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The Italian Academic Research System and Its Evaluation: A Conceptual Framework Inception

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• First Online: 09 December 2021
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• Francesco Bertolotti 11 ,
• Angela Locoro 11 ,
• Luca Mari 11 ,
• Eliana Alessandra Minelli 11 ,
• Aurelio Ravarini 11 &
• Maria Rucsandra Stan 11  

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Information Systems and Organisation ((LNISO,volume 50))

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In this paper, we introduce the main topics and the initial settings of an Italian PRIN project aimed at investigating how the systematic adoption of systems for the evaluation of research in the Italian academic context may influence research outcomes. We motivate the need to adopt and adapt a conceptual framework, which may identify, define and describe the relevant entities involved in the evaluation process, their measurable properties and relations. We then present the first draft of an ontology derived from an existing ontology about the academic world, namely the VIVO ontology, and the criteria for its design. We report the steps taken to modify the received ontology in order to fit it to our purposes, with an interdisciplinary contribution to the selection and adaptation of entities. Novel considerations about the use of formal conceptual systems and the contribution of our work to the socio-technical view are finally drawn, and some further directions of the project are proposed.

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For documentation please follow the official VIVO link: https://duraspace.org/vivo/ , where the last version of the ontology is available. At https://www.w3.org/community/vivo/ the official page of the VIVO as a W3C standard certified project.

Both the inspection and modifications step of the VIVO ontology were done by uploading an.owl version of the ontology, available in the VIVO repository, into the Protégé tool, a Java-based specialized knowledge representation and reasoning tool freely available online (at https://protege.stanford.edu/ ).

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Bertolotti, F., Locoro, A., Mari, L., Minelli, E.A., Ravarini, A., Stan, M.R. (2022). The Italian Academic Research System and Its Evaluation: A Conceptual Framework Inception. In: Za, S., Consorti, A., Virili, F. (eds) Organizing in a Digitized World. ItAIS 2020. Lecture Notes in Information Systems and Organisation, vol 50. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-86858-1_17

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• 26 April 2022

Italian research review draws mixed reaction

• Edwin Cartlidge

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A group of researchers at work in the laboratory at the Cibio Department of the University of Trento on February 18, 2020. As in previous evaluations, this and other universities in the north of the country on the whole fared better than those in the south. Credit: Alessio Coser/University Of Trento via Getty Images.

Italian universities are improving when it comes to attracting talented young researchers and engaging with society, according to the National Agency for the Evaluation of Universities and Research Institutes (ANVUR), which has announced the results from its latest periodic assessment.

But some scientists are critical of the exercise, known as the Research Quality Evaluation (VQR), arguing that the agency's data are based on crude and easily manipulable criteria. "These quantitative criteria have little to do with science and culture," says Patrizio Dimitri, a geneticist at La Sapienza University in Rome.

ANVUR was set up in 2006 to try and improve the meritocracy of Italian research by providing scores for individual institutions that the research ministry (now MUR) could use to allocate part of its budget. The latest VQR is the third installment of that process, and the largest. Involving around 600 experts and more than 11,000 external reviewers, it analysed more than 180,000 papers, monographs and book chapters produced between 2015 and 2019 by about 65,000 researchers in 134 institutions, including universities and research institutes.

Among the headline results, the University of Milan was judged on average to produce the highest quality research of any institution, while La Sapienza in Rome recorded the best score when it came to total research output. As in previous iterations of the VQR, universities in the north of the country on the whole fared significantly better than those in the south.

ANVUR president, Antonio Uricchio, insists that the VQR is not designed to generate league tables, but simply to provide the research ministry with data – which, he says, it will use to distribute about 30% of the roughly €8bn it allocates to universities every year.

Rather than focus on rankings, Uricchio is keen to stress the progress that he says the Italian research system has made as a whole in recent years. He points out that the average quality score is higher for recently appointed researchers than it is for more established ones. In contrast with the common perception that talented researchers are leaving Italy in droves, he says that this result shows institutions are managing to recruit “able young people”.

Uricchio also takes pride in the data concerning what is known as universities' “third mission”. The idea is to quantify the impact of universities on society and the economy more broadly by assessing the extent of patent production, creation of spin-off companies and public engagement, among other things. Missing from the previous two VQR rounds as a mechanism for distributing funding, he says that analyses of case studies presented by institutions revealed a "growing attention" to such activities. Teaching is assessed in a separate exercise.

Mauro Perretti, an expert in immunopharmacology at Queen Mary University of London, agrees it is important that ANVUR assesses whether research "has relevance and value to society". He is also encouraged by what he says is a greater emphasis in the current VQR on the use of peer review to assess scientific research as opposed to bibliometric criteria such as citation counts – a change he himself recommended as chair of an independent panel set up in 2018 to review the work of ANVUR. "I think all said it is a better evaluation than previous ones," he says.

However, editors of a website known as Return on Academic Research and School (ROARS) argued in 2020 that while a ministerial decree setting out the guidelines for the current VQR sought to limit the use of bibliometric criteria, ANVUR brought the criteria back in by allowing reviewers considerable scope to choose between peer review and bibliometrics.

