what to write in recommendations of report

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.

• Knowledge Base
• Research paper
• How to Write Recommendations in Research | Examples & Tips

How to Write Recommendations in Research | Examples & Tips

Published on September 15, 2022 by Tegan George . Revised on July 18, 2023.

Recommendations in research are a crucial component of your discussion section and the conclusion of your thesis , dissertation , or research paper .

As you conduct your research and analyze the data you collected , perhaps there are ideas or results that don’t quite fit the scope of your research topic. Or, maybe your results suggest that there are further implications of your results or the causal relationships between previously-studied variables than covered in extant research.

Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text

Upload your document to correct all your mistakes in minutes

Table of contents

What should recommendations look like, building your research recommendation, how should your recommendations be written, recommendation in research example, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about recommendations.

Recommendations for future research should be:

• Concrete and specific
• Supported with a clear rationale
• Directly connected to your research

Overall, strive to highlight ways other researchers can reproduce or replicate your results to draw further conclusions, and suggest different directions that future research can take, if applicable.

Relatedly, when making these recommendations, avoid:

• Undermining your own work, but rather offer suggestions on how future studies can build upon it
• Suggesting recommendations actually needed to complete your argument, but rather ensure that your research stands alone on its own merits
• Using recommendations as a place for self-criticism, but rather as a natural extension point for your work

Scribbr Citation Checker New

The AI-powered Citation Checker helps you avoid common mistakes such as:

• Missing commas and periods
• Incorrect usage of “et al.”
• Ampersands (&) in narrative citations
• Missing reference entries

There are many different ways to frame recommendations, but the easiest is perhaps to follow the formula of research question   conclusion  recommendation. Here’s an example.

Conclusion An important condition for controlling many social skills is mastering language. If children have a better command of language, they can express themselves better and are better able to understand their peers. Opportunities to practice social skills are thus dependent on the development of language skills.

As a rule of thumb, try to limit yourself to only the most relevant future recommendations: ones that stem directly from your work. While you can have multiple recommendations for each research conclusion, it is also acceptable to have one recommendation that is connected to more than one conclusion.

These recommendations should be targeted at your audience, specifically toward peers or colleagues in your field that work on similar subjects to your paper or dissertation topic . They can flow directly from any limitations you found while conducting your work, offering concrete and actionable possibilities for how future research can build on anything that your own work was unable to address at the time of your writing.

See below for a full research recommendation example that you can use as a template to write your own.

If you want to know more about AI for academic writing, AI tools, or research bias, make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

Research bias

• Survivorship bias
• Self-serving bias
• Availability heuristic
• Halo effect
• Hindsight bias
• Deep learning
• Generative AI
• Machine learning
• Reinforcement learning
• Supervised vs. unsupervised learning

 (AI) Tools

• Grammar Checker
• Paraphrasing Tool
• Text Summarizer
• AI Detector
• Plagiarism Checker
• Citation Generator

While it may be tempting to present new arguments or evidence in your thesis or disseration conclusion , especially if you have a particularly striking argument you’d like to finish your analysis with, you shouldn’t. Theses and dissertations follow a more formal structure than this.

All your findings and arguments should be presented in the body of the text (more specifically in the discussion section and results section .) The conclusion is meant to summarize and reflect on the evidence and arguments you have already presented, not introduce new ones.

The conclusion of your thesis or dissertation should include the following:

• A restatement of your research question
• A summary of your key arguments and/or results
• A short discussion of the implications of your research

For a stronger dissertation conclusion , avoid including:

• Important evidence or analysis that wasn’t mentioned in the discussion section and results section
• Generic concluding phrases (e.g. “In conclusion …”)
• Weak statements that undermine your argument (e.g., “There are good points on both sides of this issue.”)

Your conclusion should leave the reader with a strong, decisive impression of your work.

In a thesis or dissertation, the discussion is an in-depth exploration of the results, going into detail about the meaning of your findings and citing relevant sources to put them in context.

The conclusion is more shorter and more general: it concisely answers your main research question and makes recommendations based on your overall findings.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

George, T. (2023, July 18). How to Write Recommendations in Research | Examples & Tips. Scribbr. Retrieved July 4, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/dissertation/recommendations-in-research/

Is this article helpful?

Tegan George

Other students also liked, how to write a discussion section | tips & examples, how to write a thesis or dissertation conclusion, how to write a results section | tips & examples, what is your plagiarism score.

• How to Cite
• Language & Lit
• Rhyme & Rhythm
• The Rewrite
• Search Glass

How to Write Recommendations in a Report

The recommendations section of any report is important because it calls people to action based on the evidence that has been gathered and analyzed in the report. It needs to be actionable, specific and make sense as a solution to the problems detailed in the report. Some readers will skip the report and turn directly to the recommendations section, which represents the essence of the report’s work, so you need to take special care with clarity and correctness.

Review the body of the report for conclusions and fashion recommendations based on them. The recommendations section should flow logically and directly from information in the body.

Put recommendations in a numbered or bulleted list format. If action is imperative, list them in order of priority so that decision makers know which items need attention first. If recommendations are of equal importance, list them in the same order that they occurred in the body of the report.

Categorize the list, if it is long and items within it fall into logical groupings. For example, one part of the list might need action from educators and another part by administrators. You could divide the list into two categories, depending on who should perform each action. Also, if different situations in the future demand different recommendations, you can separate the list to account for these contingencies.

Write one-sentence recommendations, starting with actionable verbs and using concise language. While you may follow that sentence with some details, reminding the audience what motivates the recommendation, the body of the report itself has already done that work. It is more important to cut through the verbiage and give the audience clear, easy to understand actions. To recommend implies that there will be some action, so starting with a verb reinforces this.

Include an action plan for each recommendation if this fits the scope of the report. Often someone will commission or design a report simply to list possible solutions, not to investigate how to implement them. However, if a conference that explored recommendations and how to put them into effect, for example, was the basis of the report, the recommendations section would reflect this. It would include sub lists or sentences explaining the action and how to achieve it.

Reread the section repeatedly, checking for clarity, grammar and punctuation flaws.

• On Technical Writing
• Inside Aerospace: Report and Recommendations
• Weber State University

Mark Saga has been a writer and teacher since 1984. His writing about the US Navy has appeared at navyshipnews.com. Saga has also sold extensively on eBay and Amazon, specializing in books and paper. He holds a Bachelor of Arts and an Master of Arts in English from Northern Illinois University.

Blog >> How to Write a Recommendation Report + Recommendation Report Template!

How to Write a Recommendation Report + Recommendation Report Template!

Making decisions requires the vigilant evaluation of options.   A recommendation report proposes multiple potential solutions to a problem and concludes by recommending the best one. Compared to  white papers , recommendation reports are more overtly persuasive, since they make a final recommendation that is informed by research and evidence. Read our advice all the way to end to download our free recommendation report template. Or better yet, if you’re ready to level-up your professional writing game, definitely check out our expert-crafted  recommendation report template pack —an exclusive item in our   Templates for Busy Professionals™  series.

Watch our video about the reasons why you should write a recommendation report plus get a sneak-peak into our templates. If you’re ready to propel your professional potential, be sure to check out our online, on-demand writing course,   Wordsmith: A Grammar & Writing Course for Busy Professionals . Now let’s jump into recommendation reports…

What sections are typically included in a recommendation report?

Executive summary.

Begin with an “executive summary” that briefly introduces and summarizes your purpose for writing this report. This section establishes reader expectations for what is to follow. Make sure to state clearly here your reasons for writing this report, and what is contained within the report.

Problem Statement

All recommendation reports address a real and important problem. The Problem Statement is perhaps the most important part of the report because it articulates this problem clearly, providing a strong sense of need for the options you will explore in the rest of the report. The Problem Statement is where you justify the purpose of this report.

To justify the options you recommend, you must first understand the specific needs of the business, organization, or stakeholders you are writing for (i.e. What does the organization need? Why? What is the background of this problem? Who are the major stakeholders? What has been tried in the past? Why didn’t it work?). Your Problem Statement will serve as your introduction to the options discussed in this report.

Description of Options

This is the heart of a recommendation report. In this section, you describe a set number of possible ideas (typically 3) for solving the problem cited at the beginning of your report. Your ideas should be creative and well-planned.  Each option (which should be described in 1-2 paragraphs) should include the following information:

• a cohesive, comprehensive overview of this option/idea;
• information about how this option answers the need cited at the beginning of your report;
• specific details about how this idea could be implemented; and
• justifications as to why this option will work.

Evaluation Criteria & Evaluations of Each Option

After describing the three options, you should outline criteria for evaluating those options. The criteria should be based on the information outlined in your Statement of Need. After listing and justifying evaluation criteria, you should evaluate each option based on its ability to answer your criteria.

Final Recommendation

After describing and evaluating your options, you will recommend the one you think is best and provide a discussion of the reasons why you recommend it. In other words, defend your recommendation thoroughly in this section.

The conclusion to a recommendation report should re-emphasize the final recommendation and offer suggestions about how the audience/reader could move toward implementation.

Works Cited

Recommendation reports sometimes require in-depth research that can range from conducting interviews and surveys to reading peer-reviewed journal articles or other related documents. You should cite this information so that future readers can find the articles and resources you used. The citation style you use should be based on the industry you’re writing for; the chemical industry will expect ACS Style, medical professionals will expect AMA, humanities audiences will expect MLA, social sciences will expect APA, and so on.

Point of View: Should I Use Third Person or First Person?

Like most business reports, this should be written professionally. This usually means avoiding too much personal narrative, and instead relying on third person. For example (third person): “This report overviews three options for community partnership with Feed My Starving Children.” However, it is perfectly fine to use the collective first person sparingly throughout the report, especially to indicate something practical that you did. For example (collective first person): “ We  designed this campaign with a special emphasis on bold color in order to draw the viewer’s attention to the innocence of childhood imagination, and in order to contrast that with the hopelessness of hunger.” OR “In this report,  we  overview three options…” Notice that these three examples are not opinionated (as one might fear when using first person). Instead, they merely acknowledge that  a real, living, breathing human wrote this report and developed these options.  For this reason, first person is great when it’s used for these rhetorical purposes.

Get Our Recommendation Report Templates!

If you’re ready to start building a professional-quality recommendation report, be sure to get our   Recommendation Report Template Pack —a robust set of highly designed report templates with expert writing advice built right in. If you’ve ever found yourself needing to argue for a specific course of action in your organization, a recommendation report will help you analyze a problem, product, population, or process and make clear recommendations about the best path forward.

Recommended Readings

Here are some of our favorite resources on recommendation reports:

• Dr. T. Miles’ Recommendation Report
• NASA Education Recommendation Report 

Learn more about our online business writing courses.

Related Content

Untold Announces Launch of Narratize, an AI-Powered Storytelling Platform

Untold announced the launch of Narratize, an AI-powered storytelling platform that drives innovation success by effectively and efficiently transforming scientific, technical, and medical insights into compelling stories. Narratize was created to help busy innovators to connect, communicate, and innovate through the power of story.

Nailing Your Message-Market Fit

Find your message-market fit to ensure that even in a sea of content, you stand out with validated claims and evidence-based insights.

3 Tips for Building a Strong Innovation Pitch

Based on our research and work helping innovators build their pitch narratives, here are our 3 Tips for Building a Strong Inovation pitch.

Innovation Storytelling Framework: The Hero’s Journey

The Hero’s Journey story framework details a journey that transforms the main character and the world they impact. See how it’s used in innovation.

View our offerings

Meet our team.

[email protected]

(859) 866-1916

© 2020 Untold. All right reserved.

Privacy Policy          Terms of Service

• Table of Contents

Collaboration

Information literacy, writing process.

• Recommendation Reports
• © 2023 by Joseph M. Moxley , Julie Staggers - Washington State University

Recommendation reports are texts that advise audiences about the best ways to solve a problem. Recommendation reports are a type of formal report that is widely used across disciplines and professions. Subject Matter Experts aim to make recommendations based on the best available theory, research and practice.

Different disciplines and professions have different research methods for assessing knowledge claims and defining knowledge . Thus, there is no one perfect way to write a recommendation report.

As always, when composing—especially when you’re planning your report—it’s strategic to focus on your audience, rhetorical analysis, and rhetorical reasoning. At center, keep the focus on what you want your audience to feel, think, and do.

While writers, speakers, and knowledge workers . . . may choose a variety of ways to organize their reports, below are some fairly traditional sections to formal recommendations reports:

• Letter of transmittal
• Problem Definition
• Potential solutions to the problem
• Empirical Research Methods used to investigate the problem
• Recommendations
• List of Illustrations

Report Body

Note: your specific rhetorical context will determine what headings you use in your Recommendation Report. That said, the following sections are fairly typical for this genre, and they are required, as appropriate, for this assignment.

Report back matter

Collect material for the appendices as you go. The report back matter will include:

• Bibliography, which is sometimes referred to as Works Cited or References (Use a citation format appropriate for your field (APA, MLA, Chicago, IEEE, etc.)
• Appendices, if necessary (e.g., letters of support, financial projections)

Formatting and design

Employ a professional writing style throughout, including:

• Page layout: Appropriate to audience, purpose, and context. 8.5 x 11 with 1-inch margins is a fail-safe default.
• Typography: Choose business-friendly fonts appropriate to your audience, purpose, and context; Arial for headers and Times New Roman for body text is a safe, neutral default.
• Headings and subheadings: Use a numbered heading and subheading system, formatted using the Styles function on your word processor.
• Bulleted and numbered lists: Use lists that are formatted correctly using the list buttons on your word processor with a blank line before the first bullet and after the last bullet
• Graphics and figures: Support data findings and arguments with appropriate visuals – charts, tables, graphics;  Include numbered titles and captions
• Page numbering: use lower-case Roman numerals for pages before the table of contents, Arabic numerals; no page number on the TOC.

