critique the significance of research report writing

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8.1: What’s a Critique and Why Does it Matter?

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• Page ID 6510

• Steven D. Krause
• Eastern Michigan University

Critiques evaluate and analyze a wide variety of things (texts, images, performances, etc.) based on reasons or criteria. Sometimes, people equate the notion of “critique” to “criticism,” which usually suggests a negative interpretation. These terms are easy to confuse, but I want to be clear that critique and criticize don’t mean the same thing. A negative critique might be said to be “criticism” in the way we often understand the term “to criticize,” but critiques can be positive too.

We’re all familiar with one of the most basic forms of critique: reviews (film reviews, music reviews, art reviews, book reviews, etc.). Critiques in the form of reviews tend to have a fairly simple and particular point: whether or not something is “good” or “bad.”

Academic critiques are similar to the reviews we see in popular sources in that critique writers are trying to make a particular point about whatever it is that they are critiquing. But there are some differences between the sorts of critiques we read in academic sources versus the ones we read in popular sources.

• The subjects of academic critiques tend to be other academic writings and they frequently appear in scholarly journals.
• Academic critiques frequently go further in making an argument beyond a simple assessment of the quality of a particular book, film, performance, or work of art. Academic critique writers will often compare and discuss several works that are similar to each other to make some larger point. In other words, instead of simply commenting on whether something was good or bad, academic critiques tend to explore issues and ideas in ways that are more complicated than merely “good” or “bad.”

The main focus of this chapter is the value of writing critiques as a part of the research writing process. Critiquing writing is important because in order to write a good critique you need to critically read : that is, you need to closely read and understand whatever it is you are critiquing, you need to apply appropriate criteria in order evaluate it, you need to summarize it, and to ultimately make some sort of point about the text you are critiquing.

These skills-- critically and closely reading, summarizing, creating and applying criteria, and then making an evaluation-- are key to The Process of Research Writing, and they should help you as you work through the process of research writing.

In this chapter, I’ve provided a “step-by-step” process for making a critique. I would encourage you to quickly read or skim through this chapter first, and then go back and work through the steps and exercises describe.

Selecting the right text to critique

The first step in writing a critique is selecting a text to critique. For the purposes of this writing exercise, you should check with your teacher for guidelines on what text to pick. If you are doing an annotated bibliography as part of your research project (see chapter 6, “The Annotated Bibliography Exercise”), then you are might find more materials that will work well for this project as you continuously research.

Short and simple newspaper articles, while useful as part of the research process, can be difficult to critique since they don’t have the sort of detail that easily allows for a critical reading. On the other hand, critiquing an entire book is probably a more ambitious task than you are likely to have time or energy for with this exercise. Instead, consider critiquing one of the more fully developed texts you’ve come across in your research: an in-depth examination from a news magazine, a chapter from a scholarly book, a report on a research study or experiment, or an analysis published in an academic journal. These more complex essays usually present more opportunities for issues to critique.

Depending on your teacher’s assignment, the “text” you critique might include something that isn’t in writing: a movie, a music CD, a multimedia presentation, a computer game, a painting, etc. As is the case with more traditional writings, you want to select a text that has enough substance to it so that it stands up to a critical reading.

Exercise 7.1

Pick out at least three different possibilities for texts that you could critique for this exercise. If you’ve already started work on your research and an annotated bibliography for your research topic, you should consider those pieces of research as possibilities. Working alone or in small groups, consider the potential of each text. Here are some questions to think about:

• Does the text provide in-depth information? How long is it? Does it include a “works cited” or bibliography section?
• What is the source of the text? Does it come from an academic, professional, or scholarly publication?
• Does the text advocate a particular position? What is it, and do you agree or disagree with the text?

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Methodology

• How to Write a Literature Review | Guide, Examples, & Templates

How to Write a Literature Review | Guide, Examples, & Templates

Published on January 2, 2023 by Shona McCombes . Revised on September 11, 2023.

What is a literature review? A literature review is a survey of scholarly sources on a specific topic. It provides an overview of current knowledge, allowing you to identify relevant theories, methods, and gaps in the existing research that you can later apply to your paper, thesis, or dissertation topic .

There are five key steps to writing a literature review:

• Search for relevant literature
• Evaluate sources
• Identify themes, debates, and gaps
• Outline the structure
• Write your literature review

A good literature review doesn’t just summarize sources—it analyzes, synthesizes , and critically evaluates to give a clear picture of the state of knowledge on the subject.

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Table of contents

What is the purpose of a literature review, examples of literature reviews, step 1 – search for relevant literature, step 2 – evaluate and select sources, step 3 – identify themes, debates, and gaps, step 4 – outline your literature review’s structure, step 5 – write your literature review, free lecture slides, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions, introduction.

• Quick Run-through
• Step 1 & 2

When you write a thesis , dissertation , or research paper , you will likely have to conduct a literature review to situate your research within existing knowledge. The literature review gives you a chance to:

• Demonstrate your familiarity with the topic and its scholarly context
• Develop a theoretical framework and methodology for your research
• Position your work in relation to other researchers and theorists
• Show how your research addresses a gap or contributes to a debate
• Evaluate the current state of research and demonstrate your knowledge of the scholarly debates around your topic.

Writing literature reviews is a particularly important skill if you want to apply for graduate school or pursue a career in research. We’ve written a step-by-step guide that you can follow below.

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Writing literature reviews can be quite challenging! A good starting point could be to look at some examples, depending on what kind of literature review you’d like to write.

• Example literature review #1: “Why Do People Migrate? A Review of the Theoretical Literature” ( Theoretical literature review about the development of economic migration theory from the 1950s to today.)
• Example literature review #2: “Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines” ( Methodological literature review about interdisciplinary knowledge acquisition and production.)
• Example literature review #3: “The Use of Technology in English Language Learning: A Literature Review” ( Thematic literature review about the effects of technology on language acquisition.)
• Example literature review #4: “Learners’ Listening Comprehension Difficulties in English Language Learning: A Literature Review” ( Chronological literature review about how the concept of listening skills has changed over time.)

You can also check out our templates with literature review examples and sample outlines at the links below.

Download Word doc Download Google doc

Before you begin searching for literature, you need a clearly defined topic .

If you are writing the literature review section of a dissertation or research paper, you will search for literature related to your research problem and questions .

Make a list of keywords

Start by creating a list of keywords related to your research question. Include each of the key concepts or variables you’re interested in, and list any synonyms and related terms. You can add to this list as you discover new keywords in the process of your literature search.

• Social media, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, TikTok
• Body image, self-perception, self-esteem, mental health
• Generation Z, teenagers, adolescents, youth

Search for relevant sources

Use your keywords to begin searching for sources. Some useful databases to search for journals and articles include:

• Your university’s library catalogue
• Google Scholar
• Project Muse (humanities and social sciences)
• Medline (life sciences and biomedicine)
• EconLit (economics)
• Inspec (physics, engineering and computer science)

You can also use boolean operators to help narrow down your search.

Make sure to read the abstract to find out whether an article is relevant to your question. When you find a useful book or article, you can check the bibliography to find other relevant sources.

You likely won’t be able to read absolutely everything that has been written on your topic, so it will be necessary to evaluate which sources are most relevant to your research question.

For each publication, ask yourself:

• What question or problem is the author addressing?
• What are the key concepts and how are they defined?
• What are the key theories, models, and methods?
• Does the research use established frameworks or take an innovative approach?
• What are the results and conclusions of the study?
• How does the publication relate to other literature in the field? Does it confirm, add to, or challenge established knowledge?
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of the research?

Make sure the sources you use are credible , and make sure you read any landmark studies and major theories in your field of research.

You can use our template to summarize and evaluate sources you’re thinking about using. Click on either button below to download.

Take notes and cite your sources

As you read, you should also begin the writing process. Take notes that you can later incorporate into the text of your literature review.

It is important to keep track of your sources with citations to avoid plagiarism . It can be helpful to make an annotated bibliography , where you compile full citation information and write a paragraph of summary and analysis for each source. This helps you remember what you read and saves time later in the process.

To begin organizing your literature review’s argument and structure, be sure you understand the connections and relationships between the sources you’ve read. Based on your reading and notes, you can look for:

• Trends and patterns (in theory, method or results): do certain approaches become more or less popular over time?
• Themes: what questions or concepts recur across the literature?
• Debates, conflicts and contradictions: where do sources disagree?
• Pivotal publications: are there any influential theories or studies that changed the direction of the field?
• Gaps: what is missing from the literature? Are there weaknesses that need to be addressed?

This step will help you work out the structure of your literature review and (if applicable) show how your own research will contribute to existing knowledge.

• Most research has focused on young women.
• There is an increasing interest in the visual aspects of social media.
• But there is still a lack of robust research on highly visual platforms like Instagram and Snapchat—this is a gap that you could address in your own research.

There are various approaches to organizing the body of a literature review. Depending on the length of your literature review, you can combine several of these strategies (for example, your overall structure might be thematic, but each theme is discussed chronologically).

Chronological

The simplest approach is to trace the development of the topic over time. However, if you choose this strategy, be careful to avoid simply listing and summarizing sources in order.

Try to analyze patterns, turning points and key debates that have shaped the direction of the field. Give your interpretation of how and why certain developments occurred.

If you have found some recurring central themes, you can organize your literature review into subsections that address different aspects of the topic.

For example, if you are reviewing literature about inequalities in migrant health outcomes, key themes might include healthcare policy, language barriers, cultural attitudes, legal status, and economic access.

Methodological

If you draw your sources from different disciplines or fields that use a variety of research methods , you might want to compare the results and conclusions that emerge from different approaches. For example:

• Look at what results have emerged in qualitative versus quantitative research
• Discuss how the topic has been approached by empirical versus theoretical scholarship
• Divide the literature into sociological, historical, and cultural sources

Theoretical

A literature review is often the foundation for a theoretical framework . You can use it to discuss various theories, models, and definitions of key concepts.

You might argue for the relevance of a specific theoretical approach, or combine various theoretical concepts to create a framework for your research.

Like any other academic text , your literature review should have an introduction , a main body, and a conclusion . What you include in each depends on the objective of your literature review.

The introduction should clearly establish the focus and purpose of the literature review.

Depending on the length of your literature review, you might want to divide the body into subsections. You can use a subheading for each theme, time period, or methodological approach.

As you write, you can follow these tips:

• Summarize and synthesize: give an overview of the main points of each source and combine them into a coherent whole
• Analyze and interpret: don’t just paraphrase other researchers — add your own interpretations where possible, discussing the significance of findings in relation to the literature as a whole
• Critically evaluate: mention the strengths and weaknesses of your sources
• Write in well-structured paragraphs: use transition words and topic sentences to draw connections, comparisons and contrasts

In the conclusion, you should summarize the key findings you have taken from the literature and emphasize their significance.

When you’ve finished writing and revising your literature review, don’t forget to proofread thoroughly before submitting. Not a language expert? Check out Scribbr’s professional proofreading services !

This article has been adapted into lecture slides that you can use to teach your students about writing a literature review.

Scribbr slides are free to use, customize, and distribute for educational purposes.

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If you want to know more about the research process , methodology , research bias , or statistics , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

• Sampling methods
• Simple random sampling
• Stratified sampling
• Cluster sampling
• Likert scales
• Reproducibility

 Statistics

• Null hypothesis
• Statistical power
• Probability distribution
• Effect size
• Poisson distribution

Research bias

• Optimism bias
• Cognitive bias
• Implicit bias
• Hawthorne effect
• Anchoring bias
• Explicit bias

A literature review is a survey of scholarly sources (such as books, journal articles, and theses) related to a specific topic or research question .

It is often written as part of a thesis, dissertation , or research paper , in order to situate your work in relation to existing knowledge.

There are several reasons to conduct a literature review at the beginning of a research project:

• To familiarize yourself with the current state of knowledge on your topic
• To ensure that you’re not just repeating what others have already done
• To identify gaps in knowledge and unresolved problems that your research can address
• To develop your theoretical framework and methodology
• To provide an overview of the key findings and debates on the topic

Writing the literature review shows your reader how your work relates to existing research and what new insights it will contribute.

The literature review usually comes near the beginning of your thesis or dissertation . After the introduction , it grounds your research in a scholarly field and leads directly to your theoretical framework or methodology .

A literature review is a survey of credible sources on a topic, often used in dissertations , theses, and research papers . Literature reviews give an overview of knowledge on a subject, helping you identify relevant theories and methods, as well as gaps in existing research. Literature reviews are set up similarly to other  academic texts , with an introduction , a main body, and a conclusion .

An  annotated bibliography is a list of  source references that has a short description (called an annotation ) for each of the sources. It is often assigned as part of the research process for a  paper .  

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Making sense of research: A guide for critiquing a paper

Affiliation.

• 1 School of Nursing, Griffith University, Meadowbrook, Queensland.
• PMID: 16114192
• DOI: 10.5172/conu.14.1.38

Learning how to critique research articles is one of the fundamental skills of scholarship in any discipline. The range, quantity and quality of publications available today via print, electronic and Internet databases means it has become essential to equip students and practitioners with the prerequisites to judge the integrity and usefulness of published research. Finding, understanding and critiquing quality articles can be a difficult process. This article sets out some helpful indicators to assist the novice to make sense of research.

Publication types

• Data Interpretation, Statistical
• Research Design
• Review Literature as Topic

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• Project Planning for the Beginner This link opens in a new window
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• Systematic Review Overview
• Systematic Review Resources This link opens in a new window
• Writing Across Borders / Writing Across the Curriculum
• Conducting an article critique for a quantitative research study: Perspectives for doctoral students and other novice readers (Vance et al.)
• Critique Process (Boswell & Cannon)
• The experience of critiquing published research: Learning from the student and researcher perspective (Knowles & Gray)
• A guide to critiquing a research paper. Methodological appraisal of a paper on nurses in abortion care (Lipp & Fothergill)
• Step-by-step guide to critiquing research. Part 1: Quantitative research (Coughlan et al.)
• Step-by-step guide to critiquing research. Part 2: Qualitative research (Coughlan et al.)

