A research project or report is a paper written by an investigator to describe a research study that he or she has completed. The purpose is to explain to others in the field what the objectives, methods, and findings of the study were. The organizational format for research project is basically the same, regardless of the field of study in which the author is working. The following diagram illustrates the major sections of a typical research project in the order in which they are usually presented.
Typical Sections of a Research Project or Report
To help you understand the basic format of the research report, we present here a report originally published in a professional journal. The report describes a study carried out in the field of agricultural education. The study evaluates the effectiveness of using microcomputers to teach economic principles to university students in a graduate course.
USING MICROCOMPUTERS IN TEACHING
Norman F. Rohrbach, District Supervisor
Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary
Education
Jefferson City Missouri
Bob R Stewart Professor
Agricultural Education
University of Missouri.Columbia
Abstract Although microcomputers are now common in classrooms throughout the United States, it is not clear what their most effective role is in the teaching-learning process. This study compared the effects of microcomputer-assisted instruction and traditional lecture-discussion on the performance of graduate students enrolled in an agricultural education course. Students in the control group performed significantly better on a written test than either of the two treatment groups. Students having previous experience with computers did not perform significantly better than those new to computer-assisted instruction. Further research needs to be conducted to determine the most appropriate place for computer-assisted instruction in agricultural education.
During the past 40 years, the United States has experienced the integration of the computer into society. Progress has been made to the point that small, inexpensive computers with expanded capabilities are available for innumerable uses. Many schools have purchased and are purchasing microcomputers for infusion into their directed learning programs.