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Report Writing Instructions

Matti HeleläHaaga-Helia

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Example 1.1 (for First-year Students)

Contents of a Study Report

Title page

Contents

Introduction (Chapter 1)

Company introduction (if any)

Theory and application

Summary and Conclusions

Evaluation (teamwork, learning, feedback)

Sources

Appendices

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Example 1.2 (for First-year Students)

Headings in a Study Report

1 Introduction

2 Heading

2.1 Subheading

2.2 Subheading

3 Heading

3.1 Subheading

3.2 Subheading

3.3 Subheading

4 Summary and Conclusions

5 Evaluation

Sources

Appendices

1 Title of the first appendix

2 Title of the second appendix

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Example 2.1 (for Advanced Students)

Contents of an Empirical Research Report

Title page

Abstract

Contents

Introduction (Chapter 1)

Theory (Chapter 2)

Methodology (Chapter 3)

Findings (Chapter 4)

Summary and Conclusions (Chapter 5)

Sources

Appendices

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Example 2.2 (for Advanced Students)

Headings in an Empirical Research Report

1 Introduction

[background, purpose and research question(s), research approach (qualitative/interviews), about the structure of the report, brief company introduction]

2 Heading [theory]

3.1 Subheading

3.2 Subheading

3.3 Subheading

3.4 Subheading [summary of the theory]

3 Heading [methodology]

[description of how you conducted the empirical study and analysed the data]

4 Heading [findings]

[presentation and interpretation of the findings, summary of the findings, validity and reliability discussion]

5 Summary and Conclusions

[summary of the study, conclusions and recommendations, evaluation of the work as a whole]

Sources

Appendices

1 Title of the first appendix

2 Title of the second appendix

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Title Page

See the Thesis Instructions Bachelor's Thesis Guidelines for Bachelor's Thesis Appendix 1 Title Page Model

Make the necessary adjustments.

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1 Introduction

When you describe the structure of the report, use the present tense of the verb (what the report says now). When you describe the research process, use the past tense (what you did before).

In an Empirical Research Report(advanced students):

• Background• Purpose and research question(s)• Research approach (qualitative)• Orientation to the structure of the report

In a Study Report(first-year students):

• Background• Purpose of the report• Orientation to:-- how you conducted the study-- structure of the report

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Purpose of the Report(Example From a Thesis Report)

The purpose of this study is to provide Haaga-Helia Liibba students with information on the success of their PBL event among the potential employers. The study aims to answer the following research question:

How successfully did the PBL event increase the potential employers’ awareness of the professional identity of Helia Liibba students and graduates?

The following subquestions can be derived from the main question:

What were the awareness levels among the target group before and after the event?

How did the target group perceive Liibba students and graduates after the campaign?

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Theory and Application

The “big picture”

Selected focuses

Theoretical models (text and illustrations) and application together

-----. -----. -----. -----. -----. -----. -----. -----. -----. -----. -----. -----. -----. -----. -----. -----. -----. -----. -----. -----. -----. -----. -----. -----. -----. -----. -----. (Jobber 2001, 55.) -----. -----. -----. -----. -----. -----. -----. -----. -----. -----. -----. -----. -----. -----. -----. -----. -----. -----. (Honkarakenne 2002, 16.) -----. -----. -----. -----. -----. -----. -----. -----. -----. -----. -----. -----.

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Example of UsingIn-text References

Kotler (2000, 408) divides brands into manufacturer, distributor and licensed brands .

Manufacturer brands dominate the market (Kotler 2000, 408).

Manufacturer brands dominate the market. Many large distributors carry their own brands. (Kotler 2000, 408.)

It is not customary to mention titles of books and articles in the text. They belong to the list of sources. Also notice the use of the full stop (period) in the above examples.

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Theoretical Discussion Followed by Application

Complex buying behaviour occurs when a consumer is highly involved in the purchase and perceives significant differences between the alternative brands (Kotler 2000, 177). Consumers buying a new home are usually highly involved in the purchase. When comparing Honkarakenne’s log houses with the homes of other manufactuarers, a consumer may perceive clear differences and thus engage in complex buying behaviour.

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Application Explained with Theoretical Concepts

Because of the high prices of houses and the complexity of the purchase, consumers are usually highly involved in their home-purchasing process. When comparing Honkarakenne’s log houses with the homes of other manufacturers, a consumer may perceive clear differences and thus engage in complex buying behaviour (See Kotler 2000, 177).

[Kotler does not mention Honkarakenne.]See Kotler = “See more about this topic in Kotler.Kotler = Preceding information was taken from Kotler.

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Deeper Discussion with the Sources

In addition to in-text references, use a style that clearly shows which parts of the text are based on your own views and which sections are based on external sources. Aim at a dialogue with the sources and personal reflection, instead of copying the contents from the sources with mere cosmetic changes.

See examples of this in the next five slides.

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Example of Discussion with the Sources (I)

When examining consumer behaviour, it is important to understand the stages in the buying decision-making process, which Kotler (2003, 204) describes with a five-stage model. We find this model suitable for describing the behaviour of our project company’s potential customers, who are highly involved in the purchase just because of the high price and complexity of the product (see Kotler 2003, 201).