Additional Resources

• Final Reports by Angela Eward-Mangione   and Katherine McGee
• Professional Writing Style

Brevity - Say More with Less

Clarity (in Speech and Writing)

Coherence - How to Achieve Coherence in Writing

Flow - How to Create Flow in Writing

Inclusivity - Inclusive Language

The Elements of Style - The DNA of Powerful Writing

Recommended

Academic Writing – How to Write for the Academic Community

Structured Revision – How to Revise Your Work

Professional Writing – How to Write for the Professional World

Credibility & Authority – How to Be Credible & Authoritative in Research, Speech & Writing

Citation Guide – Learn How to Cite Sources in Academic and Professional Writing

Page Design – How to Design Messages for Maximum Impact

Suggested edits.

• Please select the purpose of your message. * - Corrections, Typos, or Edits Technical Support/Problems using the site Advertising with Writing Commons Copyright Issues I am contacting you about something else
• Your full name
• Your email address *
• Page URL needing edits *
• Phone This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Other Topics:

Citation - Definition - Introduction to Citation in Academic & Professional Writing

• Joseph M. Moxley

Explore the different ways to cite sources in academic and professional writing, including in-text (Parenthetical), numerical, and note citations.

Collaboration - What is the Role of Collaboration in Academic & Professional Writing?

Collaboration refers to the act of working with others or AI to solve problems, coauthor texts, and develop products and services. Collaboration is a highly prized workplace competency in academic...

Genre may reference a type of writing, art, or musical composition; socially-agreed upon expectations about how writers and speakers should respond to particular rhetorical situations; the cultural values; the epistemological assumptions...

Grammar refers to the rules that inform how people and discourse communities use language (e.g., written or spoken English, body language, or visual language) to communicate. Learn about the rhetorical...

Information Literacy - Discerning Quality Information from Noise

Information Literacy refers to the competencies associated with locating, evaluating, using, and archiving information. In order to thrive, much less survive in a global information economy — an economy where information functions as a...

Mindset refers to a person or community’s way of feeling, thinking, and acting about a topic. The mindsets you hold, consciously or subconsciously, shape how you feel, think, and act–and...

Rhetoric: Exploring Its Definition and Impact on Modern Communication

Learn about rhetoric and rhetorical practices (e.g., rhetorical analysis, rhetorical reasoning,  rhetorical situation, and rhetorical stance) so that you can strategically manage how you compose and subsequently produce a text...

Style, most simply, refers to how you say something as opposed to what you say. The style of your writing matters because audiences are unlikely to read your work or...

The Writing Process - Research on Composing

The writing process refers to everything you do in order to complete a writing project. Over the last six decades, researchers have studied and theorized about how writers go about...

Writing Studies

Writing studies refers to an interdisciplinary community of scholars and researchers who study writing. Writing studies also refers to an academic, interdisciplinary discipline – a subject of study. Students in...

Featured Articles

Steps to Take in Writing a Recommendation Report

• ')" data-event="social share" data-info="Pinterest" aria-label="Share on Pinterest">
• ')" data-event="social share" data-info="Reddit" aria-label="Share on Reddit">
• ')" data-event="social share" data-info="Flipboard" aria-label="Share on Flipboard">

How to Write a Needs Assessment Report

How to write an executive summary on ethics in the workplace, how to properly format for an interoffice memo.

• What Are the Duties of a Call Center Human Resources Manager?
• How to Write a Business Requirements Document

Writing a recommendation report usually involves describing a situation, evaluating possible alternatives and proposing a solution to a problem. The final report should include clear, precise and evidence-based fndings and recommendations. Whether you’re writing a project, performance or risk assessment, clearly stating the facts makes it easier for others to reach a decision based on your research.

Selecting a Format

A comprehensive recommendation report typically includes a table of contents, executive summary, data acquisition methodology, options and conclusions. You can download a business recommendation template or create your own document or presentation format. Additionally, you can provide attachments with details or include links to websites with relevant information. Select a format that is best suited to the type of report you are writing.

Describing the Situation

The goal of the recommendation report is to outline helpful recommendations that can fulfill a need or resolve a vexing problem, according to the University of Arkansas . When writing a recommendation report, start by clearly stating what you’re evaluating. This sets the tone. For example, if you need to create a report on absenteeism at your company, start by listing statistics about the problem. Then add commentary about its impact. For example, absenteeism might lead to decreased productivity, missed deadlines and lowered customer satisfaction.

Conducting Research

In your recommendation, you need to define the methodology used to collect data. For example, you might create an online survey, conduct focus groups, complete interviews or read literature on the subject. This activity helps you find out what other people think about the topic and what actions they may be taking based on their own experiences. For example, you might discover that employees at your company may miss work repeatedly due to caregiver obligations, poor health or transportation problems. Analyze the situation thoroughly before drawing any conclusions. For instance, you can use analysis techniques such as drawing a fishbone diagram to determine the root cause of the problem.

Qualifying Alternatives

After you lay out the problem, you may go on to suggest viable solutions, as explained by professor T. Miles at West Virginia University. In writing research recommendations, recall what factors should be considered For example, when writing a recommendation report about employee development needs, list options for developing professional skills, such as effective communication, negotiation and decision making. Your recommendation report may also include details about past interventions and results.

Summarizing Findings

Summarize your findings from your research using concise charts, lists and diagrams. This makes it easier for your superiors to interpret your recommendation and draw their own conclusions. For example, you may find that employees fail to recognize the impact of their absenteeism. Promoting awareness can increase attendance and maintain appropriate coverage.

Your recommendations should have specific, measurable and achievable actions defined. They should also be realistic and time constrained. A recommendation might suggest design, distribution and display by the end of the month of posters in the workplace that highlight incentives and punishments, for instance.

• West Virginia University: Recommendation Report
• Microsoft Office Templates: Business Report (Elegant)
• University of Arkansas: Recommendation Report

Related Articles

How to make a report cover letter, how to write a memo of transmittal, how to handle being reprimanded at work, differences between short-term & long-term projects, how to cite an attachment in a business letter, how to suggest an idea in the workplace, how to maintain objectivity in a performance appraisal, how to write a due diligence report, how to write a report to the boss, most popular.

• 1 How to Make a Report Cover Letter
• 2 How to Write a Memo of Transmittal
• 3 How to Handle Being Reprimanded at Work
• 4 Differences Between Short-Term & Long-Term Projects

In order to continue enjoying our site, we ask that you confirm your identity as a human. Thank you very much for your cooperation.

Research Recommendations – Guiding policy-makers for evidence-based decision making

Research recommendations play a crucial role in guiding scholars and researchers toward fruitful avenues of exploration. In an era marked by rapid technological advancements and an ever-expanding knowledge base, refining the process of generating research recommendations becomes imperative.

But, what is a research recommendation?

Research recommendations are suggestions or advice provided to researchers to guide their study on a specific topic . They are typically given by experts in the field. Research recommendations are more action-oriented and provide specific guidance for decision-makers, unlike implications that are broader and focus on the broader significance and consequences of the research findings. However, both are crucial components of a research study.

Difference Between Research Recommendations and Implication

Although research recommendations and implications are distinct components of a research study, they are closely related. The differences between them are as follows:

Types of Research Recommendations

Recommendations in research can take various forms, which are as follows:

These recommendations aim to assist researchers in navigating the vast landscape of academic knowledge.

Let us dive deeper to know about its key components and the steps to write an impactful research recommendation.

Key Components of Research Recommendations

The key components of research recommendations include defining the research question or objective, specifying research methods, outlining data collection and analysis processes, presenting results and conclusions, addressing limitations, and suggesting areas for future research. Here are some characteristics of research recommendations:

Research recommendations offer various advantages and play a crucial role in ensuring that research findings contribute to positive outcomes in various fields. However, they also have few limitations which highlights the significance of a well-crafted research recommendation in offering the promised advantages.

The importance of research recommendations ranges in various fields, influencing policy-making, program development, product development, marketing strategies, medical practice, and scientific research. Their purpose is to transfer knowledge from researchers to practitioners, policymakers, or stakeholders, facilitating informed decision-making and improving outcomes in different domains.

How to Write Research Recommendations?

Research recommendations can be generated through various means, including algorithmic approaches, expert opinions, or collaborative filtering techniques. Here is a step-wise guide to build your understanding on the development of research recommendations.

1. Understand the Research Question:

Understand the research question and objectives before writing recommendations. Also, ensure that your recommendations are relevant and directly address the goals of the study.

2. Review Existing Literature:

Familiarize yourself with relevant existing literature to help you identify gaps , and offer informed recommendations that contribute to the existing body of research.

3. Consider Research Methods:

Evaluate the appropriateness of different research methods in addressing the research question. Also, consider the nature of the data, the study design, and the specific objectives.

4. Identify Data Collection Techniques:

Gather dataset from diverse authentic sources. Include information such as keywords, abstracts, authors, publication dates, and citation metrics to provide a rich foundation for analysis.

5. Propose Data Analysis Methods:

Suggest appropriate data analysis methods based on the type of data collected. Consider whether statistical analysis, qualitative analysis, or a mixed-methods approach is most suitable.

6. Consider Limitations and Ethical Considerations:

Acknowledge any limitations and potential ethical considerations of the study. Furthermore, address these limitations or mitigate ethical concerns to ensure responsible research.

7. Justify Recommendations:

Explain how your recommendation contributes to addressing the research question or objective. Provide a strong rationale to help researchers understand the importance of following your suggestions.

8. Summarize Recommendations:

Provide a concise summary at the end of the report to emphasize how following these recommendations will contribute to the overall success of the research project.

By following these steps, you can create research recommendations that are actionable and contribute meaningfully to the success of the research project.

Download now to unlock some tips to improve your journey of writing research recommendations.

Example of a Research Recommendation

Here is an example of a research recommendation based on a hypothetical research to improve your understanding.

Research Recommendation: Enhancing Student Learning through Integrated Learning Platforms

Background:

The research study investigated the impact of an integrated learning platform on student learning outcomes in high school mathematics classes. The findings revealed a statistically significant improvement in student performance and engagement when compared to traditional teaching methods.

Recommendation:

In light of the research findings, it is recommended that educational institutions consider adopting and integrating the identified learning platform into their mathematics curriculum. The following specific recommendations are provided:

• Implementation of the Integrated Learning Platform:

Schools are encouraged to adopt the integrated learning platform in mathematics classrooms, ensuring proper training for teachers on its effective utilization.

• Professional Development for Educators:

Develop and implement professional programs to train educators in the effective use of the integrated learning platform to address any challenges teachers may face during the transition.

• Monitoring and Evaluation:

Establish a monitoring and evaluation system to track the impact of the integrated learning platform on student performance over time.

• Resource Allocation:

Allocate sufficient resources, both financial and technical, to support the widespread implementation of the integrated learning platform.

By implementing these recommendations, educational institutions can harness the potential of the integrated learning platform and enhance student learning experiences and academic achievements in mathematics.

This example covers the components of a research recommendation, providing specific actions based on the research findings, identifying the target audience, and outlining practical steps for implementation.

Using AI in Research Recommendation Writing

Enhancing research recommendations is an ongoing endeavor that requires the integration of cutting-edge technologies, collaborative efforts, and ethical considerations. By embracing data-driven approaches and leveraging advanced technologies, the research community can create more effective and personalized recommendation systems. However, it is accompanied by several limitations. Therefore, it is essential to approach the use of AI in research with a critical mindset, and complement its capabilities with human expertise and judgment.

Here are some limitations of integrating AI in writing research recommendation and some ways on how to counter them.

1. Data Bias

AI systems rely heavily on data for training. If the training data is biased or incomplete, the AI model may produce biased results or recommendations.

How to tackle: Audit regularly the model’s performance to identify any discrepancies and adjust the training data and algorithms accordingly.

2. Lack of Understanding of Context:

AI models may struggle to understand the nuanced context of a particular research problem. They may misinterpret information, leading to inaccurate recommendations.

How to tackle: Use AI to characterize research articles and topics. Employ them to extract features like keywords, authorship patterns and content-based details.

3. Ethical Considerations:

AI models might stereotype certain concepts or generate recommendations that could have negative consequences for certain individuals or groups.

How to tackle: Incorporate user feedback mechanisms to reduce redundancies. Establish an ethics review process for AI models in research recommendation writing.

4. Lack of Creativity and Intuition:

AI may struggle with tasks that require a deep understanding of the underlying principles or the ability to think outside the box.

How to tackle: Hybrid approaches can be employed by integrating AI in data analysis and identifying patterns for accelerating the data interpretation process.

5. Interpretability:

Many AI models, especially complex deep learning models, lack transparency on how the model arrived at a particular recommendation.

How to tackle: Implement models like decision trees or linear models. Provide clear explanation of the model architecture, training process, and decision-making criteria.

6. Dynamic Nature of Research:

Research fields are dynamic, and new information is constantly emerging. AI models may struggle to keep up with the rapidly changing landscape and may not be able to adapt to new developments.

How to tackle: Establish a feedback loop for continuous improvement. Regularly update the recommendation system based on user feedback and emerging research trends.

The integration of AI in research recommendation writing holds great promise for advancing knowledge and streamlining the research process. However, navigating these concerns is pivotal in ensuring the responsible deployment of these technologies. Researchers need to understand the use of responsible use of AI in research and must be aware of the ethical considerations.

Exploring research recommendations plays a critical role in shaping the trajectory of scientific inquiry. It serves as a compass, guiding researchers toward more robust methodologies, collaborative endeavors, and innovative approaches. Embracing these suggestions not only enhances the quality of individual studies but also contributes to the collective advancement of human understanding.

Frequently Asked Questions

The purpose of recommendations in research is to provide practical and actionable suggestions based on the study's findings, guiding future actions, policies, or interventions in a specific field or context. Recommendations bridges the gap between research outcomes and their real-world application.

To make a research recommendation, analyze your findings, identify key insights, and propose specific, evidence-based actions. Include the relevance of the recommendations to the study's objectives and provide practical steps for implementation.

Begin a recommendation by succinctly summarizing the key findings of the research. Clearly state the purpose of the recommendation and its intended impact. Use a direct and actionable language to convey the suggested course of action.

Rate this article Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Enago Academy's Most Popular Articles

• Career Corner
• Reporting Research

How to Create a Poster That Stands Out: Tips for a smooth poster presentation

It was the conference season. Judy was excited to present her first poster! She had…

• Diversity and Inclusion
• Industry News

6 Reasons Why There is a Decline in Higher Education Enrollment: Action plan to overcome this crisis

Over the past decade, colleges and universities across the globe have witnessed a concerning trend…

Academic Essay Writing Made Simple: 4 types and tips

The pen is mightier than the sword, they say, and nowhere is this more evident…

Ensuring Academic Integrity and Transparency in Academic Research: A comprehensive checklist for researchers

Academic integrity is the foundation upon which the credibility and value of scientific findings are…

• Publishing News

Unified AI Guidelines Crucial as Academic Writing Embraces Generative Tools

As generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT are advancing at an accelerating pace, their…

How to Effectively Cite a PDF (APA, MLA, AMA, and Chicago Style)

How to Optimize Your Research Process: A step-by-step guide

Sign-up to read more

Subscribe for free to get unrestricted access to all our resources on research writing and academic publishing including:

• 2000+ blog articles
• 50+ Webinars
• 10+ Expert podcasts
• 50+ Infographics
• 10+ Checklists
• Research Guides

We hate spam too. We promise to protect your privacy and never spam you.

I am looking for Editing/ Proofreading services for my manuscript Tentative date of next journal submission:

What would be most effective in reducing research misconduct?

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

12.5 Recommendation Reports

Recommendation reports provide carefully studied opinions and recommendations. This type of report starts from a stated need, a selection of choices, or both and then recommends one, some, or none. For example, a company might be looking at grammar-checking software and want a recommendation on which product is the best. As the report writer on this project, you could study the market for this type of application and recommend one particular product, a couple of products (differing perhaps in their strengths and their weaknesses), or none (maybe none of them are any good). The recommendation report answers the question “Which option should we choose?” (or in some cases “Which are the best options?) by recommending Product A, or maybe both Products A and B, or none of the products.

Organizational Plans for Recommendation Reports

Recommendation reports are generally organized in one of two ways (see Figure 12.1):

• Traditional plan: You start with background and requirements, then move to comparisons, and end with conclusions and recommendations.
• Executive plan : This one moves the conclusions and recommendations to the front of the report and pitches the full discussion of background, requirements, and the comparisons into appendices. That way, the “busy executive” can see the most important information right away, and turn to the detailed discussion only if there are questions.

Typical Contents of Recommendation Reports

The structural principle fundamental to this type of report is this: you provide not only your recommendation, choice, or judgment, but also the data and the conclusions leading up to it. That way, readers can check your findings, your logic, and your conclusions and come up with a completely different view. But, more likely, they will be convinced by all your careful research and documentation. The report can be organized using the Whole to Whole approach from Activity 12.5 or the Point by Point approach shown in Activity 12.6. Both approaches will be discussed in more detail in the next section.

Activity 12.5 | Recommendation Report- Whole to Whole Approach- Reproduced with permission from T. Akar (2019)

Introduction

In the introduction, indicate the purpose of the report: discuss the problem, need, or opportunity that has brought about the report. In addition, briefly explain the data collection method.

Significance of Situation

Explain how this problem or situation affects your organization and the importance of finding a solution. Do research to build a strong argument around the impact of the problem.

Requirements and Criteria

A critical part of recommendation reports is the discussion of the requirements you’ll use to reach the final decision or recommendation. For example, if you’re trying to recommend a tablet computer for use by employees, your requirements are likely to involve size, cost, hard-disk storage, display quality, durability, and battery function.

The requirements section should also discuss how important the individual requirements are in relation to each other. Picture the typical situation where no one option is best in all categories of comparison. One option is cheaper; another has more functions; one has better ease-of-use ratings; another is known to be more durable. Set up your requirements so that they dictate a “winner” from a situation where there is no obvious winner.

Discussion of the Options

In certain kinds of recommendation reports, you’ll need to explain how you narrowed the field of choices down to the ones you focus on in your report. Often, this follows right after the discussion of the requirements. Your basic requirements may well narrow the field down for you. But there may be other considerations that disqualify other options—explain these as well.

Additionally, you may need to provide brief descriptions of the options themselves. Don’t get this mixed up with the comparison that comes up in the next section. In this description section, you provide a general discussion of the options so that readers will know something about them. The discussion at this stage is not comparative. It’s just a general orientation to the options. In the tablets example, you might want to give some brief, general specifications on each model about to be compared.

Comparison Approaches

One of the most important parts of a recommendation report is the comparison of the options. Remember that you include this section so that readers can check your thinking and come up with different conclusions if they desire. This can be handled with a comparative point by point option or a comparative whole to whole option depending on the situation. Figure 12.2 compares both approaches.

When do you use the point by point approach? The point-by-point approach is effective when the alternatives can be broken down into categories. If you are comparing tablets, you’d have a section that compared them on cost, another section that compared them on battery function, and so on. You wouldn’t have a section that discussed everything about option A, another that discussed everything about option B, and so on. That would not be effective at all, because the comparisons must still be made somewhere—probably by the reader.  With the point-by-point approach, each of these comparative sections should end with a conclusion that states which option is the best choice in that particular point of comparison. Of course, it won’t always be easy to state a clear winner—you may have to qualify the conclusions in various ways, providing multiple conclusions for different conditions.

When do you use the whole to whole approach? The whole to whole approach is useful when the comparisons don’t break down logically into points or categories. The options being compared might have different advantages and disadvantages that are not comparable. In this situation, it is best to describe each option in detail, including the advantages, limitations and costs (is applicable). In the conclusion, you’d include comparison and analysis of the different options.

Summary table

After the individual comparisons, include a summary table that summarizes the conclusions from the comparison section, if appropriate. Some readers are prone to pay attention to details in a table rather than in paragraphs.

Conclusions

The conclusions section of a recommendation report is in part a summary or restatement of the conclusions you have already reached in the comparison sections. In this section, you restate the individual conclusions, for example, which model had the best price, which had the best battery function, and so on. This section must untangle all the conflicting conclusions and somehow reach the final conclusion, which is the one that states which is the best choice. For example, if one tablet is the least expensive but has poor battery function, but another is the most expensive and has good battery function, which do you choose, and why? The conclusion would state the answer to this dilemma.

Recommendation 

The final section of a recommendation report states the recommendation. You’d think that that ought to be obvious by now. Ordinarily it is, but remember that some readers may skip right to the recommendation section and bypass all your hard work! Also, there will be some cases where there may be a best choice, but you wouldn’t want to recommend it. Early in their history, laptop computers were heavy and unreliable. There may have been one model that was better than the rest, but even it was not worth having. The recommendation section should echo the most important conclusions leading to the recommendation and then state the recommendation emphatically as demonstrated in Activity 12.6.

Activity 12.6 | Recommendation Report- Point by Point Approach

Checklist for Recommendation Reports

As you reread and revise your recommendation report, keep in mind the following:

• Write a good introduction in which you indicate the situation and the audience and provide an overview of the contents.
• Discuss the background on the problem or opportunity—what brought about the need for the report.
• State requirements—those factors that influence the decision or the choice of options. (And remember to state how important the requirements are in relation to each other.)
• Organize the comparison of the options using the point by point approach or whole to whole approach.
• Include a summary table, if possible, in which you summarize all the key data in table form.
• Include a conclusions section where you restate all the key conclusions from the comparison section.
• Include a recommendation section where you make the recommendation. Briefly mention the key factors influencing the recommendation.
• Include your references section so that the reader can refer to your sources.
• Proofread and revise for grammar, mechanics and style

Fundamentals of Business Communication Revised (2022) Copyright © 2022 by Venecia Williams & Nia Sonja is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book

Recommendation Report

Report generator.

From the word itself “recommendation”, it is a statement that suggests what would be good or what is suitable for something. You have to make a lot of persuasion to convince your readers that is the best thing that you should do. It may help you improve a system, develop something new or change the previous idea into something better that would your organization grow. Have you heard about recommendation reports? If not, this is you chance to get to know about it. Just like any other business report or school report , recommendation report also follows a certain format. In this article, you will be able to know about recommendation reports and how are you going to create one.

11+ Recommendation Report Examples

1. recommendation report template.

• Google Docs
• Apple Pages

Size: 32 KB

2. Recommendation Report Example

3. Consulting Recommendation Report

4. Sample Recommendation Report

Size: 74 KB

5. Recommendation And Feasibility Report

Size: 635 KB

6. Construction Committee Recommendation Report

7. Project Recommendation Report

Size: 576 KB

8. School Recommendation Report

Size: 56 KB

9. Audit Recommendation Status Report

Size: 58 KB

10. Attendance Recommendation Report

Size: 340 KB

11. Staff Recommendation Report

Size: 65 KB

12. Recommendation Report Sample

What is a Recommendation Report?

A recommendation report is written specifically for the purpose of having to propose or recommend something to fill a need. Its primary goal is to recommend an option and support that recommendation. Other than recommending an option, it is also designed to look for possible solutions to problems.

For example:

In technology, problems are often resolved with a technical upgrade. For instance, you put dual airbags in cars because people too often don’t use seat belts, and airbags prevent further injury even when seat belts are used. The problem here, which motivates people to improve a process, is that people continue to sustain severe injuries despite the availability of seat belts and dual airbags. Taking this one step further, some car companies (like Volvo) are not installing side airbags, in addition to the two in front, to protect people against side impacts, which often do not activate the two front airbags.

Steps in Writing a Recommendation Report

When you are writing a recommendation report, you have to describe and evaluate the situation and propose a solution to a problem. Stating facts would be easier for you to be able to reach for a decision. You may take a look at some recommendation templates as your guide.

1. Describe the Situation

You have to start by describing what you are evaluating.

2. Conduct a Research

It is always recommended to conduct a research for you to define what kind of methodology are you going to use when collecting the data. You may conduct online surveys, literature reading or conduct a one-on-one interview with your respondents. This will help you get ideas from others for you recommendation report.

3. Suggest an Idea

You may suggest about how to improve and develop skills, how to have an effective communication and how to have a good decision making skill. You may also consider putting details from the past results.

4. Summarize your Findings

To have an easier interpretation of your recommendation, you may use visual graphic organizers such as charts, table, diagrams, etc. You have to make everything realistic.

Factors to Consider When Writing Your Recommendation Report

First, you have to consider your target audience. They are the ones who will highly influence the contents written in your recommendation report. Second is your headings and subheadings. They will help the audience to better understand your reports with the facts that you have discussed. You should also have a strong content to make your report more effective. Ensure that you maintain a logical flow over the information. Most of all, you have to make your report as clear and as informative as possible. Make your recommendation report neat and effective.

How are you going to conclude your recommendation report?

Summarize your findings and acknowledge the recommendations discussed in your report.

How long should a recommendation report be?

Your recommendation report will depend on how long your data will be.

How do you state recommendations in a report?

Be clear with what you intend to recommend. As much as possible, provide an explanation about it.

Recommendation reports help you in providing ways on how to improve a particular procedure or method. You just have to follow the steps: describe the situation, conduct a research, suggest an idea and summarize your findings. Through this, you will be able to replace a better recommendation that is more suitable than the previous one.

Text prompt

• Instructive
• Professional

Generate a report on the impact of technology in the classroom on student learning outcomes

Prepare a report analyzing the trends in student participation in sports and arts programs over the last five years at your school.

• Privacy Policy

Home » Research Recommendations – Examples and Writing Guide

Research Recommendations – Examples and Writing Guide

Table of Contents

Research Recommendations

Definition:

Research recommendations refer to suggestions or advice given to someone who is looking to conduct research on a specific topic or area. These recommendations may include suggestions for research methods, data collection techniques, sources of information, and other factors that can help to ensure that the research is conducted in a rigorous and effective manner. Research recommendations may be provided by experts in the field, such as professors, researchers, or consultants, and are intended to help guide the researcher towards the most appropriate and effective approach to their research project.

Parts of Research Recommendations

Research recommendations can vary depending on the specific project or area of research, but typically they will include some or all of the following parts:

• Research question or objective : This is the overarching goal or purpose of the research project.
• Research methods : This includes the specific techniques and strategies that will be used to collect and analyze data. The methods will depend on the research question and the type of data being collected.
• Data collection: This refers to the process of gathering information or data that will be used to answer the research question. This can involve a range of different methods, including surveys, interviews, observations, or experiments.
• Data analysis : This involves the process of examining and interpreting the data that has been collected. This can involve statistical analysis, qualitative analysis, or a combination of both.
• Results and conclusions: This section summarizes the findings of the research and presents any conclusions or recommendations based on those findings.
• Limitations and future research: This section discusses any limitations of the study and suggests areas for future research that could build on the findings of the current project.

How to Write Research Recommendations

Writing research recommendations involves providing specific suggestions or advice to a researcher on how to conduct their study. Here are some steps to consider when writing research recommendations:

• Understand the research question: Before writing research recommendations, it is important to have a clear understanding of the research question and the objectives of the study. This will help to ensure that the recommendations are relevant and appropriate.
• Consider the research methods: Consider the most appropriate research methods that could be used to collect and analyze data that will address the research question. Identify the strengths and weaknesses of the different methods and how they might apply to the specific research question.
• Provide specific recommendations: Provide specific and actionable recommendations that the researcher can implement in their study. This can include recommendations related to sample size, data collection techniques, research instruments, data analysis methods, or other relevant factors.
• Justify recommendations : Justify why each recommendation is being made and how it will help to address the research question or objective. It is important to provide a clear rationale for each recommendation to help the researcher understand why it is important.
• Consider limitations and ethical considerations : Consider any limitations or potential ethical considerations that may arise in conducting the research. Provide recommendations for addressing these issues or mitigating their impact.
• Summarize recommendations: Provide a summary of the recommendations at the end of the report or document, highlighting the most important points and emphasizing how the recommendations will contribute to the overall success of the research project.

Example of Research Recommendations

Example of Research Recommendations sample for students:

• Further investigate the effects of X on Y by conducting a larger-scale randomized controlled trial with a diverse population.
• Explore the relationship between A and B by conducting qualitative interviews with individuals who have experience with both.
• Investigate the long-term effects of intervention C by conducting a follow-up study with participants one year after completion.
• Examine the effectiveness of intervention D in a real-world setting by conducting a field study in a naturalistic environment.
• Compare and contrast the results of this study with those of previous research on the same topic to identify any discrepancies or inconsistencies in the findings.
• Expand upon the limitations of this study by addressing potential confounding variables and conducting further analyses to control for them.
• Investigate the relationship between E and F by conducting a meta-analysis of existing literature on the topic.
• Explore the potential moderating effects of variable G on the relationship between H and I by conducting subgroup analyses.
• Identify potential areas for future research based on the gaps in current literature and the findings of this study.
• Conduct a replication study to validate the results of this study and further establish the generalizability of the findings.

Applications of Research Recommendations

Research recommendations are important as they provide guidance on how to improve or solve a problem. The applications of research recommendations are numerous and can be used in various fields. Some of the applications of research recommendations include:

• Policy-making: Research recommendations can be used to develop policies that address specific issues. For example, recommendations from research on climate change can be used to develop policies that reduce carbon emissions and promote sustainability.
• Program development: Research recommendations can guide the development of programs that address specific issues. For example, recommendations from research on education can be used to develop programs that improve student achievement.
• Product development : Research recommendations can guide the development of products that meet specific needs. For example, recommendations from research on consumer behavior can be used to develop products that appeal to consumers.
• Marketing strategies: Research recommendations can be used to develop effective marketing strategies. For example, recommendations from research on target audiences can be used to develop marketing strategies that effectively reach specific demographic groups.
• Medical practice : Research recommendations can guide medical practitioners in providing the best possible care to patients. For example, recommendations from research on treatments for specific conditions can be used to improve patient outcomes.
• Scientific research: Research recommendations can guide future research in a specific field. For example, recommendations from research on a specific disease can be used to guide future research on treatments and cures for that disease.

Purpose of Research Recommendations

The purpose of research recommendations is to provide guidance on how to improve or solve a problem based on the findings of research. Research recommendations are typically made at the end of a research study and are based on the conclusions drawn from the research data. The purpose of research recommendations is to provide actionable advice to individuals or organizations that can help them make informed decisions, develop effective strategies, or implement changes that address the issues identified in the research.

The main purpose of research recommendations is to facilitate the transfer of knowledge from researchers to practitioners, policymakers, or other stakeholders who can benefit from the research findings. Recommendations can help bridge the gap between research and practice by providing specific actions that can be taken based on the research results. By providing clear and actionable recommendations, researchers can help ensure that their findings are put into practice, leading to improvements in various fields, such as healthcare, education, business, and public policy.

Characteristics of Research Recommendations

Research recommendations are a key component of research studies and are intended to provide practical guidance on how to apply research findings to real-world problems. The following are some of the key characteristics of research recommendations:

• Actionable : Research recommendations should be specific and actionable, providing clear guidance on what actions should be taken to address the problem identified in the research.
• Evidence-based: Research recommendations should be based on the findings of the research study, supported by the data collected and analyzed.
• Contextual: Research recommendations should be tailored to the specific context in which they will be implemented, taking into account the unique circumstances and constraints of the situation.
• Feasible : Research recommendations should be realistic and feasible, taking into account the available resources, time constraints, and other factors that may impact their implementation.
• Prioritized: Research recommendations should be prioritized based on their potential impact and feasibility, with the most important recommendations given the highest priority.
• Communicated effectively: Research recommendations should be communicated clearly and effectively, using language that is understandable to the target audience.
• Evaluated : Research recommendations should be evaluated to determine their effectiveness in addressing the problem identified in the research, and to identify opportunities for improvement.

Advantages of Research Recommendations

Research recommendations have several advantages, including:

• Providing practical guidance: Research recommendations provide practical guidance on how to apply research findings to real-world problems, helping to bridge the gap between research and practice.
• Improving decision-making: Research recommendations help decision-makers make informed decisions based on the findings of research, leading to better outcomes and improved performance.
• Enhancing accountability : Research recommendations can help enhance accountability by providing clear guidance on what actions should be taken, and by providing a basis for evaluating progress and outcomes.
• Informing policy development : Research recommendations can inform the development of policies that are evidence-based and tailored to the specific needs of a given situation.
• Enhancing knowledge transfer: Research recommendations help facilitate the transfer of knowledge from researchers to practitioners, policymakers, or other stakeholders who can benefit from the research findings.
• Encouraging further research : Research recommendations can help identify gaps in knowledge and areas for further research, encouraging continued exploration and discovery.
• Promoting innovation: Research recommendations can help identify innovative solutions to complex problems, leading to new ideas and approaches.

Limitations of Research Recommendations

While research recommendations have several advantages, there are also some limitations to consider. These limitations include:

• Context-specific: Research recommendations may be context-specific and may not be applicable in all situations. Recommendations developed in one context may not be suitable for another context, requiring adaptation or modification.
• I mplementation challenges: Implementation of research recommendations may face challenges, such as lack of resources, resistance to change, or lack of buy-in from stakeholders.
• Limited scope: Research recommendations may be limited in scope, focusing only on a specific issue or aspect of a problem, while other important factors may be overlooked.
• Uncertainty : Research recommendations may be uncertain, particularly when the research findings are inconclusive or when the recommendations are based on limited data.
• Bias : Research recommendations may be influenced by researcher bias or conflicts of interest, leading to recommendations that are not in the best interests of stakeholders.
• Timing : Research recommendations may be time-sensitive, requiring timely action to be effective. Delayed action may result in missed opportunities or reduced effectiveness.
• Lack of evaluation: Research recommendations may not be evaluated to determine their effectiveness or impact, making it difficult to assess whether they are successful or not.

About the author

Muhammad Hassan

Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer

You may also like

Dissertation vs Thesis – Key Differences

Conceptual Framework – Types, Methodology and...

Research Questions – Types, Examples and Writing...

Research Paper Conclusion – Writing Guide and...

Purpose of Research – Objectives and Applications

Evaluating Research – Process, Examples and...

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, automatically generate references for free.

• Knowledge Base
• Dissertation
• How to Write Recommendations in Research | Examples & Tips

How to Write Recommendations in Research | Examples & Tips

Published on 15 September 2022 by Tegan George .

Recommendations in research are a crucial component of your discussion section and the conclusion of your thesis , dissertation , or research paper .

As you conduct your research and analyse the data you collected , perhaps there are ideas or results that don’t quite fit the scope of your research topic . Or, maybe your results suggest that there are further implications of your results or the causal relationships between previously-studied variables than covered in extant research.

Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text

Be assured that you'll submit flawless writing. Upload your document to correct all your mistakes.

Table of contents

What should recommendations look like, building your research recommendation, how should your recommendations be written, recommendation in research example, frequently asked questions about recommendations.

Recommendations for future research should be:

• Concrete and specific
• Supported with a clear rationale
• Directly connected to your research

Overall, strive to highlight ways other researchers can reproduce or replicate your results to draw further conclusions, and suggest different directions that future research can take, if applicable.

Relatedly, when making these recommendations, avoid:

• Undermining your own work, but rather offer suggestions on how future studies can build upon it
• Suggesting recommendations actually needed to complete your argument, but rather ensure that your research stands alone on its own merits
• Using recommendations as a place for self-criticism, but rather as a natural extension point for your work

The only proofreading tool specialized in correcting academic writing

The academic proofreading tool has been trained on 1000s of academic texts and by native English editors. Making it the most accurate and reliable proofreading tool for students.

Correct my document today

There are many different ways to frame recommendations, but the easiest is perhaps to follow the formula of research question   conclusion  recommendation. Here’s an example.

Conclusion An important condition for controlling many social skills is mastering language. If children have a better command of language, they can express themselves better and are better able to understand their peers. Opportunities to practice social skills are thus dependent on the development of language skills.

As a rule of thumb, try to limit yourself to only the most relevant future recommendations: ones that stem directly from your work. While you can have multiple recommendations for each research conclusion, it is also acceptable to have one recommendation that is connected to more than one conclusion.

These recommendations should be targeted at your audience, specifically toward peers or colleagues in your field that work on similar topics to yours. They can flow directly from any limitations you found while conducting your work, offering concrete and actionable possibilities for how future research can build on anything that your own work was unable to address at the time of your writing.

See below for a full research recommendation example that you can use as a template to write your own.

The current study can be interpreted as a first step in the research on COPD speech characteristics. However, the results of this study should be treated with caution due to the small sample size and the lack of details regarding the participants’ characteristics.

Future research could further examine the differences in speech characteristics between exacerbated COPD patients, stable COPD patients, and healthy controls. It could also contribute to a deeper understanding of the acoustic measurements suitable for e-health measurements.

While it may be tempting to present new arguments or evidence in your thesis or disseration conclusion , especially if you have a particularly striking argument you’d like to finish your analysis with, you shouldn’t. Theses and dissertations follow a more formal structure than this.

All your findings and arguments should be presented in the body of the text (more specifically in the discussion section and results section .) The conclusion is meant to summarize and reflect on the evidence and arguments you have already presented, not introduce new ones.

The conclusion of your thesis or dissertation should include the following:

• A restatement of your research question
• A summary of your key arguments and/or results
• A short discussion of the implications of your research

For a stronger dissertation conclusion , avoid including:

• Generic concluding phrases (e.g. “In conclusion…”)
• Weak statements that undermine your argument (e.g. “There are good points on both sides of this issue.”)

Your conclusion should leave the reader with a strong, decisive impression of your work.

In a thesis or dissertation, the discussion is an in-depth exploration of the results, going into detail about the meaning of your findings and citing relevant sources to put them in context.

The conclusion is more shorter and more general: it concisely answers your main research question and makes recommendations based on your overall findings.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the ‘Cite this Scribbr article’ button to automatically add the citation to our free Reference Generator.

George, T. (2022, September 15). How to Write Recommendations in Research | Examples & Tips. Scribbr. Retrieved 4 July 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/thesis-dissertation/research-recommendations/

Is this article helpful?

Tegan George

Other students also liked, how to write a discussion section | tips & examples, how to write a thesis or dissertation conclusion, how to write a results section | tips & examples.

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience.

RDI Network - Research for Development Impact Network

Home RDI Network Learning Hub Skills for Development Impact Research communication Creating research outputs Recommendations, summaries & reports How to write useful recommendations

How to write useful recommendations

Recommendations are a key part of most reports. Their role is to tell your reader what they  (or others) need to do based upon the findings in a report. These should be written with the mindset that each recommendation will prompt a change.

• Make Your Points Action-Based Since we are telling the reader (or others) what to do, use action verbs. Each recommendation should describe exactly what the course of action is, and ideally who should do it. They also should be concise, with only a minor explanation or reference to evidence.
• Choose a Presentation Style that is Suitable Every recommendation list will differ and so will their presentation style. Consider your relationship with those to whom the recommendations are made and what order they should be given. For example, you can order them in terms of priority. Another way is to use categories, or order them on a chronological basis.
• Maximise Impact Potential Each recommendation should stand alone rather than combining them all together. This will increase impact for every point. Additionally, be selective about exactly how many you are including. Remember you do not want to overwhelm the reader or user of the report!
• Can I Have An Example Please? World Health Organization (WHO) has an interactive module where users can look at recommendation examples. There are also additional comments for each example from WHO’s perspective.
• Report Recommendations (1 minute read)
• Step 2: Formulate Findings and Recommendations (3 min read, text)
• Checklist for Evaluation Recommendations (10 min read, PDF text)

  Photo by AbsolutVision on Unsplash

You May Also Like

2017 Principles and Guidelines for Ethical Research and Evaluation

The Principles and Guidelines  provide overarching direction and practical  support for the design, implementation and utilisation of research and evaluation in international development settings. The Principles, originally published in 2013,...

Decolonising research

Decolonising knowledge is critical imperative in a development sector that typically gives prominence to voices of the Global North.

Training Module and Further Resources

The RDI Network has developed a comprehensive ethical practice training module targeted at NGO practitioners and researchers of international development.

• GET CONNECTED

Remember me

Join the rdi network

The RDI Network offers individual practitioners and academics the opportunity to network, share learnings and contribute to research for development impact.

In order to engage with expertise from peers in the Network, you are invited to register as a member in one of the two categories below.

As a member, you will have priority access to initiatives and events.

Our members include international development NGO staff, researchers, policy makers, consultants and students from around Australia and beyond.

Register today and get connected!

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

8.4 Recommendation Reports and Feasibility Studies

This chapter will discuss what feasibility and recommendation reports consist of and how to create and organize their contents. To view examples of feasibility and recommendation reports, please visit David McMurrey’s Online Technical Writing: Examples, Cases, and Models .

Feasibility Reports

A feasibility report presents an opinion about a situation (for example, a problem or opportunity) and a plan for doing something about it. The report then discusses whether that plan is “feasible”—whether it is practical in terms of current technology, economics, time frame, social needs and preferences, and so on. The feasibility report answers the question “Should we implement Plan X?” by stating “yes,” “no,” or sometimes a “maybe” or “under certain conditions.” Not only does it indicate whether the idea is feasible, it also provides the data and the reasoning behind that determination; conversely, it might outline the reasons why the idea cannot or should not be implemented, or what obstacles must be overcome before the idea can become feasible. Typical questions addressed in these reports include

• Is it possible?   Can this be done within the allotted budget, time frame, legal and regulatory conditions, and technical capabilities?
• Is it financially viable?  Even if it falls within our budget, should we do it?  Will it have long-term benefits that outweigh costs? Is there a less expensive or financially risky way to achieving the same result? How does it compare to the cost of doing nothing about this situation?
• Will it be accepted by the community?   Will people be in favor of this idea? Will anyone be opposed to it?  How much public support is necessary to make this successful? (What kind of stakeholder consultation might be necessary to determine this?)
• Do we have the expertise and human capital to proceed? Does the company have the expertise, resources, and time to commit to the completion of the project within a specified time?

Recommendation Reports

A recommendation report starts from a stated need; it outlines criteria for assessing the options, it offers a selection of solution options, presents a detailed comparative analysis of the options, and then recommends one, some, or none. For example, a company might be looking at grammar-checking software and want a recommendation on which product is the best fit for them. Criteria for selection might be cost, installation, training, and privacy. As the report writer on this project, you could study the market for this type of application and recommend one particular product, two-to-three possible products (differing perhaps in their strengths and their weaknesses), or none (maybe none of them are appropriate for the client’s specific needs) after comparing each using the criteria for selection. The recommendation report answers the question “Which option should we choose?” (or in some cases “Which are the best options?) by recommending Product B, or maybe both Products B and C, or none of the products. These recommendations might arise from questions such as

• What should we do about Problem X?
• What features or characteristics would address our needs?
• What is the best way to provide Function or Service A?
• Should we use Technology X or Technology Y to perform Function Z?

( Feasibility Analysis , 2021)

Knowledge Check

Typical Contents of Recommendation and Feasibility Reports

Whatever variety of feasibility or recommendation report you write, whatever name people call it—most of the sections and the organization of those sections are roughly the same.

The structural principle fundamental to this type of report is this: You provide not only your recommendation, choice, or judgment, but also the data, analysis, discussion, and the conclusions leading to it. That way, readers can check your findings, your logic, and your conclusions to make sure your methodology was sound and that they can agree with your recommendation. Your goal is to convince the reader to agree with you by using your careful research, detailed analysis, rhetorical style, and documentation.

The general problem-solving approach for a recommendation report entails the steps shown in the example below.

These steps generally coincide with how you will organize your information. Your report will be divided into several sections that will likely include most or all of the following elements:

• INTRODUCTION: T he introduction should clearly state the document’s purpose. Your introduction will include the problem definition, which discusses the “unsatisfactory situation” or opportunity that has given rise to this report and the requirements that must be met. You should also include some background information to describe the circumstances leading up to the situation and your report. Finally, provide an overview of the contents of the report.
• TECHNICAL BACKGROUND:   S ome recommendation or feasibility reports may require establishing the need for the recommendation in order to make the rest of the report meaningful. You should include some background information to describe the circumstances leading up to the situation and your report.  For example, a discussion of the power and speed of tablets is going to necessitate some discussion of RAM, megahertz, and processors. Also, describe your research methods.
• If you’re trying to recommend a tablet for use by employees, your requirements are likely to involve size, cost, hard-disk storage, display quality, durability, and battery function.
• If you’re looking into the feasibility of providing every student at Austin Community College with an ID on the ACC computer network, you’d need to define the basic requirements of such a program—what it would be expected to accomplish, problems that it would have to avoid, and so on.
• If you’re evaluating the recent program of free bus transportation in Austin, you’d need to know what was expected of the program and then compare its actual results to those requirements.

Requirements can be defined in several ways:

Numerical Values : Many requirements are stated as maximum or minimum numerical values. For example, there may be a cost requirement—the tablet should cost no more than $900.

Yes/no Values :   Some requirements are simply a yes-no question. Does the tablet come equipped with Bluetooth? Is the car equipped with voice recognition?

Ratings Values :  In some cases, key considerations cannot be handled either with numerical values or yes/no values. For example, your organization might want a tablet that has an ease-of-use rating of at least “good” by some nationally accepted ratings group. Or you may have to assign ratings yourself.

The requirements section should also discuss how important the individual requirements are in relation to each other. Picture the typical situation where no one option is best in all categories of comparison. One option is cheaper; another has more functions; one has better ease-of-use ratings; another is known to be more durable. Set up your requirements so that they dictate a “winner” from a situation where there is no obvious winner. A “weighted objectives chart” or “Decision Matrix” is often used in these cases.

4. DISCUSSION OF SOLUTION OPTIONS:  In certain kinds of feasibility or recommendation reports, you’ll need to explain how you narrowed the field of choices down to the ones your report focuses on. Often, this follows right after the discussion of the requirements. Your basic requirements may well narrow the field down for you. But other considerations may disqualify other options—explain these as well.

Additionally, you may need to provide brief technical descriptions of the options themselves. Don’t get this mixed up with the comparison that comes up in the next section. In this description section, you provide a general discussion of the options so that readers will know something about them. The discussion at this stage is not comparative. It’s just a general orientation to the options. In the tablets example, you might want to give some brief, general specifications on each model about to be compared.

5. COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS: O ne of the most important parts of a feasibility or recommendation report is the comparison of the options. Remember that you include this section so that readers can follow the logic of your analysis and come up with different conclusions if they desire. This comparison can be structured using a “block” (whole-to-whole) approach, or an “alternating” (point-by-point) approach.

You might compare three options (1, 2, and 3) using three criteria for comparison (A, B, and C).  If you were comparing tablets, you’d likely use the point-by-point approach, having a section that compared all three options based on cost (criteria A), another section that compared them on battery function, and so on. You wouldn’t have a section that discussed everything about option 1, another that discussed everything about option 2, and so on. That would not be effective or efficient because you still have to make direct comparisons somewhere near the end of your discussion (such as in a weighted objectives chart).

Each of these comparative sections should end with a conclusion that sums up the relative strengths and weaknesses of each option and indicates which option is the best choice in that particular category of comparison. Of course, it won’t always be easy to state a clear winner—you may have to qualify the conclusions in various ways, providing multiple conclusions for different conditions.

If you were writing an evaluation report, you wouldn’t be comparing options. Instead, you’d be comparing the thing being evaluated against the requirements placed upon it, or the expectations people had of it. For example, Capital Metro had a program of more than a year of free bus transportation.  What was expected of that program? Did the program meet those expectations?

( Three Rules for Better Comparison Tables , 2019)

6. SUMMARY TABLE: A fter the individual comparisons, include a summary table (such as a w eighted objectives chart ) that summarizes the conclusions from the comparative analysis section. Given the trend to increasing use of visual narrative in reports, some readers are more likely to expect and pay attention to details in a table; however, you still have to write up a clear summary paragraph of your findings.

7. CONCLUSIONS:  The conclusions section of a feasibility or recommendation report amalgamates all of the conclusions you have already reached in each of the comparison sections. In this section, you restate the individual conclusions, for example, which model had the best price, which had the best battery function, and so on. You could give a summary of the relative strengths and weaknesses of each option based on how well they meet the criteria.

This section has to go further. It must untangle all the conflicting conclusions and somehow reach the final conclusion, which is the one that states which is the best choice. Thus, the conclusion section first lists the primary conclusions —the simple, single-category ones. Then it must state secondary conclusions —the ones that balance conflicting primary conclusions. For example, if one tablet is the least inexpensive but has poor battery function, but another is the most expensive but has good battery function, which do you choose and why? The secondary conclusion would state the answer to this dilemma.

8. RECOMMENDATIONS: Th e final section of feasibility and recommendation reports states the recommendations which flow directly from your conclusions and directly address the problem outlined in the introduction. These may sometimes be repetitive, but remember that some readers may skip right to the recommendation section. Also, in some cases where there may be a best choice, you may not want to recommend it. For example, early in their history, laptop computers were heavy and unreliable—one model may have been better than the rest, but even so, it may not have been worth having. You may want to recommend further research, a pilot project, or a re-design of one of the options discussed.

The recommendation section should outline what further work needs to be done, based solidly on the information presented previously in the report and responding directly to the needs outlined in the beginning. In some cases, you may need to recommend several ranked options based on different possibilities.

Revision Checklist for Feasibility and Recommendation Reports

As you reread and revise your feasibility or recommendation report, ensure that you have included all of the sections and elements described below.

Bureau, A.F.  (2020). How to determine the feasibility of a business idea? Alcor ,  https://alcorfund.com/insight/how-to-determine-the-feasibility-of-a-business-idea/

Ewald, T. (2017). Writing in the technical fields: A practical guide (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.

McMurrey, D. (1997-2017). Examples, cases, models. Online Technical Writing.  https://mcmassociates.io/textbook/models.html

NN Group. (2019). 3 rules for better comparison tables [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4f8Kzf3Y_l0

Promac School of Project Management. (2021). Feasibility analysis [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=feasibility+reports

Technical Writing Essentials Copyright © 2019 by Suzan Last is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book

Report recommendations

Recommendations are often included with a report’s conclusion, although they serve different purposes. Whereas a conclusion offers you the opportunity to summarize or review your report’s main ideas, recommendations suggest actions to be taken in response to the findings of a report. You can regard recommendations as a prompt to action for your readers. As you have seen from your planning, your report structure should lead up to the recommendations and provide justification for them. Just as a proposal grows from your project’s goals and objectives, a report should actually grow backwards from your recommendations. Having your recommendations accepted then becomes part of your purpose.

What makes a good recommendation? Effective recommendations:

• describe a suggested course of action to be taken to solve a particular problem;
• are written as action statements without justification;
• are stated in clear, specific language;
• should be expressed in order of importance;
• are based on the case built up in the body of the report; are written in parallel structure.

A word of caution about writing recommendations: you should always consider your relationship with the reader first. If you have no authority to make recommendations, the reader may be hostile to their presence.

Have a look at the following examples from different types of reports. Many of the recommendations included here are well written but a few contain some significant shortcomings. Position your cursor over the excerpts to see our comments.

Content on this page requires a newer version of Adobe Flash Player.

Sample Recommendation Report

Printed Page 487-511

The following example is the recommendation report on the tablet project proposed in Chapter 16 . The progress report for this project appears in Chapter 17.

Transmittal “letters” can be presented as memos.

The writers include their titles and that of their primary reader. This way, future readers will be able to readily identify the reader and writers.

The subject heading indicates the subject of the report (the tablet study at RRMC) and the purpose of the report (recommendation report).

The purpose of the study. Notice that the writers link the recommendation report to the proposal, giving them an opportunity to state the main tasks they carried out in the study.

The methods the writers used to carry out the research.

The principal findings: the results and conclusions of the study. Notice that the writers state that they cannot be sure whether the technical information they have found is accurate. Is it okay to state that you are unsure about something? Yes, as long as you then propose a way to become sure about it.

The major recommendation. The writers ask their supervisor if she will reconsider whether the hospital can afford tablets specifically designed for health-care environments. That’s not insubordination. Just be polite about it.

A polite offer to participate further or to provide more information.

A good title indicates the subject and purpose of the document. One way to indicate the purpose is to use a generic term—such as analysis, recommendation, summary, or instructions —in a phrase following a colon. For more about titles, see " Writing Clear, Informative Titles ."

The names and positions of the principal reader and the writers of the document.

The date the document was submitted.

The name or logo of the writers’ organization often is presented at the bottom of the title page.

In the abstract, the title of the report is often enclosed in quotation marks because the abstract might be reproduced in another context (such as in a database), in which case the report title would be the title of a separate document.

Abstracts are often formatted as a single paragraph.

The background and purpose of the report.

The methods.

The major findings.

Note that the writers provide some technical information about tablet use, clinical staff attitudes, and technical characteristics of tablets.

The major recommendations.

A keywords list ensures that the report will appear in the list of results of an electronic search on any of the terms listed.

Note that the typeface and design of the headings in the table of contents mirror the typeface and design of the headings in the report itself.