One of the ROARS editors, Giuseppe De Nicolao of the University of Pavia, says that the funds to be given out directly on the basis of the VQR scores will not have a significant impact, because the funding is largely proportional to the size of those institutions – as it would be without any ranking. What stands to make more of a difference, he maintains, is another funding stream dedicated specifically to “departments of excellence”. Uricchio says that ANVUR will send MUR a list of the top 350 departments in the country in May, and that it will then be down to the ministry to distribute some €0.3bn per year among them. De Nicolao describes the process as “Darwinian”, because lower-ranked departments in this case will get nothing. He says that he and his fellow editors requested details on how these funds were carved up for the previous VQR but were turned down on privacy grounds. “It is a completely opaque procedure,” he says.

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d43978-022-00051-y

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Research Reports: Definition and How to Write Them

Reports are usually spread across a vast horizon of topics but are focused on communicating information about a particular topic and a niche target market. The primary motive of research reports is to convey integral details about a study for marketers to consider while designing new strategies.

Certain events, facts, and other information based on incidents need to be relayed to the people in charge, and creating research reports is the most effective communication tool. Ideal research reports are extremely accurate in the offered information with a clear objective and conclusion. These reports should have a clean and structured format to relay information effectively.

What are Research Reports?

Research reports are recorded data prepared by researchers or statisticians after analyzing the information gathered by conducting organized research, typically in the form of surveys or qualitative methods .

A research report is a reliable source to recount details about a conducted research. It is most often considered to be a true testimony of all the work done to garner specificities of research.

The various sections of a research report are:

• Background/Introduction
• Implemented Methods
• Results based on Analysis
• Deliberation

Learn more: Quantitative Research

Components of Research Reports

Research is imperative for launching a new product/service or a new feature. The markets today are extremely volatile and competitive due to new entrants every day who may or may not provide effective products. An organization needs to make the right decisions at the right time to be relevant in such a market with updated products that suffice customer demands.

The details of a research report may change with the purpose of research but the main components of a report will remain constant. The research approach of the market researcher also influences the style of writing reports. Here are seven main components of a productive research report:

• Research Report Summary: The entire objective along with the overview of research are to be included in a summary which is a couple of paragraphs in length. All the multiple components of the research are explained in brief under the report summary.  It should be interesting enough to capture all the key elements of the report.
• Research Introduction: There always is a primary goal that the researcher is trying to achieve through a report. In the introduction section, he/she can cover answers related to this goal and establish a thesis which will be included to strive and answer it in detail.  This section should answer an integral question: “What is the current situation of the goal?”.  After the research design was conducted, did the organization conclude the goal successfully or they are still a work in progress –  provide such details in the introduction part of the research report.
• Research Methodology: This is the most important section of the report where all the important information lies. The readers can gain data for the topic along with analyzing the quality of provided content and the research can also be approved by other market researchers . Thus, this section needs to be highly informative with each aspect of research discussed in detail.  Information needs to be expressed in chronological order according to its priority and importance. Researchers should include references in case they gained information from existing techniques.
• Research Results: A short description of the results along with calculations conducted to achieve the goal will form this section of results. Usually, the exposition after data analysis is carried out in the discussion part of the report.

Learn more: Quantitative Data

• Research Discussion: The results are discussed in extreme detail in this section along with a comparative analysis of reports that could probably exist in the same domain. Any abnormality uncovered during research will be deliberated in the discussion section.  While writing research reports, the researcher will have to connect the dots on how the results will be applicable in the real world.
• Research References and Conclusion: Conclude all the research findings along with mentioning each and every author, article or any content piece from where references were taken.

Learn more: Qualitative Observation

15 Tips for Writing Research Reports

Writing research reports in the manner can lead to all the efforts going down the drain. Here are 15 tips for writing impactful research reports:

• Prepare the context before starting to write and start from the basics:  This was always taught to us in school – be well-prepared before taking a plunge into new topics. The order of survey questions might not be the ideal or most effective order for writing research reports. The idea is to start with a broader topic and work towards a more specific one and focus on a conclusion or support, which a research should support with the facts.  The most difficult thing to do in reporting, without a doubt is to start. Start with the title, the introduction, then document the first discoveries and continue from that. Once the marketers have the information well documented, they can write a general conclusion.
• Keep the target audience in mind while selecting a format that is clear, logical and obvious to them:  Will the research reports be presented to decision makers or other researchers? What are the general perceptions around that topic? This requires more care and diligence. A researcher will need a significant amount of information to start writing the research report. Be consistent with the wording, the numbering of the annexes and so on. Follow the approved format of the company for the delivery of research reports and demonstrate the integrity of the project with the objectives of the company.
• Have a clear research objective: A researcher should read the entire proposal again, and make sure that the data they provide contributes to the objectives that were raised from the beginning. Remember that speculations are for conversations, not for research reports, if a researcher speculates, they directly question their own research.
• Establish a working model:  Each study must have an internal logic, which will have to be established in the report and in the evidence. The researchers’ worst nightmare is to be required to write research reports and realize that key questions were not included.

