Book Review Lecture Notes PDF

A book review or article critique is a specialized form of academic writing in which a reviewer evaluates the contribution to knowledge of scholarly works such as academic books and journal article. A book review or article critique, which is usually ranges from 250 to 750 words, is not simply a sum...

A book review or article critique is a specialized form of academic writing in which a reviewer evaluates the contribution to knowledge of scholarly works such as academic books and journal article. A book review or article critique, which is usually ranges from 250 to 750 words, is not simply a summary. It is a critical assessment, analysis, or evaluation of a work. +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | Book Review | Book Report | +===================================+===================================+ | **Requires a great intellectual | **Simple** | | effort** | | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | **Contains a thorough analysis | **Identifies to a book or | | and evaluation of a book. In | summary** | | doing this, a reviewer needs | | | to:** | focus on describing the plot, | | | characters, or idea of a certain | | - **Examine the book's | work. | | contents** | | | | | | - **Understand the plot** | | | | | | - **Grasp the main message of a | | | book** | | | | | | - **Determine weak and strong | | | sides of a book** | | | | | | - **Share his personal opinion | | | about the book** | | | | | | - Book and article reviewers do | | | not just share mere opinion; | | | rather, they use both proofs | | | and logical reasoning to | | | substantiate their opinions. | | | They process ideas and | | | theories, revisit and extend | | | ideas in a specific field of | | | study, and present analytical | | | responses. | | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | **Is about 250-1000 words or | **200 -- 250 words** | | more** | | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | **College level assignment or | Sums up the book plot and major | | higher** | themes | | | | | | Narrates or retells the story | | | | | | Considered a K-12 level | | | assignment | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | **Structure of a Book Review or Article Critique** | | | | I- Introduction (around 5% of the paper) | | | | II- Summary (around 10% of the paper) | | | | III- Review/Critique (in no particular order) (Around 75% of the | | paper) | | | | - Appropriateness of methodology to support the arguments | | | | IV- Conclusion (around 10% of the paper) Overall impression of the | | work | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+. +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | **When writing a book review or article critique, make sure to ask | | the following:** | | | | 1\. What is the topic of the book or article? | | | | 2\. What is its purpose? | | | | 3\. Who are its intended readers? | | | | 4\. Does the writer explicitly state his/her thesis statement? | | | | 5\. What theoretical assumptions (i.e., a scientific/logical | | explanation without evidence) are mentioned in the book or article? | | Are they explicitly discuss? | | | | 6\. What are the contributions of the book or article to the field | | (e.g., language, psychology) it is situated in? | | | | 7\. What problems and issues are discussed in the book or article? | | | | 8\. What kind of information (e.g., observation, survey, statistics, | | and historical accounts) are presented in the book or article? How | | they are used to support the arguments or thesis? | | | | 9\. Are there other ways of supporting the arguments or thesis aside | | from the information used in the book or article? Is the author | | silent about these alternative ways of explanation? | | | | 10\. What is your overall reaction to the work? | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | **Guidelines in Writing a Book Review or Article Critique** | | | | 1\. Analyzed the type of analysis the writer use (e.g., | | quantitative, qualitative, case study) and how it supports the | | arguments and claims. | | | | 2\. Suggest some ways on how the writer can improve his/her | | reasoning or explanation. | | | | 3\. Discuss how the same topic is explained from other perspective. | | Compare the writer's explanation of the topic to another expert | | from the same field of study. | | | | 4\. Point out other conclusion or interpretations that the writer | | missed out. Present other ideas that need to be examined. | | | | 5\. Examine the connections between ideas and how they affect the | | conclusions and findings. | | | | 6\. Show your reactions to the writer's idea and present an | | explanation. You can either agree or disagree with the ideas, as | | long as you can sufficiently support your stand. | | | | 7\. Suggest some alternative methods and processes of reasoning that | | would result in a more conclusive interpretation. | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Completing a book review or article critique means that you can pinpoint the strengths and weaknesses of an article or book and that you can identify different perspectives. This task also equips you with more skills to engage in discussions with an expert and makes you a part of a community of scholars. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | **WRITING A LITERATURE REVIEW** | | | | A literature review is a type of academic writing that provides an | | overview of a specific topic. It surveys scholarly work such as | | academic books (but not textbooks), computerize databases, conference | | proceedings, dissertation's/theses, empirical studies government | | reports, historical records, journal article, monographs, and | | statistical handbooks. As an advance form of academic writing, a | | literature review critically analyzes | | | | the relationship among the scholarly works and the current work. It | | can be written as a stand-alone paper or as part of a research paper | | explaining a theoretical framework and related studies. Unlike an | | annotated bibliography which presents a summary and synthesis (i.e., | | linking different sources). | | | | Below are the differences among the sources. | | | | +---------------------+---------------------+---------------------+ | | | Annotated | Book Review | Literature Review | | | | Bibliography | | | | | +=====================+=====================+=====================+ | | | Summarizes the | Evaluates a book. | Reviews a | | | | references and | | significant number | | | | explain how | Review | of scholarly works | | | | important they are | | to identify what is | | | | in addressing the | | known and not known | | | | research questions. | | about a topic. | | | +---------------------+---------------------+---------------------+ | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | **Functions of a Literature Review** | | | | This type of a review has the following roles. | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | **Structure of a Literature Review** | | | | I. Introduction | | | | - Purpose for writing literature review and the importance of the | | topic being reviewed | | | | - Scope the review | | | | - Criteria used for selecting the literature | | | | - Organizational pattern of the review | | | | II. Body | | | | - Historical background | | | | - Relevant theories | | | | - Relationship between and among the studies, and how each study | | advanced a theory | | | | - Strengths and weaknesses of each paper | | | | - Various viewpoints on the topic Body | | | | - Historical background | | | | - Relevant theories | | | | - Relationship between and among the studies, and how each study | | advanced a theory | | | | - Strengths and weaknesses of each paper | | | | - Various viewpoints on the topic | | | | III. Conclusion | | | | - Restatement of the main argument or thesis | | | | - Main agreements and disagreements in the literature | | | | - If stand-alone paper: conclusions; implications; and direction | | for future Studies If part of a thesis or research paper: linking | | of the literature review to the research questions | | | | - Overall perspective on the topic. | +=======================================================================+ | **Guidelines in Writing a Literature Review** | | | | Writing a literature review is composed of three distinct parts | | \-\--literature search, evaluation and analysis of articles and | | writing the literature review --all of which are discussed below. | | | | **Literature Search** | | | | Search | | | | 1. Review the documentation style (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago) that you | | will adopt and be familiar with its format in relation to writing | | a literature review. | | | | 2. Choose and focus on a topic that you will explain. | | | | 3. Determine the kind and number of sources you will be using. Will | | your literature review be exclusive to articles or will it | | include other documents? Will you focus on experimental studies | | or will you also include theoretical papers that explain a | | theory? | | | | 4. Survey the available online databases relevant to your topic. | | These include ProQuest, Science Direct, JSTOR, or Google Scholar. | | As much as possible, include only the references published by top | | journals and publishers. | | | | 5. Use relevant keywords when searching for scholarly documents or | | article. For example, if your topic is about the impact of | | Facebook-based e-portfolios on the writing skills of ESL | | learners, your possible keywords are Facebook, ESL writing, | | e-portfolio, portfolio assessment, Facebook-based e-portfolio, | | and social networking site. | | | | 6. Always include landmark studies or papers (i.e., studies which | | had remarkably changed the field) related to your topic. | | | | 7. Always evaluate the sources for coverage and currency. Include | | only those | | | | article directly related to your topic. | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | **Evaluation and Analysis of Articles** | | | | Once you have identified and obtained the articles for your review, | | analyze them before writing the actual literature review. To do this, | | you may apply the following steps. | | | | 1. Skim the articles and read their abstracts. | | | | 2. Group the articles and other documents according to their | | categories. | | | | 3. Take down notes. Focus on the research questions, methodology | | used, major findings and their explanation, and conclusion. | | | | 4. Summarize the details using a concept map. In this way, you will | | see the relationship, similarities and differences among the | | articles. | | | | 5. Write a synthesis of the references you have rea before writing | | the actual literature review. | | | | 6. Create an outline. You may look for other literature reviews to | | serve as models for writing the outline. | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | **Writing the Literature Review** | | | | Once all the materials are ready and you have clear outline of the | | ideas you want to express, you may now start the actual writing | | process. | | | | 1. State clearly your thesis or main argument and be guided by it | | accordingly. Below is an example of a thesis statement for a | | literature review. | | | | 2. If you say that no studies have been conducted on one aspect of | | your topic, justify it. | | | | 3. Direct the readers to other related literature review that cover | | items which you do not intend to cover. You may use the citation | | format "(see Author, year)" or follow the format prescribed by | | your chosen documentation style. | | | | 4. Never treat a literature review as a series of annotated | | bibliography. | | | | 5. Use headings and subheadings to classify the parts of your topic. | | For each topic heading, analyze the differences among studies and | | look for gaps. Note that each paragraph should focus on one | | aspect of the topic. | | | | 6. Use effective transitions to make your review easier to read and | | understand. | | | | 7. The body of the literature review can be organized thematically, | | methodologically or chronologically | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | **Writing a Research Report** | | | | WRITING A RESEARCH REPORT | | | | A research report is an expanded paper that presents interpretations | | and analyses | | | | of a phenomenon based on experiments and previous information so that | | the | | | | readers can better understand it. It is a laborious work produced | | through formal | | | | investigation and scientific inquiry. | | | | WRITING A RESEARCH REPORT | | | | A research report is an expanded paper that presents interpretations | | and analyses | | | | of a phenomenon based on experiments and previous information so that | | the | | | | readers can better understand it. It is a laborious work produced | | through formal | | | | investigation and scientific inquiry. | | | | REPORT | | | | A research report is an expanded paper that presents interpretations | | and analyses | | | | of a phenomenon based on experiments and previous information so that | | the | | | | readers can better understand it. It is a laborious work produced | | through formal | | | | investigation and scientific inquiry | | | | A research report is an expanded paper that presents interpretations | | and analyses of a phenomenon based on experiments and previous | | information so that the readers can better understand it. It is a | | laborious work produced through formal investigation and scientific | | inquiry. | | | | Parts of a Research Report | | | | 1. | | | | Title Page -- contain an informative title that describes the content | | of the | | | | paper, the name of author/s, addresses or affiliations, and date of | | submission. | | | | Examples of an informative title are the following: | | | | a. | | | | Effects of Facebook on the Academic Achievement of first Year | | Students | | | | b. | | | | Development and Validation of a Software for Detecting Plagiarism | | | | 1. Title Page -- contain an informative title that describes the | | content of the paper, the name of author/s, addresses or | | affiliations, and date of submission. | | | | Examples of an informative title are the following: | | | | a\. Effects of Facebook on the Academic Achievement of first Year | | Students | | | | b\. Development and Validation of a Software for Detecting | | Plagiarism | | | | 2. | | | | Abstract -- contains the summary of the research findings and | | conclusions. It | | | | briefly presents the context of the study, research questions or | | objectives, | | | | methodology, major findings, conclusions, and sometimes implications. | | An abstract | | | | does not contain any citation or a great deal of statistical results. | | Its length ranges | | | | from 100 to 250 words. | | | | 3. | | | | Introduction -- explains the current state of the field and | | identifies research | | | | gaps. It is also the part where the research focus is presented by | | addressing the | | | | identified gaps in the topic. It puts the research topic in context. | | It is usually three | | | | to five paragraphs long. | | | | 2. Abstract -- contains the summary of the research findings and | | conclusions. It briefly presents the context of the study, | | research questions or objectives, methodology, major findings, | | conclusions, and sometimes implications. An abstract does not | | contain any citation or a great deal of statistical results. Its | | length ranges from 100 to 250 words. | | | | 3. Introduction -- explains the current state of the field and | | identifies research gaps. It is also the part where the research | | focus is presented by addressing the identified gaps in the | | topic. It puts the research topic in context. It is usually three | | to five paragraphs long. | | | | 