Anatomy of a Research Report

Anatomy of a Research Report




Structuring and Phrasing Scientific Communications

 

Preface

Introduction       Methods       Results       Discussion

Preface

The purpose of Anatomy of a Research Report (ARR) is to free presenters, writers, and their advisors. If all the time in the world were at hand, what a joy it would be to luxuriate in flawless wording, to shape and reshape exacting, painstaking, persuasive paragraphs culminating in elegant techni­cal text. Regrettably, this is but a dream. Sound communication marries structure and content; thus, a structure in hand affords more opportunity to plan and produce content. Utilized as is, Anatomy of a Research Report guides clear, coherent, authoritative oral and written presenta­tions such as progress reports, research plans, posters, communications, articles, literature reviews, lectures, job talks, proposals, fellowship applications, dissertations, fund­raising pitches, outreach classes, Science Slam gigs, letters of recommendation, newspaper columns, and radio shows.

For advisors, Anatomy of a Research Report organizes introduction to a research project for incoming students, and, for more advanced group members, provides signposts pointing a way through presentations ahead. Similarly, students may use ARR to steer though commentary on each others' research reports before these reports reach the advisor, as of course may advisors use Anatomy of a Research Report as a corrective checklist to student products.

Scientists must feel, and carry with them, a sense of security about communicating their work to one another and to the public. Anatomy of a Research Report affirms, clarifies, and consolidates the conventions of this communication, thereby creating space for aspirations to, and the promise of, products beyond them.

Littera Scripta Manet

The Written Word Abides

Introduction

Sentence # Purpose
1 Establish that a research field is broadly useful and significant
2 Clarify for non-experts
3 Itemize utility of research area
4 Articulate a problem area
5 Specify a research focus
6 Present corroborating overview
7 Identify a gap in related research
8 Describe report purpose
9 Summarize method
10 Summarize findings
 
S# Purpose Example
1 Establish that a research field is broadly useful and significant Biodegradable properties of polylactide (PLA) extend vast practical and economic benefits to civil and structural engineers, builders, manufacturers and consumers.
2 Clarify for non-experts A corn-derived polymer, PLA is produced by straightforward five-step high-lactide polymerization.
3 Itemize utility of research area Of extensive use in engineering materials, PLA is also much investigated for its tensile properties in biomedical applications such as flex-tubing.
4 Articulate a problem area However, it has repeatedly been found too weak and unstable for commercial use.
5 Specify a research focus Strengthening PLA and other polymers may be possible by incorporating highly rubberized particles into a composite.
6 Present corroborating overview Espe et al., Sydney, and Lula have created such composites via blending, melding, and tarring techniques, respectively. Through these and other investigations, the properties of rubberized copolymers are increasingly well understood.
7 Identify a gap in related research Nevertheless, comparative strength, flexibility, and overall effectiveness of these products are still unclear.
8 Describe report purpose This paper presents criteria for evaluating rubberized copolymers, first, and, second, describes a novel polymer blend incorporating extant hydrocarbon rubbers.
9 Summarize method Step-increased PLA-hydrocarbon rubbers were produced along a continuum of polymer blends and tested for strength and flexibility.
10 Summarize findings Across twelve out of fourteen 2012 International Institute of Engineers (IIE) Materials Measurement criteria, combined mechanistically distinct polymerizations form copolymers having significantly improved properties.
 

Introduction Terminology

S# Purpose Example
1 Establish that a research field is broadly useful and significant

A basic issue in, A central problem of, A classic problem of, A challenging area of, A common issue with regard to, A considerable number of, A current problem in, A measurable increase in, An essential element of, An increasing number of, A key technique in, A primary cause of, A striking feature of, Numerous investigations into, Of growing interest, Possible benefits of, Widespread concern over, In recent decades, It is widely recognized that, It is well known that, Has attracted much attention
A current concern in population management focuses on… Over recent decades, numerous experiments have established that… Over 95% of all pancreatic cancers implicate… It is generally accepted that steel frame joints are… Nanocrystalline film is attracting widespread interest in fields as varied as… Low-dose radiation is generating considerable research interest in its… Heat transfer plays a crucial role in…
2 Clarify for non-experts Highly Topic Specific
3 Itemize utility of research area