Learn more: Quantitative Observation

• Gather all the information about the research topic. Who are the competitors of our customers? Talk to other researchers who have studied the subject of research, know the language of the industry. Misuse of the terms can discourage the readers of research reports from reading further.
• Read aloud while writing. While reading the report, if the researcher hears something inappropriate, for example, if they stumble over the words when reading them, surely the reader will too. If the researcher can’t put an idea in a single sentence, then it is very long and they must change it so that the idea is clear to everyone.
• Check grammar and spelling. Without a doubt, good practices help to understand the report. Use verbs in the present tense. Consider using the present tense, which makes the results sound more immediate. Find new words and other ways of saying things. Have fun with the language whenever possible.
• Discuss only the discoveries that are significant. If some data are not really significant, do not mention them. Remember that not everything is truly important or essential within research reports.

Learn more: Qualitative Data

• Try and stick to the survey questions. For example, do not say that the people surveyed “were worried” about an research issue , when there are different degrees of concern.
• The graphs must be clear enough so that they understand themselves. Do not let graphs lead the reader to make mistakes: give them a title, include the indications, the size of the sample, and the correct wording of the question.
• Be clear with messages. A researcher should always write every section of the report with an accuracy of details and language.
• Be creative with titles – Particularly in segmentation studies choose names “that give life to research”. Such names can survive for a long time after the initial investigation.
• Create an effective conclusion: The conclusion in the research reports is the most difficult to write, but it is an incredible opportunity to excel. Make a precise summary. Sometimes it helps to start the conclusion with something specific, then it describes the most important part of the study, and finally, it provides the implications of the conclusions.
• Get a couple more pair of eyes to read the report. Writers have trouble detecting their own mistakes. But they are responsible for what is presented. Ensure it has been approved by colleagues or friends before sending the find draft out.

Learn more: Market Research and Analysis

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Home » Research Report – Example, Writing Guide and Types

Research Report – Example, Writing Guide and Types

Table of Contents

Research Report

Definition:

Research Report is a written document that presents the results of a research project or study, including the research question, methodology, results, and conclusions, in a clear and objective manner.

The purpose of a research report is to communicate the findings of the research to the intended audience, which could be other researchers, stakeholders, or the general public.

Components of Research Report

Components of Research Report are as follows:

Introduction

The introduction sets the stage for the research report and provides a brief overview of the research question or problem being investigated. It should include a clear statement of the purpose of the study and its significance or relevance to the field of research. It may also provide background information or a literature review to help contextualize the research.

Literature Review

The literature review provides a critical analysis and synthesis of the existing research and scholarship relevant to the research question or problem. It should identify the gaps, inconsistencies, and contradictions in the literature and show how the current study addresses these issues. The literature review also establishes the theoretical framework or conceptual model that guides the research.

Methodology

The methodology section describes the research design, methods, and procedures used to collect and analyze data. It should include information on the sample or participants, data collection instruments, data collection procedures, and data analysis techniques. The methodology should be clear and detailed enough to allow other researchers to replicate the study.

The results section presents the findings of the study in a clear and objective manner. It should provide a detailed description of the data and statistics used to answer the research question or test the hypothesis. Tables, graphs, and figures may be included to help visualize the data and illustrate the key findings.

The discussion section interprets the results of the study and explains their significance or relevance to the research question or problem. It should also compare the current findings with those of previous studies and identify the implications for future research or practice. The discussion should be based on the results presented in the previous section and should avoid speculation or unfounded conclusions.

The conclusion summarizes the key findings of the study and restates the main argument or thesis presented in the introduction. It should also provide a brief overview of the contributions of the study to the field of research and the implications for practice or policy.

The references section lists all the sources cited in the research report, following a specific citation style, such as APA or MLA.

The appendices section includes any additional material, such as data tables, figures, or instruments used in the study, that could not be included in the main text due to space limitations.

Types of Research Report

Types of Research Report are as follows:

Thesis is a type of research report. A thesis is a long-form research document that presents the findings and conclusions of an original research study conducted by a student as part of a graduate or postgraduate program. It is typically written by a student pursuing a higher degree, such as a Master’s or Doctoral degree, although it can also be written by researchers or scholars in other fields.

Research Paper

Research paper is a type of research report. A research paper is a document that presents the results of a research study or investigation. Research papers can be written in a variety of fields, including science, social science, humanities, and business. They typically follow a standard format that includes an introduction, literature review, methodology, results, discussion, and conclusion sections.

Technical Report

A technical report is a detailed report that provides information about a specific technical or scientific problem or project. Technical reports are often used in engineering, science, and other technical fields to document research and development work.

Progress Report

A progress report provides an update on the progress of a research project or program over a specific period of time. Progress reports are typically used to communicate the status of a project to stakeholders, funders, or project managers.

Feasibility Report

A feasibility report assesses the feasibility of a proposed project or plan, providing an analysis of the potential risks, benefits, and costs associated with the project. Feasibility reports are often used in business, engineering, and other fields to determine the viability of a project before it is undertaken.

Field Report

A field report documents observations and findings from fieldwork, which is research conducted in the natural environment or setting. Field reports are often used in anthropology, ecology, and other social and natural sciences.

Experimental Report

An experimental report documents the results of a scientific experiment, including the hypothesis, methods, results, and conclusions. Experimental reports are often used in biology, chemistry, and other sciences to communicate the results of laboratory experiments.

Case Study Report

A case study report provides an in-depth analysis of a specific case or situation, often used in psychology, social work, and other fields to document and understand complex cases or phenomena.

Literature Review Report

A literature review report synthesizes and summarizes existing research on a specific topic, providing an overview of the current state of knowledge on the subject. Literature review reports are often used in social sciences, education, and other fields to identify gaps in the literature and guide future research.

