Write a Research Report

Research means looking for information about a topic, event, or idea beyond what you already know. A research report is a way to organize different sources of information to clearly convey your ideas about a topic to an audience. You can do this by thinking of a controlling idea or topic, which is the main question that you plan to investigate.

Starting in grade 6, students will include a bibliography at the end of their research reports. A bibliography lists the sources where you found your information.

* Students in grade 6 should be sure to read the bibliography section at the bottom of the page.

ELA Standard 2.3 a, b, and c

Pre-Writing

Before you write an information report, ask yourself these questions:

1. What idea, issue, or event do you plan to research? This is your topic, for example water use in California.

2. What specific questions about this idea, issue, or event will you explore in your report? How does California utilize its water resources?

3. Where can you find information to answer your questions? Books, newspapers, the Internet.

You can use the graphic organizer below, Main Idea Multiple Details, to help you get started.


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Writing

Review the information you have collected in your graphic organizer. From these facts and questions, you can develop your topic sentence. The topic sentence should state the subject of your report. It will direct the structure of your report. Remember that the topic sentence doesn't have to be the first sentence. Organize your details into paragraphs that support parts of the topic sentence.

Look at the sample research report below for ideas.

Cortes

Editing

Read your research report again carefully. You might even show it to a friend or a teacher. You and your friend or teacher should read the report and decide:

  1. Does the information report have a topic sentence?
  2. Does the topic sentence state the subject of the report?
  3. Does the report develop the topic by answering some of the questions raised in the first paragraph?

Rewrite your research report so that you address each of your questions and support your topic sentence with facts and details.

You should also edit your work by checking:

  1. Spelling: make sure all words are spelled correctly.
  2. Grammar: make sure that you have written in complete sentences, with commas and periods in the right places.
  3. Accuracy: make sure you have used at least two reliable sources of information
  4. Ask your teacher for instructions on listing your sources in a bibliography. See the bottom of this page for an explanation and examples.

Final Draft

Copy out the final version of your book report in your best handwriting or print it out on a computer. Read through your final draft twice. The first time, check that the book report is exactly the way you want it. The second time, check that there are no spelling or punctuation errors. Be sure to put your name, the date and title on the first page. Now, you can share your research report with your friends! You can read your friends' research reports too.

Bibliography

A bibliography is where you list the sources of information you based your report on. It should follow a specific format depending on the type of source. Refer to the examples below.

Book:

Kimmel, Eric, and Daniel San Souci. Montezuma and the Fall of the Aztecs. New York: Holiday House, 2000.

Article:

Golden, Frederic. "Poetry, Serpents and Sacrifice." TIME Magazine. August 16, 1982.

Internet source:

Empires Past: Aztecs: Conquest. ThinkQuest. March 9, 2005.

Hernan Cortes Arrives in Mexico. PBS. March 9, 2005