Guidelines:

• Critiquing Research Articles (Flinders University)
• Framework for How to Read and Critique a Research Study (American Nurses Association)
• How to Critique a Journal Article (UIS)
• How to Critique a Research Paper (University of Michigan)
• How to Write an Article Critique
• Research Article Critique Form
• Writing a Critique or Review of a Research Article (University of Calgary)

Presentations:

• The Critique Process: Reviewing and Critiquing Research
• Writing a Critique
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Writing Critiques

Writing a critique involves more than pointing out mistakes. It involves conducting a systematic analysis of a scholarly article or book and then writing a fair and reasonable description of its strengths and weaknesses. Several scholarly journals have published guides for critiquing other people’s work in their academic area. Search for a  “manuscript reviewer guide” in your own discipline to guide your analysis of the content. Use this handout as an orientation to the audience and purpose of different types of critiques and to the linguistic strategies appropriate to all of them.

Types of critique

Article or book review assignment in an academic class.

Text: Article or book that has already been published Audience: Professors Purpose:

• to demonstrate your skills for close reading and analysis
• to show that you understand key concepts in your field
• to learn how to review a manuscript for your future professional work

Published book review

Text: Book that has already been published Audience: Disciplinary colleagues Purpose:

• to describe the book’s contents
• to summarize the book’s strengths and weaknesses
• to provide a reliable recommendation to read (or not read) the book

Manuscript review

Text: Manuscript that has been submitted but has not been published yet Audience: Journal editor and manuscript authors Purpose:

• to provide the editor with an evaluation of the manuscript
• to recommend to the editor that the article be published, revised, or rejected
• to provide the authors with constructive feedback and reasonable suggestions for revision

Language strategies for critiquing

For each type of critique, it’s important to state your praise, criticism, and suggestions politely, but with the appropriate level of strength. The following language structures should help you achieve this challenging task.

Offering Praise and Criticism

A strategy called “hedging” will help you express praise or criticism with varying levels of strength. It will also help you express varying levels of certainty in your own assertions. Grammatical structures used for hedging include:

Modal verbs Using modal verbs (could, can, may, might, etc.) allows you to soften an absolute statement. Compare:

This text is inappropriate for graduate students who are new to the field. This text may be inappropriate for graduate students who are new to the field.

Qualifying adjectives and adverbs Using qualifying adjectives and adverbs (possible, likely, possibly, somewhat, etc.) allows you to introduce a level of probability into your comments. Compare:

Readers will find the theoretical model difficult to understand. Some readers will find the theoretical model difficult to understand. Some readers will probably find the theoretical model somewhat difficult to understand completely.

Note: You can see from the last example that too many qualifiers makes the idea sound undesirably weak.

Tentative verbs Using tentative verbs (seems, indicates, suggests, etc.) also allows you to soften an absolute statement. Compare:

This omission shows that the authors are not aware of the current literature. This omission indicates that the authors are not aware of the current literature. This omission seems to suggest that the authors are not aware of the current literature.

Offering suggestions

Whether you are critiquing a published or unpublished text, you are expected to point out problems and suggest solutions. If you are critiquing an unpublished manuscript, the author can use your suggestions to revise. Your suggestions have the potential to become real actions. If you are critiquing a published text, the author cannot revise, so your suggestions are purely hypothetical. These two situations require slightly different grammar.

Unpublished manuscripts: “would be X if they did Y” Reviewers commonly point out weakness by pointing toward improvement. For instance, if the problem is “unclear methodology,” reviewers may write that “the methodology would be more clear if …” plus a suggestion. If the author can use the suggestions to revise, the grammar is “X would be better if the authors did Y” (would be + simple past suggestion).

The tables would be clearer if the authors highlighted the key results. The discussion would be more persuasive if the authors accounted for the discrepancies in the data.

Published manuscripts: “would have been X if they had done Y” If the authors cannot revise based on your suggestions, use the past unreal conditional form “X would have been better if the authors had done Y” (would have been + past perfect suggestion).

The tables would have been clearer if the authors had highlighted key results. The discussion would have been more persuasive if the authors had accounted for discrepancies in the data.

Note: For more information on conditional structures, see our Conditionals handout .

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Literature review

A general guide on how to conduct and write a literature review.

Please check course or programme information and materials provided by teaching staff, including your project supervisor, for subject-specific guidance.

What is a literature review?

A literature review is a piece of academic writing demonstrating knowledge and understanding of the academic literature on a specific topic placed in context.  A literature review also includes a critical evaluation of the material; this is why it is called a literature review rather than a literature report. It is a process of reviewing the literature, as well as a form of writing.

To illustrate the difference between reporting and reviewing, think about television or film review articles.  These articles include content such as a brief synopsis or the key points of the film or programme plus the critic’s own evaluation.  Similarly the two main objectives of a literature review are firstly the content covering existing research, theories and evidence, and secondly your own critical evaluation and discussion of this content. 

Usually a literature review forms a section or part of a dissertation, research project or long essay.  However, it can also be set and assessed as a standalone piece of work.

What is the purpose of a literature review?

…your task is to build an argument, not a library. Rudestam, K.E. and Newton, R.R. (1992) Surviving your dissertation: A comprehensive guide to content and process. California: Sage, p49.

In a larger piece of written work, such as a dissertation or project, a literature review is usually one of the first tasks carried out after deciding on a topic.  Reading combined with critical analysis can help to refine a topic and frame research questions.  Conducting a literature review establishes your familiarity with and understanding of current research in a particular field before carrying out a new investigation. After doing a literature review, you should know what research has already been done and be able to identify what is unknown within your topic.

When doing and writing a literature review, it is good practice to:

• summarise and analyse previous research and theories;
• identify areas of controversy and contested claims;
• highlight any gaps that may exist in research to date.

Conducting a literature review

Focusing on different aspects of your literature review can be useful to help plan, develop, refine and write it.  You can use and adapt the prompt questions in our worksheet below at different points in the process of researching and writing your review.  These are suggestions to get you thinking and writing.

Developing and refining your literature review (pdf)

Developing and refining your literature review (Word)

Developing and refining your literature review (Word rtf)

Writing a literature review has a lot in common with other assignment tasks.  There is advice on our other pages about thinking critically, reading strategies and academic writing.  Our literature review top tips suggest some specific things you can do to help you submit a successful review.

Literature review top tips (pdf)

Literature review top tips (Word rtf)

Our reading page includes strategies and advice on using books and articles and a notes record sheet grid you can use.

Reading at university

The Academic writing page suggests ways to organise and structure information from a range of sources and how you can develop your argument as you read and write.

Academic writing

The Critical thinking page has advice on how to be a more critical researcher and a form you can use to help you think and break down the stages of developing your argument.

Critical thinking

As with other forms of academic writing, your literature review needs to demonstrate good academic practice by following the Code of Student Conduct and acknowledging the work of others through citing and referencing your sources.  

Good academic practice

As with any writing task, you will need to review, edit and rewrite sections of your literature review.  The Editing and proofreading page includes tips on how to do this and strategies for standing back and thinking about your structure and checking the flow of your argument.

Editing and proofreading

Guidance on literature searching from the University Library

The Academic Support Librarians have developed LibSmart I and II, Learn courses to help you develop and enhance your digital research skills and capabilities; from getting started with the Library to managing data for your dissertation.

Searching using the library’s DiscoverEd tool: DiscoverEd

Finding resources in your subject: Subject guides

The Academic Support Librarians also provide one-to-one appointments to help you develop your research strategies.

1 to 1 support for literature searching and systematic reviews

Advice to help you optimise use of Google Scholar, Google Books and Google for your research and study: Using Google

Managing and curating your references

A referencing management tool can help you to collect and organise and your source material to produce a bibliography or reference list. 

Referencing and reference management

Information Services provide access to Cite them right online which is a guide to the main referencing systems and tells you how to reference just about any source (EASE log-in may be required).

Cite them right

Published study guides

There are a number of scholarship skills books and guides available which can help with writing a literature review.  Our Resource List of study skills guides includes sections on Referencing, Dissertation and project writing and Literature reviews.

Study skills guides

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Successful Scientific Writing and Publishing: A Step-by-Step Approach

John k. iskander.

1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia

Sara Beth Wolicki

2 Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health, Washington, District of Columbia

Rebecca T. Leeb

Paul z. siegel.

Scientific writing and publication are essential to advancing knowledge and practice in public health, but prospective authors face substantial challenges. Authors can overcome barriers, such as lack of understanding about scientific writing and the publishing process, with training and resources. The objective of this article is to provide guidance and practical recommendations to help both inexperienced and experienced authors working in public health settings to more efficiently publish the results of their work in the peer-reviewed literature. We include an overview of basic scientific writing principles, a detailed description of the sections of an original research article, and practical recommendations for selecting a journal and responding to peer review comments. The overall approach and strategies presented are intended to contribute to individual career development while also increasing the external validity of published literature and promoting quality public health science.

Introduction

Publishing in the peer-reviewed literature is essential to advancing science and its translation to practice in public health ( 1 , 2 ). The public health workforce is diverse and practices in a variety of settings ( 3 ). For some public health professionals, writing and publishing the results of their work is a requirement. Others, such as program managers, policy makers, or health educators, may see publishing as being outside the scope of their responsibilities ( 4 ).

Disseminating new knowledge via writing and publishing is vital both to authors and to the field of public health ( 5 ). On an individual level, publishing is associated with professional development and career advancement ( 6 ). Publications share new research, results, and methods in a trusted format and advance scientific knowledge and practice ( 1 , 7 ). As more public health professionals are empowered to publish, the science and practice of public health will advance ( 1 ).

Unfortunately, prospective authors face barriers to publishing their work, including navigating the process of scientific writing and publishing, which can be time-consuming and cumbersome. Often, public health professionals lack both training opportunities and understanding of the process ( 8 ). To address these barriers and encourage public health professionals to publish their findings, the senior author (P.Z.S.) and others developed Successful Scientific Writing (SSW), a course about scientific writing and publishing. Over the past 30 years, this course has been taught to thousands of public health professionals, as well as hundreds of students at multiple graduate schools of public health. An unpublished longitudinal survey of course participants indicated that two-thirds agreed that SSW had helped them to publish a scientific manuscript or have a conference abstract accepted. The course content has been translated into this manuscript. The objective of this article is to provide prospective authors with the tools needed to write original research articles of high quality that have a good chance of being published.

Basic Recommendations for Scientific Writing

Prospective authors need to know and tailor their writing to the audience. When writing for scientific journals, 4 fundamental recommendations are: clearly stating the usefulness of the study, formulating a key message, limiting unnecessary words, and using strategic sentence structure.

To demonstrate usefulness, focus on how the study addresses a meaningful gap in current knowledge or understanding. What critical piece of information does the study provide that will help solve an important public health problem? For example, if a particular group of people is at higher risk for a specific condition, but the magnitude of that risk is unknown, a study to quantify the risk could be important for measuring the population’s burden of disease.

Scientific articles should have a clear and concise take-home message. Typically, this is expressed in 1 to 2 sentences that summarize the main point of the paper. This message can be used to focus the presentation of background information, results, and discussion of findings. As an early step in the drafting of an article, we recommend writing out the take-home message and sharing it with co-authors for their review and comment. Authors who know their key point are better able to keep their writing within the scope of the article and present information more succinctly. Once an initial draft of the manuscript is complete, the take-home message can be used to review the content and remove needless words, sentences, or paragraphs.

Concise writing improves the clarity of an article. Including additional words or clauses can divert from the main message and confuse the reader. Additionally, journal articles are typically limited by word count. The most important words and phrases to eliminate are those that do not add meaning, or are duplicative. Often, cutting adjectives or parenthetical statements results in a more concise paper that is also easier to read.

Sentence structure strongly influences the readability and comprehension of journal articles. Twenty to 25 words is a reasonable range for maximum sentence length. Limit the number of clauses per sentence, and place the most important or relevant clause at the end of the sentence ( 9 ). Consider the sentences:

• By using these tips and tricks, an author may write and publish an additional 2 articles a year.
• An author may write and publish an additional 2 articles a year by using these tips and tricks.

The focus of the first sentence is on the impact of using the tips and tricks, that is, 2 more articles published per year. In contrast, the second sentence focuses on the tips and tricks themselves.

Authors should use the active voice whenever possible. Consider the following example:

• Active voice: Authors who use the active voice write more clearly.
• Passive voice: Clarity of writing is promoted by the use of the active voice.

The active voice specifies who is doing the action described in the sentence. Using the active voice improves clarity and understanding, and generally uses fewer words. Scientific writing includes both active and passive voice, but authors should be intentional with their use of either one.

Sections of an Original Research Article

Original research articles make up most of the peer-reviewed literature ( 10 ), follow a standardized format, and are the focus of this article. The 4 main sections are the introduction, methods, results, and discussion, sometimes referred to by the initialism, IMRAD. These 4 sections are referred to as the body of an article. Two additional components of all peer-reviewed articles are the title and the abstract. Each section’s purpose and key components, along with specific recommendations for writing each section, are listed below.

Title. The purpose of a title is twofold: to provide an accurate and informative summary and to attract the target audience. Both prospective readers and database search engines use the title to screen articles for relevance ( 2 ). All titles should clearly state the topic being studied. The topic includes the who, what, when, and where of the study. Along with the topic, select 1 or 2 of the following items to include within the title: methods, results, conclusions, or named data set or study. The items chosen should emphasize what is new and useful about the study. Some sources recommend limiting the title to less than 150 characters ( 2 ). Articles with shorter titles are more frequently cited than articles with longer titles ( 11 ). Several title options are possible for the same study ( Figure ).

Two examples of title options for a single study.

