8.3 Writing a research report Writing a good report may take much time and effort. The most difficult task is usually the
preparation of the first draft. The report should be easily intelligible. This requires clarity of
language, a logical presentation of facts and inferences, the use of easily understood tables
and charts, and an orderly arrangement of the report as a whole. It should be no longer than
is necessary.
Conventionally, a report usually contains the following major components.
Title and cover page The cover page should contain the title, the names of the authors with their titles and
positions, the institution that is publishing the report, (e.g., Gondar College of Medicine and
Health Sciences) and the month and year of publication. The title could consist of a
challenging statement or question, followed by an informative subtitle covering the content of
the study and indicating the area where the study was implemented.
Abstract (Summary) The summary should be brief and informative. A reader who has been attracted by the title
will usually look at the summary to decide whether the report is worth reading. The summary
should be written only after the first or even the second draft of the report has been
completed. It should contain:
— a very brief description of the problem (WHY this study was needed)
— the main objectives (WHAT has been studied)
— the place of study (WHERE)
— the type of study and methods used (HOW)
— major findings and conclusions, followed by
— the major (or all) recommendations.
The summary will be the first (and for busy health decision makers most likely the only) part
of your study that will be read. Therefore, its writing demands thorough reflection and is time
Research methodology
96
consuming. Several drafts may have to be made, each discussed by the research team as a
whole