Research Report Example

Following is a Research Report Example sample for Students:

Title: The Impact of Social Media on Academic Performance among High School Students

This study aims to investigate the relationship between social media use and academic performance among high school students. The study utilized a quantitative research design, which involved a survey questionnaire administered to a sample of 200 high school students. The findings indicate that there is a negative correlation between social media use and academic performance, suggesting that excessive social media use can lead to poor academic performance among high school students. The results of this study have important implications for educators, parents, and policymakers, as they highlight the need for strategies that can help students balance their social media use and academic responsibilities.

Introduction:

Social media has become an integral part of the lives of high school students. With the widespread use of social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat, students can connect with friends, share photos and videos, and engage in discussions on a range of topics. While social media offers many benefits, concerns have been raised about its impact on academic performance. Many studies have found a negative correlation between social media use and academic performance among high school students (Kirschner & Karpinski, 2010; Paul, Baker, & Cochran, 2012).

Given the growing importance of social media in the lives of high school students, it is important to investigate its impact on academic performance. This study aims to address this gap by examining the relationship between social media use and academic performance among high school students.

Methodology:

The study utilized a quantitative research design, which involved a survey questionnaire administered to a sample of 200 high school students. The questionnaire was developed based on previous studies and was designed to measure the frequency and duration of social media use, as well as academic performance.

The participants were selected using a convenience sampling technique, and the survey questionnaire was distributed in the classroom during regular school hours. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics and correlation analysis.

The findings indicate that the majority of high school students use social media platforms on a daily basis, with Facebook being the most popular platform. The results also show a negative correlation between social media use and academic performance, suggesting that excessive social media use can lead to poor academic performance among high school students.

Discussion:

The results of this study have important implications for educators, parents, and policymakers. The negative correlation between social media use and academic performance suggests that strategies should be put in place to help students balance their social media use and academic responsibilities. For example, educators could incorporate social media into their teaching strategies to engage students and enhance learning. Parents could limit their children’s social media use and encourage them to prioritize their academic responsibilities. Policymakers could develop guidelines and policies to regulate social media use among high school students.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, this study provides evidence of the negative impact of social media on academic performance among high school students. The findings highlight the need for strategies that can help students balance their social media use and academic responsibilities. Further research is needed to explore the specific mechanisms by which social media use affects academic performance and to develop effective strategies for addressing this issue.

Limitations:

One limitation of this study is the use of convenience sampling, which limits the generalizability of the findings to other populations. Future studies should use random sampling techniques to increase the representativeness of the sample. Another limitation is the use of self-reported measures, which may be subject to social desirability bias. Future studies could use objective measures of social media use and academic performance, such as tracking software and school records.

Implications:

The findings of this study have important implications for educators, parents, and policymakers. Educators could incorporate social media into their teaching strategies to engage students and enhance learning. For example, teachers could use social media platforms to share relevant educational resources and facilitate online discussions. Parents could limit their children’s social media use and encourage them to prioritize their academic responsibilities. They could also engage in open communication with their children to understand their social media use and its impact on their academic performance. Policymakers could develop guidelines and policies to regulate social media use among high school students. For example, schools could implement social media policies that restrict access during class time and encourage responsible use.

References:

• Kirschner, P. A., & Karpinski, A. C. (2010). Facebook® and academic performance. Computers in Human Behavior, 26(6), 1237-1245.
• Paul, J. A., Baker, H. M., & Cochran, J. D. (2012). Effect of online social networking on student academic performance. Journal of the Research Center for Educational Technology, 8(1), 1-19.
• Pantic, I. (2014). Online social networking and mental health. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 17(10), 652-657.
• Rosen, L. D., Carrier, L. M., & Cheever, N. A. (2013). Facebook and texting made me do it: Media-induced task-switching while studying. Computers in Human Behavior, 29(3), 948-958.

Note*: Above mention, Example is just a sample for the students’ guide. Do not directly copy and paste as your College or University assignment. Kindly do some research and Write your own.

Applications of Research Report

Research reports have many applications, including:

• Communicating research findings: The primary application of a research report is to communicate the results of a study to other researchers, stakeholders, or the general public. The report serves as a way to share new knowledge, insights, and discoveries with others in the field.
• Informing policy and practice : Research reports can inform policy and practice by providing evidence-based recommendations for decision-makers. For example, a research report on the effectiveness of a new drug could inform regulatory agencies in their decision-making process.
• Supporting further research: Research reports can provide a foundation for further research in a particular area. Other researchers may use the findings and methodology of a report to develop new research questions or to build on existing research.
• Evaluating programs and interventions : Research reports can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of programs and interventions in achieving their intended outcomes. For example, a research report on a new educational program could provide evidence of its impact on student performance.
• Demonstrating impact : Research reports can be used to demonstrate the impact of research funding or to evaluate the success of research projects. By presenting the findings and outcomes of a study, research reports can show the value of research to funders and stakeholders.
• Enhancing professional development : Research reports can be used to enhance professional development by providing a source of information and learning for researchers and practitioners in a particular field. For example, a research report on a new teaching methodology could provide insights and ideas for educators to incorporate into their own practice.

