancy projects can be invaluable experience, can provide an important service to industry or community, can lead to development of new professional contacts, and can lead to subsequent production of papers for publication.

4.1.7 Extension papers

These can perform a useful technology transfer and service function. Unfortunately, in an academic environment, they are given little if any credit.

4.2 Importance of high-standing, high impact, high citation rate journals

This does involve to some extent maintaining a clear disciplinary focus in one’s research program. The importance of publishing in high-standing, high impact factor, high citation rate journals cannot be overemphasized. At the same time, the journal should be clearly within the researcher’s discipline area. Sometimes it is difficult to know if a paper one has written is worth publishing. In this situation, it is helpful if an opinion can be obtained from an experienced publisher, such as a departmental mentor. Often the write will not recognize the publication potential of their work. There can be advantages in joint authorship. To the extent that length of publication list is important, it can be beneficial to have a large number of jointly authored papers, rather than a small number of sole-authored papers. Also, the combined efforts of two or more researchers can result in stronger papers and hence acceptance in better journals (figure 1).

4.3 Choosing the Right Journal

Choosing the appropriate journal to publish an article in is one of the most important decisions that are made in the publication process. Not all journals are equal in terms of quality and prestige. The next section deals with two key issues associated with selecting a journal, i.e.

(i) matching the type of article to the publication outlet, and

(ii) determining the quality of a journal.

4.3.1 Matching the article to the journal

Journals are selective in what they publish. They usually publish material on a particular discipline area. It seems almost self-evident that it is important to select a journal that publishes material on the topic of your paper. Usually the Chief Editor of a journal acts as the ‘gatekeeper’ and will not allow unsuitable papers to proceed to the review process, although this is not always the case. Publication can be delayed substantially by submitting a paper to the wrong type of journal, particularly if it goes into the review process before being deemed to be unsuitable (Harrison and Herbohn, 2002).

It is almost inevitable that at some stage a submitted paper may also get rejected on certain ground or may be asked to review and resubmit for consideration of publication. Under such circumstances one should not get discouraged, instead try to submit the article to another related journal or resubmit to the same journal after making corrections and modification as per the instructions of reviewer (figure 2).

4.3.2 Quality vs quantity – which is more important?

It is usually the preference of all the researchers to get their articles published in good quality journals. However, new researchers find it hard to get their articles published in good quality journals. They should start with journals which accommodate papers from new researchers. Here comes what we commonly say something is better than nothing. With gradual experience the researchers will be able to produce good quality articles and published the same in good quality journals. In short for new researchers quantity counts a lot for bringing about quality with more and more publications and experience.

Summary

• Research Report is a condensed form or a brief description of the research work done by the researcher.
• In a research, report holds a very important stage where the information or data generated during the entire research work need to be presented in a systematic and acceptable format. Thus, emphasis will be given to report writing for students and researchers.
• Instructions and guidelines are needed for writing a report.
• The main contents of a good report are title page, terms of reference, summary (abstract), contents, introduction, methods, results, discussion, conclusion, appendices, references & bibliography, acknowledgements, glossary etc.
• The publication of research results and findings is an integral part of the research process and the career in academic world.
• There are various forms of publications. They are conference papers, in-house discussion papers, journal articles, book chapters, authored and edited books, consultancy reports, extension papers etc.
• There is a need for publishing in high-standing, high impact, high citation rate journals. It is helpful if an opinion can be obtained from an experienced publisher, such as a departmental mentor.
• Choosing the appropriate journal to publish an article is one of the most important decisions that are made in the publication process.
• The paper which we have sent to a journal has gone to review and was rejected on the basis of reviewers’ comments. Do not be discouraged, the comments of the editor and reviewers are often useful feedback and should be addressed as far as possible before resubmitting the paper to another journal.
• It is likely that the next reviewers will have some similar views to the previous reviewers. Before submission, it is important to rework the paper following the particular style requirements of the new target journal.
• In the case of early career researchers the balance between quality and quantity of publications is strongly in favour of quantity. This does not mean that quality is not important – it simply reflects the fact that quality publications take time to produce and have published.
• It is also true that something is better than nothing. It is important for early career researchers to produce some publications in the intervening period. A reasonable target is to produce at least two published papers a year, or more if they are multi-authored.