In this table of contents, the two levels of headings are distinguished by type style (boldface versus italic) and indentation.

The executive summary describes the project with a focus on the managerial aspects, particularly the recommendation. Note the writers’ emphasis on the problem at RRMC.

Here the writers present a brief statement of the subject of their report.

The background of the feasibility study that Dr. Bremerton is funding.

A brief statement of the methods the writers used to carry out their research. Note that throughout this report the writers use the active voice (“We studied the literature . . .”). See Ch. 10 for more on the active voice. Note, too, that the discussion of the methods is brief: most managers are less interested in the details of the methods you used than in your findings.

Findings are the important results and conclusions of a study.

Note that the writers use the word recommend . Using key generic terms such as problem , methods , results , conclusions , and recommendations helps readers understand the role that each section plays in the document.

Because the executive summary is the report element addressed most directly to management, the writers make clear why they prefer looking again at whether the hospital can afford to purchase health-care-specific tablets.

Some organizations require that each first-level heading begin on a new page.

A brief statement of the context for the report.

Note that the word currently is used to introduce the background of the study: the current situation is unsatisfactory for several reasons.

A formal statement of the task the committee was asked to perform. The writers paraphrase from the memo Dr. Bremerton gave them. Often in technical communication, you will quote or paraphrase words your reader wrote to you. This practice reminds the reader of the context and shows that you are carrying out your tasks professionally.

The writers incorporate a brief overview of their methods into the list of tasks.

The writers devote two paragraphs to their principal findings. The introduction can present the major findings of a report; technical communication is not about drama and suspense.

Notice the writers’ use of the phrase “we recommend.” Repeating key terms in this way helps readers understand the logic of a report and concentrate on the technical information it contains.

An advance organizer for the rest of the report.

The writers use the same task organization as in the proposal and the progress report.

By stating that they know that their sources are a mixture of different kinds of information, not all of which is equally useful for every kind of question that needs to be answered, the writers suggest that they are careful analysts.

The writers carefully explain the logic of their methods. Do not assume that your readers will automatically understand why you did what you did. Sometimes it is best to explain your thinking. Although technical communication contains a lot of facts and figures, like other kinds of writing it relies on clear, logical arguments.

As discussed in " Conducting Primary Research ," some questions will misfire. Therefore, it is smart to field-test a questionnaire before you distribute it.

Including a page number in the cross reference to the appendix is a convenience to the reader. When you do so, remember to add the correct page number after you determine where the appendix (or the several appendixes) will appear in the report.

Note that the writers present their references to their sources throughout the report.

Here, again, the writers explain the logic of their methods. They decided to rely on the experiences of hospital administrators. This approach will likely appeal to Dr. Bremerton.

Often you will begin your project with a cost criterion: your recommended solution must not cost more than a certain amount.

The writers present just enough information about the technologies to help the reader understand their logic. Writers sometimes present too much information; include only as much as your readers need to be able to follow your report.

Because analyzing their data and writing this report is part of the study, it is appropriate to include it as one of the steps. In some organizations, however, this task is assumed to be part of the study and is therefore not presented in the report.

The writers present an advance organizer for the results section.

The writers continue to use the task structure that they used in the methods section.

The function of a conclusion is to explain what the data mean. Here the writers explain how their results can help their readers determine how to proceed with the tablet study. Notice that a conclusion is not the same as a recommendation (which explains what writers think should be done next).

At this point in the report, the writers have decided to abandon the “task” labels. Their thinking is that they are focusing less on what they did and more on the meaning of the information they gathered. However, they retain the headings that help readers understand the topic they are discussing.

This recommendation states explicitly what the writers think the reader should do next. Note that they are sketching in ideas that they have not discussed in detail but that might interest their readers.

This list of references is written according to the APA documentation style, which is discussed in Appendix, Part B.

Presenting the percentage data in boldface after each question is a clear way to communicate how the respondents replied. Although most readers will not be interested in the raw data, some will.

• Skip to primary navigation
• Skip to main content
• Skip to footer

Yellowbook-CPE.com

CPAs and Auditors - Continuing Professional Education

How to create useful audit report recommendations

May 1, 2020

The audit report recommendations describe the actions you hope that management is going to take as a result of your findings. And if you do not clearly describe what you want, squirrelly behaviors can result. Here are a few fun things I have seen:

The client takes your recommendations literally —to the letter—and implements them with a smirk, realizing that you can’t pin them on it next year, because they did   do what you recommended… technically.

Let’s say that you “recommend that management consider hiring a credit manager.” Next year, you return to follow up, and indeed the client considered hiring a credit manager—for about two seconds—and decided not to. Now what? You are going to have to write them up again!

Or once an audit team insisted that security guards purchase an expensive body scanner. The security guards resisted the recommendation for years because they felt like their procedures were more than adequate, but they finally acquiesced. They blew tens of thousands of dollars to buy the fancy body scanner and then had it installed in the center of the entrance hall so that the auditors wouldn’t miss seeing it. Then they directed employees to walk around the expensive machine so that they could be evaluated using the same old procedures! Nothing like making a fool of the auditor every single time they went through security!

The client implements your recommendation even though it is only for the auditor’s benefit. Auditors sometimes recommend additional procedures that don’t add value to the process, just so that our audit is easier. For instance, “We recommend that management provide documentation to prove X so that we can have a complete audit trail.” The first problem with this recommendation is a focus on us. PLEASE do not recommend a change for the sole purpose of making our lives as auditors easier. Have we lost focus on who is paying us here?

Secondly, adding additional, ultimately unnecessary controls can slow the client down and keep them from doing something really important (can you say “bureaucratic red tape!”), like getting the right product or service to the customer as quickly as they can.

The client doesn’t know who is responsible for doing it—so it doesn’t get done.  If you are in the habit of writing in the passive voice, you can get into a lot of trouble when writing a recommendation. Here is an example of a passive recommendation: “We recommend purchase orders be approved.” See the problem? Who is the agent – or doer – here? Who is supposed to approve purchase orders?

You may come back next year to find them pointing to each other like the Scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz, with arms crossed, pointing at all the people they thought were going to approve the purchase orders. So confusing!

So, go ahead and name responsible parties such as, “The purchasing manager and the requesting manager should approve purchase orders.”

The client simply can’t afford it. One auditee’s software was so antiquated that a significant number of transactions slipped through the cracks. Every year we auditors recommended that they spend major bucks to upgrade the software, and every year they ignored us because they didn’t have the money. How ridiculous was that little dance?

Finally, after about four years of hounding the client on this software issue, we finally realized that transactions existed before computers(!) and focused on controls that would help them account for all transactions regardless of the software they used.

We looked closer at their processes and found simple things they could do to mitigate the risk that transactions would not be recorded. They did what we asked, transactions were properly captured, and as a result we were able to leave them alone for the rest of their lives (on this issue anyway).

That is the goal of a good recommendation, by the way—to write it once, persuade the client to actually do it, and then never bring that issue up again!

You can’t imagine how you are going to audit that. Have you ever followed up on a recommendation that was so vague that you had no idea what the auditor intended? Here are some examples: “We recommend that this process be improved.” “The need for this procedure should be emphasized.” “The supervisor should make this process a priority.”

One 300-person audit team had 1200 unresolved findings to clear because their former audit director didn’t like being specific in audit report recommendations and the auditee wasn’t exactly sure what do to to resolve the finding. What a silly, ongoing burden on the audit team and the client.

Make Sure that Your Recommendation is Auditable, Feasible, and Satisfactory

In order to avoid the silly results of bad audit report recommendations discussed above, make sure that your recommendations are auditable, feasible, and satisfactory.

Auditable.  Ask yourself if your recommendation is something that you can easily follow up on next year. Remember your goal is to write up something once, have the client implement it, and then never have to write up the issue again.

As you may be the unlucky soul who follows up on your own recommendation, do yourself a favor and ask yourself, BEFORE you publish your finding, “What would you do to verify that the client has actually implemented your recommendation?” If you can’t easily think of some way to verify the recommendation with a test, rewrite the recommendation.

Feasible. Pause to ask, “Will the client ever actually do this?” If the answer is “no,” you need to rewrite it.

Or better yet, let the client write it! Your primary job is not to solve the problem, but to identify the risk. Present the risk to the client and ask them whether they are willing to tolerate it. If they or you are not willing to tolerate the risk, then ask them what they can do to mitigate the risk. Asking them to take the lead on resolving problems has another benefit – it preserves your auditor independence.

And, obviously, if the client comes up with their own recommendation, they are much more likely to implement it.

Satisfactory. Also pause to ask yourself, “If the client implements this recommendation, will I be satisfied? Will I be able to leave the client alone about this issue in the future?” If the answer is no, go back to the drawing board.

What does the GAO say?

As usual, the GAO has some wisdom to share about audit report recommendations: The GAO’s Yellow Book says:

9.23    When feasible, auditors should recommend actions to correct deficiencies and other findings identified during the audit and to improve programs and operations when the potential for improvement in programs, operations, and performance is substantiated by the reported findings and conclusions. Auditors should make recommendations that flow logically from the findings and conclusions, are directed at resolving the cause of identified deficiencies and findings, and clearly state the actions recommended.

9.28    Effective recommendations encourage improvements in the conduct of government programs and operations. Recommendations are effective when they are addressed to parties with the authority to act and when the recommended actions are specific, feasible, cost-effective, and measurable.

The Bottom Line

Here are qualities of good audit report recommendations —bottom line:

• Audit report recommendations should NAME NAMES or, more accurately, name positions and roles. Who is going to do this? Make it clear so that the client is clear about who will be held accountable for action.
• Write it so it is AUDITABLE. Please stop torturing future auditors with vague recommendations that you can’t prove were implemented (who, by the way, may be you or someone you love!).
• See if the client thinks it is FEASIBLE. In other words, is it in the realm of possibility that the client will implement this? One way to make sure of feasibility is to point out the problem, the risk the client is taking, and then ask the client how they are going to fix it, or if they even want to fix it. Say, “Here is a risk we have identified. Are you willing to accept this risk? If not, how can we mitigate this risk?”
• Make sure it is really going to SOLVE THE PROBLEM. Ask yourself, “If this client takes this recommendation, will I be able to leave the client alone from here on out?”

To find out more about how to write audit reports, check out the Audit Reporting Bundle .

Subscribe to Updates

Sign up here to have the lastest from Yellowbook-CPE.com delivered to your inbox.

Welcome! Yellowbook-CPE.com is where government auditors get their CPE! Yellowbook-CPE.com is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a high quality sponsor of continuing professional education courses.

Forgot your password?

Lost your password? Please enter your email address. You will receive mail with link to set new password.

Back to login

Sign up here to have the lastest from Yellowbook-CPE.com delivered right to your inbox.

Just provide your name and email information below, and as an introductory “Thank You”, you’ll be able to view and download a free copy of our Audit Objectives whitepaper.

If you opt in above we will not share or otherwise distribute your information.

• +44 7897 053596
• [email protected]

Get an experienced writer start working

Review our examples before placing an order, learn how to draft academic papers, how to write recommendations: do’s and don’ts..

How to Write Citation? | A Practical Guide for Citation and References

How to Write References Quickly and Accurately? | A Practical Guide

Writing research recommendations involves suggesting future research directions or actions that can be taken based on the findings of a research study. The most crucial element of the analysis process, recommendations, is where you provide specific suggestions for interventions or solutions to the problems and limitations found throughout the assessment.

Explore New Dissertation Ideas

Find Current Dissertation Examples

The following guideline will help you explore how to write recommendations : 

What are the Recommendations?

Research recommendations are suggestions for future research based on the findings of a research study. The researcher may make these recommendations, or they may be requested by the publisher, funding agency, or other stakeholders who have an interest in the research. The purpose of research recommendations is to identify areas where further investigation is needed and to provide direction for future research in the field.

Get Help Through Our Proofreading Editing Services

The recommendation section, whether it is included in the discussion section or conclusion, should involve the following:

• The research questions that the recommendation addresses.
• A concise summary of the findings from the research.
• The implications of the findings for practice.
• The strengths and limitations of the research.
• How do the findings relate to other research in the field?
• Recommendations for further research.

3-Step  Dissertation Process!

Get 3+ Topics

Dissertation Proposal

Get Final Dissertation

What kind of recommendations are appropriate.

The appropriateness of recommendations depends on the research study and the research field. Generally, research recommendations should be based on the findings of the study and should address research gaps or limitations. Here are some types of recommendations that may be appropriate:

Finalise Your Topic After Getting Inspired by the Current Research Topics

1- Further Investigations

Suggest further investigations into specific research questions or hypotheses. This can include exploring new variables, testing different methods, or using different samples.

2- Development of New Research Methods or Techniques

Propose new research methods or techniques that can be used to address research questions or improve the quality of research.

3- Replication of the Study

Recommend replication of the study with larger or more diverse samples to increase the generalizability of the findings.

4- Extension of the Study

Suggest extending the study to different populations or contexts to explore the generalizability of the findings.

5- Collaboration with Other Researchers

Recommend collaboration with other researchers or research teams to leverage expertise and resources.

6- Integration of the Study Findings into Policy or Practice

Suggest ways in which the study findings can be used to inform policy or practice in the relevant field.

7- Addressing Limitations or Gaps in the Current Research Literature

Propose ways the study findings can address limitations or gaps in the current research literature.

Get a Dissertation Proposal

Start your dissertation writing process with experts

Safe and confidential process Free custom topics to choose from Any deadline Unlimited free amendments Free anti-plagiarism report Money-back guarantee

Structuring of Recommendations

When learning how to write recommendations, start with structuring the recommendations section.