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Example of Discussion with the Sources (II)

In the last sentence of the above example, ”see” refers to the fact that the application to Company X was not taken from the source even though the source discusses the same topic. By providing the reference, you are giving the reader the opportunity to find more information about your conceptual framework. To further specify the contents and your reference, you may replace the sentence with a more explicit explanation as follows (see next slide):

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Example of Discussion with the Sources (III)

We find this model suitable for describing the behaviour of our project company’s potential customers, who are highly involved in the purchase because of the high price and complexity of the product. This involvement and product complexity affect the nature of buying behaviour, which Kotler (2003, 201) categorises under four different types.

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Example of Discussion with the Sources (IV)

You may continue as follows:

The behaviour of our company’s potential customers is likely to be complex buying behaviour, in which the customer typically goes through the different steps in the five-stage model. In this case, the customer recognises a need for…

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Example of Discussion with the Sources (V)

Comments about the previous text:

In these examples, the writer combines the contents of two different models to establish an understanding of the big picture. The writer also applies theory to practice. A more detailed application will follow from the three dots in the last sentence.

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(For First-year Students)

Summary and Conclusions

Summary

• Main ideas from the theory and application.

Conclusions

• What does all this mean?

• Recommendations?

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(For Advanced Students)

Summary of the Theory in Empirical Research

Main ideas from the theory.

A summary of the theory helps you and the reader to see the big picture and the connections between the various models. If provided a clear conceptual framework for the empirical research.

Summarise your theory verbally and in a figure.

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(For Advanced Students)

Empirical Study

Methodology

• Explain your methodology in detail.

Findings

• Present and interpret the findings. Refer to the interviews to provide a chain of evidence.

• Summarise the findings.

• Discuss the validity and reliability of your work.

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Summary and Conclusions

Summarise your study.

Present your conclusions (“what does all this mean?”).

Recommendations for further research.

Evaluate your work.

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Evaluation of a Team Report

Partner Group Work

What did you learn by receiving feedback and by evaluating your partner group’s work?

Success of your group work

Each group member’s contribution.

Your learning results.

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Sources

Sources (= list of sources)

Only the sources to which you refer in the text (in-text references).

Alphabetical order: Last name first (or organisation, if the writer’s name is not given).

See http://www.helia.fi/~helma/ref.htm

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Appendices

Appendix 1. Honkarakenne’s tunover by geographical areas from 2001 to 2003

Refer to every appendix in the text, to let the reader know what the appendix includes.

Honkarakenne’s turnover by geographical areas from 2001 to 2003 is shown in Appendix 1.

Honkarakenne’s tunover increased by X per cent from 2001 to 2003 (Appendix 1).

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Writing Style

Help the reader understand what information is based on external sources and what information is your own.

Use consistent style (“we/our”) and in-text references.

Also use

• Metadiscourse (Finnish: metatext) (= text about the text)

• Tables and figures.

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Examples ofIn-text References

Manufacturer brands dominate the market (Kotler 2000, 408).

Manufacturer brands dominate the market. Many large distributors carry their own brands. (Kotler 2000, 408.)

--------------------- (-------).

---------. ---------. (-------.)

Kotler (2000, 408) divides brands into manufacturer, distributor and licensed brands.

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Reference to the Author

The titles of books and articles belong to the list of sources. Use the author’s last name in the text, as shown in the following example.

Kotler (2000, 408) divides brands into manufacturer, distributor and licensed brands.

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In-text Reference in a List

When referring to a source in a list, include the in-text reference inside the topic sentence as shown in the following example.

The customer’s perception of quality may depend on the following factors (Helelä 2002, 77):

• How well the product performs.

• How easy it is to use the product.

• How durable the product is in the long run.

• How appealing the design is.

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Avoid Bullets

Avoid bullets for stylistic reasons particularly when listing short items because:

• this• looks• boring

Use ordinary sentences instead. An example follows.

The customer’s perception of quality may depend on the following factors: performance, ease of use, durability, design, and other relevant factors meaningful to the individual customer.

Avoid “etc.” and be more specific according to the model above.

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Metadiscourse

Metadiscourse (text about the text):

Expressions and comments (sentences, phrases, words) explaining connections between the various parts of the text. To enhance the flow of the text.

Comparable to metadiscourse:Topic sentences.

Linking words and phrases.

Numbers (“three principles”).

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Tables and Figures

Refer to tables and figures in the text:

According to the degree of buyer involvement and the degree of differences among brands, consumer buying behaviour may be divided into four types of behaviour (table 1). According to this model, complex and expensive purchases tend to involve more buyer deliberation (Kotler 2000, 177).

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Title above the Table

Table 1. Four types of consumer buying behaviour (Kotler 2000, 177)

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High involvement Low involvement

Significant Complex Variety-seeking

differences between buying behaviour buying behaviour

Few differences Dissonance-reducing Habitual buying

between brands buying behaviour behaviour

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Title below the Figure

Figure 1. Honkarakenne’s turnover by season and region in 2003 (Ahvonen 2004, 12)

0

20

40

60

80

100

1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr 4th Qtr

East

West

North