Addressed, Analyzed, Applied, Argued, Attempted, Calculated, Categorized, Carried out, Compared, Concluded, Conducted, Confirmed, Correlated, Defined, Demonstrated, Described, Detected, Determined, Developed, Discovered, Established, Evaluated, Examined, Explained, Explored, Extended, Found, Focused on, Formulated, Generated, Identified, Illustrated, Implemented, Indicated, Introduced, Investigated, Measured, Modeled, Monitored, Noted, Observed, Obtained, Pointed Out, Presented, Produced, Proposed, proved, Provided, Put forward, Recognized, Reported, Reviewed, Showed, Solved, Studied, Suggested, Tested, Undertook, Utilized
Conclusive data on pair dispersion were reported by… Initial trials focused on identifying causes of… Storm severity has been linked to… Algorithms for these applications were presented by… Early data were found and interpreted by… These phenomena have been monitored, most notably, by…
4 Articulate a problem area Highly Topic Specific
5 Specify a research focus Highly Topic Specific
6 Present corroborating overview Highly Topic Specific
7 Identify a gap in related research

Alternative, Ambiguous, As yet unclear, Calling for re-examination, Confined to, Demanding clarification, Do not always guarantee, Doubtful, Fail to, Fall short of, Far from, Impractical, Incompatible with, Incomplete, Inconclusive, Inconsistent, Ineffective, Insufficient, It remains to, Largely unsuccessful, Limited, Miscalculated, Misleading, Misjudged, Misunderstood, Neglected, Not addressed, Not apparent, Not entirely successful, Not explained, Obstacle to a full account, Overlooked, Problematic, Questionable, Redundant, Remains unclear, Restricted, Results in an unacceptable, Requiring clarification, Sub-optimal, Suffering from, Technically demanding, The need remains to, Unanswered, Unaddressed, Uncertain, Unclear, Uneconomical, Unfounded, Unlikely, Unnecessary, Unproven, Unsuccessful, Unsupported
As yet unaddressed is the problem of… An alternative approach would… In such cases, high absorbance renders this an impractical option… The need for efficient, effective methods remains… To date the function of these proteins is unclear… Such a protocol is far from optimal
8 Describe report purpose

Our aim, Our goal, Our intention, Our objective, Our purpose, This approach, This overview, This paper, This report, This study

will

Account for, Address, Analyze, Apply, Argue, Attempt, Attend to, Calculate, Categorize, Carry out, Characterize, Compare, Conclude, Conduct, Confirm, Correlate, Define, Depict, Demonstrate, Describe, Detect, Determine, Develop, Discover, Discuss, Establish, Evaluate, Examine, Explain, Explore, Extend, Find, Focus on, Follow up on, Formulate, Generate, Identify, Illustrate, Implement, Indicate, Introduce, Investigate, Measure, Model, Monitor, Note, Observe, Obtain, Offer, Organize, Outline, Point to, Portray, Present, Produce, Propose, Prove, Provide, Provide an account of, Put forward, Recognize, Replicate, Report, Review, Show, Solve, Study, Suggest, Test, Undertake, Utilize
Particular attention will be paid to… The purpose of this study is to present a useful, straightforward, successful technique for… This paper introduces a method and materials that mimic… The present study tests the hypothesis that… Following its investigations of pedal-powered vehicles, the Beto group will report…
9 Summarize method Highly Topic Specific
10 Summarize findings Highly Topic Specific

Methods

 
S# Purpose
1 Rephrase broad aim and method
2 Justify method
3 Offer procedural overview
4 Summarize procedures
5 Specify methodological details
6 Provide evidence that care was taken in procedures
7 Confront methodological concern/s
8 Summarize overall findings

 

