Chapter 9: Reporting and
Evaluating Research
Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating
Quantitative and Qualitative Research
Edition 5
John W. Creswell
© (2015, 2012, 2008) by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
By the end of this chapter,
you should be able to:
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Define the purpose of a research report
and identify the types
Identify how to structure your research
report
Identify good sensitive, ethical, and
scholarly writing practices
List criteria for evaluating a research
report
Creswell, Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating
Quantitative and Qualitative Research, 5th Ed.
© (2015, 2012, 2008) by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
9-2
Summary
In this learning objective we defined the purpose of a research
report and identify the types. Then we identified how to structure
your research report and identified the good sensitive, ethical, and
scholarly writing practices.
Creswell, Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating
Quantitative and Qualitative Research, 5th Ed.
© (2015, 2012, 2008) by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
9-3
What Is a Research Report?
A research report is a completed study
that reports an investigation or
exploration of a problem, identifies
questions to be addressed, and
includes data collected, analyzed, and
interpreted by the researcher.
Creswell, Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating
Quantitative and Qualitative Research, 5th Ed.
© (2015, 2012, 2008) by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
9-4
The Audience for Your Report
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Audiences have different standards
Audiences for research
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Faculty including advisors or committees
Journal reviewers
Policy makers
Practicing educators
Conference paper reviewers
The researcher
Creswell, Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating
Quantitative and Qualitative Research, 5th Ed.
© (2015, 2012, 2008) by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
9-5
The Types of Research
Reports
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Dissertations and theses
Dissertation and thesis proposals
Journal articles
Conference papers
Conference proposals
Reports for policy makers or school
leaders and personnel
Creswell, Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating
Quantitative and Qualitative Research, 5th Ed.
© (2015, 2012, 2008) by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
9-6
Identifying the Structure of
Research Reports
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Examine:
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The levels of heading in a study
The six steps in the research process
The research questions or hypotheses and
the answers
The structures or different types of reports,
qualitative and quantitative
Creswell, Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating
Quantitative and Qualitative Research, 5th Ed.
© (2015, 2012, 2008) by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
9-7
Structure of a Quantitative and
Qualitative Proposal
Quantitative Format
Qualitative Format
Title page
Abstract
Introduction
Review of the literature
Methods
Timeline, budget, and preliminary
chapter outline
References
Appendices
Title page
Abstract
Introduction
Procedure
Preliminary findings
Anticipated outcomes and tentative
literature review (optional)
Timeline, budget, and preliminary
chapter outline
References
Appendices
Creswell, Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating
Quantitative and Qualitative Research, 5th Ed.
© (2015, 2012, 2008) by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
9-8
Variations in Structure
of a Qualitative Study
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Scientific approach
Storytelling approach
Thematic approach
Descriptive approach
Theoretical approach
Experimental, alternative, or
performance approach
Creswell, Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating
Quantitative and Qualitative Research, 5th Ed.
© (2015, 2012, 2008) by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
9-9
How Do You Write Your Report in a
Sensitive and Scholarly Way?
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Use language that reduces bias
 Describe individuals at an appropriate level
of specificity
 Be sensitive to labels for individuals or
groups
 Acknowledge participation of people in a
study
Creswell, Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating
Quantitative and Qualitative Research, 5th Ed.
© (2015, 2012, 2008) by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
9-10
Writing in a Scholarly Way
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Encode scholarly terms
Use standard quantitative and
qualitative terms appropriately
Balance research and content
Interconnect sections and be consistent
for the reader
Advance a concise title
Creswell, Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating
Quantitative and Qualitative Research, 5th Ed.
© (2015, 2012, 2008) by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
9-11
Ethical Report and Writing
Research
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Report honestly
Share reports with others
Refrain from duplicate and piecemeal
publication of data
Give credit for using someone else’s work
Do not engage in research that represents a
conflict of interest
Give credit for authorship-negotiate early
Creswell, Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating
Quantitative and Qualitative Research, 5th Ed.
© (2015, 2012, 2008) by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
9-12
Evaluating the Quality
of a Research Report
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Does it meet publication standards?
Will it be useful in our school?
Will it advance policy discussions?
Will it add scholarly knowledge about a
topic or research problem?
Will it help address some pressing
educational problem?
Creswell, Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating
Quantitative and Qualitative Research, 5th Ed.
© (2015, 2012, 2008) by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
9-13
Signs of a Poor Quantitative
Research Study
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Validity and reliability of data-gathering
procedures
Inappropriate research design or
problems in research design
Limitations of study not stated
Inappropriate sampling
Creswell, Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating
Quantitative and Qualitative Research, 5th Ed.
© (2015, 2012, 2008) by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
9-14
Signs of a Poor Quantitative
Research Study (cont’d)
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Results of analysis not clearly reported
Inappropriate methods to analyze data
Unclear writing
Assumptions not clearly stated
Data-gathering methods not clearly
described
Creswell, Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating
Quantitative and Qualitative Research, 5th Ed.
© (2015, 2012, 2008) by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
9-15
Three Perspectives on Standards
for Qualitative Research
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The philosophical ideas behind the
research
The procedures of data collection and
analysis
The participatory/advocacy writers’
focus on collaboration and persuasion
Creswell, Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating
Quantitative and Qualitative Research, 5th Ed.
© (2015, 2012, 2008) by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
9-16
Qualitative Standards:
Lincoln’s (1995) Philosophical Criteria
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Standards set in inquiry community
(guidelines for publication)
Positionality (“text” honest and authentic)
Community (serves community purposes)
Voice (participants heard)
Creswell, Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating
Quantitative and Qualitative Research, 5th Ed.
© (2015, 2012, 2008) by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
9-17
Qualitative Standards:
Lincoln’s (1995) Philosophical Criteria
(cont’d)
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Critical subjectivity (researcher heightened selfawareness/creates social transformation)
Reciprocity (between researcher and
participants)
Sacredness of relationships (respect for
participants)
Sharing privileges (sharing of rewards with
participants)
Creswell, Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating
Quantitative and Qualitative Research, 5th Ed.
© (2015, 2012, 2008) by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
9-18
Qualitative Standards:
Creswell’s (2013) Procedural Criteria
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Rigorous data collection (multiple forms, extensive
data)
Consistent with philosophical assumptions of
qualitative research (evolving design, multiple
perspectives)
Employs tradition of inquiry (e.g., case study, grounded
theory, narrative)
Starts with focus on central phenomenon
Written persuasively
Multiple levels of analysis
Narrative engages the reader
Includes strategies to confirm accuracy
Creswell, Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating
Quantitative and Qualitative Research, 5th Ed.
© (2015, 2012, 2008) by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
9-19
Qualitative Standards:
Richardson’s (2000) Participatory
Advocacy Criteria
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Substantive contribution (significant
understanding of social life)
Aesthetic merit (practices open up text,
artistically shaped, not boring)
Reflexivity (adequate self-awareness, selfexposure to reader)
Impact (affects the reader emotionally,
intellectually, moved to action)
Expression of reality (seems “true”)
Creswell, Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating
Quantitative and Qualitative Research, 5th Ed.
© (2015, 2012, 2008) by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
9-20
Process Criteria to Use for All
Research
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Title for the study
Research problem
The literature review
The purpose statement and
questions/hypotheses
The data collection
The data analysis
The report writing
Creswell, Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating
Quantitative and Qualitative Research, 5th Ed.
© (2015, 2012, 2008) by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
9-21