Abstract . The abstract serves 2 key functions. Journals may screen articles for potential publication by using the abstract alone ( 12 ), and readers may use the abstract to decide whether to read further. Therefore, it is critical to produce an accurate and clear abstract that highlights the major purpose of the study, basic procedures, main findings, and principal conclusions ( 12 ). Most abstracts have a word limit and can be either structured following IMRAD, or unstructured. The abstract needs to stand alone from the article and tell the most important parts of the scientific story up front.

Introduction . The purpose of the introduction is to explain how the study sought to create knowledge that is new and useful. The introduction section may often require only 3 paragraphs. First, describe the scope, nature, or magnitude of the problem being addressed. Next, clearly articulate why better understanding this problem is useful, including what is currently known and the limitations of relevant previous studies. Finally, explain what the present study adds to the knowledge base. Explicitly state whether data were collected in a unique way or obtained from a previously unstudied data set or population. Presenting both the usefulness and novelty of the approach taken will prepare the reader for the remaining sections of the article.

Methods . The methods section provides the information necessary to allow others, given the same data, to recreate the analysis. It describes exactly how data relevant to the study purpose were collected, organized, and analyzed. The methods section describes the process of conducting the study — from how the sample was selected to which statistical methods were used to analyze the data. Authors should clearly name, define, and describe each study variable. Some journals allow detailed methods to be included in an appendix or supplementary document. If the analysis involves a commonly used public health data set, such as the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System ( 13 ), general aspects of the data set can be provided to readers by using references. Because what was done is typically more important than who did it, use of the passive voice is often appropriate when describing methods. For example, “The study was a group randomized, controlled trial. A coin was tossed to select an intervention group and a control group.”

Results . The results section describes the main outcomes of the study or analysis but does not interpret the findings or place them in the context of previous research. It is important that the results be logically organized. Suggested organization strategies include presenting results pertaining to the entire population first, and then subgroup analyses, or presenting results according to increasing complexity of analysis, starting with demographic results before proceeding to univariate and multivariate analyses. Authors wishing to draw special attention to novel or unexpected results can present them first.

One strategy for writing the results section is to start by first drafting the figures and tables. Figures, which typically show trends or relationships, and tables, which show specific data points, should each support a main outcome of the study. Identify the figures and tables that best describe the findings and relate to the study’s purpose, and then develop 1 to 2 sentences summarizing each one. Data not relevant to the study purpose may be excluded, summarized briefly in the text, or included in supplemental data sets. When finalizing figures, ensure that axes are labeled and that readers can understand figures without having to refer to accompanying text.

Discussion . In the discussion section, authors interpret the results of their study within the context of both the related literature and the specific scientific gap the study was intended to fill. The discussion does not introduce results that were not presented in the results section. One way authors can focus their discussion is to limit this section to 4 paragraphs: start by reinforcing the study’s take-home message(s), contextualize key results within the relevant literature, state the study limitations, and lastly, make recommendations for further research or policy and practice changes. Authors can support assertions made in the discussion with either their own findings or by referencing related research. By interpreting their own study results and comparing them to others in the literature, authors can emphasize findings that are unique, useful, and relevant. Present study limitations clearly and without apology. Finally, state the implications of the study and provide recommendations or next steps, for example, further research into remaining gaps or changes to practice or policy. Statements or recommendations regarding policy may use the passive voice, especially in instances where the action to be taken is more important than who will implement the action.

Beginning the Writing Process

The process of writing a scientific article occurs before, during, and after conducting the study or analyses. Conducting a literature review is crucial to confirm the existence of the evidence gap that the planned analysis seeks to fill. Because literature searches are often part of applying for research funding or developing a study protocol, the citations used in the grant application or study proposal can also be used in subsequent manuscripts. Full-text databases such as PubMed Central ( 14 ), NIH RePORT ( 15 ), and CDC Stacks ( 16 ) can be useful when performing literature reviews. Authors should familiarize themselves with databases that are accessible through their institution and any assistance that may be available from reference librarians or interlibrary loan systems. Using citation management software is one way to establish and maintain a working reference list. Authors should clearly understand the distinction between primary and secondary references, and ensure that they are knowledgeable about the content of any primary or secondary reference that they cite.

Review of the literature may continue while organizing the material and writing begins. One way to organize material is to create an outline for the paper. Another way is to begin drafting small sections of the article such as the introduction. Starting a preliminary draft forces authors to establish the scope of their analysis and clearly articulate what is new and novel about the study. Furthermore, using information from the study protocol or proposal allows authors to draft the methods and part of the results sections while the study is in progress. Planning potential data comparisons or drafting “table shells” will help to ensure that the study team has collected all the necessary data. Drafting these preliminary sections early during the writing process and seeking feedback from co-authors and colleagues may help authors avoid potential pitfalls, including misunderstandings about study objectives.

The next step is to conduct the study or analyses and use the resulting data to fill in the draft table shells. The initial results will most likely require secondary analyses, that is, exploring the data in ways in addition to those originally planned. Authors should ensure that they regularly update their methods section to describe all changes to data analysis.

After completing table shells, authors should summarize the key finding of each table or figure in a sentence or two. Presenting preliminary results at meetings, conferences, and internal seminars is an established way to solicit feedback. Authors should pay close attention to questions asked by the audience, treating them as an informal opportunity for peer review. On the basis of the questions and feedback received, authors can incorporate revisions and improvements into subsequent drafts of the manuscript.

The relevant literature should be revisited periodically while writing to ensure knowledge of the most recent publications about the manuscript topic. Authors should focus on content and key message during the process of writing the first draft and should not spend too much time on issues of grammar or style. Drafts, or portions of drafts, should be shared frequently with trusted colleagues. Their recommendations should be reviewed and incorporated when they will improve the manuscript’s overall clarity.

For most authors, revising drafts of the manuscript will be the most time-consuming task involved in writing a paper. By regularly checking in with coauthors and colleagues, authors can adopt a systematic approach to rewriting. When the author has completed a draft of the manuscript, he or she should revisit the key take-home message to ensure that it still matches the final data and analysis. At this point, final comments and approval of the manuscript by coauthors can be sought.

Authors should then seek to identify journals most likely to be interested in considering the study for publication. Initial questions to consider when selecting a journal include:

• Which audience is most interested in the paper’s message?
• Would clinicians, public health practitioners, policy makers, scientists, or a broader audience find this useful in their field or practice?
• Do colleagues have prior experience submitting a manuscript to this journal?
• Is the journal indexed and peer-reviewed?
• Is the journal subscription or open-access and are there any processing fees?
• How competitive is the journal?

Authors should seek to balance the desire to be published in a top-tier journal (eg, Journal of the American Medical Association, BMJ, or Lancet) against the statistical likelihood of rejection. Submitting the paper initially to a journal more focused on the paper’s target audience may result in a greater chance of acceptance, as well as more timely dissemination of findings that can be translated into practice. Most of the 50 to 75 manuscripts published each week by authors from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are published in specialty and subspecialty journals, rather than in top-tier journals ( 17 ).

The target journal’s website will include author guidelines, which will contain specific information about format requirements (eg, font, line spacing, section order, reference style and limit, table and figure formatting), authorship criteria, article types, and word limits for articles and abstracts.

We recommend returning to the previously drafted abstract and ensuring that it complies with the journal’s format and word limit. Authors should also verify that any changes made to the methods or results sections during the article’s drafting are reflected in the final version of the abstract. The abstract should not be written hurriedly just before submitting the manuscript; it is often apparent to editors and reviewers when this has happened. A cover letter to accompany the submission should be drafted; new and useful findings and the key message should be included.

Before submitting the manuscript and cover letter, authors should perform a final check to ensure that their paper complies with all journal requirements. Journals may elect to reject certain submissions on the basis of review of the abstract, or may send them to peer reviewers (typically 2 or 3) for consultation. Occasionally, on the basis of peer reviews, the journal will request only minor changes before accepting the paper for publication. Much more frequently, authors will receive a request to revise and resubmit their manuscript, taking into account peer review comments. Authors should recognize that while revise-and-resubmit requests may state that the manuscript is not acceptable in its current form, this does not constitute a rejection of the article. Authors have several options in responding to peer review comments:

• Performing additional analyses and updating the article appropriately
• Declining to perform additional analyses, but providing an explanation (eg, because the requested analysis goes beyond the scope of the article)
• Providing updated references
• Acknowledging reviewer comments that are simply comments without making changes

In addition to submitting a revised manuscript, authors should include a cover letter in which they list peer reviewer comments, along with the revisions they have made to the manuscript and their reply to the comment. The tone of such letters should be thankful and polite, but authors should make clear areas of disagreement with peer reviewers, and explain why they disagree. During the peer review process, authors should continue to consult with colleagues, especially ones who have more experience with the specific journal or with the peer review process.

There is no secret to successful scientific writing and publishing. By adopting a systematic approach and by regularly seeking feedback from trusted colleagues throughout the study, writing, and article submission process, authors can increase their likelihood of not only publishing original research articles of high quality but also becoming more scientifically productive overall.

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge PCD ’s former Associate Editor, Richard A. Goodman, MD, MPH, who, while serving as Editor in Chief of CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Series, initiated a curriculum on scientific writing for training CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service Officers and other CDC public health professionals, and with whom the senior author of this article (P.Z.S.) collaborated in expanding training methods and contents, some of which are contained in this article. The authors acknowledge Juan Carlos Zevallos, MD, for his thoughtful critique and careful editing of previous Successful Scientific Writing materials. We also thank Shira Eisenberg for editorial assistance with the manuscript. This publication was supported by the Cooperative Agreement no. 1U360E000002 from CDC and the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health. The findings and conclusions of this article do not necessarily represent the official views of CDC or the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health. Names of journals and citation databases are provided for identification purposes only and do not constitute any endorsement by CDC.

The opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions.

Suggested citation for this article: Iskander JK, Wolicki SB, Leeb RT, Siegel PZ. Successful Scientific Writing and Publishing: A Step-by-Step Approach. Prev Chronic Dis 2018;15:180085. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5888/pcd15.180085 .

• Research Report: Definition, Types + [Writing Guide]

One of the reasons for carrying out research is to add to the existing body of knowledge. Therefore, when conducting research, you need to document your processes and findings in a research report. 

With a research report, it is easy to outline the findings of your systematic investigation and any gaps needing further inquiry. Knowing how to create a detailed research report will prove useful when you need to conduct research.  

What is a Research Report?

A research report is a well-crafted document that outlines the processes, data, and findings of a systematic investigation. It is an important document that serves as a first-hand account of the research process, and it is typically considered an objective and accurate source of information.

In many ways, a research report can be considered as a summary of the research process that clearly highlights findings, recommendations, and other important details. Reading a well-written research report should provide you with all the information you need about the core areas of the research process.

Features of a Research Report 

So how do you recognize a research report when you see one? Here are some of the basic features that define a research report. 

• It is a detailed presentation of research processes and findings, and it usually includes tables and graphs. 
• It is written in a formal language.
• A research report is usually written in the third person.
• It is informative and based on first-hand verifiable information.
• It is formally structured with headings, sections, and bullet points.
• It always includes recommendations for future actions. 

Types of Research Report 

The research report is classified based on two things; nature of research and target audience.

Nature of Research

• Qualitative Research Report

This is the type of report written for qualitative research . It outlines the methods, processes, and findings of a qualitative method of systematic investigation. In educational research, a qualitative research report provides an opportunity for one to apply his or her knowledge and develop skills in planning and executing qualitative research projects.

A qualitative research report is usually descriptive in nature. Hence, in addition to presenting details of the research process, you must also create a descriptive narrative of the information.

• Quantitative Research Report

A quantitative research report is a type of research report that is written for quantitative research. Quantitative research is a type of systematic investigation that pays attention to numerical or statistical values in a bid to find answers to research questions. 

In this type of research report, the researcher presents quantitative data to support the research process and findings. Unlike a qualitative research report that is mainly descriptive, a quantitative research report works with numbers; that is, it is numerical in nature. 

Target Audience

Also, a research report can be said to be technical or popular based on the target audience. If you’re dealing with a general audience, you would need to present a popular research report, and if you’re dealing with a specialized audience, you would submit a technical report. 

• Technical Research Report

A technical research report is a detailed document that you present after carrying out industry-based research. This report is highly specialized because it provides information for a technical audience; that is, individuals with above-average knowledge in the field of study. 

In a technical research report, the researcher is expected to provide specific information about the research process, including statistical analyses and sampling methods. Also, the use of language is highly specialized and filled with jargon. 

Examples of technical research reports include legal and medical research reports. 

• Popular Research Report

A popular research report is one for a general audience; that is, for individuals who do not necessarily have any knowledge in the field of study. A popular research report aims to make information accessible to everyone. 

It is written in very simple language, which makes it easy to understand the findings and recommendations. Examples of popular research reports are the information contained in newspapers and magazines. 

Importance of a Research Report 

• Knowledge Transfer: As already stated above, one of the reasons for carrying out research is to contribute to the existing body of knowledge, and this is made possible with a research report. A research report serves as a means to effectively communicate the findings of a systematic investigation to all and sundry.  
• Identification of Knowledge Gaps: With a research report, you’d be able to identify knowledge gaps for further inquiry. A research report shows what has been done while hinting at other areas needing systematic investigation. 
• In market research, a research report would help you understand the market needs and peculiarities at a glance. 
• A research report allows you to present information in a precise and concise manner. 
• It is time-efficient and practical because, in a research report, you do not have to spend time detailing the findings of your research work in person. You can easily send out the report via email and have stakeholders look at it. 

Guide to Writing a Research Report

A lot of detail goes into writing a research report, and getting familiar with the different requirements would help you create the ideal research report. A research report is usually broken down into multiple sections, which allows for a concise presentation of information.

Structure and Example of a Research Report

This is the title of your systematic investigation. Your title should be concise and point to the aims, objectives, and findings of a research report. 

• Table of Contents

This is like a compass that makes it easier for readers to navigate the research report.

An abstract is an overview that highlights all important aspects of the research including the research method, data collection process, and research findings. Think of an abstract as a summary of your research report that presents pertinent information in a concise manner. 

An abstract is always brief; typically 100-150 words and goes straight to the point. The focus of your research abstract should be the 5Ws and 1H format – What, Where, Why, When, Who and How. 

• Introduction

Here, the researcher highlights the aims and objectives of the systematic investigation as well as the problem which the systematic investigation sets out to solve. When writing the report introduction, it is also essential to indicate whether the purposes of the research were achieved or would require more work.

In the introduction section, the researcher specifies the research problem and also outlines the significance of the systematic investigation. Also, the researcher is expected to outline any jargons and terminologies that are contained in the research.  

• Literature Review

A literature review is a written survey of existing knowledge in the field of study. In other words, it is the section where you provide an overview and analysis of different research works that are relevant to your systematic investigation. 

It highlights existing research knowledge and areas needing further investigation, which your research has sought to fill. At this stage, you can also hint at your research hypothesis and its possible implications for the existing body of knowledge in your field of study. 

• An Account of Investigation

This is a detailed account of the research process, including the methodology, sample, and research subjects. Here, you are expected to provide in-depth information on the research process including the data collection and analysis procedures. 

In a quantitative research report, you’d need to provide information surveys, questionnaires and other quantitative data collection methods used in your research. In a qualitative research report, you are expected to describe the qualitative data collection methods used in your research including interviews and focus groups. 

In this section, you are expected to present the results of the systematic investigation. 

This section further explains the findings of the research, earlier outlined. Here, you are expected to present a justification for each outcome and show whether the results are in line with your hypotheses or if other research studies have come up with similar results.

• Conclusions

This is a summary of all the information in the report. It also outlines the significance of the entire study. 

• References and Appendices

This section contains a list of all the primary and secondary research sources. 

Tips for Writing a Research Report

• Define the Context for the Report

As is obtainable when writing an essay, defining the context for your research report would help you create a detailed yet concise document. This is why you need to create an outline before writing so that you do not miss out on anything. 

• Define your Audience

Writing with your audience in mind is essential as it determines the tone of the report. If you’re writing for a general audience, you would want to present the information in a simple and relatable manner. For a specialized audience, you would need to make use of technical and field-specific terms. 

• Include Significant Findings

The idea of a research report is to present some sort of abridged version of your systematic investigation. In your report, you should exclude irrelevant information while highlighting only important data and findings. 

• Include Illustrations

Your research report should include illustrations and other visual representations of your data. Graphs, pie charts, and relevant images lend additional credibility to your systematic investigation.

• Choose the Right Title

A good research report title is brief, precise, and contains keywords from your research. It should provide a clear idea of your systematic investigation so that readers can grasp the entire focus of your research from the title. 

• Proofread the Report

Before publishing the document, ensure that you give it a second look to authenticate the information. If you can, get someone else to go through the report, too, and you can also run it through proofreading and editing software. 

How to Gather Research Data for Your Report  

• Understand the Problem

Every research aims at solving a specific problem or set of problems, and this should be at the back of your mind when writing your research report. Understanding the problem would help you to filter the information you have and include only important data in your report. 

• Know what your report seeks to achieve

This is somewhat similar to the point above because, in some way, the aim of your research report is intertwined with the objectives of your systematic investigation. Identifying the primary purpose of writing a research report would help you to identify and present the required information accordingly. 

• Identify your audience

Knowing your target audience plays a crucial role in data collection for a research report. If your research report is specifically for an organization, you would want to present industry-specific information or show how the research findings are relevant to the work that the company does. 

• Create Surveys/Questionnaires

A survey is a research method that is used to gather data from a specific group of people through a set of questions. It can be either quantitative or qualitative. 

A survey is usually made up of structured questions, and it can be administered online or offline. However, an online survey is a more effective method of research data collection because it helps you save time and gather data with ease. 

You can seamlessly create an online questionnaire for your research on Formplus . With the multiple sharing options available in the builder, you would be able to administer your survey to respondents in little or no time. 

Formplus also has a report summary too l that you can use to create custom visual reports for your research.

Step-by-step guide on how to create an online questionnaire using Formplus  

• Sign into Formplus

In the Formplus builder, you can easily create different online questionnaires for your research by dragging and dropping preferred fields into your form. To access the Formplus builder, you will need to create an account on Formplus. 

Once you do this, sign in to your account and click on Create new form to begin. 

• Edit Form Title : Click on the field provided to input your form title, for example, “Research Questionnaire.”
• Edit Form : Click on the edit icon to edit the form.
• Add Fields : Drag and drop preferred form fields into your form in the Formplus builder inputs column. There are several field input options for questionnaires in the Formplus builder. 
• Edit fields
• Click on “Save”
• Form Customization: With the form customization options in the form builder, you can easily change the outlook of your form and make it more unique and personalized. Formplus allows you to change your form theme, add background images, and even change the font according to your needs. 
• Multiple Sharing Options: Formplus offers various form-sharing options, which enables you to share your questionnaire with respondents easily. You can use the direct social media sharing buttons to share your form link to your organization’s social media pages.  You can also send out your survey form as email invitations to your research subjects too. If you wish, you can share your form’s QR code or embed it on your organization’s website for easy access. 

Conclusion  

Always remember that a research report is just as important as the actual systematic investigation because it plays a vital role in communicating research findings to everyone else. This is why you must take care to create a concise document summarizing the process of conducting any research. 

In this article, we’ve outlined essential tips to help you create a research report. When writing your report, you should always have the audience at the back of your mind, as this would set the tone for the document. 

Connect to Formplus, Get Started Now - It's Free!

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Research Design in Business and Management pp 53–84 Cite as

Writing up a Research Report

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A research report is one big argument about how and why you came up with your conclusions. To make it a convincing argument, a typical guiding structure has developed. In the different chapters, there are distinct issues that need to be addressed to explain to the reader why your conclusions are valid. The governing principle for writing the report is full disclosure: to explain everything and ensure replicability by another researcher.

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Field, A. (2016). An adventure in statistics. The reality enigma . SAGE.

Field, A. (2020). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS statistics (5th ed.). SAGE.

Früh, M., Keimer, I., & Blankenagel, M. (2019). The impact of Balanced Scorecard excellence on shareholder returns. IFZ Working Paper No. 0003/2019. https://zenodo.org/record/2571603#.YMDUafkzZaQ . Accessed: 9 June 2021.

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Libraries | Research Guides

Literature reviews, what is a literature review, learning more about how to do a literature review.

• Planning the Review
• The Research Question
• Choosing Where to Search
• Organizing the Review
• Writing the Review

A literature review is a review and synthesis of existing research on a topic or research question. A literature review is meant to analyze the scholarly literature, make connections across writings and identify strengths, weaknesses, trends, and missing conversations. A literature review should address different aspects of a topic as it relates to your research question. A literature review goes beyond a description or summary of the literature you have read. 

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11.1 The Purpose of Research Writing

Learning objectives.

• Identify reasons to research writing projects.
• Outline the steps of the research writing process.

Why was the Great Wall of China built? What have scientists learned about the possibility of life on Mars? What roles did women play in the American Revolution? How does the human brain create, store, and retrieve memories? Who invented the game of football, and how has it changed over the years?

You may know the answers to these questions off the top of your head. If you are like most people, however, you find answers to tough questions like these by searching the Internet, visiting the library, or asking others for information. To put it simply, you perform research.

Whether you are a scientist, an artist, a paralegal, or a parent, you probably perform research in your everyday life. When your boss, your instructor, or a family member asks you a question that you do not know the answer to, you locate relevant information, analyze your findings, and share your results. Locating, analyzing, and sharing information are key steps in the research process, and in this chapter, you will learn more about each step. By developing your research writing skills, you will prepare yourself to answer any question no matter how challenging.

Reasons for Research

When you perform research, you are essentially trying to solve a mystery—you want to know how something works or why something happened. In other words, you want to answer a question that you (and other people) have about the world. This is one of the most basic reasons for performing research.

But the research process does not end when you have solved your mystery. Imagine what would happen if a detective collected enough evidence to solve a criminal case, but she never shared her solution with the authorities. Presenting what you have learned from research can be just as important as performing the research. Research results can be presented in a variety of ways, but one of the most popular—and effective—presentation forms is the research paper . A research paper presents an original thesis, or purpose statement, about a topic and develops that thesis with information gathered from a variety of sources.

If you are curious about the possibility of life on Mars, for example, you might choose to research the topic. What will you do, though, when your research is complete? You will need a way to put your thoughts together in a logical, coherent manner. You may want to use the facts you have learned to create a narrative or to support an argument. And you may want to show the results of your research to your friends, your teachers, or even the editors of magazines and journals. Writing a research paper is an ideal way to organize thoughts, craft narratives or make arguments based on research, and share your newfound knowledge with the world.

Write a paragraph about a time when you used research in your everyday life. Did you look for the cheapest way to travel from Houston to Denver? Did you search for a way to remove gum from the bottom of your shoe? In your paragraph, explain what you wanted to research, how you performed the research, and what you learned as a result.

Research Writing and the Academic Paper

No matter what field of study you are interested in, you will most likely be asked to write a research paper during your academic career. For example, a student in an art history course might write a research paper about an artist’s work. Similarly, a student in a psychology course might write a research paper about current findings in childhood development.

Having to write a research paper may feel intimidating at first. After all, researching and writing a long paper requires a lot of time, effort, and organization. However, writing a research paper can also be a great opportunity to explore a topic that is particularly interesting to you. The research process allows you to gain expertise on a topic of your choice, and the writing process helps you remember what you have learned and understand it on a deeper level.

Research Writing at Work

Knowing how to write a good research paper is a valuable skill that will serve you well throughout your career. Whether you are developing a new product, studying the best way to perform a procedure, or learning about challenges and opportunities in your field of employment, you will use research techniques to guide your exploration. You may even need to create a written report of your findings. And because effective communication is essential to any company, employers seek to hire people who can write clearly and professionally.

Writing at Work

Take a few minutes to think about each of the following careers. How might each of these professionals use researching and research writing skills on the job?

• Medical laboratory technician
• Small business owner
• Information technology professional
• Freelance magazine writer

A medical laboratory technician or information technology professional might do research to learn about the latest technological developments in either of these fields. A small business owner might conduct research to learn about the latest trends in his or her industry. A freelance magazine writer may need to research a given topic to write an informed, up-to-date article.

Think about the job of your dreams. How might you use research writing skills to perform that job? Create a list of ways in which strong researching, organizing, writing, and critical thinking skills could help you succeed at your dream job. How might these skills help you obtain that job?

Steps of the Research Writing Process

How does a research paper grow from a folder of brainstormed notes to a polished final draft? No two projects are identical, but most projects follow a series of six basic steps.

These are the steps in the research writing process:

• Choose a topic.
• Plan and schedule time to research and write.
• Conduct research.
• Organize research and ideas.
• Draft your paper.
• Revise and edit your paper.

Each of these steps will be discussed in more detail later in this chapter. For now, though, we will take a brief look at what each step involves.

Step 1: Choosing a Topic

As you may recall from Chapter 8 “The Writing Process: How Do I Begin?” , to narrow the focus of your topic, you may try freewriting exercises, such as brainstorming. You may also need to ask a specific research question —a broad, open-ended question that will guide your research—as well as propose a possible answer, or a working thesis . You may use your research question and your working thesis to create a research proposal . In a research proposal, you present your main research question, any related subquestions you plan to explore, and your working thesis.

Step 2: Planning and Scheduling

Before you start researching your topic, take time to plan your researching and writing schedule. Research projects can take days, weeks, or even months to complete. Creating a schedule is a good way to ensure that you do not end up being overwhelmed by all the work you have to do as the deadline approaches.

During this step of the process, it is also a good idea to plan the resources and organizational tools you will use to keep yourself on track throughout the project. Flowcharts, calendars, and checklists can all help you stick to your schedule. See Chapter 11 “Writing from Research: What Will I Learn?” , Section 11.2 “Steps in Developing a Research Proposal” for an example of a research schedule.

Step 3: Conducting Research

When going about your research, you will likely use a variety of sources—anything from books and periodicals to video presentations and in-person interviews.

Your sources will include both primary sources and secondary sources . Primary sources provide firsthand information or raw data. For example, surveys, in-person interviews, and historical documents are primary sources. Secondary sources, such as biographies, literary reviews, or magazine articles, include some analysis or interpretation of the information presented. As you conduct research, you will take detailed, careful notes about your discoveries. You will also evaluate the reliability of each source you find.

Step 4: Organizing Research and the Writer’s Ideas

When your research is complete, you will organize your findings and decide which sources to cite in your paper. You will also have an opportunity to evaluate the evidence you have collected and determine whether it supports your thesis, or the focus of your paper. You may decide to adjust your thesis or conduct additional research to ensure that your thesis is well supported.

Remember, your working thesis is not set in stone. You can and should change your working thesis throughout the research writing process if the evidence you find does not support your original thesis. Never try to force evidence to fit your argument. For example, your working thesis is “Mars cannot support life-forms.” Yet, a week into researching your topic, you find an article in the New York Times detailing new findings of bacteria under the Martian surface. Instead of trying to argue that bacteria are not life forms, you might instead alter your thesis to “Mars cannot support complex life-forms.”

Step 5: Drafting Your Paper

Now you are ready to combine your research findings with your critical analysis of the results in a rough draft. You will incorporate source materials into your paper and discuss each source thoughtfully in relation to your thesis or purpose statement.

When you cite your reference sources, it is important to pay close attention to standard conventions for citing sources in order to avoid plagiarism , or the practice of using someone else’s words without acknowledging the source. Later in this chapter, you will learn how to incorporate sources in your paper and avoid some of the most common pitfalls of attributing information.

Step 6: Revising and Editing Your Paper

In the final step of the research writing process, you will revise and polish your paper. You might reorganize your paper’s structure or revise for unity and cohesion, ensuring that each element in your paper flows into the next logically and naturally. You will also make sure that your paper uses an appropriate and consistent tone.

Once you feel confident in the strength of your writing, you will edit your paper for proper spelling, grammar, punctuation, mechanics, and formatting. When you complete this final step, you will have transformed a simple idea or question into a thoroughly researched and well-written paper you can be proud of!

Review the steps of the research writing process. Then answer the questions on your own sheet of paper.

• In which steps of the research writing process are you allowed to change your thesis?
• In step 2, which types of information should you include in your project schedule?
• What might happen if you eliminated step 4 from the research writing process?

Key Takeaways

• People undertake research projects throughout their academic and professional careers in order to answer specific questions, share their findings with others, increase their understanding of challenging topics, and strengthen their researching, writing, and analytical skills.
• The research writing process generally comprises six steps: choosing a topic, scheduling and planning time for research and writing, conducting research, organizing research and ideas, drafting a paper, and revising and editing the paper.

Writing for Success Copyright © 2015 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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What is the Importance of Report Writing? A Complete Overview

Reports are the backbone of effective communication in both academic and professional realms. Discover the significance of report writing in our blog on the Importance of Report Writing. Learn how mastering this skill can enhance your ability to convey information, influence decisions, and propel your career to new heights.

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Table of contents   

1) Importance of Report Writing  

    a) Evaluation 

    b) Development of skills 

    c) Investigation 

    d) Quick Location 

    e) Decision making tool 

    f) Neutral presentation of facts 

    g) A managerial tool 

    h) Proper control 

    i) Professional advancement 

    j) Encountering advance and complex situation 

2) Conclusion  

Importance of Report Writing  

Report Writing is a skill that can benefit you in various ways and contexts. Here is the list of reasons reflecting the Importance of Report Writing:  

Evaluation  

The importance of Report Writing can be reflected during the evaluation process. This is because Report Writing can help you evaluate your own or others’ performance, progress, or outcomes. For example, if you are a student, you can write a Report to assess your learning outcomes, achievements, or challenges in a course or a project. As a teacher, you can write a Report to evaluate your students’ learning outcomes, strengths, or weaknesses in a course or an assignment. 

If you are a researcher, you can write a Report to evaluate your research methods, results, or implications in a study or an experiment. Report Writing can help you identify the gaps, strengths, or areas for improvement in your own or others’ work.  

Development of skill s  

Report Writing can help you develop your skills in various domains and disciplines. For example, if you are a student, you can write a Report to improve your writing, research, analysis, or presentation skills. If you are a teacher, you can write a Report to enhance your teaching, assessment, feedback, or curriculum design skills. 

If you are a researcher, you can write a Report to advance your knowledge, methodology, innovation, or contribution skills. Report Writing can help you acquire new knowledge, apply existing knowledge, or create new knowledge in your field of interest. 

Investigation  

The Importance of Report Writing also lies in investigating a problem or a topic in-depth and in detail. For example, if you are a student, you can write a Report to explore a question or an issue that interests you or relates to your course or project. 

At the same time, if you are a teacher, you can write a Report to investigate a pedagogical or educational problem or phenomenon that affects your teaching or learning environment. On the other hand, if you are a researcher, you can write a Report to investigate a scientific or social problem or phenomenon that has significance or relevance for your discipline or society. Report Writing can help you collect, analyse, and present data in an organised and systematic way. 

Quick location  

Report Writing can help you locate information quickly and easily. For example, students can write a Report to summarise the main points and findings of your course or project for future reference or revision. If you are a teacher, you can write a Report to document the key aspects and outcomes of your course or assignment for future use or evaluation. 

At the same time, researchers can write a Report to record the essential details and implications of a study or experiment for future dissemination or publication. Report Writing can help you create an index, an abstract, or an executive summary that can help you access information at a glance . 

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Decision making tool  

Report Writing acts as a decision-making tool that can assist you in making decisions based on facts and evidence. For example, if you are a student, you can write a Report to support your arguments or opinions with data and sources in an essay or a debate. If you are a teacher, you can write a Report to justify your decisions or recommendations with data and sources in an assessment or feedback. 

If you are a researcher, you can write a Report to validate your claims or hypotheses with data and sources in a study or an experiment. Thus, Report Writing can help you use logic, reasoning, and analysis to make informed and rational decisions. 

Neutral presentation of facts  

Report Writing can help you present facts in a neutral and objective manner. For example, if you are a student, you can write a Report to avoid bias or emotion in your writing and use facts and evidence to support your points. If you are a teacher, you can write a Report to avoid bias or emotion in your assessment and use facts and evidence to evaluate your students. 

Researchers can write a Report to avoid bias or emotion in their research and use facts and evidence to demonstrate their findings. Report Writing can help you maintain a professional and ethical tone in your communication. 

A m anagerial t ool  

Report Writing can help you manage your work or project effectively and efficiently. For example, if you are a student, you can write a Report to plan, organise, and monitor your progress or outcomes in a course or a project. If you are a teacher, you can write a Report to plan, organise, and monitor your activities or objectives in a course or an assignment. 

If you are a researcher, you can write a Report to plan, organise, and monitor your methods or results in a study or an experiment. As a result, Report Writing can help you set goals, allocate resources, and measure performance. 

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Proper c ontrol  

Report Writing helps you control your work or project effectively and efficiently. For example, if you are a student, you can write a Report to check, review, and revise your work or project before submission or presentation. If you are a teacher, you can write a Report to check, review, and revise your work or project before delivery or evaluation. 

If you are a researcher, you can write a Report to check, review, and revise your work or project before dissemination or publication. Thus, Report Writing can help you ensure quality, accuracy, and consistency in your work or project. 

Professional a dvancement  

The importance of Report Writing lies in advancing and developing your professional career. For example, if you are a student, you can write a Report to demonstrate your competence, knowledge, and skills in a course or a project. In contrast, if you are a teacher, you can write a Report to demonstrate your competence, knowledge, and skills in a course or an assignment. 

If you are a researcher, you can write a Report to demonstrate your competence, knowledge, and skills in a study or an experiment. Report Writing can help you showcase your achievements, contributions, or innovations in your field of interest. 

Encountering advance and complex situation  

Report Writing can help you encounter advanced and complex situations in your work or project. For example, if you are a student, you can write a Report to deal with challenging questions or issues that arise in your course or project. If you are a teacher, you can write a Report to deal with challenging questions or issues that arise in your course or assignment. 

If you are a researcher, you can write a Report to deal with challenging questions or issues that arise in your study or experiment. Report Writing can help you solve problems, overcome obstacles, or discover new possibilities in your work or project. 

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Conclusion  

We hope that this blog has helped you understand the Importance of Report Writing and how to use it effectively. Report Writing is a skill that can benefit you in various ways and contexts. So, why not start writing Reports today? You will be amazed by the results! 

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• Research Report
• Post last modified: 11 January 2022
• Reading time: 25 mins read
• Post category: Research Methodology

What is Research Report?

Research reporting is the oral or written presentation of the findings in such detail and form as to be readily understood and assessed by the society, economy or particularly by the researchers.

As earlier said that it is the final stage of the research process and its purpose is to convey to interested persons the whole result of the study. Report writing is common to both academic and managerial situations. In academics, a research report is prepared for comprehensive and application-oriented learning. In businesses or organisations, reports are used for the basis of decision making.

Table of Content

• 1 What is Research Report?
• 2 Research Report Definition
• 3.1 Preliminary Part
• 3.2 Introduction of the Report
• 3.3 Review of Literature
• 3.4 The Research Methodology
• 3.5 Results
• 3.6 Concluding Remarks
• 3.7 Bibliography
• 4 Significance of Report Writing
• 5 Qualities of Good Report
• 6.1 Analysis of the subject matter
• 6.2 Research outline
• 6.3 Preparation of rough draft
• 6.4 Rewriting and polishing
• 6.5 Writing the final draft
• 7 Precautions for Writing Research Reports
• 8.1.1 Technical Report
• 8.1.2 Popular Report
• 8.2.1 Written Report
• 8.2.2 Oral Report

Research Report Definition

According to C. A. Brown , “A report is a communication from someone who has information to someone who wants to use that information.”

According to Goode and Hatt , “The preparation of report is the final stage of research, and it’s purpose is to convey to the interested persons the whole result of the study, in sufficient detail and so arranged as to enable each reader to comprehend the data and to determine for himself the validity of the conclusions.”

It is clear from the above definitions of a research report, it is a brief account of the problem of investigation, the justification of its selection and the procedure of analysis and interpretation. It is only a summary of the entire research proceedings.

In other words, it can be defined as written documents, which presents information in a specialized and concise manner.

Contents of Research Report

Although no hard and fast rules can be laid down, the report must contain the following points.

• Acknowledgement
• Table of contents
• List of tables
• List of graphs
• Introduction
• Background of the research study
• Statement of the problem
• Brief outline of the chapters
• Books review
• Review of articles published in books, journals, periodicals, etc
• Review of articles published in leading newspapers
• Working papers / discusssion paper / study reports
• Articles on authorised websites
• A broad conclusion and indications for further research
• The theoretical framework (variables)
• Model / hypothesis
• Instruments for data collection
• Data collection
• Pilot study
• Processing of data
• Hypothesis / model testing
• Data analysis and interpretation
• Tables and figures
• Conclusions
• Shortcomings
• Suggestions to the problems
• Direction for further research

Preliminary Part

The preliminary part may have seven major components – cover, title, preface, acknowledgement, table of contents, list of tables, list of graphs. Long reports presented in book form have a cover made up of a card sheet. The cover contains title of the research report, the authority to whom the report is submitted, name of the author, etc.

The preface introduces the report to the readers. It gives a very brief introduction of the report. In the acknowledgements author mention names of persons and organisations that have extended co-operation and helped in the various stages of research. Table of contents is essential. It gives the title and page number of each chapter.

Introduction of the Report

The introduction of the research report should clearly and logically bring out the background of the problem addressed in the research. The purpose of the introduction is to introduce the research project to the readers. A clear statement of the problem with specific questions to be answered is presented in the introduction. It contains a brief outline of the chapters.

Review of Literature

The third section reviews the important literature related to the study. A comprehensive review of the research literature referred to must be made. Previous research studies and the important writings in the area under study should be reviewed. Review of literature is helpful to provide a background for the development of the present study.

The researcher may review concerned books, articles published in edited books, journals and periodicals. Researcher may also take review of articles published in leading newspapers. A researcher should study working papers/discussion papers/study reports. It is essential for a broad conclusion and indications for further research.

The Research Methodology

Research methodology is an integral part of the research. It should clearly indicate the universe and the selection of samples, techniques of data collection, analysis and interpretation, statistical techniques, etc.

Results contain pilot study, processing of data, hypothesis/model testing, data analysis and interpretation, tables and figures, etc. This is the heart of the research report. If a pilot study is planned to be used, it’s purpose should be given in the research methodology.

The collected data and the information should be edited, coded, tabulated and analysed with a view to arriving at a valid and authentic conclusion. Tables and figures are used to clarify the significant relationship. The results obtained through tables, graphs should be critically interpreted.

Concluding Remarks

The concluding remarks should discuss the results obtained in the earlier sections, as well as their usefulness and implications. It contains findings, conclusions, shortcomings, suggestions to the problem and direction for future research. Findings are statements of factual information based upon the data analysis.

Conclusions must clearly explain whether the hypothesis have been established and rejected. This part requires great expertise and preciseness. A report should also refer to the limitations of the applicability of the research inferences. It is essential to suggest the theoretical, practical and policy implications of the research. The suggestions should be supported by scientific and logical arguments. The future direction of research based on the work completed should also be outlined.

Bibliography

The bibliography is an alphabetic list of books, journal articles, reports, etc, published or unpublished, read, referred to, examined by the researcher in preparing the report. The bibliography should follow standard formats for books, journal articles, research reports.

The end of the research report may consist of appendices, listed in respect of all technical data. Appendices are for the purpose of providing detailed data or information that would be too cumbersome within the main body of the research report.

Significance of Report Writing

Report writing is an important communication medium in organisations. The most crucial findings might have come out through a research report. Report is common to academics and managers also. Reports are used for comprehensive and application oriented learning in academics. In organisations, reports are used for the basis of decision making. The importance of report writing can be discussed as under.

Through research reports, a manager or an executive can quickly get an idea of a current scenario which improves his information base for making sound decisions affecting future operations of the company or enterprise. The research report acts as a means of communication of various research findings to the interested parties, organisations and general public.

Good report writing play, a significant role of conveying unknown facts about the phenomenon to the concerned parties. This may provide new insights and new opportunities to the people. Research report plays a key role in making effective decisions in marketing, production, banking, materials, human resource development and government also. Good report writing is used for economic planning and optimum utilisation of resources for the development of a nation.

Report writing facilitates the validation of generalisation. A research report is an end product of research. As earlier said that report writing provides useful information in arriving at rational decisions that may reform the business and society. The findings, conclusions, suggestions and recommendations are useful to academicians, scholars and policymakers. Report writing provides reference material for further research in the same or similar areas of research to the concerned parties.

While preparing a research report, a researcher should take some proper precautions. Report writing should be simple, lucid and systematic. Report writing should be written speedily without interrupting the continuity of thought. The report writing should sustain the interest of readers.

Qualities of Good Report

Report writing is a highly skilled job. It is a process of analysing, understanding and consolidating the findings and projecting a meaningful view of the phenomenon studied. A good report writing is essential for effective communication.