1- Summarize your Research Findings

Before making any recommendations, briefly summarise your study's key findings. This will provide context for your recommendations and ensure that they are relevant to the research topic.

2- Identify Research Gaps

Based on your research findings, identify gaps in the literature or areas requiring further investigation. Consider the limitations of your study and the potential implications of your findings.

3- Prioritize Recommendations

Determine the most important recommendations based on their potential impact and feasibility. You may want to organize your recommendations into short-term and long-term goals.

4- Provide Clear and Specific Recommendations

Your recommendations should be concise and specific. Avoid vague or general statements and provide actionable steps that can be taken to address the research gaps you have identified.

5- Justify Your Recommendations

Provide a rationale for each of your recommendations, explaining why they are necessary and how they will contribute to the overall research field.

6- Consider Potential Challenges

Be sure to consider potential challenges or limitations that may arise in implementing your recommendations. Provide suggestions for overcoming these challenges where possible.

7- Conclude with a Summary

End your recommendations with a brief summary of your main points. This will help reinforce the importance of your recommendations and ensure they are clearly understood.

Find Interesting Research Proposal Examples Here

Remember to tailor your recommendations to your specific research study and field of study. Keep in mind that your recommendations should be based on evidence and have practical applications for researchers, practitioners, or policymakers.

Building Concrete Research Recommendations

• The research process should be systematic and logical.
• Conduct the research in an objective and unbiased manner.
• The research findings should be reproducible.
• The research recommendations should be made with a concrete plan in mind.
• The research recommendations should be based on a solid foundation of evidence.
• The research recommendations should be clear and concise.
• The research recommendations should be achievable and realistic.
• The research recommendations should be made to further the research project's goals.
• They should be made to improve the quality of the research project.
• The research recommendations should make the research project more efficient.
• The recommendations should make the research project more effective.
• The research recommendations must aid in making the research project more successful.

Testimonials

Very satisfied students

This is our reason for working. We want to make all students happy, every day. Review us on Sitejabber

What is the Smart Strategy for Writing Research Recommendations?

In academic writing, there are generally three types of Recommendations:

• Obligations

Explore Some Best Dissertation Writings Here 

Recommendations can be further characterized as "SMART" or "non-SMART." A SMART Recommendation is one that is Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic, and Time-bound. The following sections will provide more information on each of these characteristics.

• A Recommendation is " Specific " if it clearly spells out what actions need to take place, who needs to take those actions, and when they need to occur.
• A Recommendation is " Measurable " if specified indicators can be used to gauge whether it has successfully achieved its objectives.
• A Recommendation is " Actionable " if the necessary steps required to implement the recommendation are spelt out and achievable.
• A Recommendation is " Realistic " if it is achievable given the available resources (e.g., time, money, human resources).
• Finally, a Recommendation is " Time - bound " if there is a specified timeframe within which the recommendation should be achieved.

How Does It Work ?

Fill the Form

Please fill the free topic form and share your requirements

Writer Starts Working

The writer starts to find a topic for you (based on your requirements)

3+ Topics Emailed!

The writer shared custom topics with you within 24 hours

What are the Dos and Don'ts of Research Recommendations? 

1- be specific.

Provide clear and specific recommendations that are relevant to the research study and the field of study. Use precise language and avoid vague or general statements.

2- Support Your Recommendations with Evidence

Base your recommendations on the research study's findings and other relevant literature. Provide evidence to support your recommendations and explain why they are necessary.

Identify and prioritise the most important recommendations based on their potential impact and feasibility.

4- Consider Practical Applications

Ensure that your recommendations have practical applications for researchers, practitioners, or policymakers. Think about how your recommendations can be implemented in practice and how they can contribute to the field.

5- Be Concise

Keep your recommendations concise and to the point. Avoid unnecessary details or explanations.

6- Provide a Rationale

Explain the rationale for each of your recommendations and how they will contribute to the overall research field.

1- Make Unsupported Claims

Avoid making claims that are not supported by evidence. Make sure that your recommendations are based on the research study's findings and other relevant literature.

2- Overgeneralize

Avoid overgeneralizing your recommendations. Make sure that your recommendations are specific to the research study and field.

3- Ignore Potential Challenges

Consider potential challenges or limitations that may arise in implementing your recommendations. Provide suggestions for overcoming these challenges where possible.

4- Disregard Practical Considerations

Ensure that your recommendations are practical and feasible. Consider the resources and constraints of the research field and how your recommendations can be implemented in practice.

5- Be Too Prescriptive

Avoid being too prescriptive in your recommendations. Provide guidance and direction, but allow room for interpretation and adaptation.

By following these dos and don'ts, you can ensure that your research recommendations are well-supported, relevant, and practical and will make a meaningful contribution to the research field.

Learn the Best Way to Write Acknowledgements

Explore the Current Samples of Acknowledgement

It is frequently the case that further research is needed to facilitate the advancement of a study. In your research plans, you can analyze potential study methodologies and the points regarding a subject that might be covered in such research.

The recommendations you include in your paper could be crucial to your research. Make sure your essay has clear recommendations that are simple to implement, can be used effectively, and are not unduly complex or challenging in any other manner. If you need further help writing recommendations, contact us via email or web chat.

admin farhan

Related posts.

How to Write a Reaction Paper: Format, Template, & Examples

What Is a Covariate? Its Role in Statistical Modeling

What is Conventions in Writing | Definition, Importance & Examples

Comments are closed.

How To Write a Recommendation Report

Published by Boni on May 18, 2021 May 18, 2021

What is a Recommendation Report?

A recommendation reports is a document that involves describing situations and evaluating possible solutions to a problem. Clearly stating facts eases the task for others to make decisions based on your research. This might not be an easy task to most of the students considering that one needs to find time to sit and craft a quality paper that is plagiarism free in order to get a good grade. Students can relieve themselves from all this pressure by choosing our English homework assistance service that provides the best reports that guarantee good grades.

Elevate Your Writing with Our Free Writing Tools!

Did you know that we provide a free essay and speech generator, plagiarism checker, summarizer, paraphraser, and other writing tools for free?

Recommendation reports propose potential solutions to problems and conclude by suggesting the best one. Thus, recommendation reports should be highly persuasive as one should settle on a final recommendation based on evidence and thorough research. In this article, you will receive professional recommendation report writing tips to up your game in writing these reports.

Factors to Consider When Writing a Recommendation Report

Before you get down to writing the report, ensure that you put the following factors into consideration.

• Make it as informative and as straightforward as possible

A recommendation report should inform the audience about different choices and finally provide the best choice for the audience. It should therefore be as informative as possible to help the audience in making the best choice.

Where necessary, you can use graphs, figures, and tables to expound on the information you are discussing. It assists your audience in quickly following and understanding the information in your recommendation report. However, ensure that you label graphs, figures, or tables you use to ensure they make sense even when they appear in stand-alone sections.

• Have the target audience in mind

The readers of your recommendation report will significantly impact the styles and contents you employ in completing the recommendation report. Ensure that you have a prior understanding of the audience, enabling you to know the level of knowledge and facts to include in your recommendation report.

• Avoid unnecessary jargons

Use simple language that your audience will identify with instead of complex terms the audience might not understand.

• Headings and subheadings

Use strong headings and subheadings in terms of structure and organization. Proper organization will assist your audience in quickly identifying facts that you have discussed in your recommendation report.

A logical progression of information is essential while writing your recommendation report. Jumping from one point to another without proper flow will make you lose the interest of your audience.

Memorable tips on how to write a memorable personal essay .

Sections of a Recommendation Report

Discussed below is the structure of your recommendation report.

• The introduction (Executive summary)

It is a section that briefly introduces and summarizes your purpose for writing the recommendation report. It gives the reader a gist of what to expect in the report by stating the problem with enough background information. It is also a platform for you to show the analytic approach to the issue at hand.

• The problem statement

As all recommendation reports address a critical and vital issue, this tends to be an essential part of your recommendation report. The problem statement clearly articulates the problem and strongly shows the need for the solutions you will explore in the rest of the report. It gives a justification of the purpose of the report and why it is essential.

To justify the importance of your recommendations, have an in-depth understanding of the specific needs of the organization or business you are addressing. The problem statement you outline introduces the options that you will discuss in the recommendation report.

• Description of options

It serves as the heart of your recommendation report, where you have to describe several solutions to the problem you cited at the beginning of your report. Your solution ideas should be creative and properly planned, with every idea being discussed in one to two paragraphs.

Discuss every idea deeply and comprehensively and provide information about how each idea solves the problem you outlined at the beginning of the recommendation report. Finally, provide specific details on how the ideas can be implemented and justify why the options are viable. Explore what an information report entails before writing it.

• Create an evaluation criterion for each option

After discussing the options that could solve the problem, you stated while introducing your recommendation report, outline a criterion for evaluating the possibilities. The evaluation criterion should be based on the problem statement you outlined. After drafting and justifying the evaluation criteria, assess the ability of each option to answer your criteria.

• Compare the options by category

Including a comparison of the options, you provided in your recommendation report enables your audience to compare your thoughts and refer to different conclusions. Handle this section category by category, with each class closed by finding the best option for that comparison.

• Final recommendation

After describing and evaluating your options, select the best option that suits the problem at hand. Explain why you have settled for that option and defend your recommendation with thorough proof of why you think it is the best.

It would be best if you also were sensitive to the fact that some readers may go directly to your final recommendation. It means that they skip the other contents of your recommendation report hence adequately explain the most crucial conclusion that led you to that recommendation.

The conclusion in a recommendation report should reemphasize the final recommendation. After reemphasizing the final submission, give suggestions on how the audience can implement the proposal.

• Works Cited

Sometimes recommendation reports require extensive research that can range from surveys to conducting interviews to the use of peer-reviewed journal articles. Having used outside sources, you should ensure you give credit to the author of the information by citing the sources. Citing also assists future users of your data in finding the source of the information you provided quickly. The citation style you employ should be based on the institution’s requirements.

Editing and Proofreading

After following through with the process outlined above, it is now time to make corrections in your recommendation report and ensure it fits the audience. Read through the report to correct any grammatical errors and clarify points that you might have given rough information about. Make use of an effective paraphrasing and summarizing tool to edit your paper. Ensure also that you provide an original copy without any plagiarism.

You can use our plagiarism check software to ensure that your document is unique and grammar check software to catch any grammatical errors that might have escaped your eyes. However, ensure that you read through your document after running it through a grammar check software to ensure everything runs smoothly.

Special offer! Get 20% discount on your first order. Promo code: SAVE20

Related Posts

Free essay guides, how to write a graduation speech.

What is a Graduation Speech? A graduation speech is delivered at the graduation event to congratulate the graduates and provide them with advice and motivation. The speaker could be a student or professor. Your chance Read more…

Free TEAS Practice Test

Study and prepare for your TEAS exam with our free TEAS practice test. Free ATI TEAS practice tests are valuable resources for those hoping to do well on their TEAS exams. As we all know, Read more…

How to Write a Profile Essay

To learn how to write a profile essay, you must first master where to begin. Given that this is a profile essay, it will be much simpler for students who have previously read autobiographical articles Read more…

• News & Politics
• The Right Wing
• Election ’20
• Documentaries
• Immigration
• Hot Topics >>
• Corrections
• GET OUR DAILY NEWSLETTER!
• GO AD FREE!
• MAKE A ONE-TIME DONATION

'Lack of transparency unwelcome' as RNC privately decides platform: report

The Republican Party has recently argued, according to NPR, that "an unwieldy platform could be weaponized by Democrats and the media."

As a result, in "a break with tradition," the Republican National Convention has decided to launch its platform privately this election cycle, Semafor reports.

The news outlet notes that the party's choice "to keep spectators and media out of the room, at Milwaukee’s Baird Center, was reported last week by the New York Times."

READ MORE: Johnson pours cold water on key Trump campaign promise

Trump campaign staffers Chris LaCitiva and Susie Wiles wrote in a memo last week, "For decades, Republicans have published textbook-long platforms that are scrutinized and intentionally misrepresented by our political opponents. The mainstream media uses their bully pulpit to perpetuate lies and misrepresentations, and the voters are often left believing we stand for something different than we actually do."

Semafor reports the pair "did not cite examples in the memo, but in 2016, the committee’s tweak to language about defending Ukraine generated bad headlines; well into 2018, it was inspiring questions from a special counsel. In 2020, the decision to punt on the platform inspired some embarrassing coverage, but not too much."

Politico reported Tuesday that "two hardline anti-abortion delegates to next week’s GOP platform committee have been stripped of their positions, according to several members of the Republican National Committee, underscoring a broader fear among evangelicals and other social conservatives that the party is poised to moderate its stance on abortion at the direction of former President Donald Trump."

The news outlet noted that a Trump campaign official argued the two delegates — "longtime party activist LaDonna Ryggs and former state party chair Chad Connelly" — were never "on the platform committee and maintained that two other people were the ones properly elected to the body by South Carolina’s convention delegates, suggesting that the 'state party' had tried to circumvent the RNC."

READ MORE: 'Very dicey': Trump’s massive fundraising surge masks glaring blind spot for GOP

Additionally, Politico reports, "Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council and a member of the platform committee, accused RNC Chair Michael Whatley of 'stalling tactics' in a letter on Monday about efforts to ensure the meetings are open."

Perkins said that keeping the meetings private "heightens speculation that the GOP platform will be watered down to a few pages of meaningless, poll-tested talking points.'"

