Statistical Report
Writing for
Sociology Students

Report Structure
The report must include the following:
 Table of contents
 Abstract (optional)
 Introduction
 Lit Review
 Methodology
 Findings/ Discussion
 Conclusion & Recommendations
 References
 Appendix (i.e. copy of your survey, interview

schedule, coding tables, transcripts, etc.)

Abstract
 150 – 250 words
 The

research objectives

 Study

Design

 Type of analysis (case study/policy document/blog/media/web or paper)
 Population & Response rate (if survey or SPSS dataset)
 Software (survey administration ::SPSS)

 Results

(main findings)

 Conclusions

Introduction
 Describe

topic of study

 So what?--- What is it, why is it important?
 What is the problematic? (Refer back to first couple of lectures)  What is the sociological problem?
 Thesis argument
 Purpose(s)
 Clearly
 Pages

of the study

state all RQs(?)

1-2

Lit Review
How have others studied your topic?
(type of study)
 Positions/counterarguments
 What exactly is your contribution to the current literature on the topic?


◦ Are you conducting an original study or
◦ Are replicating a previous study? If so, in what ways 

Not an annotated bibliography—(use themes) Methodology
 How

was the analysis/survey/interview developed?

 Questionnaire organization and rationale (use the textbook/lecture notes from SOC483)

 How

did you find your cases?

Sampling/population, time frame, web search engine & newspapers  Specific

research method (Narrative, discourse, semiotics or content)
 codes and themes used ( summary table )

 Essentially, what

did you do?

Software (If applicable)
 Coding & Recoding/Variables rationale
 Limitations


 Pages

6-7

Findings/ Discussion
 Report