4. | | | | Literature Review -- contains the summary and synthesis of all | | available sources | | | | directly related to the study. In a research report, the literature | | review is divided | | | | into two sections: related concepts and related studies. | | | | Related concepts present some of the fundamental concepts needed by | | the readers | | | | to better understand the study. Concepts and theories are defined, | | explained, and | | | | described. Unlike related concepts, related studies are based on | | previously | | | | conducted studies directly related to the paper. Both the related | | | | concepts and studies will help the writer explain the phenomena that | | may arise in | | | | the study. | | | | This section ends with a paragraph that synthesizes all of the | | | | studies presented and puts the study in context. Hence, the last | | | | paragraph may include the topic and specific research problems. | | | | 4. Literature Review -- contains the summary and synthesis of all | | available sources directly related to the study. In a research | | report, the literature review is divided into two sections: | | related concepts and related studies. Related concepts present | | some of the fundamental concepts needed by the readers to better | | understand the study. Concepts and theories are defined, | | explained, and described. Unlike related concepts, related | | studies are based on previously conducted studies directly | | related to the paper. Both the related concepts and studies will | | help the writer explain the phenomena that may arise in the | | study. This section ends with a paragraph that synthesizes all of | | the studies presented and puts the study in context. Hence, the | | last paragraph may include the topic and specific research | | problems. | | | | 5. Methodology -- describes how the experiments or tests in the | | research were conducted. It presents the context within which the | | study was conducted, the participants, the instruments used, data | | gathering procedure, and the data analysis. In discussing the | | context of the study and the participants, the number and the | | demographic profiles of the participants are explained as well as | | the place where the study was conducted. The discussion of the | | instrument used presents the tools in gathering data. These tools | | may be in the form of a questionnaire, interview, focus group | | discussion, survey, and tests, among others. All of the | | instruments used should be described in detail, along with the | | explanation of how they were validated. The data gathering | | sections presents the details on how the data were collected | | while the data analysis section presents how the data were | | analyzed, either qualitatively (coding scheme) or quantitatively | | (statistical tools). The past tense is used in writing the | | methodology. | | | | 6. Results -- factually describes the data gathered and the tables | | and graphs that summarize the collected data. Along with the | | tables and graphs are their respective interpretations. The flow | | of the results section should follow the flow of the research | | questions/problems/objectives. It is expected that for each | | research problem or objective, corresponding results are | | presented. | | | | 7. Discussion -- provides an explanation of all the results in | | relation to the previous studies presented in the literature | | review In this section, the research problems or objectives, as | | well as the major findings, are restated in the first paragraph. | | The succeeding paragraphs should explain whether the study | | supports or rejects the previous findings and explain the reasons | | for this. New findings uncovered in the research should also be | | stated. Similar to the flow of the results, the discussion part | | follows the flow of the research problems or objectives. | | | | 8. Conclusion -- contains the restatement of the major findings, the | | limitations of the study, the recommendations, and the | | implications. Note that in some cases, the conclusion is | | integrated into the discussion. | | | | 9. References -- contains the different sources used in the study. | | These may be | | | | academic books, journals, and other online sources. Its format | | depends on the school, | | | | teacher, or field of study. | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | **Steps in Writing a Research Report** | | | | Writing | | | | Writing a research report may seem like a daunting task, but if you | | break down the process into small steps, you will be able to | | accomplish it effectively. The stages of writing a research report | | | | also follow the basic writing process, with the few additions to | | accommodate and address the different parts of the report. | | | | 1. Select and narrow down the topic. Use any of your preferred | | prewriting activities to generate ideas. | | | | 2. Conduct a preliminary research by gathering the initial | | references. | | | | 3. Formulate the thesis statement and research questions. A good | | thesis statement effectively guides and controls the flow of your | | paper. | | | | 4. Prepare a preliminary outline. | | | | 5. Gather additional references. Use the preliminary outline as a | | guide for this stage. | | | | 