How do I Write a Self Reflection Report for a Research Project?

A self-reflection report is a paper about your internal thoughts regarding a particular issue or topic. It can be referred to as a self examination. A research project involves experimentation, data and analysis. You may choose to convey this information through a written report. To write a self-reflection report for a research project, determine the context of the experiment, do research, perform the experiment, take notes and then put this information into your report.

Determine the context of the experiment. Research projects often involve experiments. When you write a self-reflection report for the research project, you must state your reaction to the experimental process. For example, you may choose to conduct an experiment about how people react to criticism. In the experiment, you will have each individual write a poem, and then you will tell the person that their poem is not deserving of a grade. You will then record their emotional reaction.

Conduct research about your project. You can find information about your project online, at the library or at the bookstore. Read articles about psychology to help you to understand how individuals formulate ideas at different stages of their lives. For example, a child may become more upset than an adult when criticized because the child has not become secure with himself. As you read, take notes.

Perform the experiment and analyze the results. The self-reflection report must focus on one particular conclusion of the research project. For example, when you performed the experiment, you found that individuals from the ages of 10 to 14 were more sensitive to the criticism than individuals above the age of 14.

Write the title section of the report. Put the word "Title" in italics, followed by a dash. The title should relate to the experiment. For example, you may write "Reaction to Criticism of Poetry Ranging from Age 10 To Adult."

Write the abstract section. The word "Abstract" should be in italics, followed by a dash. In your abstract, write about the subject of the experiment, the people analyzed, the independent variables, the dependent variables, the materials and the conclusion. For example, you may write that in the "Reaction to Criticism of Poetry Ranging from Age 10 to Adult" project, the subject was the emotional response of the authors of the poetry. The people analyzed were from ages 10 and above. The independent variables consisted of the types of poems written. The dependent variables were how the individual chose to respond to your criticism. The materials consisted of the poems and the conclusion was that individuals from the ages of 10 to 14 were more emotionally affected by the criticism than those above the age of 14.

Create the introduction. Describe the concept that you chose to experiment on, why this issue is important for your research and the steps you took to find the results. For example, you chose to experiment on the emotional reaction associated with criticism. You chose to experiment on this topic because you believe that individuals will react more strongly to criticism when it is about something that expresses their creativity and feelings, such as poetry. To find results for this, you had some people write their own poems, and then you told each person their work was not adequate and could not receive a grade. You can then describe how your project relates to the articles you researched.

Discuss the method of the experiment. The method section for your self-reflection report consists of the samples, materials and procedure sections. For example, the samples you chose to use were people ranging from age 10 and above. You chose to use this large age range because people of different ages have different personal connections to their poetry. The materials were the poems. You did not have the people follow a specific format because you wanted them to be able to express their creativity. The procedure was the same for all people. You gave each person the same criticism to be able to accurately compare each person's reaction.

Discuss the results of the research project. How you chose to record your results provides your personal insight to the project. For example, you wrote down what each person said, and their body language, after you criticized their poetry.

Provide a discussion section of your results. This is the portion of your report where your personal opinions and thought processes are the most prominent. For example, you may state that you originally hypothesized that children from the ages of 10 to 12 would be more sad than indignant about the criticism of their poetry because children seek approval in adults. You believed that teenagers from 13 to 19 would be more indignant and defensive because they want their individuality and are searching for ways to express their independence.

Proofread the report out loud. As you read, make sure that you incorporate your own thinking processes. The concept of a self-reflection report involves your own thinking in regards to the project you created.