Main Points

Research Proposal versus Research Report

• A research proposal communicates a researcher's plan for a study.
• A research report communicates what was actually done in a study, and what resulted.

Major Sections of a Research Proposal or Report

• The main body is the largest section of a proposal or a report and generally includes the problem to be investigated (including the statement of the problem or question, the research hypotheses and variables, and the definition of terms); the review of the literature; the procedures (including a description of the sample, the instruments to be used, the research design, and the procedures to be followed; an identification of threats to internal validity; and a description and a justification of the statistical procedures used); and (in a proposal) a budget of expected costs.
• All sections of a research proposal or a research report should be consistent with one another.

Sections Unique to Research Reports

• The essential difference between a research proposal and a research report is that a research report states what was done rather than what will be done and includes the actual results of the study. Thus, in a report, a description of the findings pertinent to each of the research hypotheses or questions is presented, along with a discussion by the researcher of what the findings of the study imply for overall knowledge and current practice.
• Normally, the final section of a report is the offering of some suggestions for further research.