6. Prepare the pre final outline. | | | | 7. Prepare your instruments, such as your questionnaire. | | | | 8. Implement the instrument and gather the data. | | | | 9. Analyze the collected data and interpret it through tables and | | graphs. | | | | 10. Write the methodology and result sections. | | | | 11. Write the introduction and literature review. | | | | 12. Write the discussion. Be sure to link the literature review to | | the discussion section. | | | | 13. Write the conclusion. | | | | 14. Prepare the reference list. Be sure to list all the items citied | | in the body of your paper. It is useful to keep a separate word | | document or physical notebook where you can list your reference | | as you come across them to make sure you do not leave anything | | out when you have to prepare the reference list | | | | 15. Edit and format your paper. Observe the proper mechanics. | | | | Below are some guidelines in preparing a survey instrument. | | | | **Preparing a Survey Instrument** | | | | A survey instrument is a document that lists planned questions used | | to measure attitudes, | | | | perceptions, and opinions of the respondents. It contains responses | | directly related to each | | | | specific research questions. It can either be in the form of an | | interview guide or a questionnaire. | | | | **A survey instrument usually has four parts:** | | | | - Personal information section for participants/respondents (this | | is usually optional since, except for disclosing the gender and | | age and other general demographic information, most participants | | wish to remain anonymous) | | | | - Basic questions that establish the eligibility of the | | participants/respondents | | | | - Main questions that are directly linked to the research | | questions. | | | | - Open-ended questions (optional) | | | | When preparing a survey instrument, follow these steps: | | | | a. | | | | Do a preliminary research. You may visit your library or use online | | sources | | | | for this. | | | | b. | | | | Talk to a person who is knowledgeable in preparing survey | | instruments. | | | | c. | | | | Master the guidelines in preparing a questionnaire or interview | | guide. | | | | d. | | | | Clarify your research questions. Be sure that the items indicated in | | your survey | | | | instruments are directly related to each specific research questions. | | | | e. | | | | Write the instrument using the appropriate format. Get model | | instruments if | | | | needed. | | | | f. | | | | Edit your instrument and match it with your research questions. | | | | **When preparing a survey instrument, follow these steps:** | | | | a. Do a preliminary research. You may visit your library or use | | online sources for this. | | | | b. Talk to a person who is knowledgeable in preparing survey | | instruments. | | | | c. Master the guidelines in preparing a questionnaire or interview | | guide. | | | | d. Clarify your research questions. Be sure that the items indicated | | in your survey instruments are directly related to each specific | | research questions. | | | | e. Write the instrument using the appropriate format. Get model | | instruments if needed. | | | | f. Edit your instrument and match it with your research questions. | | | | g. Revise when necessary. | | | | h. Pilot your survey instrument to further improve its quality. This | | means that you have to get some respondents (colleagues or a | | small sample of the target respondents) to try to answer the | | instrument and give you feedback. Then, revise the instrument | | accordingly. | | | | g. | | | | Revise when necessar | | | | h. | | | | Pilot your survey instrument to further improve its quality. This | | means that | | | | you have to get some respondents (colleagues or a small sample of the | | target | | | | respondents) to try to answer the instrument and give you feedback. | | Then, revise the | | | | instrument accordingly. | | | | 8. | | | | Implement the instrument and gather the data. | | | | 9. | | | | Analyze the collected data and interpret it through tables and | | | | graphs. | | | | 10. | | | | Write the methodology and result sections. | | | | 11. | | | | Write the introduction and literature review. | | | | 12. | | | | Write the discussion. Be sure to link the literature review to the | | discussion | | | | section. | | | | 13. | | | | Write the conclusion. | | | | 14. | | | | Prepare the reference list. Be sure to list all the items citied in | | the body of your | | | | paper. It is useful to keep a separate word document or physical | | notebook where | | | | you can list your reference as you come across them to make sure you | | do not leave | | | | anything out when you have to prepare the reference list | | | | 15. | | | | Edit and format your paper. Observe the proper mechanics. | | | | **Guidelines in Writing a Research Report** | | | | Now that you are aware of the steps in writing a research report, | | follow the writing guidelines below to ensure that your report is | | well-written. | | | | 1. Fifty to seventy-five percent of the paper should be devoted to | | results and discussion. | | | | 2. Be sure to cite all your sources whether they are paraphrased or | | directly quoted. | | | | 3. As with the previous types of written works, use direct | | quotations sparingly; paraphrase as much as possible. | | | | 4. Strictly follow the required documentation style. | | | | 5. Topics should be relevant, interesting, current, and manageable | | in terms of resources, skills needed, and time. They should not | | be too sensitive and too controversial. | | | | 6. Research questions should directly address the given topic or | | thesis statement. | | | | Example: | | | | Title: Effect of Facebook on the Academic Performance of Senior High | | School Students | | | | Thesis statement: Facebook has an effect on the academic performance | | of senior high | | | | school students | | | | Research questions: (1) Does exposure to Facebook affect students' | | performance during | | | | examination? | | | | \(2) Does exposure to Facebook affect students' attention span | | during | | | | class activities? | | | | \(3) Does exposure to Facebook affect students' participation in | | | | curricular activities? | | | | (2) | | | | Does exposure to Facebook affect students' attention span during | | class | | | | activities? | | | | (3) | | | | Does exposure to Facebook affect students' participation in | | | | curricular activities? | | | | WRITING A PROJECT PROPOSAL | | | | A project proposal is a highly persuasive and informative documents | | that aims to | | | | address a particular problem or issue. It is a bid or offer to | | initiate a project for an | | | | individual or a group. It usually ranges from 1,000 to 2,500 words | | depending on | | | | the complexity of the project being proposed. | | | | A good project proposal specifies the following: | | | | | | | | Goals and objectives that the project wants to accomplish; | | | | | | | | Project plan that details how the set goals and objectives will be | | | | accomplished; | | | | | | | | Financial, human (e.g., experts, consultants), and technical (e.g., | | | | equipment and facilities) resources useful in implementing the | | project; and | | | | | | | | Budget that specifies how much money is needed and for what purpose | | it will | | | | be spent. | | | | Types of Project Proposal | | | | There are four types of project proposals which vary depending on the | | context of | | | | the problem and the receiver and sender of proposals. | | | | 1. | | | | Solicited internal | | | | | | | | It is used when the target reader is within the organization. | | | | | | | | It responds to a specific request within the organization. | | | | | | | | The problem has been identified within the organization and the | | decision to | | | | solve it has been ma | | | | Writing a | | | | Revise when necessary. | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | **WRITING A PROJECT PROPOSAL** | | | | A project proposal is a highly persuasive and informative documents | | that aims to address a particular problem or issue. It is a bid or | | offer to initiate a project for an individual or a group. It usually | | ranges from 1,000 to 2,500 words depending on the complexity of the | | project being proposed. | | | | A good project proposal specifies the following: | | | | - Goals and objectives that the project wants to accomplish; | | | | - Project plan that details how the set goals and objectives will | | be accomplished; | | | | - Financial, human (e.g., experts, consultants), and technical | | (e.g., equipment and facilities) resources useful in implementing | | the project; and | | | | - Budget that specifies how much money is needed and for what | | purpose it will be spent. | | | | **Types of Project Proposal** | | | | There are four types of project proposals which vary depending on the | | context of the problem and the receiver and sender of proposals. | | | | 1.Solicited internal | | | | - It is used when the target reader is within the organization. | | | | - It responds to a specific request within the organization. | | | | - The problem has been identified within the organization and the | | decision to solve it has been made. | | | | 2\. Unsolicited internal | | | | - It is used when the target reader is within the organization. | | | | - It is a self-initiated proposal that no one asked for. | | | | - The target reader has not yet identified that a problem exists | | within the organization; hence, no decision has been made to | | solve the problem. | | | | 3\. Solicited external | | | | - It is used when the target reader is not within the organization. | | | | - It responds to a specific request from someone who is not within | | the company. | | | | - The problem has been identified and the decision to solve it has | | been made. | | | | 4\. Unsolicited external | | | | - It is used when the target reader is not within the organization. | | | | - It is self-initiated proposals that no one ask for. | | | | - The target reader has not yet identified that a problem exists; | | hence, no decision has been made to solve the problem. | | | | **Parts of a Project Proposal** | | | | 1. | | | | Cover letter | | | | | | | | Introduces the proposals to the reader | | | | | | | | States the project proposal title, date the proposal was requested | | (if | | | | solicited), general purpose and scope of the proposal, and | | | | acknowledgement of people who have contributed to the completion of | | the | | | | proposals | | | | | | | | Includes the