How to write Research Report

Here are some steps you can follow to write a research report:

• Identify the research question: The first step in writing a research report is to identify your research question. This will help you focus your research and organize your findings.
• Conduct research : Once you have identified your research question, you will need to conduct research to gather relevant data and information. This can involve conducting experiments, reviewing literature, or analyzing data.
• Organize your findings: Once you have gathered all of your data, you will need to organize your findings in a way that is clear and understandable. This can involve creating tables, graphs, or charts to illustrate your results.
• Write the report: Once you have organized your findings, you can begin writing the report. Start with an introduction that provides background information and explains the purpose of your research. Next, provide a detailed description of your research methods and findings. Finally, summarize your results and draw conclusions based on your findings.
• Proofread and edit: After you have written your report, be sure to proofread and edit it carefully. Check for grammar and spelling errors, and make sure that your report is well-organized and easy to read.
• Include a reference list: Be sure to include a list of references that you used in your research. This will give credit to your sources and allow readers to further explore the topic if they choose.
• Format your report: Finally, format your report according to the guidelines provided by your instructor or organization. This may include formatting requirements for headings, margins, fonts, and spacing.

Purpose of Research Report

The purpose of a research report is to communicate the results of a research study to a specific audience, such as peers in the same field, stakeholders, or the general public. The report provides a detailed description of the research methods, findings, and conclusions.

Some common purposes of a research report include:

• Sharing knowledge: A research report allows researchers to share their findings and knowledge with others in their field. This helps to advance the field and improve the understanding of a particular topic.
• Identifying trends: A research report can identify trends and patterns in data, which can help guide future research and inform decision-making.
• Addressing problems: A research report can provide insights into problems or issues and suggest solutions or recommendations for addressing them.
• Evaluating programs or interventions : A research report can evaluate the effectiveness of programs or interventions, which can inform decision-making about whether to continue, modify, or discontinue them.
• Meeting regulatory requirements: In some fields, research reports are required to meet regulatory requirements, such as in the case of drug trials or environmental impact studies.

When to Write Research Report

A research report should be written after completing the research study. This includes collecting data, analyzing the results, and drawing conclusions based on the findings. Once the research is complete, the report should be written in a timely manner while the information is still fresh in the researcher’s mind.

In academic settings, research reports are often required as part of coursework or as part of a thesis or dissertation. In this case, the report should be written according to the guidelines provided by the instructor or institution.

In other settings, such as in industry or government, research reports may be required to inform decision-making or to comply with regulatory requirements. In these cases, the report should be written as soon as possible after the research is completed in order to inform decision-making in a timely manner.

Overall, the timing of when to write a research report depends on the purpose of the research, the expectations of the audience, and any regulatory requirements that need to be met. However, it is important to complete the report in a timely manner while the information is still fresh in the researcher’s mind.

Characteristics of Research Report

There are several characteristics of a research report that distinguish it from other types of writing. These characteristics include:

• Objective: A research report should be written in an objective and unbiased manner. It should present the facts and findings of the research study without any personal opinions or biases.
• Systematic: A research report should be written in a systematic manner. It should follow a clear and logical structure, and the information should be presented in a way that is easy to understand and follow.
• Detailed: A research report should be detailed and comprehensive. It should provide a thorough description of the research methods, results, and conclusions.
• Accurate : A research report should be accurate and based on sound research methods. The findings and conclusions should be supported by data and evidence.
• Organized: A research report should be well-organized. It should include headings and subheadings to help the reader navigate the report and understand the main points.
• Clear and concise: A research report should be written in clear and concise language. The information should be presented in a way that is easy to understand, and unnecessary jargon should be avoided.
• Citations and references: A research report should include citations and references to support the findings and conclusions. This helps to give credit to other researchers and to provide readers with the opportunity to further explore the topic.

Advantages of Research Report

Research reports have several advantages, including:

• Communicating research findings: Research reports allow researchers to communicate their findings to a wider audience, including other researchers, stakeholders, and the general public. This helps to disseminate knowledge and advance the understanding of a particular topic.
• Providing evidence for decision-making : Research reports can provide evidence to inform decision-making, such as in the case of policy-making, program planning, or product development. The findings and conclusions can help guide decisions and improve outcomes.
• Supporting further research: Research reports can provide a foundation for further research on a particular topic. Other researchers can build on the findings and conclusions of the report, which can lead to further discoveries and advancements in the field.
• Demonstrating expertise: Research reports can demonstrate the expertise of the researchers and their ability to conduct rigorous and high-quality research. This can be important for securing funding, promotions, and other professional opportunities.
• Meeting regulatory requirements: In some fields, research reports are required to meet regulatory requirements, such as in the case of drug trials or environmental impact studies. Producing a high-quality research report can help ensure compliance with these requirements.

Limitations of Research Report

Despite their advantages, research reports also have some limitations, including:

• Time-consuming: Conducting research and writing a report can be a time-consuming process, particularly for large-scale studies. This can limit the frequency and speed of producing research reports.
• Expensive: Conducting research and producing a report can be expensive, particularly for studies that require specialized equipment, personnel, or data. This can limit the scope and feasibility of some research studies.
• Limited generalizability: Research studies often focus on a specific population or context, which can limit the generalizability of the findings to other populations or contexts.
• Potential bias : Researchers may have biases or conflicts of interest that can influence the findings and conclusions of the research study. Additionally, participants may also have biases or may not be representative of the larger population, which can limit the validity and reliability of the findings.
• Accessibility: Research reports may be written in technical or academic language, which can limit their accessibility to a wider audience. Additionally, some research may be behind paywalls or require specialized access, which can limit the ability of others to read and use the findings.