Following are the essential qualities of good report:

• A research report is essentially a scientific documentation. It should have a suggestive title, headings and sub-headings, paragraphs arranged in a logical sequence.
• Good research report should include everything that is relevant and exclude everything that is irrelevant. It means that it should contain the facts rather than opinion.
• The language of the report should be simple and unambiguous. It means that it should be free from biases of the researchers derived from the past experience. Confusion, pretentiousness and pomposity should be carefully guarded against. It means that the language of the report should be simple, employing appropriate words, idioms and expressions.
• The report must be free from grammatical mistakes. It must be grammatically accurate. Faulty construction of sentences makes the meaning of the narrative obscure and ambiguous.
• The report has to take into consideration two facts. Firstly, for whom the report is meant and secondly, what is his level of knowledge. The report has to look to the subject matter of the report and the fact as to the level of knowledge of the person for whom it is meant. Because all reports are not meant for research scholars.

Steps in Writing Research Report

Report writing is a time consuming and expensive exercise. Therefore, reports have to be very sharply focused in purpose content and readership. There is no single universally acceptable method of writing a research report.

Following are the general steps in writing a research report:

Analysis of the subject matter

Research outline, preparation of rough draft, rewriting and polishing, writing the final draft.

This is the first and important step in writing a research report. It is concerned with the development of a subject. Subject matter should be written in a clear, logical and concise manner. The style adopted should be open, straightforward and dignified and folk style language should be avoided.

The data, the reliability and validity of the results of the statistical analysis should be in the form of tables, figures and equations. All redundancy in the data or results presented should be eliminated.

The research outline is an organisational framework prepared by the researcher well in advance. It is an aid to logical organisation of material and a reminder of the points to be stressed in the report. In the process of writing, if need be, outline may be revised accordingly.

Time and place of the study, scope and limitations of the study, study design, summary of pilot study, methods of data collection, analysis interpretation, etc., may be included in a research outline.

Having prepared the primary and secondary data, the researcher has to prepare a rough draft. While preparing the rough draft, the researcher should keep the objectives of the research in mind, and focus on one objective at a time. The researcher should make a checklist of the important points that are necessary to be covered in the manuscript. A researcher should use dictionary and relevant reference materials as and when required.

This is an important step in writing a research report. It takes more time than a rough draft. While rewriting and polishing, a researcher should check the report for weakness in logical development or presentation. He should take breaks in between rewriting and polishing since this gives the time to incubate the ideas.

The last and important step is writing the final draft. The language of the report should be simple, employing appropriate words and expressions and should avoid vague expressions such as ‘it seems’ and ‘there may be’ etc.

It should not used personal pronouns, such as I, We, My, Us, etc and should substitute these by such expressions as a researcher, investigator, etc. Before the final drafting of the report, it is advisable that the researcher should prepare a first draft for critical considerations and possible improvements. It will be helpful in writing the final draft. Finally, the report should be logically outlined with the future directions of the research based on the work completed.

Precautions for Writing Research Reports

A research report is a means of conveying the research study to a specific target audience. The following precautions should be taken while preparing a research report:

• Its hould belong enough to cover the subject and short enough to preserve interest.
• It should not be dull and complicated.
• It should be simple, without the usage of abstract terms and technical jargons.
• It should offer ready availability of findings with the help of charts, tables and graphs, as readers prefer quick knowledge of main findings.
• The layout of the report should be in accordance with the objectives of the research study.
• There should be no grammatical errors and writing should adhere to the techniques of report writing in case of quotations, footnotes and documentations.
• It should be original, intellectual and contribute to the solution of a problem or add knowledge to the concerned field.
• Appendices should been listed with respect to all the technical data in the report.
• It should be attractive, neat and clean, whether handwritten or typed.
• The report writer should refrain from confusing the possessive form of the word ‘it’ is with ‘it’s.’ The accurate possessive form of ‘it is’ is ‘its.’ The use of ‘it’s’ is the contractive form of ‘it is.
• A report should not have contractions. Examples are ‘didn’t’ or ‘it’s.’ In report writing, it is best to use the non-contractive form. Therefore, the examples would be replaced by ‘did not’ and ‘it is.’ Using ‘Figure’ instead of ‘Fig.’ and ‘Table’ instead of ‘Tab.’ will spare the reader of having to translate the abbreviations, while reading. If abbreviations are used, use them consistently throughout the report. For example, do not switch among ‘versus,’ and ‘vs’.
• It is advisable to avoid using the word ‘very’ and other such words that try to embellish a description. They do not add any extra meaning and, therefore, should be dropped.
• Repetition hampers lucidity. Report writers must avoid repeating the same word more than once within a sentence.
• When you use the word ‘this’ or ‘these’ make sure you indicate to what you are referring. This reduces the ambiguity in your writing and helps to tie sentences together.
• Do not use the word ‘they’ to refer to a singular person. You can either rewrite the sentence to avoid needing such a reference or use the singular ‘he or she.’

Types of Research Report

Research reports are designed in order to convey and record the information that will be of practical use to the reader. It is organized into distinct units of specific and highly visible information. The kind of audience addressed in the research report decides the type of report.

Research reports can be categorized on the following basis:

Classification on the Basis of Information

Classification on the basis of representation.

Following are the ways through which the results of the research report can be presented on the basis of information contained:

Technical Report

A technical report is written for other researchers. In writing the technical reports, the importance is mainly given to the methods that have been used to collect the information and data, the presumptions that are made and finally, the various presentation techniques that are used to present the findings and data.

Following are main features of a technical report:

• Summary: It covers a brief analysis of the findings of the research in a very few pages. 
• Nature: It contains the reasons for which the research is undertaken, the analysis and the data that is required in order to prepare a report. 
• Methods employed: It contains a description of the methods that were employed in order to collect the data. 
• Data: It covers a brief analysis of the various sources from which the data has been collected with their features and drawbacks 
• Analysis of data and presentation of the findings: It contains the various forms through which the data that has been analysed can be presented. 
• Conclusions: It contains a brief explanation of findings of the research. 
• Bibliography: It contains a detailed analysis of the various bibliographies that have been used in order to conduct a research. 
• Technical appendices: It contains the appendices for the technical matters and for questionnaires and mathematical derivations. 
• Index: The index of the technical report must be provided at the end of the report.

Popular Report

A popular report is formulated when there is a need to draw conclusions of the findings of the research report. One of the main points of consideration that should be kept in mind while formulating a research report is that it must be simple and attractive. It must be written in a very simple manner that is understandable to all. It must also be made attractive by using large prints, various sub-headings and by giving cartoons occasionally.

Following are the main points that must be kept in mind while preparing a popular report:

• Findings and their implications : While preparing a popular report, main importance is given to the findings of the information and the conclusions that can be drawn out of these findings.
• Recommendations for action : If there are any deviations in the report then recommendations are made for taking corrective action in order to rectify the errors.
• Objective of the study : In a popular report, the specific objective for which the research has been undertaken is presented.
• Methods employed : The report must contain the various methods that has been employed in order to conduct a research.
• Results : The results of the research findings must be presented in a suitable and appropriate manner by taking the help of charts and diagrams.
• Technical appendices : The report must contain an in-depth information used to collect the data in the form of appendices.

Following are the ways through which the results of the research report can be presented on the basis of representation:

• Writtenreport
• Oral report

Written Report

A written report plays a vital role in every business operation. The manner in which an organization writes business letters and business reports creates an impression of its standard. Therefore, the organization should emphasize on the improvement of the writing skills of the employees in order to maintain effective relations with their customers.

Writing effective written reports requires a lot of hard work. Therefore, before you begin writing, it is important to know the objective, i.e., the purpose of writing, collection and organization of required data.

Oral Report

At times, oral presentation of the results that are drawn out of research is considered effective, particularly in cases where policy recommendations are to be made. This approach proves beneficial because it provides a medium of interaction between a listener and a speaker. This leads to a better understanding of the findings and their implications.

However, the main drawback of oral presentation is the lack of any permanent records related to the research. Oral presentation of the report is also effective when it is supported with various visual devices, such as slides, wall charts and whiteboards that help in better understanding of the research reports.

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This paper is in the following e-collection/theme issue:

Published on 18.3.2024 in Vol 26 (2024)

Reducing Loneliness and Social Isolation of Older Adults Through Voice Assistants: Literature Review and Bibliometric Analysis

Authors of this article:

• Rachele Alessandra Marziali 1 * , MSc   ; 
• Claudia Franceschetti 1 * , MEng   ; 
• Adrian Dinculescu 2 * , PhD   ; 
• Alexandru Nistorescu 2 * , PhD   ; 
• Dominic Mircea Kristály 3 * , PhD   ; 
• Adrian Alexandru Moșoi 4 * , MSc   ; 
• Ronny Broekx 5 * , BSB   ; 
• Mihaela Marin 2 * , MSc   ; 
• Cristian Vizitiu 2, 3 * , PhD   ; 
• Sorin-Aurel Moraru 3 * , PhD   ; 
• Lorena Rossi 1 * , MEng   ; 
• Mirko Di Rosa 6 * , PhD  

1 Centre for Innovative Models for Aging Care and Technology, IRCCS INRCA-National Institute of Health and Science on Aging, Ancona, Italy

2 The Space Applications and Technologies Laboratory, Institute of Space Science – Subsidiary of INFLPR (National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics), Magurele, Romania

3 Department of Automatics and Information Technology, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Transilvania University of Brasov, Brasov, Romania

4 Department of Psychology and Education Sciences, Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, Transilvania University of Brasov, Brasov, Romania

5 Innovation Department, ePoint, Hamont, Belgium

6 Centre for Biostatistics and Applied Geriatric Clinical Epidemiology, IRCCS INRCA-National Institute of Health and Science on Aging, Ancona, Italy

*all authors contributed equally

Corresponding Author:

Claudia Franceschetti, MEng

Centre for Innovative Models for Aging Care and Technology, IRCCS INRCA-National Institute of Health and Science on Aging

Via Santa Margherita 5

Ancona, 60124

Phone: 39 0718004788

Email: [email protected]

Background: Loneliness and social isolation are major public health concerns for older adults, with severe mental and physical health consequences. New technologies may have a great impact in providing support to the daily lives of older adults and addressing the many challenges they face. In this scenario, technologies based on voice assistants (VAs) are of great interest and potential benefit in reducing loneliness and social isolation in this population, because they could overcome existing barriers with other digital technologies through easier and more natural human-computer interaction.

Objective: This study aims to investigate the use of VAs to reduce loneliness and social isolation of older adults by performing a systematic literature review and a bibliometric cluster mapping analysis.

Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases for articles that were published in the last 6 years, related to the following main topics: voice interface, VA, older adults, isolation, and loneliness. A total of 40 articles were found, of which 16 (40%) were included in this review. The included articles were then assessed through a qualitative scoring method and summarized. Finally, a bibliometric analysis was conducted using VOSviewer software (Leiden University’s Centre for Science and Technology Studies).

Results: Of the 16 articles included in the review, only 2 (13%) were considered of poor methodological quality, whereas 9 (56%) were of medium quality and 5 (31%) were of high quality. Finally, through bibliometric analysis, 221 keywords were extracted, of which 36 (16%) were selected. The most important keywords, by number of occurrences and by total link strength; results of the analysis with the Association Strength normalization method; and default values were then presented. The final bibliometric network consisted of 36 selected keywords, which were grouped into 3 clusters related to 3 main topics (ie, VA use for social isolation among older adults, the significance of age in the context of loneliness, and the impact of sex factors on well-being). For most of the selected articles, the effect of VA on social isolation and loneliness of older adults was a minor theme. However, more investigations were done on user experience, obtaining preliminary positive results.

Conclusions: Most articles on the use of VAs by older adults to reduce social isolation and loneliness focus on usability, acceptability, or user experience. Nevertheless, studies directly addressing the impact that using a VA has on the social isolation and loneliness of older adults find positive and promising results and provide important information for future research, interventions, and policy development in the field of geriatric care and technology.

Introduction

Nowadays, the aging of the population presents new challenges that requires consideration and response [ 1 ]. Among the major public health concerns regarding older adults, 2 significant concerns are loneliness and social isolation [ 2 ].

In fact, social networks seem to decrease with age and the prevalence of loneliness is estimated to increase as the population ages [ 2 ], to the extent that Valtorta and Hanratty [ 3 ] define loneliness and isolation as being “increasingly part of the experience of growing old.”

Social isolation and loneliness have severe consequences for older adults’ mental and physical health, including depressive symptoms [ 4 ], dementia [ 5 ], coronary heart disease and stroke [ 6 ], and mortality [ 7 ]. Moreover, social isolation and loneliness also have adverse outcomes concerning the use of health services, increasing emergency department and physician visits, hospital readmissions, and long-term care admissions [ 8 ].

New technologies may have a great impact on providing support in the daily lives of older people, especially in the areas of health monitoring, security, and comfort [ 9 ]. Therefore, they could be valuable tools to respond to the many challenges that older adults face.

In this scenario, technologies based on voice assistants (VAs) are of great interest and have potential benefits. VAs are systems based on artificial intelligence techniques that are programmed to be activated at a specific wake word to capture the user’s voice, process and interpret the command via a server, and respond back with a voice response or completed task [ 10 ].

VA systems have the potential to support behavioral interventions using everyday life technologies such as smartphones, tablets, and smart speakers [ 9 ]. The strength behind the use of voice-based technology, having reached a significant stage of maturity, is strictly related to the concept of ubiquitous computing ( Figure 1 ), introduced by Weiser in 1991 when thinking about a paradigm of technology able to adapt to the human environment that vanish in the background [ 11 ]. Indeed, VA technology is physically intangible; it does not force the user to be physically at a particular place to operate, and it provides interaction using natural language [ 9 ].

Concerning the application to older people, this easy and natural human-computer interaction gives VA systems the potential to overcome possible barriers existing with other digital technologies, which appears particularly promising and appropriate [ 9 ].

In light of this, the objective of this study is to investigate the use of VAs to reduce loneliness and social isolation of older adults by performing a literature review and a bibliometric analysis.

