Business research report is the same as academic report. What it aims is to research a topic of specific areas to collect more and more information. The topics may be product development research, Marketing, and a budget research etc. The purpose of the research report is to provide information or data on any specific areas or a subject. This business research can either be external or internal. For example, if a research report is on customer services the researchers will fill the questionnaires from customers on their consent and it is known as external business research report. Business research report that completed its research process within the organization is called internal business research report.

Business research provides an opportunity to demonstrate one’s research skills in business. The members work together in an organization in order to research a specific topic regarding organization with the aim to improve the business operation and management. The main purpose of the research report is to

Search for data and then understand it

Add the conversation of other authors

To learn how others utilize primary and secondary sources in your field

How to Write a Business Research Report

While writing a report following guidelines should be considered. Read carefully the instructions for: Title Page, Format for the Written Research Report, Evaluation of the Written Research Report, Checklist Standards, and Written Entry Checklist are really important to consider.

The first page of the business research report is the title page with the following list:

Name of Institute

Name of Advisory

Advisory’s Address

City, State/Province, ZIP or Postal Code

Participant(s) Name(s) and Address

City, State/Province, ZIP or Postal Code

Date

There should be no page number on the title page. But the title page should be included in the number of 15 pages of the report. The page after the title page should be numbered 2 and it should be added for advisory or supervisor signatures.

For a Business research report, it is really important to follow the organizational pattern. This pattern might include the following sections:

Introduction,

Method section

Results section

Discussion

Conclusions and Recommendations

Reference list

The research report follows the way from general to specific. The introduction section is general to specific in its approach while the method section is more specific that support the generalizations of the introduction section. The discussion section is general, leading to the conclusion, which is again general in nature.

Let’s have a look on every section in detail.

Introduction

Usually students consider that they will start their research report by creating the structured introduction. Not every student starts with the introduction, because to write a structured introduction one needs to have enough information, but no one can get such enough information at the start that is why the introduction section is written at the end. Introduction is mainly divided in three parts.

How to present the problem?

What is the purpose of the research report?

Summary of researcher opinions

As it is a fact that a concerned introduction is the layout of the whole business research report. In the first part of the introduction section, the problem statement is written which helps to assume the research question. Draw a background of your problem and write the literature review regarding your problem to mention the readers that how your research fits into the conversation about the ongoing topic. You have to mention that how previous studies were unable to solve the problem along with mentioning the benefits of solving problem.

At the end of the introduction, you have to provide, the studies to help your readers to forecast the results and discussion of your report.

Method Section

In method section, you have to describe what methods you are going to use in your business research report. Also here you have to mention the materials you have generated such as interviews and questionnaires to collect the data. If you have performed an experiment for data collection, you have to mention that one too. Take help from your seniors or research supervisors and always remember that method section is written in the past tense.

Result Section

Result section depends on the type of research being conducted. If your research was the qualitative one, then you will have to present your results in the form of graphs and charts. Quantitative research includes representation of quantities. If you are unfamiliar with the quantitative arrangements, it will be difficult to represent your results. You should add any alternative way to make it easy for your readers to understand about your results. There is no such difference between results and discussion section. Sometimes you have to just present your results in a simple, way, but most of the time you have to evaluate and analyze your results. Brief instructions or explanations can be mentioned in a form of table in qualitative research. Such type of explanatory information is present in Essay type of Reports.

There are some rules to be followed while creating charts and graphs for the arrangement of information. You have to present these results only when you are sure that your reader will easily understand them, never show confused results. Also, explain your graphic representation by numbers with a descriptive caption. Here’s the thing that is also important to know that the result section is also written in the past tense.

Discussion

Your discussion should generalize what you have presented in your whole report. To generalize your findings explain the meanings of your results. Also give your feedback and then refer to the statements made in the introduction. Avoid discussing new ideas and giving extra details. This section and introduction section, both are written in the present tense.

Conclusions and Recommendations

At the end of every business research report, there is a part of conclusions and recommendations. The conclusion should be about one paragraph as it unites the discussion and the result of a whole business research report, and whereas a recommendation shows in a separate section. Conclusions and recommendations both are written in the present tense.

References List

Business research report is of course incomplete without references. References are always presented at the end of the research report. It is necessary to mention the sources you have used in your report in the form of list called reference list.