The introductory section of a research report should aim to:

Identify the specific focus of the study
Provide a rationale for the dissertation, or article
Grab the reader’s attention
All of the above
All of the above  Reports of both quantitative and qualitative research usually contain an introductory section that sets out the main arguments of the paper. This section also helps to attract the reader’s attention by providing a clear focus for the research and identifying some of the key debates in which it can be contextualized. Simply saying you wrote about something because you were interested in it is not enough. You must locate your interest within a body of theory, or at least an area of general concern. This is also the place to show your research questions.
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 664, 669-670, 673, 678

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The mixed methods used by Poortinga et al (2004) were:
A. Structured and unstructured interviews
B. A questionnaire survey and focus groups
C. Traditional ethnography and structured observation
D. CATI and CAPI
What is rhetoric?
A. The type of rapport that is usually established in in-depth interviews
B. An ancient form of poetry
C. A technique used to assess the external reliability of a data source
D. The attempt to persuade or convince an audience, often through writing
Which qualitative research method was used by Jones et al (2010)?
A. Structured interviewing
B. Focus groups
C. Semi-structured interviewing
D. CAQDAS
Why does Bryman praise the theory section in the Kelley and De Graaf (1997) article?
A. Because he made a personal contribution to that section
B. Because the research questions are spelled out very specifically
C. Because it covers all theories known at that time
D. Because the language is very poetic
What is the purpose of the conclusion in a research report?
A. It explains how concepts were operationally defined and measured
B. It contains a useful review of the relevant literature
C. It outlines the methodological procedures that were employed
D. It summarizes the key findings in relation to the research questions
Which sequence do Creswell and Plano Clark (2011) recommend for an article writing up mixed-methods research?
A. Introduction; Methods; Results; Discussion.
B. Introduction; Literature Review; Data; Conclusions.
C. Introduction; Background; Methods; Findings; Discussion; Conclusion.
D. Introduction; Theory; Data; Measurement; Methods and models; Results; Conclusion.
Which of the following is not normally included in a written account of qualitative research?
A. An introduction, locating the research in its theoretical context
B. An explanation of the design of the study
C. A discussion of the main findings in relation to the research questions
D. A decision to accept or reject the hypothesis

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