Presenting survey results – Report writing 2
Report structure
Most survey research reports follow a fairly standard structure with the following inclusions:
Front page
This is the window into the report. Choose a short, relevant and interesting title. Include the date of
publication/release, author and contact details such as address and phone number. Copyright and/or
licence information should also be included, if report is published.
(see http://www.ausgoal.gov.au/copyright)
Table of contents
This allows the reader to gain an overview of what is contained in the document, and quickly locate
sections they may wish to read.
Executive summary
The executive summary should summarise all the main points discussed in the report, including the
methods, key results (preferably grouped by objectives or themes) and conclusions/recommendations.
The executive summary should ideally be limited to one or two pages. It should highlight the key
messages that the decision makers will need to know, but not necessarily every result that is of
statistical significance. The summary should be the most polished part of the document, as it will
almost certainly be the part that is most read.
Background and objectives
This section provides the reader with context to understand the background to the survey, and the
reasons for which the research has been conducted. It would typically also include information on how
the research results are intended to be used. The amount of detail provided in this section will depend
on the nature and complexity of the survey.
Survey method
This part discusses who has been included in the survey and why, the source material or list from
which respondents from the target population were drawn (the list may include individuals, households
or institutions), how many people were surveyed, how they were contacted, and the method of data
collection. Individual sub-sections may be required to adequately cover all the details, depending on
the complexity of the survey. Highly technical information regarding survey method and operations can
be included in an appendix.
Survey results
This is the main body of the report, containing details of the survey results. Consider structuring this
section according to the objectives of the project or themes, rather than by question order. Refer back
to the research objectives and ensure they are all covered.
The information contained in this section shows the key results from the survey. It does not need to
include every possible breakdown of the data. Rather, it should highlight results that are of both
statistical and practical significance.
All sources of data in the findings should be referenced so it is clear where they have come from, and
so their credibility can be assessed. Any dubious content should be put into an appendix of supporting
material, rather than included in this section.
Appendices
The survey questionnaire should always be included in the appendices.
The appendices may also contain detailed technical information about survey methodology, collection
processes, data processing and analysis techniques.
Appendices commonly contain a glossary of technical terms and a list of figures and graphs.
Alternatively, a glossary and list of figures and graphs can be provided at the front of the document, to
introduce and explain technical terms the reader will encounter.