A checklist for completing reports of research
When the author is ready to draft the final sections, it is useful to carefully evaluate the research before submitting it for review. Next, we provide a list of questions to consider when finalizing quantitative research.
About the research problem and questions
When reporting research, the problem and questions need to be clearly stated and presented as part of a theoretical framework. Helpful questions to ask include the following:
·Are the research questions motivated by the literature review /your discussion of the literature?
·Are the research questions clearly formulated and unambiguously worded?
·Are the research questions appropriate for the theoretical framework?
·Why is the central research problem worth investigating? Is the argument for why the study is interesting clearly presented? For example:
·Does the study fill a gap in the literature by addressing a relatively underresearched area or an unresolved problem?
·Does the study address a methodological concern observed in previous research?
·Does the study replicate previous research? If it is a partial replication, is the new element clear and well motivated (e.g., a replication with a different population of learners, in a new context, or with different measures of learning)?
·In general, how does addressing these research questions make an original contribution to the field?
·How have practical constraints that the researcher has faced— such as time, money, availability, and energy limits—impacted the investigation?
·Has the investigation of the research question avoided placing the participants in any physical or psychological danger? That is, are there ethical issues that should be considered/ discussed?
About the research hypotheses
The research hypotheses (if any) also need to be clearly stated and presented as part of a theoretical framework in the research report. It is important to note that not all quantitatively oriented papers specify hypotheses or predictions. If they are included, however, helpful questions to ask include the following: