Results Section. The third， and perhaps most important， section of the research report is the presentation of the results obtained from the investigation. The basic rule in this section is to give all data relevant to the research question initially asked. Although， of course， one's natural tendency might be to suppress any findings which do not in some way support one's hypothesis， such dishonesty is antithetical to good research reporting in any field. If the experiments undertaken fail to prove anything， if the data was inadequate or contrary to expectations， the report should be honestly written and as complete as possible， just as it would be if the hypothesis were totally proven by the research.
Discussion Section. The final required section of a research report is a discussion of the results obtained and a statement of any conclusions which may be drawn from those results. Of primary interest in business and technical research reports is the validity of the results as the bases for company decisions： Will our planned construction project meet federal environmental guidelines and be approved for building？ Will this new program attract skilled personnel to our company？ Will this new oil recovery technique be financially feasible？ Thus， the discussion section of the research report must evaluate the research results fully： were they validly obtained， are they complete or limited， are they applicable over a wide range of circumstances？ The discussion section should also point out what question remain unanswered and perhaps suggest directions for further research.
STYLE OF RESEARCH REPORTS
Research reports are considered formal professional communication. As such， there is little emphasis on a lively style， although， of course， there is no objection to writing that is pleasing and interesting. The primary goals of professional communication are accuracy， clarity， and completeness. The rough draft of any research report should be edited to ensure that all data is correctly presented， that all equipment is listed， that all results are properly detailed. As an aid to the reader， headings indicating at least the major section of the report should be used， and all data should be presented under the proper headings. In addition to their function of suggesting to the reader the contents of each section， headings enhance the formal appearance and professional quality of the report， increase to some degree the writer's credibility by reflecting a logical and methodical approach to the reporting process， and eliminate the need for wordy transitional devices between sections.
Research data should be presented in a way that places proper emphasis on major aspect of the project. For different readers different aspects will take on different degrees of importance， and some consideration should be given to structuring research reports differently for different audiences. Management， for example， will be most concerned with the results of a research project， and thus the results section should be emphasized， probably by presenting it immediately after the problem section and before the procedures section. Other researchers would be most interested in the procedures section， and this should be highlighted in writing up research projects for publication in professional journals or for presentation at professional conferences. For non-technical readers and federal agencies， the implications of the results might be the most important consideration， and emphasis should be placed on the discussion of the report for this readership.
For additional clarity and emphasis， major results should be presented in a visual format —— tables， charts， graphs， diagrams —— as well as in a verbal one.
Beyond checking the report for clarity and accuracy in the presentation of technical data， the author of a research report should review for basic grammatical and mechanical accuracy. Short sentences are preferable to long in the presentation of complex information. Listings should be used to break up long passages of prose and to emphasize information. The research writer should try to use the simplest possible language without sacrificing the professional quality of the report. Although specialized terms can be used， pretentious jargon should be avoided. A finished research report should be readable and useful document prepared with the reader in mind.