RNC committee person Oscar Brock said, "The lack of transparency is unwelcome. When people operate behind closed doors, you always have to wonder what the outcome is going to be.”

Semafor emphasizes, "The decision to pull curtains around the platform won’t stop coverage of what’s in it, but it will prevent the real-time drama of prior years."

READ MORE: 'Horrible scenarios': Report details MAGA scheme to block election results in 5 key swing states

Semafor's full report is available here . Politico's report is here . NPR's report is here.

• 'Poo poo and badmouth the Republican Party': RNC committeeman slams far-right pro-Trump group ›
• RNC’s economic impact on Milwaukee deemed a 'failure': report ›
• 'You’re out': RNC threatens to remove reporters who 'ask about the 2020 election' ›
• Lara Trump is reshaping the RNC in Donald Trump's image | AP News ›
• Campaign denies reports former president Donald Trump planning ... ›
• Trump takes control of the RNC with mass layoffs, restructuring - The ... ›

Should Trump be allowed to hold office again?

Understand the importance of honest news .

The past year has been the most arduous of our lives. The Covid-19 pandemic continues to be catastrophic not only to our health - mental and physical - but also to the stability of millions of people. For all of us independent news organizations, it’s no exception.

We’ve covered everything thrown at us this past year and will continue to do so with your support. We’ve always understood the importance of calling out corruption, regardless of political affiliation.

We need your support in this difficult time. Every reader contribution, no matter the amount, makes a difference in allowing our newsroom to bring you the stories that matter, at a time when being informed is more important than ever. Invest with us.

Make a one-time contribution to Alternet All Access , or click here to become a subscriber . Thank you.

Click to donate by check .

Give me the stuttering old man over the racist, sexist, lying fascist

How trump and senate republicans are circling the wagons to save clarence thomas, the risk of dumping biden, here’s why trump has been 'so quiet' about biden’s health: analyst, revealed:trump’s hot-mic biden conversation while sitting in golf cart leaked online, why louisiana's kids won't listen to their pious governor, republican threatens to hijack funding for football team unless it revives racist logo, fact-checker dispels claims of trump 'discipline' in barrage of furious posts, propublica releases unedited interview with joe biden in wake of debate, 'scheming witches': analyst sickened by justice john roberts' putdown of female colleagues, mayor of az border town who shared stage with kari lake now endorsing democrat ruben gallego, how to end all trump prosecutions, 'one of dumber things i’ve ever read': ex-cia attorney bashes jim jordan conspiracy theory.

• george conway
• noam chomsky
• Kayleigh mcenany
• Melania trump
• drudge report
• paul krugman
• Lindsey graham
• Lincoln project
• al franken bill maher
• People of praise
• Ivanka trump

Verify originality of an essay

Get ideas for your paper

Find top study documents

Chemistry lab report: key guidelines for students

Updated 04 Jul 2024

One of the essential tasks for students learning the sciences is completing a chemistry lab report, bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application. This article provides a comprehensive guide on crafting detailed and accurate writing, ensuring all necessary components are meticulously addressed. You will learn how to write a chemistry lab report, effectively organize your data, articulate your methodologies, analyze your results, and discuss your findings. By following the steps outlined, you will enhance your report-writing skills and deepen your understanding of scientific methods, fostering a more profound appreciation for the discipline of chemistry.

What is a chemistry lab report?

This detailed document describes and analyzes an experiment conducted in a laboratory setting. Its main purpose is to communicate the project’s results, methods, and significance to researchers and scientists. These reports demonstrate an understanding of scientific concepts and provide a record of the work for future reference. They are essential for education and scientific communication, documenting, analyzing, and sharing the procedures and findings of experiments, thus forming a crucial part of the scientific method.

This document’s length can vary depending on what interesting chemistry topics you choose, the complexity of the experiment, and the institution’s requirements. Generally, these papers range from 5 to 15 pages, including all sections, figures, and references.

Citation style

The instructor or institution often specifies the citation style for a chemical reactions lab report. Commonly used styles include:

• American Chemical Society (ACS): Frequently used in chemistry and related fields.
• American Psychological Association (APA): Sometimes used for interdisciplinary work.
• Modern Language Association (MLA): Less common in chemistry but may be required for certain courses or assignments.

The components of a college chemistry lab report example

One of the essential things when you learn how to conduct research in chemistry is understanding its structure. This writing typically includes several key components, each with its purpose and requirements. Let’s describe them briefly before we delve into details in the next part of our guide. 

• Title: A concise statement of the main topic or the experiment’s nature.
• Abstract: Brief summary of the experiment’s purpose, methods, results, and conclusions.
• Introduction: Chemistry lab background information, objectives, and hypothesis related to chemical principles. 
• Materials and methods : Detailed description of chemicals, equipment, and procedural steps.
• Results: Presentation of the data collected during the experiment, often using tables, graphs, and figures.
• Discussion: Analysis of results, discussion of chemical mechanisms, errors, and comparison with theoretical values.
• Conclusion: A summary of the findings, their significance, and suggestions for future research.
• References: List of all cited sources, typically following ACS style.

A typical chem lab report example is characterized by the emphasis on chemical reactions, mechanisms, and quantitative data. It involves detailed descriptions of reagents and chemical procedures. It often includes reaction equations and stoichiometric calculations.

Comparison with lab reports in other subjects

Whatever disciplines you learn – chemistry, physics, or biology – all have a similar lab report structure . Still, some differences exist, particularly in their focus and content, reflecting each subject's distinct methodologies and objectives. 

Biology reports often include similar sections but might place more emphasis on the biological significance of the results. They may require a “Literature Review” section within the introduction to discuss previous related studies. Physics reports typically emphasize theoretical background, measurements, and mathematical derivations. The “Results” section may include more complex equations and theoretical models.

By understanding these differences, you can tailor your papers to meet each scientific discipline's specific requirements and expectations, ensuring clear and effective communication of your experimental findings.

How to write chemistry lab report: step-by-step guidelines & examples

Writing a comprehensive report involves several detailed steps, each contributing to the clarity and effectiveness of your research. Here’s an extended step-by-step guide with tips and examples for each section.

This is the first point of interaction with your readers, offering a concise overview of the experiment's scope and focus. It should be descriptive, informative, and clear, fulfilling the following functions:

• It clearly indicates the research study conducted, allowing the audience to understand the report’s content at a glance.
• It discloses the essential aspect of the experiment, emphasizing the key reaction, variable, or phenomenon under exploration.
• It is clear and allows readers to grasp the subject matter immediately.

When crafting the title for your laboratory project, aim to be informative and succinct. Don’t be vague, and never use overly general titles. It’s better to choose words that accurately understand the essence of your research. A well-thought-out title is the basis of your report and encourages readers to explore the details within.

Example: “Determination of the Molar Mass of Butane via Gas Collection Method.”

2. Abstract.

This brief summary of the experiment, including its purpose, methods, results, and conclusions. How to write an abstract for chemistry lab report? Here are some recommendations to take into account and a lab report abstract example :

• Write it last to reflect the entire report accurately.
• Keep it concise; don’t exceed the limits of 150-250 words.
• Highlight the key findings and their significance.

Example: “This experiment aimed to determine the molar mass of butane by measuring the volume of gas collected over water. The results indicated a molar mass of 58.12 g/mol, consistent with the theoretical value.”

3. Introduction.

It provides background information and the rationale for the experiment and states the objectives and hypothesis. The key tips to use in this section are as follows:

• Start your chemistry lab report introduction example with a broad context, then narrow it down to the specific experiment.
• Explain why your research is important.
• Make a synthesis of relevant theories, principles, and previous research.
• Clearly state the hypothesis and objectives.
• Predict the expected outcome based on existing knowledge.

Example: “Understanding the molar mass of gases is fundamental in chemical stoichiometry. This experiment uses the gas collection method to determine the molar mass of butane, hypothesizing that the measured molar mass will align with the theoretical value.”

4. Materials and methods.

This section should provide a detailed description of the materials, equipment, and procedures used. To create a lab report procedure example, follow the next steps:

• List all materials and equipment with specific details, including measuring devices, glassware, chemicals, specialized tools, and safety equipment.
• Emphasize safety precautions for equipment use, including handling chemicals, wearing protective gear, and operating machinery safely.
• Describe the procedure step-by-step, ensuring clarity for reproducibility.
• Indicate the equipment's availability and accessibility, which is crucial for experiment replication or result verification.
• Use past tense and passive voice (e.g., “The gas was collected over water…”).

Example: “A graduated cylinder and water displacement method were used to collect butane gas. The procedure involved filling the cylinder with water, inverting it in a water trough, and allowing butane to displace the water.”

5. Results.

It presents the data collected during the experiment, often using graphs, tables, and figures. In this part of the research paper, it’s essential to:

• Present data clearly and logically, without interpretation.
• Label all tables, graphs, and figures to refer to them in the text.
• Include units of measurement and significant figures.
• Highlight noteworthy data trends, patterns, or anomalies for subsequent analysis and discussion.

Example: “Table 1 shows the volume of butane collected, while Figure 1 illustrates the relationship between volume and pressure.”

6. Discussion.

This section includes analyzing and interpreting the results, discussing any errors and contradictions, and explaining the implications of the findings. Consider the following tips for this section:

• Relate findings to the hypothesis and objectives.
• Discuss potential sources of error and their impact on the results.
• Compare results with theoretical values or literature.
• Suggest improvements for future experiments.

Example: “The measured molar mass of butane was 58.12 g/mol, closely matching the theoretical value of 58.14 g/mol. Potential sources of error include…”

7. Conclusion.

This is your project’s culmination and a summary of the findings and their significance. Discover how to write a conclusion for a lab report and an example that may help you in your work.

• Be concise when creating your chemistry lab conclusion example and focus on the main findings.
• Highlight the importance and practical implications of the experiment.
• Suggest future research directions if applicable.

Example: “This experiment successfully determined the molar mass of butane, validating the gas collection method. Future studies could explore…”

8. References.

It’s a list of all sources cited in the report. Here are some guidelines to consider:

• Follow the required citation style (e.g., ACS, APA).
• Include every primary source of theoretical information, procedures, and data.
• Ensure all references are complete and correctly formatted (this rule has no exceptions, so be attentive when formulating your bibliography).

Example: 1. Brown, T. L.; LeMay, H. E.; Bursten, B. E.; Murphy, C. J. Chemistry: The Central Science, 12th ed.; Pearson: New York, 2012.

By following these guidelines, you can produce comprehensive, high-quality papers that effectively present your experimental work and outcomes.

Essential requirements for the chemistry lab report format

Completing academic papers requires clear content and adherence to specific formatting standards. Here are general guidelines to ensure your lab report example chemistry meets the necessary formatting requirements:

Spacing and font

• Font type and size: A standard, readable font such as Arial or Times New Roman is convenient. Write in 12-point size.
• Spacing: Double spacing for the entire document, including text, tables, figures, and references.

Margins and page numbers

• Margins: Format your document with one-inch margins on every side.
• Page numbers: Number the pages consecutively, starting from the title page, and place the numbers of pages in the top right corner of every page.

Headings and subheadings

• Heading style: In your chemistry lab report example, differentiate between sections using a clear and consistent heading style.
• Formatting: Italicize or bold headings to make them stand out.
• Title: Center the title at the top of the title page; you can use a slightly larger font size than the body text.
• Personal information: Center your name, laboratory section or course, instructor's name, and date below the title.

Figures and tables

• Numbering: Number tables and chemistry figures sequentially with informative and clear titles (e.g., “Figure 1: Effect of Temperature on Reaction Rate of Sodium Thiosulfate and Hydrochloric Acid”).
• References: Provide proper citations and references for any figures or tables sourced externally.

If you need professional feedback to ensure your report corresponds to academic standards, our chemistry homework help service is your best ally. Our team of editors will check your work for proper formatting.

Final thoughts

The knowledge about how to write a chem lab report is crucial for academic success and scientific literacy. By adhering to this article's structured guidelines and recommendations, you can produce comprehensive and precise papers that effectively communicate your findings. However, for those seeking additional assistance or looking to refine their skills further, EduBirdie offers valuable support. Whether you need help with data analysis, calculations, structuring your report, or polishing your final draft, EduBirdie’s experts can provide the guidance and expertise needed to elevate your work to the next level. Embrace these resources to ensure your writing is accurate and exemplary.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback.

Written by Brandon Kryeger

Brandon Kryeger is an innovative writer specializing in creating in-depth guides on various academic tasks, including creative projects, multimedia presentations, and research papers. With a unique blend of creativity and academic rigor, Brandon provides students with practical tips and strategies to enhance their learning experience. Beyond his writing expertise, Brandon is passionate about the intersection of music and education, often exploring how hip-hop can be used as a powerful tool for student engagement and learning.

Related Blog Posts

Redundancy in writing: meaning, types, and ways to eliminate.

For effective communication, brevity is crucial. However, even experienced writers can unwittingly introduce repetition phrases, weakening their me...

SHRM-Globoforce Survey: HR Professionals Indicate Recognition Programs Have Positive Impact on Retention and Recruitment

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Jan. 24, 2018 — Employers seeking to improve retention and recruitment efforts may want to look to their employee recognition prog...

Scholarships and Resources for Students with Health Conditions

Coping with a chronic illness and college at the same time can become quite challenging. Medical issues affect their learning capabilities and prev...

Join our 150K of happy users

• Get original papers written according to your instructions
• Save time for what matters most