S# Purpose Example
1 Rephrase broad aim and method The current investigation sampled and analyzed ten sites to characterize current groundwater chemistry in the London Basin.
2 Justify method Southeastern sites were selected for measurement because rich medieval- through latter-day baseline data exist for the area, enabling comparative criterion-based evolutionary groundwater studies.
3 Offer procedural overview A total of 60 samples was collected and analyzed for isotopic presence.
4 Summarize procedures Samples were collected in sterile 25 ml brown opaque glass bottles filled to the lip then tightly sealed to prevent contamination. Filled bottles were shipped directly for analysis to three separate laboratories.
5 Specify methodological details At Oxford University, samples 1-20 were submitted to Conchita-Nena methods miniaturized for small sample sizes. Strain Two samples 21-40 were measured for isotopic precipitation in our own laboratory, while Strain Three was shipped to London University’s Groundwater Spectrometry facility for in-depth analysis by accelerated mass spectrometry.
6 Provide evidence that care was taken in procedures All materials, including catchment bowls, sample bottles, and tubing, were composed of sterile glass, sterile stainless steel, or both, and all handling and analytic procedures followed methods codified by the European FAB Institute in Gdansk, Poland. This approach yields a precipitate through addition of BaCl2H2O; the resulting product may be safely and easily washed, handled, stored, and retrieved.
7 Confront methodological concern/s While it was initially feared that a single sample had been put at risk of CFC contamination from .75-second exposure to plastic, follow up measurements showed no variability among samples.
8 Summarize overall findings At both positive and negative net charges, all samples in Strains One-Three showed low pH decisively in alkaline range, as is consistent with previous findings.

 

Methods Terminology

S# Purpose Example
1 Rephrase broad aim and method

Tests, Samples, Trials, Experiments, Equipment, Materials, Models, Instruments

were

Acquired from, Carried out, Chosen to, Conducted for the purpose of, Collected from, Collected with the aim of, Derived from, Devised to, Investigated for, Modified from, Modified to, Obtained by, Obtained from, Performed by, Performed to, Supplied by, Used as supplied
Impact tests used in this investigation were derived from… The current experiments were performed in a greenhouse to obtain… Substrates obtained from the Molds Research center were used to… Material characterized here was an alloy designed to… Topographical examinations were carried out to…
2 Justify method Highly Topic Specific
3 Offer procedural overview

Adapted, Added, Adopted, Adjusted, Applied, Arranged, Assembled, Assumed, Attached, Calculated to, Calibrated to, Carried out, Characterized, Collected, Combined, Computed, Consolidated, Constructed, Controlled, Converted, Created, Designed, Derived, Discarded, Distributed, Divided, Eliminated, Employed, Estimated, Exposed, Extracted, Filtered, Formulated, Generated, Immersed, Inhibited, Incorporated, Included, Inserted, Located, Maintained, Maximized, Minimized, Modified, Normalized, Obtained, Operated, Optimized, Plotted, Positioned, Prepared, Quantified, Recorded, Regulated, Removed, Repeated, Restricted, Retained, Sampled, Scored, Selected, Simulated, Stabilized, Tracked, Transferred, Treated, Varied, Utilized
 
4 Summarize procedures Highly Topic Specific
5 Specify methodological details Highly Topic Specific
6 Provide evidence that care was taken in procedures

According to, As described by, As described in, As explained by, As explained in, As in, As proposed by, As proposed in, As reported by, As reported in, As suggested by, As suggested in, Because, By doing, Chosen to, Details are supplied in, Details are supplied by, For the purpose of, In accordance with, In an attempt to, In order to, In the interest of, It was possible to, Offers a means of, One way to avoid, Our aim was to, Provides a means to, Selected on the basis of, So as to, Thereby permitting, Therefore, This allows, To achieve, To allow, To assess, To avoid, To compensate for, To confirm, To determine, To enable, To enhance, To ensure, To establish, To facilitate, To guarantee, To identify, To improve, To include, To increase, To limit, To minimize, To obtain, To optimize, To overcome, To permit, To prevent, To provide, To reduce, To take advantage of, Using the method of, To validate, Which allows, With the intention of
 
7 Confront methodological concern/s Highly Topic Specific
8 Summarize overall findings Highly Topic Specific

Results

 
S# Purpose
1 Return focus to large research context
2 Situate specific aim against first data graphic
3 Present most striking result/s
4 Specify data analysis procedure/s for most striking result/s
5 Present additional selected results and data analysis procedures
6 Mention outlying or problematic findings, stressing solution or other ways forward
7 Introduce implications and applications of research
 