Database Creation

A literature search of scientific articles published from January 1, 2018, to April 4, 2023, was conducted. Considering that VA technology had not reached a significant stage of maturity, especially in its application for social purposes, this time range was defined.

The PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases were searched to extend the range of eligible articles. In particular, the search was performed by setting up the “Title/Abstract” field in PubMed, the “Title or Abstract” field in Embase, and the “Title, Abstract, Keywords” field in Scopus.

The search was performed using an appropriate sequence of keywords, based on the research objectives. The first part of the search string was focused on synonyms for VA, whereas the second part specified the application for isolation and loneliness in older adults. The search string used was as follows: ((voice interface) OR (voice assistant) OR (vocal interface) OR (vocal assistant) OR (speech agent) OR (vocal agent)) AND (olde* OR elder*) AND (isolation OR loneliness).

We collected a total of 40 publications: 34 from Scopus, 4 from PubMed, and 2 from Embase.

Study Selection

The selection of the eligible studies was performed according to the following principles:

• Including only publications in English language: no documents were excluded.
• Removal of overlaps between the different databases: 3 overlapping documents were identified.
• Excluding papers in which the title and abstract were not relevant to the research question: 12 papers were excluded.
• Removal of articles not retrieved: 1 article was excluded.
• Excluding articles not pertinent to the research question: 8 documents were excluded.

The studies were assessed independently by 3 authors (CF, RAM, and AD). Any disagreement and uncertainties in the study selection were resolved by discussion. In particular, 2 authors conducted the first assessment, and another one solved the divergences.

Multimedia Appendix 1 [ 12 - 19 ] reports the list of excluded articles concerning eligibility assessment and details about the motivations for their exclusion.

The final database was composed of 40% (16/40) of the collected documents.

Figure 2 reports the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) flow diagram [ 20 ], summarizing the identification, screening, and inclusion procedures performed.

Quality Scoring

As systematic reviews are comprehensive and rigorous assessments of existing literature on a specific research question and they aim to synthesize the available evidence to provide a reliable and unbiased summary, the “Tool for Scoring Quality of Non-Empirical Data Sources” [ 21 ], owned by the Aerospace Medicine Systematic Review Group, was used to assess the quality of individual studies included in this review. In total, 2 authors (RAM and CF) performed this evaluation independently, solving any disagreements or doubts through discussion. It is important to note that the purpose of quality scoring in systematic reviews is not to exclude studies but rather to provide an evaluation of their methodological strengths and weaknesses. The scoring process helps reviewers assess the overall risk of bias in the body of evidence and inform their conclusions and recommendations.

Data Extraction

To perform the synthesis of findings, a data extraction from the 16 selected articles was conducted. The extraction consisted of a further evaluation of the full text of the articles. In total, 2 authors (MDR and CF) independently extracted information from the selected studies, including reference, population, technological solution, environment, study design, outcomes, and main results. The assessors made the information homogeneous and analyzed the articles together in the case of doubts or missing data. The data extracted were reported in the corresponding section of the synthesis of findings table ( Table 1 ).

a VA: voice assistant.

b PACS: postacute COVID-19 syndrome.

c HRQoL: health-related quality of life.

d DASS-21: Depression Anxiety Scale-21.

e CD-RISC-25: Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-25.

f EQ-5D-5L: EuroQol-5 Dimensions-5 Levels.

g ISI: Insomnia Severity Index.

h SF-36: 36-Item Short Form Health Survey.

i NGD: normalized Google distance.

j N/A: not applicable.

k SSPA: Social Skills Performance Assessment.

l ADL: activities of daily living.

Bibliometric Analysis

A bibliometric analysis was also conducted to construct a map of the selected articles using VOSviewer software (version 1.6.19; Leiden University’s Centre for Science and Technology Studies). This tool represents one of the most popular programs for bibliometric cluster mapping [ 38 ].

To illustrate the keyword co-occurrence network, keywords were extracted from the list of the 16 included articles.

During the map creation, the authors choose the co-occurrence type of analysis on keywords and selected full counting as the counting method. The threshold of the minimum number of occurrences of a keyword was set at 2 keywords. All the keywords were illustrated regardless of the greatest total link strength. At the selected keywords’ verification step, the authors considered it convenient to merge similar words by creating a thesaurus file. Thus, the thesaurus file included a column of similar keywords and another column with the keyword to be replaced with. Hence, in the final step, the selected keywords were analyzed using the Association Strength normalization method and default values. In addition, for clustering, the default values of resolution (ie, 1.00), minimum cluster size (ie, 1), and merge small cluster option were used.

In the following sections, the synthesis of the findings and results of the bibliometric analysis and qualitative scoring of the 16 selected articles are presented.

Synthesis of Findings

The selected articles were assessed with regard to population, technological solution, environment, study design, outcomes, and main results. Table 1 presents a synthesis of the findings.

In summary, the population most frequently involved in the selected studies is older adults. In some cases, informal caregivers [ 22 ], geriatric experts [ 29 ], the medical community, the general public [ 35 ], or formal caregivers working in a day-care facility with experience in caring for people with dementia [ 36 ] are also involved. All the articles detail the total number of people engaged, except for 31% (5/16) of the articles [ 26 , 31 , 32 , 34 , 35 ]. The remaining articles involve a minimum of 7 and a maximum of 109 older adults. Among the selected articles, the age of the population varies widely, including people aged >50 [ 22 , 24 , 26 , 30 ], >60 [ 23 , 33 ], >65 [ 27 , 29 ], and >75 years [ 28 ]. Naturally, professionals are younger, ranging from 21 [ 29 ] to 33 [ 36 ] years. However, for some articles [ 25 , 31 , 34 - 37 ], there is no information on the age of the population involved. Instead, the sex of the participants is only specified in 56% (9/16) of the articles [ 24 , 26 - 30 , 32 , 33 , 36 ], in which a majority of female users are included.

In addition, 25% (4/16) of the articles consider participants’ familiarity with technology, involving only people with no experience with VA technology [ 26 ] and digital devices [ 31 ], involving only people with low technology use [ 32 ], or specifying people’s technological abilities [ 27 ]. In addition, some studies consider clinical conditions: 6% (1/16) of the articles [ 22 ] included people with diabetes or long-term health conditions, whereas others include people with postacute COVID-19 syndrome [ 24 ]; with normative cognitive functioning [ 28 ]; with no severe visual or hearing impairment and no moderate to severe cognitive impairment [ 30 ]; with mild difficulties in social skills, depression and anxiety symptoms, and nonverbal impairment [ 33 ]; and without dementia [ 36 ].

Technological Solution

Regarding VA technology solutions, 44% (7/16) of the articles [ 22 , 24 , 25 , 28 , 29 , 32 , 34 ] report the use of commercially available VAs, for example, Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri, and Microsoft Cortana. Some studies specify the design of new VA systems developed using the Amazon Alexa platform and Alexa Voice services [ 36 ] or implementing the Google Voice Android Software Development Kit on a tablet [ 27 ]. In other studies, the newly designed VA is embedded in a mobile app [ 23 ], a PC application [ 26 ], or even embodied as a household potted flower [ 35 ]. A total of 13% (2/16) of the articles [ 31 , 32 ] describe the design and the testing of a new VA-based digital intelligent platform. Finally, 1 (6%) article [ 33 ] presents a web-based automated version of a VA designed to improve communication skills, whereas another one [ 37 ] involves a personalized and expressive VA.

Environment

The environment in most of the articles [ 22 , 24 , 25 , 29 - 31 , 33 , 37 ] is the home, which is alternated, in the study by Pradhan et al [ 32 ], with the older adult living community and, in the studies by Bravo et al [ 23 ] and Simpson et al [ 35 ], with the retirement home. Instead, the environments in other articles are the laboratory [ 26 , 27 ], the independent living facility [ 28 ], the older adult care center [ 34 ], and the day-care facility [ 36 ]. Thus, the selected articles concerning the use of a VA for social isolation and loneliness address both older adults living independently at home and those living in a facility.

Study Design

Regarding the study design, among the 16 selected studies, 4 (25%) are quantitative, including 1 (6%) evaluation test [ 23 ], 1 (6%) pre-post study [ 24 ], 1 (6%) development and user test [ 26 ], and 1 (6%) VAs test [ 34 ]. Qualitative studies include 1 (6%) service evaluation [ 22 ], 1 (6%) evaluation test [ 29 ], and 1 (6%) pre- post study [ 32 ]. Then, there are 5 (31%) mixed studies, including both qualitative and quantitative methods, of which 1 (6%) is an evaluation test [ 27 ], 1 (6%) is a single-group quasi-experimental study [ 28 ], 1 (6%) is a pre-post study [ 30 ], 1 (6%) is a randomized controlled trial [ 33 ], and 1 (6%) was a usability study [ 36 ]. Finally, the remaining studies include 1 (6%) mini review [ 25 ], 2 (13%) conference speeches [ 35 , 37 ], and 1 (6%) study protocol [ 31 ]. More detailed information on the methodology results is presented in the Quality Scoring section.

Among the outcomes, only 31% (5/16) of the articles [ 22 , 25 , 28 , 31 , 35 ] consider loneliness or social isolation. Of these 16 studies, only 1 (6%) [ 28 ] uses a standardized instrument—the 8-item University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale—to assess the perception of loneliness. Instead, most articles (9/16, 56%) [ 22 - 24 , 27 , 29 , 30 , 32 , 35 , 36 ] focus on topics related to the acceptability, user experience, satisfaction, and usability of the technological solution, whereas a smaller number (2/16, 13%) [ 26 , 34 ] focuses on its technical performance. To evaluate these aspects, 5-point Likert scales are used only by 19% (3/16) of the articles [ 23 , 27 , 36 ].

Further outcomes addressed are verbal and nonverbal behavior in social communication [ 33 ], definition of project objectives, scientific and technological goals and actions [ 37 ], program impact on health and care trajectories [ 31 ], codes and overarching themes [ 29 ], interaction anthropomorphic aspects [ 28 ], and psychological and physical aspects such as frailty and quality of life [ 24 , 31 ].

Main Results

Turning to the main results of using a VA, the impact on loneliness and social isolation is positive, leading to an improvement in users’ perceptions. Specifically, the participants in 13% (2/16) of the studies [ 22 , 24 ] report that the VA helped them cope with loneliness, whereas another study (1/16, 6%) [ 28 ] finds a significant reduction in perceived loneliness after 4 weeks of use and that the relational greetings from the user to the VA predict this reduction. Moreover, the loneliness experienced by the person forecasts the number of greetings he or she makes to the VA. Finally, a mini review (1/16, 6%) [ 25 ] outlines that the use of VA in older adults improves social connectedness and reduces loneliness.

Other benefits obtained include a positive impact on health and social well-being [ 22 ]; improvement in postacute COVID-19 syndrome symptoms, frailty, and health-related quality of life at 6 months follow-up [ 24 ]; sedentary life changes [ 24 ]; and significant improvement in eye contact and facial expressivity [ 33 ].

Regarding the VA, it is considered useful [ 24 ], satisfying [ 23 , 27 ], and interesting [ 36 ], and it obtains good results in the acknowledgment (the ability to recognize user contextual information) and engagement (the ability to maintain a coherent conversation) performance [ 34 ]. In addition, among participants in the study by Pech et al [ 30 ], 63% have a positive opinion toward the system used, and in the study by Striegl et al [ 36 ], both older adults and formal caregivers describe that the VA used have a high feasibility to support people with dementia in activities of daily living.

The main results also include technical information about the VA. For example, in 1 (6%) study [ 26 ], the VA obtains, in all the commands, a right answer ratio percentage >75%; another (1/16, 6%) study [ 29 ] identifies 8 major themes as possible VA beneficial functions; and another (1/16, 6%) study [ 32 ] presents crucial information for VA development, whereas in another (1/16, 6%) study [ 35 ], the device prototype is developed. Finally, critical issues emerge: VA interruptions when the person pauses for too long [ 27 ], older adults’ resistance to change, unplanned workload for a formal caregiver, specific technological obstacles [ 30 ], and bad results in the ability to suggest and perform some related activities at the end of the interaction [ 34 ]. Instead, the proposed improvements include facilitated access to professionals, communication at community events, late-night pharmacy service, customized activity proposals, and videoconferencing [ 30 ].

For 13% (2/16) of the articles [ 31 , 37 ], it is not applicable to define the main results.

Along with the bibliometric analysis, the authors built a thesaurus file containing the words that can be replaced, considering their very close meaning. The thesaurus file is presented in Table 2 .

The bibliometric analysis extracted 221 keywords from the included articles, of which 36 (16%) met the threshold of 2 occurrences. The keyword list is presented in Table 3 , in descending order of occurrence, showing the number of occurrences and the total link strength.

As can be observed in Table 3 , the most used keywords by occurrence were as follows: “social isolation” (n=8), “human” (n=6), “older adults” (n=6), “aged” (n=5), “covid-19” (n=5), “loneliness” (n=5), “human computer interaction” (n=4), and “voice assistant” (n=4).

The most used keywords by total link strength, as shown in Table 3 , were as follows: “human” (n=53), “aged” (n=44), “loneliness” (n=44), “social isolation” (n=42), “covid-19” (n=42), “pandemics” (n=29), “very elderly” (n=29), “older adults” (n=28), “prospective study” (n=25), “quality of life” (n=25).

The bibliometric network is illustrated in Figure 3 and consists of 3 clusters of 36 keywords. The clusters are presented in more detail in Table 4 , where each keyword from a cluster is shown in descending order by occurrence.

According to the scoring tool, 13% (2/16) of the documents were assessed as being of poor quality in terms of the methodology. In the study by Simpson et al [ 35 ], it is unclear what the methodological information is based on, how it is presented, and if it is in line with other sources. The document is based on a conference speech on methods for the design-thinking approach. Instead, in the study by Torres et al [ 37 ], most of the information is not clearly sourced; it is unclear what the methodological information is based on and if it is in line with other sources. In addition, this paper is based on a speech at a conference on the objectives, goals, and actions of a research and innovation project.

