Task
| Purpose | Audience
| Tone
| Structure |
|---|
Research essay
| - Answer a question
- Present argument based on facts
| | - Factual
- Concise
- Logical flow
- Clear structure
- Active voice
| - Intro
- Body
- Conclusion
- Usually without headings
|
Lap/prac report
| - To explain what you did
- To draw conclusions
| - Peers
- Researchers wanting to replicate
| - Past tense
- Step by step
- Clear
- Objective
- Passive voice
| - Intro
- Methods
- Results
- Discussion
- (IMRD) - headings
|
Case study (report)
| - Examine a situation
- Identify positives and negatives
- Make recommendations
| - Professionals - not always academics
- Politicians
- Public
| - Factual
- Authoritative
- Concise
- Easy to follow
| - Numbered headings
- Table of contents
- Executive summary
|
| Review of an article | - Evaluate or critique the data, research methods and results
| - Peers
- Interested people in your profession
| - Analytical
- Evaluative
- Present tense
- Active voice
| - No headings
- Brief summary
- Comment on quality of work
|
Literature review
| - Identify key ideas across literature
- Understand current thinkin
- Find a 'gap' for research
| - Researchers
- Academics
- Fellow professionals
| - Formal
- Objective
- Tentative opinions based on text
| - Intro, body, conclusion without headings
- Explanation of similarities and differences plus critical comment
|
Annotated bibliography
| - Identify key articles on a topic
- Evaluate usefulness of articles in relation to topic
- Inform others
| - Researchers
- Academics
- Fellow professionals
| | - Title of work listed alphabetically by author
- Indented 1-2 paragraph summary and critique in relation to topic
|
| Reflective journal | - Identify your understanding
- Reflect on your thinking
- Understand how and what you have learned
| | - Conversational
- Thinking aloud
- Can use "I"
- Not necessarily formal, but still clear
| - Refers to text, lectures and practical situations
- Links between formal learning and personal meaning
|
Project report
| - To report on work done or a plan for work to be done
| - Often for an outside organisation, such as an NGO or government
| - Factual
- Past tense (for work completed)
- Future tense for proposed work
- Present tense to describe current situation
| - Title page
- Acknowledgements
- Executive summary or abstract
- Table of contents
- Intro and body (no heading)
- Conclusion / recommendations
- References or bibliography
- Glossary
- Appendices
|