S# Purpose Example
1 Return focus to large research context In earlier studies of fixed monitors, vehicular travel incurred lower CO exposure than foot travel. Previous research, most notably on the part of Milt et al, describes median ranges at least 11% lower than among pedestrians.
2 Situate specific aim against first data graphic In this instance, models calculated emission rates by extrapolation from CO exposure frameworks first proposed in 1995 by Katz and since validated by some sixty studies worldwide. Here, TEC forecasts are compared to in situ roadside CO concentrations measured hourly at 200 urban-site fixed monitors. Table 3 depicts data obtained from both these systems in parallel.
3 Present most striking result/s As shown, TEC-predicted mean concentrations are identical to those measured in situ. Forecast morning and evening peak-time journey CO emissions precisely anticipated real-time data. In one arresting instance, TEC foresaw H11-4 values unusually lower than in later periods H5-8.
4 Specify data analysis procedure/s for most striking result/s Quantitative high-flow Carmela analyses ascertaining modeling uncertainties were applied every quarter hour to the TEC data stream. Based on measured and calculated standard deviations over all periods, median model certainty exceeded by 12.19% the acceptability limit 80% most recently obtained by Baxter.
5 Present additional selected results and data analysis procedures In further findings, Figure 3 indicates results of real time v. modeled values by stepwise regression. In general, coefficients for both readings and forecasts were close to the mean. Modal CO readings confirm that relationships are closer when levels are taken together over time.
6 Mention outlying or problematic findings, stressing solution or other ways forward Appendix Three shows results of all readings and the CET with which they are most closely correlated. While these frequencies imply model terms might have been included by chance alone, all but one of twenty readings were highly significant (P<0.001).
7 Introduce implications and applications of research In sum, experimental results attest that TEM offers more sensitive traffic impact assessment than traditional fixed-site measurement. Significantly improved CO exposure predictive rates than have been possible to date constitute a persuasive argument for widespread urban TEM installation.
 

Results Terminology

S# Purpose Example
1 Return focus to large research context

Broadly, Broadly speaking, Comparatively speaking, Frequently, Generally, Generally speaking, In many cases, In most cases, In the main, In the majority of cases, In this field, In this research area, Many studies suggest, On the whole, Overall, Some research suggests
 
2 Situate specific aim against first data graphic

(Neutral) As discussed, As hypothesized, As mentioned, As outlined previously, As posited, As predicted in earlier sections, As reasoned, As speculated, Here, It having been hypothesized, It having been reasoned that, It was suggested earlier, To confirm, To corroborate, To effect, To further investigate, To further probe, To refine, To reiterate, To sharpen, To test, This investigation sought

(Confident) As anticipated, As expected, As predicted, As reported by, Compare well with, Concur, Confirm, Consistent with, Contrary to, Corroborate, Disprove, Inconsistent with, In keeping with, In line with, Is in good agreement with, Is not dissimilar, Parallel to, Similarly, Similar to, Unlike, Match, Refute, Reinforce, Support, Validate, Verify

As can be seen in Figure 1, As detailed in Figure 1, As depicted in, As evident in, As given by, As illustrated by, As indicated in, As is evident in, As listed in, As presented in, As reported in, As shown in, As may be found in, As may be observed in, As summarized in, (Fig.1) Figure 1 contains, Figure 1 demonstrates, Figure 1 displays, Figure 1 presents, Figure 1 provides, Figure 1 reports, Figure 1 represents, Figure 1 summarizes, From Figure 1 it may be seen, Inspection of Figure 1 demonstrates, (See Figure 1)
In general, mean coefficients are negative… On the whole, confidence intervals show… In most cases, levels of weight loss…

It was suggested previously that effective stress paths may be used to define binding surface… As it had been reasoned that tests would pinpoint continuous crack propagation… As this work seeks to establish rate constants… Experiments such as this one are known to
3 Present most striking result/s

(Neutral) Accelerated, Affected, Changed, Decreased, Differs, Dropped, Equals, Expanded, Fell, Increased, Is constant, Is delayed, Is equal to, Is faster, Is higher, Is identical, Is lower, Is present, Is unchanged, Is uniform, Matched, Occurred, Peaked, Preceded, Reduced, Remained, Remains constant, Remains unchanged, Rises, Varies

