IA+3b.+Written+Report+(doing+the+Research)

WRITTEN REPORT. Doing the Research



Time now to go out and do the Research....

This is a 4 step process



__//**Step 1**//__ : final planning of your Research. Create the Questionnaires, prepare your 'Interview Key points', make up a Observation Planning Sheet etc. See Guidelines on how to do this well. Remember also from your Ethical commitment - your questionnaires should have an Introduction.

__//**Step 2**//__ : Actually go do the Research, in the order you planned. It would be good practice to see you first analyse the results of your first research and then see if that affects what you had originally planned for the second round of research in any way.

//Steps 1&2 will not add any tangible pages to your Report (well OK you should put a few samples in the Appendices, but not in the main part). They are more about preparation in order to carry out Steps 3&4//

__//**Step 3**//__: A paragraph or two giving context to the Research. We call this section the '** Methodology Employed **'. It includes.... (i) Explaining & Justifying the research methods, techniques & process (ii) a summary of the tools and theories (iii) an assessment on the validity and reliability of your research (iv) a brief description of any changes you made between Planning & Executing

**there should be consistent links here with the 'Methodology' part of your RP.** you might want to wait until you have fully carried out your Research before you do the final version of this.

__//**Step 4**//__ : Collate and Present the results of your Research. We call this section the '** Main Results & Findings **'

Lets look at each step in a little more detail...

STEP 1 : PLANNING Read through the Guide (it is useful, though not as thorough or detailed as it could be) to give an indication on how to plan effectively to ensure your research results are as reliable as possible.



STEP 2 : DO THE RESEARCH Remember to go into a research activity with a clear idea of what data you are looking for - and ** [link] ** how you will use it.

You have a meeting with the Finance Manager. It will be an interview, you are looking to see any forecasted figures and the opinion of the Manager regarding the Probability of these forecasts being true. you will use this data to create the Decision Tree
 * EXAMPLE 1**
 * [link] **

You are running a questionnaire with a series of workers : __//after//__ the interview with the FM You want to find out (i) how they feel about the firms USP and [ii] their opinion too, on the Probability of the FM forecasted figures. You will use data from (i) to create a SWOT, which ** [link] ** may also help with Lewins Forcefield. You will use data from (ii) for the ** [link] **Decision Tree - and also just to provide balance and reduce any bias the FM might have
 * EXAMPLE 2**
 * [link] **

By the end of this you should have significant raw data - and perhaps a few addition for the Appendix (see end of page)

//Remember at this stage you have not yet added any text to the word count of the Written Report. You have just prepared yourself to do so in Step 3&4// STEP 3 : METHODOLOGY EMPLOYED

This is a section in the Written Report. It must be [linked] to the Methodology part of your RP. Consistency : Say what you will do (RP) - say what you did (WR)

This part includes....

(i) Explaining & Justifying the research methods, techniques & process
 * why did you use that method to collect that data. //Make reference to __**sample**__ size/type where appropriate//

(ii) a summary of the tools and theories
 * why choose those particular tools,
 * what other theory will have links to your Report

(iii) an assessment on the validity and reliability of your research
 * In your Planning (Step 1) you might well have come up with some ideas for this section.
 * It must be [linked] to the 'Problems & Solutions' part of your RP.

(iv) a brief description of any changes you made between Planning & Executing
 * like said previously, this part you may need to update at the end (time-wise) of the Report

The secret here is to be __concise__ : there are only loose links to this section and the Rubric, so don't spend to much word count on it. As a guideline look to max out at 150 words.

Here is a Guide that includes parts of the Methodology section from Sample Reports, as done by IB students who received good IA grades

STEP 4 : MAIN RESULTS AND FINDINGS

This too is a section of the Written Report. It should be consistent with the Research Plan part of your RP&AP.

FYI : the following - which might well appear in this section - are NOT part of the word count : (i) tables of statistical data (ii) diagrams or figures (iii) equations, formulas / calculations (iv) direct citations (v) footnote references

The key word here is **MAIN**. Only findings that have been useful and used in a meaningful way in your Tools. * SIMPLY


 * It is useful to arrange this section with subheadings



These headings should be consistent with the Research Plan part of your RP&AP.

THIS IS A SECTION WHERE SOMETIMES A LOT OF PEOPLE SPEND A LOT OF TIME MESSING THINGS UP. READ THESE POINTERS BELOW CAREFULLY


 * Do not describe the findings. Do not analyse the findings. Not here. There is another section for that
 * This section is just about communicating what were the key findings from your research. Don't double communicate . If you communicate that '74% said Yes' in an image, do not repeat the same message again, by writing that down underneath the image.
 * Do not describe the finding, just state them. Once.

Here is a Guide that includes parts of the MR&F section from Sample Reports, as done by IB students who received good IA grades.

GUIDE TO THE CREATING OF/ USING APPENDICES



It goes at the every end of the Report. After the Bibliography. Each Appendix should be clearly numbered, and have its own page.



The purpose of the Appendix is to provide support material for the Report Reader should the Report-Reader require further evidence to clear up any doubt they might have.

When the re are bold statement made and no support material to clarify a doubt the Reader may have, the Reader will consider the Report to be unreliable. In the case of a Reader being the Examiner there will be grade consequences.

Remember : the Examiner is under no obligation to read the Appendix. In the case above on the right, the Examiner did not and the Report still made sense to the Examiner.

That's the __//**RULE**//__,
 * if its important that the Examiner read it - it goes in the Report,
 * if its supportive material that the Examiner might wish to read, but the Report would still makes sense if she doesn't - then it goes in the Appendix

What exactly should go in the Appendix depends on the nature of your Report, but __ //**here is a list**// __ of the type of thing that might appear in an Appendix
 * Financial Accounts
 * Photos
 * Maps
 * Transcripts of interviews
 * sample questionnaires
 * newspaper cuttings
 * promotional leaflets

FINALLY :
 * ALL SUPPORTIVE MATERIAL PLACED IN THE APPENDIX MUST BE REFERRED TO AT SOME POINT IN THE REPORT. **
 * (See Appendix 1) etc **

How well you do this Section will determine how well you do the rest of your Report - but on its own it is assessed directly too. The value of this Section can be found in Criteria B in the Rubric (3 marks) This section also has indirect links to Criteria H (2 marks )