Report Structure: 
Cover page 
Executive Summary 
Table of Contents page
SECTION 1: Introduction to the Report (c. 500 words)
Background to your topic 
Setting a clear and achievable aim and objectives is crucial to set a structure for your report. You should
refer to a range of academic journal / industry articles for inspiration for your topic and examples of good
aims and objectives.
IF you will investigate a specific business/outlet : include a brief profile of your chosen company. This could
include: mission/philosophy, the core products/service and target markets and any distinctive aspects of
the business. If you are looking at an HR based topic, it would useful to comment on the staff resources in
place. DO NOT give a sales description of the company!
SECTION 2: Research Design and Limitations (c. 700 words)
What methodology did you apply and why? What tools did you use to collect the data? How did you
undertake the research? Over what time frame? How was your sample selected? What were the limitations
in the data you collected and the approach used?
SECTION 3: Theoretical Review of the Literature (c. 1000 words)
Write a critical review (literature review or essay-style) of the key theories/concepts you have chosen,
providing a range of supporting references. Think about: 
 The main author’s in this field
 Key models/theories that have been developed in this area
 The implications and limitations to these theories
SECTION 4: Results & Analysis (c.1000 words)
Present your findings (graphs for surveys; summary of key findings from interviews with supporting
quotations). Discuss the implications of these results by comparing to your literature review (section 3) –
what is the same as shown in previous research? What is different? What does this imply?
SECTION 5 : Conclusion & Recommendations (c. 500 words)
Draw conclusions, making sure you answer your overall aim. 
Make recommendations based on your findings and recognizing the limitations of your research.
Reference List- RGU Harvard format 
Appendices – any supporting documentation of survey/interview questions, company information etc here