(Interpreted) Abundant, Acceptable, Adequate, A great deal of, As many as, Almost, Appreciable, Appropriate, As few as, As little as, Brief, By far, Clear, Comparable, Considerable, Considerably, Consistent, Distinct, Dominant, Dramatic, Easily, Equivalent, Essentially, Evident, Excellent, Exceptional, Excessive, Extensive, Extreme, Fair, Few, General, Good, High, Immense, Imperceptible, Important, Inadequate, Interesting, Largely, Low, Mainly, Marginal, Marked, Mild, Minimal, Negligible, Notable, Noticeable, Numerous, Obvious, Overwhelming, Poor, Powerful, Quick, Radical, Rapid, Remarkable, Satisfactory, Scarce, Severe, Sharp, Significant, Similar, Simple, Slight, Small, Smooth, Somewhat, Steep, Striking, Strong, Substantial, Sudden, Sufficient, Suitable, Surprising, Too, Unexpected, Unusual, Upwards of, Valuable, Very, Virtually, Well over, Well under
 
4 Specify data analysis procedure/s for most striking result/s  
5 Present additional selected results and data analysis procedures

(Frequency) Continuously, Each time, Invariably, On each occasion; As is customary, Continually, Customarily, Generally, Normally, Usually; Regularly, Repeatedly; Commonly, Frequently, Often, Largely, For the most part; More often than not; As often as not; At Times, On Irregular occasions; Sporadically, From time to time, Occasionally; Infrequently, Rarely, Seldon; At no time; On no occasion; Never

(Causality) Accompany, Account for, Activate, Affect, Arise from, Ascribe to, Associate with, Attribute to, Bring about, Cause, Come from, Contribute to, Consequently, Create, Derive, Effect, Elicit, Give rise to, Generate, Hence, Influence, Initiate, Is a factor in, Is caused by, Is present when, Is related to, Link, Originates with, Produce, Relates, Results from, Results in, Stem from, Thus, Therefore, Triggers, Yield
 
6 Mention outlying or problematic findings, stressing solution or other ways forward

(No) Almost, Although in essence, Approximately, At least, Essentially, Frequent, Future efforts, Immaterial, In future, In large part, In line with, In principle, Insignificant, In some ways, Largely, Loosely, Minor, More or less, Negligible, Now in preparation, Now in progress, Now underway, Only, Partially, Partly, Practically, Quite, Rather, Reasonably, Similar, Slight, Somewhat, To some extent, Underway, Unimportant, Virtually, With adjustments, With alterations, With modifications

(Yes) Accurately, Advantageously, All, Always, Appropriately, Avoid, Because, Carefully, Completely, Constantly, Continually, Continuously, Correctly, Daily, Directly, Each, Every, Exactly, Firmly, Fully, Hourly, Identical, Immediate, Individually, In each instance, In every instance, Negate, Never, Purposefully, Precisely, Reliably, Repeatedly, Rigorously, Smoothly, So that, Successfully, Suitably, Tightly, Thoroughly, Uniformly, Vigorously, Well, Without exception
Hourly transducer readings updated the data pool… Continuous, uninterrupted computation is made possible by… Advantages of this protocol include… Steel construction negated problems of water absorption… Because both probes employed ATNLA, parallel readings could be obtained… All aluminum alloys were modified without exception
7 Introduce implications and applications of research

It appears that, It appears likely that; It is likely that; It is probable that; It is reasonable to suppose that, It may be accepted that; It may be assumed that, It may be inferred that, It may be said, It may be that, It may be thought that; It seems probable that, The assembled data suggest that, The collected data point to the likelihood, The evidence points to the probability, There is a clear possibility, There is a good possibility, There is a strong possibility, There is evidence to indicate, This implies, This may imply, There is a tendency toward
 

Discussion

 
S# Purpose
1 Return focus to research context
2 Recall gaps in earlier studies
3 Restate most striking result
4 Develop most striking result
5 Highlight second most-important finding
6 Present implications of two most important findings
7 Return to third, fourth, and/or fifth strong achievement/s
8 Summarize all result implications, including possible applications
9 Mention constraints that may influence further research
10 Set direction of broad further research
 