highlights of the proposal and directs the readers to | | this | | | | highlights | | | | 2. | | | | Title Page | | | | | | | | Includes the project title that is concise and informative | | | | | | | | Includes the lead organization, place and date of project, client's | | or | | | | donor's name, proponent's name and the department or organization | | | | he/she represents, and date of submissions | | | | 3. | | | | Abstract of Executive Summary | | | | | | | | Includes the objectives, implementing organization, major project | | | | activities and total project cost | | | | | | | | Usually composed of 200 to250 words and highlights only the major | | points; | | | | some abstract may be longer depending on the culture of the funding | | | | agency | | | | | | | | Uses a paragraph format | | | | 4 | | | | 1. Cover letter | | | | - Introduces the proposals to the reader | | | | - States the project proposal title, date the proposal was | | requested (if solicited), general purpose and scope of the | | proposal, and acknowledgement of people who have contributed to | | the completion of the proposals | | | | - Includes the highlights of the proposal and directs the readers | | to these highlights | | | | 2. Title Page | | | | - Includes the project title that is concise and informative | | | | - Includes the lead organization, place and date of project, | | client's or donor's name, proponent's name and the department or | | organization he/she represents, and date of submissions | | | | 3. Abstract of Executive Summary | | | | - Includes the objectives, implementing organization, major project | | activities and total project cost | | | | - Usually composed of 200 to250 words and highlights only the major | | points; some abstract may be longer depending on the culture of | | the funding agency | | | | - Uses a paragraph format | | | | 4 Context of the Proosal | | | | | | | | Describes the socio-economic, cultural, and political background in | | | | which the proposal is situated. | | | | | | | | Presents data collected from other sources that are relevant to the | | | | planning stage | | | | 5 | | | | 4. Context of the Proposal | | | | - Describes the socio-economic, cultural, and political background | | in which the proposal is situated. | | | | - Presents data collected from other sources that are relevant to | | the planning stage | | | | 5. | | | | Project Justification | | | | | | | | Provides a rationale for the project | | | | | | | | Includes the problem statement that specifies the problem addressed | | by | | | | the project | | | | | | | | Points out why the problem is an issue that requires immediate | | | | attention | | | | | | | | Specifies the target group's needs that arise from the adverse effect | | of | | | | the described problem | | | | | | | | Presents the approach or strategy that will be used to address the | | | | problem | | | | | | | | Describes the capability of the implementing organization or group by | | | | statin its track record | | | | 5. Project Justification | | | | - Provides a rationale for the project | | | | - Includes the problem statement that specifies the problem | | addressed by the project | | | | - Points out why the problem is an issue that requires immediate | | attention | | | | - Specifies the target group's needs that arise from the adverse | | effect of the described problem | | | | - Presents the approach or strategy that will be used to address | | the problem | | | | - Describes the capability of the implementing organization or | | group by stating its track record | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ Writing a Research Report Writing a research report may seem like a daunting task, but if you break down the process into small steps, you will be able to accomplish it effectively. The stages of writing a research report also follow the basic writing process, with the few additions to accommodate and address the different parts of the report. 1. Select and narrow down the topic. Use any of your preferred prewriting activities to generate ideas. 2. Conduct a preliminary research by gathering the initial references. 3. Formulate the thesis statement and research questions. A good thesis statement effectively guides and controls the flow of your paper. 4. Prepare a preliminary outline. 5. Gather additional references. Use the preliminary outline as a guide for this stage. 6. Prepare the pre final outline. 7. Prepare your instruments, such as your questionnaire. Below are some guidelines in preparing a survey instrument. Preparing a Survey Instrument A survey instrument is a document that lists planned questions used to measure attitudes, perceptions, and opinions of the respondents. It contains responses directly related to each specific research questions. It can either be in the form of an interview guide or a questionnaire. A survey instrument usually has four parts: Personal information section for participants/respondents (this is usually optional since, except for disclosing the gender and age and other general demographic information, most participants wish to remain anonymous) Basic questions that establish the eligibility of the participants/respondents Main questions that are directly linked to the research questions. Open-ended questions (optional)