A total of 56% (9/16) of the documents were considered medium quality. Specifically, 44% (7/16) articles [ 22 , 23 , 25 - 27 , 29 , 31 ] contain clear sources, methodological quality, and information value, presenting findings in line with the literature. Nevertheless, study designs were not of very high quality, representing mostly multiple case reports and case studies, whereas the study by Corbett et al [ 25 ] is a literature review.

A total of 13% (2/16) of the articles [ 24 , 34 ] have instead a more rigorous approach in the study design, representing a qualitative study and a single-group quasi-experimental study, respectively. However, the former is an abstract document lacking bibliographic references, while in the latter, it is unclear what the methodological information is based on. In both cases, the information presented is not clearly linked with the literature findings.

Finally, 31% (5/16) of the documents were deemed of high quality, considering that the information presented and the methodological information are clearly referenced. Among these, 1 (6%) article [ 33 ] is a randomized controlled study, while the remaining 25% (4/16) [ 28 , 30 , 32 , 36 ] are descriptive or observational studies.

Multimedia Appendix 2 [ 22 - 37 ] provides details of the quality scoring performed on the selected articles.

Principal Findings

The purpose of this study is to synthesize knowledge about the use of VAs to reduce loneliness and social isolation among older adults.

Initially, after conducting the literature research, the quality of the selected articles is investigated, focusing on the strengths and weaknesses of the methodologies used. Of the 16 articles included in the review, only 2 (13%) articles [ 35 , 37 ] are considered poor quality, 9 (56%) articles [ 22 - 27 , 29 , 31 , 34 ] are medium quality, and 5 (31%) articles are high quality [ 28 , 30 , 32 , 33 , 36 ]. In summary, although recent publications in the literature on the use of VA by older adults for the reduction of loneliness and social isolation are not numerous, most of them are of medium to high methodological quality in terms of study design, authenticity, clear methodological quality, clear informational value, and representativeness of available primary sources.

After assessing the methodological quality of the selected articles, the findings are summarized, focusing on population, technological solution, environment, study design, outcomes, and main results for a more detailed overview. Among the 16 articles presented, most focus on the evaluation of acceptability, user experience, satisfaction, usability, or performance of the VA, while only 5 (31%) papers deepen the theme of social isolation and loneliness. Of these studies, 1 (6%) [ 31 ] has no available results, as it is a study protocol, and another (6%) [ 35 ] reached the development stage of a VA prototype. Therefore, 3 (19%) articles remain that investigate the possible effect of the use of a VA on social isolation and loneliness by older adults.

The first paper [ 22 ], a service evaluation study, found that using a VA for 2 months at home helped people with diabetes or other long-term health conditions (such as multiple sclerosis, dementia, and depression) combat loneliness. This is particularly relevant because it seems that social isolation increases the risk of mortality through physiological upregulation of chronic inflammation. This impact is significant even for middle-aged people, but is greater for older adults, particularly men [ 39 ]. Thus, the results obtained from the use of VAs are particularly relevant considering the population the study targeted but an assessment of loneliness would be needed to investigate the actual impact of the use on this dimension.

The second paper, a single-group quasi-experimental study [ 28 ], reported a significant reduction in perceived loneliness, assessed through the 8-item UCLA Loneliness Scale, after older adults living in an independent living facility used a VA for 4 weeks. Thus, loneliness among older adults living alone using a VA has decreased. Moreover, the loneliness perceived at the beginning of the intervention by participants predicts the number of greetings to the VA (such as “Good morning” or “Alexa, I’m home”), and, in addition, these relational greetings forecast loneliness reduction during the month of use. Therefore, according to the authors, VA anthropomorphization might have a role in combating loneliness in older adults.

Finally, the results of a mini review [ 25 ] suggest that the VA reduces loneliness among older adults and increases their connectedness. Older adults perceive the VA as a “companion,” especially those who live alone or have solitary lives for most of the day.

These studies show encouraging results about the potential of a VA in reducing social isolation and loneliness in older adults, in line with the suggestion from a systematic review [ 40 ] that new technologies can be promising opportunities to reduce social isolation and loneliness in this population. For example, 1 (6%) study found that the use of technology by older adults predicts less loneliness, which has in turn been associated with, on the one hand, better self-reported health and subjective well-being and, on the other hand, fewer chronic diseases and less depression [ 41 ]. Therefore, these are preliminary results suggesting that the association between technology use and physical and mental health may be mediated by loneliness.

VAs have the potential to be used by older adults to reduce their social isolation and loneliness, and the results presented go in that direction; however, they cannot be exhaustive nor conclusive.

Finally, the bibliometric cluster mapping analysis provides valuable insights into the relationships between keywords in the included articles. The generated keyword co-occurrence network revealed 3 distinct clusters, each representing a specific theme or concept in the literature.

Cluster 1, represented by keywords such as “social isolation,” “elderly people,” “voice assistant,” and “human computer interaction,” highlights the relevance of VA technology in combating social isolation among older adults. This cluster emphasizes the relevance of the topic. A VA could be a promising tool for facilitating social interactions, promoting well-being, and addressing the challenges faced by older people regarding social isolation. The relevance of VAs in addressing social isolation among older adults aligns with the findings of Portet et al [ 9 ] on the design and evaluation of a smart home VA for older adults. This cluster also corresponds to the author’s focus on the use of quality scoring to evaluate the methodological strengths and weaknesses of the studies, as the inclusion of studies exploring the effectiveness of VAs in combating social isolation would be of particular interest. This cluster emphasizes the importance of designing user-friendly interfaces and incorporating natural language generation and recognition for effective human-computer interaction. This cluster aligns with the literature on ambient assisted living, assistive technology, and artificial intelligence, and it is supported by the work presented in 1 (6%) article [ 10 ] on VAs and their applications, as well as in another (1/16, 6%) article [ 8 ] that discusses technological solutions for addressing social isolation and loneliness in primary care.

Cluster 2 emphasizes the significance of age in the context of loneliness. Keywords such as “loneliness,” “human,” and “quality of life” indicate the importance of understanding the psychological and emotional aspects of loneliness, considering the diverse experiences of individuals across different demographics. This is supported by the works presented by Valtorta and Hanratty [ 3 ] and Holt-Lunstad et al [ 7 ], who discuss the association between loneliness, social isolation, and health outcomes in older adults, emphasizing the importance of considering demographic factors in understanding and addressing these issues. Cluster 2 is also relevant in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, as it includes keywords such as “COVID-19,” “pandemics,” and “digital divide,” which illustrates the impact of the pandemic on social isolation and the need for technological solutions, such as VAs, to bridge the digital divide and ensure connectivity and support for older adults during times of crisis. A study [ 6 ] on the association between social isolation, loneliness, and health outcomes in the context of coronary heart disease and stroke further emphasizes the significance of addressing social isolation during pandemics.

Cluster 3 encapsulates a range of keywords related to sex, clinical research, and well-being. The presence of keywords, such as “adult,” “female,” and “male,” along with “clinical article” and “well-being” underscores the importance of understanding how sex-specific factors can significantly impact overall well-being. This cluster likely refers to studies and investigations that explore the intersection of sex-related variables with clinical research outcomes, shedding light on how these factors can influence health and well-being differently among various demographic groups. Moreover, Cluster 3 may offer valuable insights into the evolving landscape of clinical research and its focus on addressing sex-specific health concerns, thus promoting a more comprehensive approach to well-being across diverse populations.

These clusters shed light on important topics related to social isolation, loneliness, and the use of VAs in addressing these issues among older adults. The findings underlined here can inform future research, interventions, and policy development in the field of geriatric care and technology.

Strengths and Limitations

The study provides a comprehensive exploration of voice assistance systems used by older individuals, highlighting popular examples such as Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple Siri, Microsoft Cortana, Samsung Bixby, and Huawei HiVoice. The study examines the strengths and limitations of these systems.

One of the notable strengths of this study is its investigation into the use of VAs to alleviate loneliness and social isolation among older adults. This topic is fairly recent, but its relevance is growing in both the scientific and technological communities.

Moreover, this investigation is supported by both a literature review and a bibliometric analysis to gather as much knowledge as possible on the role of technology in combating loneliness and social isolation in older adults.

In addition, the selection of studies included in the article underwent an independent evaluation process by the authors, with any disagreements or uncertainties being resolved through discussion.

Another strength is the consideration of the scientific articles published in 2018. This choice was driven by the fact that VAs are relatively new and are continually advancing technological solutions. Furthermore, the application of such technology among older individuals is not yet widespread, resulting in a limited number of studies available on the topic. Despite this limitation, the potential benefits of VA solutions for older adults are highly intriguing, and this study aims to shed light on possible applications and the associated impact on older users.

This study also has limitations that need to be pointed out. First, the number of publications in the systematic review is reduced because the topic has only gained relevance recently. However, the authors decided to proceed with the bibliometric analysis to contribute in terms of interpretation, even though the number of papers on the use of VAs to reduce loneliness and social isolation among older adults is limited. Further limitations relate to the fact that 1 (6%) article [ 42 ] could not be retrieved and that the synthesis of findings is not comprehensive, as only the abstract was available for 1 article [ 24 ], nor complete, as it was not applicable to define the main results of 13% (2/16) articles [ 31 , 37 ]. Moreover, the selected studies had great heterogeneity, with only 6% (1/16) of studies [ 33 ] having a control group and 6% (1/16) of studies [ 28 ] having follow-up. Concerning the information about the population, it is not specified if people involved in the studies live alone or not. This could limit considerations regarding social isolation and loneliness. Finally, most articles collected qualitative data without providing quantitative instruments to assess the actual impact of VA use.

Future Directions

On the basis of this literature review and bibliometric analysis, several priorities for future research can be identified. First, working with keywords from clusters 1 and 2, it is easy to see that “loneliness” and “social isolation” have a huge impact on older people [ 43 ]. On the basis of our literature review, authors are more interested in system use and acceptability [ 30 ], acceptance user experience [ 22 ], and system usability [ 36 ], which are just some examples. The main points are “loneliness” and “social isolation,” and we only found 1 study [ 28 ] to reduce perceived loneliness in older adults. Thus, the topic of the use of VA for social isolation and loneliness among older adults seems to be underestimated in comparison to user experience aspects, which are more deeply investigated in the scientific literature.

Similarly, we encourage that researchers include questionnaires to measure loneliness in future studies, for example, the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale [ 44 ], the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale [ 45 , 46 ], the Steptoe Social Isolation Index for social isolation [ 44 ], and the Cornwell Perceived Isolation Scale for perceived isolation [ 47 ], for use with VA systems based on artificial intelligence techniques or other related systems to improve the life expectancy of older people. For other specific information about these questionnaires, refer to Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults: Opportunities for the Health Care System [ 48 ]. Second, this work shows that the terms social isolation and loneliness are still often treated as interchangeable, although they are actually related but distinct concepts [ 3 ].

In fact, nowadays, the tendency is to refer to loneliness as a subjective negative feeling of perceiving a lack of social network or desired companion, whereas social isolation is the objective lack or scarcity of social contacts and interactions with family, friends, or community [ 3 ]. Therefore, it would be particularly relevant if future studies would clearly define which dimensions they measure, as mentioned in the preceding section. Third, future research should examine the large heterogeneity within the older adult population. Some of the selected articles described different characteristics of the population, but none delved into the possible different impacts of VA use in relation to these variables. Future studies should explore the effects of using a VA on the social isolation and loneliness of older adults, investigating possible differences in sex, socioeconomic background, and also familiarity with technology and living conditions.

Conclusions

This paper conducted a literature review and a bibliometric analysis of the use of VAs among older adults to reduce social isolation and loneliness. The findings indicate that most studies focus on the usability, acceptability, or user experience of the VA. However, studies directly addressing the impact that using a VA has on the social isolation and loneliness of older adults have positive results and provide important information for future research, interventions, and policy development in the field of geriatric care and technology.

Acknowledgments

This study has been developed within the framework of the EMILIO (Increase Self Management and Counteract Social Isolation Using a Voice Assistant Enabled Virtual Concierge) project (AAL-2021-8-120-CP), cofinanced under the Ambient Assisted Living Joint Programme of the European Commission [ 49 ] and the National Funding Agencies of Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, and Switzerland.

The authors are grateful to all consortium partners: Italian National Institute of Health and Science on Aging (IRCCS INRCA), Solving Team SRL, ICT Factory GmbH, Erdmann Design AG, Magicview, ePoint, Vulpia VZW, Institute of Space Science, INFLPR Subsidiary, Transilvania University of Brasov.

The project website is available on the internet [ 50 ].

Authors' Contributions

RAM, CF, AD, AN, MM, and CV contributed to the methodology, investigation, writing of the original draft, and reviewing and editing. DMK, AAM, and S-AM were responsible for the investigation, writing of the original draft, reviewing, and editing. RB conducted reviewing and editing. LR was involved in conceptualization and funding acquisition, whereas MDR was involved in methodology, project administration, conceptualization, supervision, funding acquisition, reviewing, and editing.

Conflicts of Interest

None declared.

Excluded articles and motivations for the exclusion.

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Abbreviations

Edited by T de Azevedo Cardoso; submitted 04.07.23; peer-reviewed by V Jones, F Yang; comments to author 26.09.23; revised version received 13.10.23; accepted 24.11.23; published 18.03.24.

©Rachele Alessandra Marziali, Claudia Franceschetti, Adrian Dinculescu, Alexandru Nistorescu, Dominic Mircea Kristály, Adrian Alexandru Moșoi, Ronny Broekx, Mihaela Marin, Cristian Vizitiu, Sorin-Aurel Moraru, Lorena Rossi, Mirko Di Rosa. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (https://www.jmir.org), 18.03.2024.

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