LDRS591, Unit 9, Learning Activity 9.3

The most important thing for me about the conclusions section of a high-quality research report is . . .

1. Clear summary of its data and results. The summary should guide readers to a result the researchers concluded, and this is only achievable through a focused and clear summary of the study’s key findings and results in relation to the study’s research question. I do not want to guess what the data and results mean, but instead told what key points I should note to understand the researchers’ interest and the study’s purpose.
2. Significant implications that are logically grounded in its results. This is the “So What?” of the study. I want to know why this study is an important addition to the world, and how the researchers came up with these resulting implications. Providing practical suggestions to readers is what makes research interesting to me; I want to know how I can apply what I learnt from the study into my work.
3. Acknowledgement of the study’s relation to prior research is important to me because I believe research should be a constant conversation between researchers across time and places. Not only does referencing precedent literature provide credibility, but it shows readers how the study adds to the conversation by either supporting or contradicting prior literature to show growth in the research of a certain topic. Comparing and contrasting a study’s result to previous work is a powerful way to show its significance in the academic world.

My question: I personally find it helpful to have a sample of survey or interview questions in the appendices of a study as it helps me understand how data was specifically collected from participants, but not all studies provide these samples. Do you think it is important for researchers to provide a sample of their questions or is this unnecessary information?