Abstract
This chapter is written with behavioural science students and emerging scholars in mind. Behavioural science in this context includes but is not limited to management sciences, social sciences, psychology, education, and any discipline that deals with human actions. The chapter is written to sharpen the knowledge and skills of students in these areas in writing a good quality research report (at advanced undergraduate level), thesis, or dissertation (at postgraduate level). The chapter has valuable hints that will guide behavioural science students and emerging scholars in writing good quality research reports, theses, or dissertations. The hints will also be helpful for supervisors and mentors in guiding and assessing their student's work. A research project, thesis, or dissertation is essential for graduation from tertiary institutions. The need, therefore, to write good quality research reports requires that students possess the necessary knowledge and skills in writing.
TopIntroduction
The theme of this chapter is twofold; hints that will guide behavioural science students in writing good-quality research projects, theses and dissertations. The hints will also be helpful for supervisors and mentors in guiding and assessing their students’ work. Behavioural science in this paper includes but is not limited to management sciences (e.g., management, marketing, etc.), social sciences, education and any discipline that deals with human actions. The need to adopt best practices in research reports and supervise students' theses motivated the writing of this chapter.
Problems exist in every sphere of life, and knowledge is incomplete in every discipline. Many questions require answers to solve numerous problems in the world. Gaps in our knowledge and unresolved problems can be addressed by asking relevant questions and seeking answers through research (Swales & Feak, 2014). Research is a fundamental tool for decision-making in most fields of endeavours (Kerlinger, 2000). Therefore, researchers, including tertiary-level students, emerging scholars, supervisors, and academic mentors, must understand what to write and how to write and research the chosen topic in their fields for graduation.
The researcher who completes his/her research must present a written report using a good style and format. In writing a research report, the objectives should be evident in the researcher's mind. S/He should understand that his/her presentation should achieve these specific objectives (Isangedighi & Bassey, 2012).
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Research reports are written to acquaint the reader with the research problem. Through reading the report, the reader should be clear about what the researcher had in mind regarding the problem, his conception, and what the problem implied. Such clarity will help the reader to orient himself properly while reading the work;
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Reports are written to fully and comprehensively outline the research data. Such data should be presented to see the basis for results interpretation and conclusions. The data should be so precisely presented that anyone who wants to replicate the study is adequately armed. The data should be logically presented. This is seen in the precise description of the data gathered, their coding and utilisation in addressing each subset of the problem;
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reports are written to show appropriate data interpretation and the implications of the data in solving the problem. This means that giving research data is not enough. The mind must be allowed to battle with the available data to bring out meaning. It is only when the mind inquiries into the innate meaning of the data so assembled that the problem is said to have been resolved.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Data: Data are raw facts that are gathered from the research awaiting processing for relevant meaning associated with them to be uncovered. When data are processed, meanings can be made from them for a thorough understanding of the event, phenomena or trait about which the data was collected.
Research Methods: This is a generic term used to refers to a compendium of all the procedures, tools, approaches and materials used in pursuing a given research project. Basically, research methods can be classified into mono-methods and mixed methods.
Research: Research is an action-oriented exercise and a systematic means of acquiring knowledge through the collection, preparation, analysis and interpretation of data to reach meaningful conclusions.
Research Reporting: This is the last stage in the research process where researchers communicate the results of their studies to the wider community. Research reports can be prepared as journal articles, chapters in books, theses/dissertations, books, etc.
Sampling: This is the process of selecting a sample for a research project. It can also be a collection of procedure followed in recruiting a sample for a study. Sampling procedures can be probability-based or non-probability-based, with each having their strengths, weaknesses and suitable situations.
Citation: Citation simply refers to an acknowledgement given to an author or a source for using their work. The aim of citation is to let readers know the original source where a piece of information presented in a document has been derived.
Emerging Scholars: Emerging scholars are individuals undergoing training at a tertiary institution that are venturing or intending to venture into research, writing and publication. These can include undergraduates, postgraduates or doctoral students and graduates that have yet to become major authorities in their fields.