S# Purpose Example
1 Return focus to research context Prior research has documented many effects of stress reduction intervention. Andres and Lo, for instance, recently reported that 2,000 patients in two-week programs self-described improved functioning.
2 Recall gaps in earlier studies Regrettably, the large part of these studies are either anecdotal, do not treat diagnosed disorders, or both.
3 Restate most striking result In contrast, this highly intensive, empirically evaluated multisensory program increased QoL across twelve indices including mental health.
4 Develop most striking result More effective skills resulted in virtually all patient categories than by indirect information media.
5 Highlight second most-important finding In addition, improvements noted in this study arose independently of SES, age, gender, and education.
6 Present implications of two most important findings Thus it appears that benefits gained from targeted intervention address needs across an unusually wide subject range.
7 Return to third, fourth, and/or fifth strong achievement/s Moreover, this is the first study, to our knowledge, investigating long-term treatment of clinically diagnosed stress-related disorders.
8 Summarize all result implications, including possible applications In conclusion, study results provide compelling support for program design specifically counteracting stress exacerbating many medical disorders and increasing recidivism.
9 Mention constraints that may influence further research As funding and staff limitations prohibited follow up measures to assess result longevity over the critical post-treatment period of one year, further efforts will target continuity and retention.
10 Set direction of broad further research In future, the developed protocol should prove adaptable to at-risk parties identified through schools, hospitals, clinics, homeless shelters, prisons, drug treatment programs, and unemployment centers. Further, no need exists to restrict programs to a single target. At correctly controlled patient-advisor ratios, treating multiple clients may well lead to broad treatment arrays incorporating benefits of, or even resembling total effects of, residential programs.
 

Discussion Terminology

S# Purpose Example
1 Return focus to research context

As discussed, As mentioned, As outlined, As predicted, As reasoned, As reported, It is known, It was predicted that, In that vein, Once again, Our aim having been to, Our intention having been to, Our purpose, The aim, This work, To that end, To reiterate, Toward the purpose
In earlier studies, attempts were made to, The aim of the present tests was to construct a continuous propagation theory, This work seeks to establish a method for benzoxaxine synthesis. To that end,
2 Recall gaps in earlier studies

Analogous to, Broadens, Challenges, Comparable to, Compares well with, Compatible with, Confirms, Contradicts, Consistent with, Corresponds to, Corroborates, Differs from, Extends, Expands, identical to, In contradiction to, In contrast with, In good agreement with, In line with, Lends support to, Mirrors, Modifies, Offers insight into, Provides support for, Refutes, Remarkably similar to, Significantly different from, Supports, Unlike, Verifies
 
3 Restate most striking result

(Positive) Accurate, advantageous, appropriate, attractive, beneficial, better, clear, comprehensive, convenient, convincing, correct, cost effective, easy, effective, efficient, encouraging, evident, exact, feasible, flexible, important, low lost, novel, productive, realistic, relevant, robust

(Strong) Compelling, crucial, dramatic, excellent, exceptional, exciting, ideal, invaluable, outstanding, powerful, remarkable, striking, textbook, undeniable, unprecedented
 
4 Develop most striking result

(Neutral) Accelerated, Affected, Changed, Decreased, Differs, Dropped, Equals, Expanded, Fell, Increased, Is constant, Is delayed, Is equal to, Is faster, Is higher, Is identical, Is lower, Is present, Is unchanged, Is uniform, Matches, Occurs, Peaks, Precedes, Reduces, Remains, Remains constant, Remains unchanged, Rises, Varies
 
5 Highlight second most-important finding  
6 Present implications of two most important findings

Assist to, Compare well with, Confirm, Corroborate, Effective, Enable, Enhance, Ensure, Facilitate, Help to, Improve, Improved, Is able to, May lead to, Obviate the need for, Offer understanding of, Outperform, Prove, Provide a framework for, Provide insight into, Provide first evidence for, Remove the need for, Represents a new approach to, Reveal, Rule out, Solve, Succeed in, Support, Simplify, Stabilize, Straightforward, Strong, Successful, Superior, Useful, Valid, Valuable, Yield
 
7 Return to third, fourth, and/or fifth strong achievement/s  
8 Summarize all result implications, including possible applications

A need for, An application, A strong starting point, At present, Care should be taken to, Encouraging, Fruitful, Further investigations, Further study will, Further research is underway to, Further work will, Holds promise, In future, It is advised that, Implement, It would be beneficial, Possible direction, Potential, Promising, Recommended, Relevant to, Remains to be, Represents, Research opportunities, Should be explored, Should be replicated, Should be undertaken, Should be validated, Should be verified, The next stage, Utilizes, Worthwhile
 
9 Mention constraints that may influence further research  
10 Set direction of broad further research

Eventually, It is predicted that, It may be expected, In future, Our common efforts will produce, Soon it will be possible, This field will yield, Ultimately, Within a decade