About the author

Muhammad Hassan

Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer

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6 in 10 U.S. Catholics are in favor of abortion rights, Pew Research report finds

Jason DeRose

Pope Francis remains popular among U.S. Catholics, with 75% having favorable views of him, according to a Pew Research report. But many self-identified Catholics disagree with various teachings of their church. Andrew Medichini/AP hide caption

Pope Francis remains popular among U.S. Catholics, with 75% having favorable views of him, according to a Pew Research report. But many self-identified Catholics disagree with various teachings of their church.

Catholics in the U.S., one of the country's largest single Christian groups, hold far more diverse views on abortion rights than the official teaching of their church.

While the Catholic Church itself holds that abortion is wrong and should not be legal, 6 in 10 U.S. adult Catholics say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, according to a newly released profile of Catholicism by Pew Research .

Catholic opinion about abortion rights, according to the report, tends to align with political leanings: Fewer Catholic Republicans favor legal abortion than Catholic Democrats. And Pew says Hispanic Catholics, who make up one-third of the U.S. church, are slightly more in favor of legal abortion than white Catholics.

Despite church prohibitions, Catholics still choose IVF to have children

Pew found that 20% of the U.S. population identifies as Catholic, but only about 3 in 10 say they attend mass regularly. Opinions about abortion rights appear to be related to how often someone worships — just 34% of Catholics who attend mass weekly say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, whereas that number jumps to 68% among those who attend mass monthly or less.

Most U.S. Catholics are white (57%), but that number has dropped by 8 percentage points since 2007, according the new report. About 33% identify as Hispanic, 4% Asian, 2% Black, and 3% describe themselves as another race.

Pew Research also found that as of February, Pope Francis remains highly popular, with 75% of U.S. Catholics rating him favorably. However, there is a partisan divide, with Catholic Democrats more strongly supporting him.

About 4 in 10 U.S. Catholics view Francis as a major agent of change, with 3 in 10 saying he is a minor agent of change.

Wildfires: 2023 among the worst in the EU in this century

A sharp increase in burnt areas was recorded during the summer months of 2023, mostly affecting the Mediterranean region. By total burnt surface area, 2023 was the fourth worst year since 2000.

In 2023, an area around twice the size of Luxembourg was burnt in the EU, amounting to more than half a million (504,002) ha, according to the Advance report on Forest Fires in Europe, Middle East and North Africa 2023 . So far in 2024, there have already been almost double the average number of fires for this time of the year, but without a major impact in terms of burnt areas.

The report is based on data provided by the JRC-managed European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) which maps wildfires in Europe and the adjacent regions since 2000.

Analysis by different types of vegetation for 2023 shows that 37% of the total burnt area was covered by shrubs and sclerophyllous vegetation, while 26% (120,000 ha) were forests.

The wildfires resulted in severe damage to the environment, producing some 20 megatonnes (Mt) of CO2 emissions – as estimated by EFFIS – equivalent to nearly a third of all emissions from international aviation in the EU in one year.

The 2023 fire season started with more fires in February and March than is usual, resulting in over 100,000 ha burnt in the EU. Some larger fires took place in Spain as early as March and May. However, the wildfire activity really peaked in the summer months, when fire danger conditions became critical in the Mediterranean region.

By the end of the year, the extent of the burnt area mapped by EFFIS reached 504,002 ha, trailing 2017 (988427 ha), 2022 (837212 ha) and 2007 (588388 ha), the three worst years this century.

High fire danger conditions – dry soil, low humidity and high winds – facilitate the ignition of wildfires and their propagation leading to potentially critical wildfire events, sometimes referred to as megafires. The burning intensity of these fires hampers the efficiency of traditional aerial firefighting techniques, which cannot bring them to control until the fire danger conditions improve and allow the intervention of ground firefighting teams.

In fact, 2023 saw the largest single fire ever to occur in Europe since the 1980s. Ignited on 19 August near Alexandroupoli (Greece), it resulted in a burnt area of over 96,000 ha and caused numerous human casualties. The occurrence of these types of severe wildfire events is related to very high and extreme wildfire danger conditions under climate change.

There are, however, ways to prevent such wildfires, for instance by employing nature-based solutions like vegetation management, increased preparedness by using wildfire early warning systems as well as being ready to deploy the efficient firefighting means that are made available through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) and the fire management services in EU countries. 

At a global scale, 2023 was marked by unprecedented wildfires in many regions of the world, notably in Canada where the estimated burnt area amounted to over 18 million ha (roughly twice the size of Portugal).

What does the first data for 2024 show?

In 2024, droughts and high temperatures that may favor wildfire ignition and spread of wildfires are again being recorded in many areas of the world. The Copernicus Climate Change Service reported that February 2024 has been the warmest on record and the ninth consecutive warmest month. In Europe, wildfires have been recorded in many areas, especially in mountain ranges across the northern areas of the Iberian peninsula.

By mid-March a high number of fires – 1227 – above the average of 645 for this time of the year in the EU, have been mapped by EFFIS, although these did not have major impact in terms of burnt areas.

The Advance report on Forest Fires in Europe, Middle East and North Africa 2023 describes the conditions under which wildfires developed and their impact across the pan-European territory, with an emphasis on the situation in the EU. This report is regularly published by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) to facilitate the access to data and information on the previous year’s fire campaign.

It is available prior to the publication of the annual report of Forest Fires in Europe, Middle East and North Africa, which will include individual chapters provided by the wildfire administrations in the countries of the EFFIS network, currently gathering 40 countries, and will come out in October this year.

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'On life support': Senate Republicans are prepared to sink the child tax credit bill

WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans are inching closer to burying a bipartisan bill to expand the child tax credit and provide breaks for businesses, issuing a series of demands that would most likely disrupt the coalition that enabled it to pass the House.

The $78 billion bill, negotiated by House Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith, R-Mo., and Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., passed the Republican-led House by a vote of 357-70 in January, a rare feat in a divided Congress that has struggled to function. But it has languished in the Senate, where key Republicans have said they’ll kill it unless it includes major revisions. Senate Democrats have 51 seats, and they need 60 votes to break a filibuster.

But with tax filing season close to finishing and election-year politics heating up, there’s no hint of a resolution in sight. Democratic leaders are eager to pass the legislation, which, according to one analysis , would benefit about 16 million children in low-income households. Some Republicans openly warn they may sink it.

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., a member of the Finance Committee, said he’d be happy to see the entire tax bill fade away.

“I hope so,” Tillis said, adding that it doesn’t have the necessary 60 votes to pass in the Senate today.

“I honestly think unless Sen. Crapo indicates they’re negotiating in good faith, I don’t see how they have a path,” he said, referring to Mike Crapo of Idaho, the ranking Republican on the Finance Committee. “If it’s just about the vote on the floor, I don’t think they have a path.”

The bill would expand child tax credits and lift the $1,600 cap on refundability and adjust it for inflation, with the biggest benefits going to multi-child families with low incomes. The bill also includes some business tax breaks, including for research and development and small-business expensing that were key to getting GOP support in the House.

Many GOP senators are deferring to Crapo on the path forward, including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

Crapo told NBC News on Tuesday that he still has problems with “a number” of provisions. He said he wants to eliminate a “look-back” policy that would let a taxpayer use a previous year’s income if it yielded a larger child tax credit, arguing that the current language weakens the work requirement. Saying the bill would “create entitlement spending that would generate significantly higher deficits,” he called for spending cuts to fund the child tax credit expansion.

“Those are just the start,” Crapo said, adding that he likes the business tax breaks. But about the individual tax provisions: “There’s a multiplicity of issues. And until we get at least engagement on the issues, then I can’t make any kind of predictions.”

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, a senior member of the Finance Committee, said he agrees with Crapo about limiting the parameters of the child credits.

Asked whether the bill is dead, he said that wasn’t his announcement to make. “You can’t say that until Crapo says it,” Grassley said. “Crapo’s the guy who’s got to say that.”

The demands are a tall order. Crapo indicated that he isn’t satisfied with using changes to the employee retention tax credit as an offset ; ditching that idea would require starting from scratch.

Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass, the ranking member of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee, warned that major changes in the Senate would fracture the coalition in the House. He said there’s “no question” Senate Republicans are trying to sink the bill to deny President Joe Biden an achievement in an election year.

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., proposed adding the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to the tax bill, aimed at benefiting those injured in uranium mining and the Manhattan Project, the program that developed atomic bombs during World War II, saying it might attract GOP votes.

“This tax bill looks like, to me, it’s in very serious trouble,” he said Tuesday. “It’s on life support. So I think if they put those things together, that might unlock support. I know it will get my vote.”

But Crapo summarily shot the idea down.

“I will support it when we fix the provisions in the bill,” he said. Adding the radiation compensation act “does not fix the underlying bill.”

Wyden, the finance chair, said he wanted the bill passed “months ago” but isn’t giving up — and he voiced frustration over the negotiations with Republicans.

In an interview, Wyden said that he had offered to give the GOP its top demand but that it didn’t adequately move the needle.

“If I had my way, this would have been done months ago. And the reality is this wasn’t something that Senate Republicans wanted to do,” Wyden said. “In the most recent exchange, I gave them what’s individual Republican senators’ top ask, which was to get rid of the look-back. I was given, by them, something that wouldn’t have gotten a single Democratic vote in the Senate. Not one. So there you have it. We’re continuing to try to find common ground.”

Wyden touted the package’s popular benefits for families and businesses and taxpayers through anti-fraud measures, urging his Senate colleagues to get behind it.

“You’re going to let all this fraud continue and not do anything?” Wyden said. “You’re going to say no to 16 million young people? You're going to say no to those who are the small businesses and say yes to a [Donald Trump] presidential campaign that’s going to be based on being more sympathetic to billionaires’ tax needs?"

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., was noncommittal Tuesday when he was asked whether he’ll put the bill to a floor vote.

“Look, I’m all for the package. If there are enough votes to move it forward in the right way, yeah, we’ll try to get it on the floor,” Schumer told reporters at his weekly news conference. “But right now, we don’t think — they’re trying to get enough votes. The sponsors are trying to see if there are enough votes.”

Sahil Kapur is a senior national political reporter for NBC News.

Read our research on: Gun Policy | International Conflict | Election 2024

Regions & Countries

About 1 in 4 u.s. teachers say their school went into a gun-related lockdown in the last school year.

Twenty-five years after the mass shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado , a majority of public K-12 teachers (59%) say they are at least somewhat worried about the possibility of a shooting ever happening at their school. This includes 18% who say they’re extremely or very worried, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.

Pew Research Center conducted this analysis to better understand public K-12 teachers’ views on school shootings, how prepared they feel for a potential active shooter, and how they feel about policies that could help prevent future shootings.

To do this, we surveyed 2,531 U.S. public K-12 teachers from Oct. 17 to Nov. 14, 2023. The teachers are members of RAND’s American Teacher Panel, a nationally representative panel of public school K-12 teachers recruited through MDR Education. Survey data is weighted to state and national teacher characteristics to account for differences in sampling and response to ensure they are representative of the target population.

We also used data from our 2022 survey of U.S. parents. For that project, we surveyed 3,757 U.S. parents with at least one child younger than 18 from Sept. 20 to Oct. 2, 2022. Find more details about the survey of parents here .

Here are the questions used for this analysis , along with responses, and the survey methodology .

Another 31% of teachers say they are not too worried about a shooting occurring at their school. Only 7% of teachers say they are not at all worried.

This survey comes at a time when school shootings are at a record high (82 in 2023) and gun safety continues to be a topic in 2024 election campaigns .

Teachers’ experiences with lockdowns

About a quarter of teachers (23%) say they experienced a lockdown in the 2022-23 school year because of a gun or suspicion of a gun at their school. Some 15% say this happened once during the year, and 8% say this happened more than once.

High school teachers are most likely to report experiencing these lockdowns: 34% say their school went on at least one gun-related lockdown in the last school year. This compares with 22% of middle school teachers and 16% of elementary school teachers.

Teachers in urban schools are also more likely to say that their school had a gun-related lockdown. About a third of these teachers (31%) say this, compared with 19% of teachers in suburban schools and 20% in rural schools.

Do teachers feel their school has prepared them for an active shooter?

About four-in-ten teachers (39%) say their school has done a fair or poor job providing them with the training and resources they need to deal with a potential active shooter.

A smaller share (30%) give their school an excellent or very good rating, and another 30% say their school has done a good job preparing them.

Teachers in urban schools are the least likely to say their school has done an excellent or very good job preparing them for a potential active shooter. About one-in-five (21%) say this, compared with 32% of teachers in suburban schools and 35% in rural schools.

Teachers who have police officers or armed security stationed in their school are more likely than those who don’t to say their school has done an excellent or very good job preparing them for a potential active shooter (36% vs. 22%).

Overall, 56% of teachers say they have police officers or armed security stationed at their school. Majorities in rural schools (64%) and suburban schools (56%) say this, compared with 48% in urban schools.

Only 3% of teachers say teachers and administrators at their school are allowed to carry guns in school. This is slightly more common in school districts where a majority of voters cast ballots for Donald Trump in 2020 than in school districts where a majority of voters cast ballots for Joe Biden (5% vs. 1%).

What strategies do teachers think could help prevent school shootings?

The survey also asked teachers how effective some measures would be at preventing school shootings.

Most teachers (69%) say improving mental health screening and treatment for children and adults would be extremely or very effective.

About half (49%) say having police officers or armed security in schools would be highly effective, while 33% say the same about metal detectors in schools.

Just 13% say allowing teachers and school administrators to carry guns in schools would be extremely or very effective at preventing school shootings. Seven-in-ten teachers say this would be not too or not at all effective.

How teachers’ views differ by party

Republican and Republican-leaning teachers are more likely than Democratic and Democratic-leaning teachers to say each of the following would be highly effective:

• Having police officers or armed security in schools (69% vs. 37%)
• Having metal detectors in schools (43% vs. 27%)
• Allowing teachers and school administrators to carry guns in schools (28% vs. 3%)

And while majorities in both parties say improving mental health screening and treatment would be highly effective at preventing school shootings, Democratic teachers are more likely than Republican teachers to say this (73% vs. 66%).

Parents’ views on school shootings and prevention strategies

In fall 2022, we asked parents a similar set of questions about school shootings.

Roughly a third of parents with K-12 students (32%) said they were extremely or very worried about a shooting ever happening at their child’s school. An additional 37% said they were somewhat worried.

As is the case among teachers, improving mental health screening and treatment was the only strategy most parents (63%) said would be extremely or very effective at preventing school shootings. And allowing teachers and school administrators to carry guns in schools was seen as the least effective – in fact, half of parents said this would be not too or not at all effective. This question was asked of all parents with a child younger than 18, regardless of whether they have a child in K-12 schools.

Like teachers, parents’ views on strategies for preventing school shootings differed by party. 

Note: Here are the questions used for this analysis , along with responses, and the survey methodology .

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‘Back to school’ means anytime from late July to after Labor Day, depending on where in the U.S. you live

Among many u.s. children, reading for fun has become less common, federal data shows, most european students learn english in school, for u.s. teens today, summer means more schooling and less leisure time than in the past, about one-in-six u.s. teachers work second jobs – and not just in the summer, most popular.

About Pew Research Center Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts .