The Research Report

Contents

1 Guidance in using this document.......................................................................... 3

1.1 Introduction....................................................................................................... 3

1.2 The Research Report........................................................................................ 3

1.3 Marking criteria.................................................................................................. 7

1.4 Using Exemplar Research Reports.................................................................. 12

2 Exemplar Research Reports............................................................................... 15

2.1 Report 1 (indicative of Grade A)...................................................................... 15

2.2 Report 1 – Commentary and suggestions for improvement............................. 31

2.3 Report 2 (indicative of Grade C)...................................................................... 34

2.4 Report 2 – Commentary and suggestions for improvement............................. 44

2.5 Report 3 (indicative of Grade E)...................................................................... 47

2.6 Report 3 – Commentary and suggestions for improvement........................... 55

Guidance in using this document

Introduction

These guidance notes are designed to give teachers support in using the Exemplar Research Reports, and accompanying Improvement Commentaries, with learners in the classroom. A variety of different teaching and learning strategies are suggested.

The Research Report

Within the Subject Programme and Course Plans for Global Perspectives and project Work, the creation of the research report is intended to be a practical and active approach to teaching and learning. It is hoped that learners will find the design, implementation and communication of research a rewarding and stimulating part of the course. The research report provides opportunity for learners to engage in their own research into global issues using a variety of different primary and secondary research methods. It is designed to give learners practical experience of more extended research and to develop research skills. The final outcome of the research process, the report, is used for summative assessment purposes.

Learnerswill normally have approximately six months to complete the research report, usually beginning the design process at the end of Grade 11 and completing the final written report by the end of the course in Grade 12. The research report should describe an investigation into a global issue chosen by the learner and approved by the teacher. Learners are expected to draw upon their prior learning about research and sources of evidence and undertake some background research on the issue to inform their work.

The research report should be between 3,000 and 3,500 words in length. The report should notexceed 3,500 words and an accurate word count should be clearly stated at the beginning of the report on the title page. The word count excludes the title, appendices, references and footnotes. Teachers and learners should note that work beyond the 3,500 word maximum will not be included in the assessment.

Teachers are expected to give appropriate advice and guidance during the investigation and authenticate the final report. Authentication means that the teacher is required to validate that the research topic is the learner’s own choice, and that the research and the writing of the report have been done independently by the learner.

The research report should be structured and contain sections according to the general conventions of reporting in social science, science and humanities subjects. This should include a title, introduction, background and context, rationale/aims, method, results, conclusions, evaluation, further research and bibliography. Appendices containing examples of the research instruments (e.g. blank questionnaires, interview schedules, observation schedules, etc.), analysis of data, and other relevant material not appropriate to the body of the report may also be included. Footnotes explaining or elaborating briefly on a point in the text of the report are permissible but should be kept to a minimum.

The investigation should enable the learner to explore and evaluate more than one perspective on a global issue of their choice. It should be chosen by the learner and confirmed by the teacher, rather than being selected by the teacher. It is good practice and strongly recommended that teachers should review and authorise a detailed, written research proposal before learners begin practical activity and implement their designs for the research. This project proposal may be included in the final report in the appendices.

The work should be completed inside and outside the classroom. Sufficient guidance and supervision in class time is necessary for the teacher to provide guidance and advice, authenticate the work as the learner’s own and to ensure that the research is conducted in accordance with the scheme of assessment in the Subject Programme and other relevant ethical guidelines. Guidance and feedback should be given by the teacher on each section of the report as it is planned and developed but drafts should not be formally marked or annotated in detail.

The final report should demonstrate the learner’s ability to design and carry out research, analyse and evaluate evidence on different perspectives on a global issue, and develop reasoned and substantiated conclusions based on the data and information gathered. The report should also demonstrate the learner’s ability to evaluate their research and reflect upon their own perspectives and learning about the issue under investigation.

The final written research report should contain the following sections:

Title, Introduction, Context, Aims, Method; Results, Conclusion, Evaluation, Further Research, Bibliography, Appendices.

The sections should normally contain the following material:

Section	Contents	Guidance
Title	A descriptive name or heading for the report.	The title should be short and concise. It should give a clear indication of the purpose of the research.
Introduction	This section provides an overview or summary of the research and explains the reasons for the choice of the topic. It may give some indication of how the outcomes of the research may be used.	This section is usually quite brief and provides a summary of the motivation behind the research and the reasons for the selection of the topic. It could relate to prior learning, influence of past research, previous experience, personal interest and the beliefs and values of the learner. The advice and guidance of teachers or others could also be mentioned. Personal values and beliefs that might influence the research and may be a potential cause of bias may be declared in the interests of objectivity.

Context	This section provides a detailed description of the background to the research which has informed the development of the research aims.	This is usually one of the longer sections of the report. It should contain a description of the issue being explored, key definitions, past research and the main sources that have guided the design of the research project. The material described should be used to explain how the aims and purpose of the research were developed. This often takes the form of ‘progressive focusing’ in which learners outline the wider global issue and then explain how the research is directed towards a narrower aspect of the issue that is suitable and manageable for the scope of this type of research project. If secondary sources and data are used in the research they are usually described in this section. Sources and past research should be cited and referenced. Care should be taken to ensure that the material described is relevant to the purpose of the research.
Aims	This section provides a summary of the main purpose and intended outcomes of the research.	This is usually a brief statement of the purpose and aims of the research, which arise out of the context. Usually aims are expressed as research questions or hypotheses to be tested. Some indication of the possible uses and potential implications of the research may be included, if appropriate and relevant.
Method	This section describes the methods used to gather data and information which will be used as evidence.	This is usually one of the longer sections of the report. It should describe the overall research design and each of the methods used. The population and sample for the research should also be described and justified. The description should be in enough detail to enable another person to repeat the research in the future. The selection of the methods should be fully explained and justified in relation to the purpose of the research and the type of data or evidence that is sought. Learners should explain clearly how and why the methods and sources selected will enable them to fulfil their aims and answer the research questions. Appendices may be used to provide examples of the research instruments. Learners should be encouraged to use the terms of critical thinking and research e.g. authority, validity, reliability, representative, generalise, bias, etc.
Results	This section summarises the information and data gathered from the practical research which is relevant to the purpose of the project.	This is usually one of the longer sections of the report. The data and information gathered from the practical research should be summarised in a clear, concise and structured way. This may be organised around the methods used or the research questions. Use of tables, graphs, charts and bullet points may help to maintain clarity and brevity. Appendices may also be used to present more detail or to illustrate the analysis of data. This might include exemplars of completed questionnaires, tally tables, transcripts of interviews, and other raw data. It is not necessary to include all of the data gathered in the appendices.

Conclusion	This section describes the judgements made about outcomes of the research.	This section summarises the outcomes of the research and provides answers to each of the research questions, based on the results. The conclusions should be stated clearly and concisely. This section usually includes a discussion of the implications or consequences of the conclusions for the purpose of the research and the global issue under consideration. Some discussion of the degree of confidence or level of certainty about the conclusions might also be appropriate.
Evaluation	This section evaluates the quality of the research and the strength of the conclusions.	This section highlights the strengths and weaknesses of the research design, implementation and outcomes. Each method should be reviewed carefully and suggestions for improvement presented. The degree of generalisation from the outcomes and applicability of the conclusions should be discussed. Learners should be encouraged to use the terms of critical thinking and research e.g. authority, validity, reliability, representative, generalise, bias, etc.
Further Research	This section describes suggestions for further research that arise out of research project. It should also contain reflection by the learner about what they have learned from doing the research and how their personal perspectives may have changed.	This section should briefly describe several suggestions for further research. These should be carefully related to the outcomes of the research, perhaps exploring unexpected results or new questions that have arisen. Ways to improve the confidence of conclusions or generalisation from the research are also possible. Some indication of the purpose or implications of the further research for the understanding of the global issue should be stated. Reflection by the learner is also an important element of this section. The learner should carefully describe what they have learnt about the global issue and how their perspectives have changed. Some discussion of what the learner has discovered about conducting practical research into global issues is also appropriate.
Bibliography	This section should contain a list of all references and sources used in the research.	The list of references and sources should follow one of the academic conventions in a consistent way. Teachers will need to give advice and exemplars to learners.
Appendices	This section should contain additional material that illustrates key aspects of the main report.	This is the final section of the report. The appendices should be kept to a minimum and may not be necessary. The appendices are useful for providing exemplars of research instruments and summaries of data analysis.

The description above of the different sections of the research presents guidance and is an ideal version of what might be included. In practice learners do not include all of the possible features suggested for each section and may produce a report in which some sections are of higher quality than others.

Дата добавления: 2015-10-02