It is not a normal research format, please follow the format guidelines very closely! Any questions, email me at any time.

The final project must meet the following guidelines:

The report must use the MLA format for documenting sources since this is an English course. If you are not familiar with this style, it is outlined on pages 683-689 in your textbook. Depending on your topic and research, there may be no sources to document. Please review Chapter 6 as necessary to clarify if your sources will need documentation.

The final report should run between 8-15 pages. This is a relatively loose guideline, but if you find that yours is several pages short or several pages over, please consider what may be missing or what may not be necessary.

Each section of the final report should start on a fresh page. So if your Results discussion ends halfway down the page, please space the document so that the Conclusions begins on the following page.

Every final report must include the following: Title page, Introduction, Method, Results, Discussion, Conclusion in this order. Students may choose to add Table of Contents and Recommendations as appropriate to their report.

Title page: Includes project title, course, your name, and date.

Introduction: What was your original topic? What have you researched? Why is it relevant? What were your original objectives? What are the limitations to your topic? Note what you will discuss and what was left out of the research.

Method: What methodology did you follow in your research? Can your reader see that it is reliable and sound? Be specific here and include information about how you surveyed individuals? How you approached your online research? Show that the information is based on solid and credible research.

Results: What did you find in your research? What are the the results? This is where you note what your research proves or shows.

Discussion: What do these results mean for your original objective? Interpret the results for your reader. This is the bulk of the final project where you discuss the results and make meaning for the reader.

Conclusion: What are the takeaways for the reader? What does this mean in the end?

There is a sample report in Chapter 25 (an empirical research report). Student reports vary drastically in length depending on the topic. A job well done means you have thoroughly researched and presented your topic clearly to the reader, following these guidelines.

All final reports must include at least one visual aid. That can be a chart, graph, table, illustration, or photograph. The visual aid MUST support the information you are presenting.

Please consider the feedback you received on your proposal as well as the samples in the textbook to help direct the content of each section.

Language must be professional and formal. This is a formal report so formatting, content, and language will count as part of your grade. There should be no use of casual language and no use of “you’s”, with limited use of “I”, as appropriate.

If you do not see an answer to your question here, contact me for further information.