Write a clear, referenced research report for a non-specialist
Organise a question-led report that evaluates methods and sources, compares perspectives and reaches evidence-based conclusions.
Exam scope and assessment notes
This is original StudyForA teaching and fictional practice, not Cambridge text, an official question or an official mark scheme. The 2026–2028 syllabus calls the written exam Component 1; the 2029–2031 syllabus calls it Paper 1 and reports no significant teaching changes. Check the syllabus for the learner's exam year and follow teacher, centre and assessment-authenticity rules. StudyForA cannot authenticate assessed work, observe collaboration, award official marks or predict a grade.
Before you begin
- Identify whether the task concerns source analysis, essay writing, team assessment or the independent research report.
Work on paper. Try each question before revealing help, and explain why your method works.
Quick readiness check
Who is the report written for?
What you will learn
- Structure a report around one research question
- Use and evaluate methods, concepts, sources and perspectives
- Communicate a supported conclusion with accurate references and within 5000 words
The report has a defined audience and limit
The Cambridge Research Report is externally marked. It can be up to 5000 words, written in continuous prose for a non-specialist audience. The title is a single research question; state an accurate word count. The title and bibliography are excluded from the count, but work beyond the maximum is not marked.
Show the research reasoning
Explain the question's development and concepts, justify methods, analyse relevant evidence and compare contrasting perspectives. A conclusion should follow from the sources and discuss limits. Include a bibliography and full references for quotations; use conventions suitable to the subject. The report and research log are separate submissions, with the required proposal form and centre instructions.
Sources for this lesson
- Cambridge International AS & A Level Global Perspectives & Research 9239 syllabus · 2026–2028 Version 3
- Cambridge International AS & A Level Global Perspectives & Research 9239 syllabus update · 2026–2028
- Cambridge International AS & A Level Global Perspectives & Research 9239 syllabus · 2029–2031 Version 1
- Cambridge International 9239 subject page and exam-series notice
Pause and explain
What is the maximum report length?
Worked example
A draft report has a long background section but does not explain how its evidence answers the question. What revision would improve it?
Show the worked solution
- Shorten background material that does not help define the question or context.
- Organise sections around evidence, contrasting perspectives and the method.
- Link each finding to the question, evaluate its limits and build a supported conclusion.
Answer The candidate should retain only background needed to understand the question, then structure analysis around what each source or method shows. They should explain how evidence supports or challenges a perspective, evaluate limitations and connect the synthesis to the conclusion. References and word count must be checked, and the candidate must retain authorship of the assessed report.
Try a topic test
Choose Easy, Normal or Difficult. Save your answers and open worked review after finishing.
Test this topic →From guided practice to a new situation
Write your answer and reasoning first. Use a hint only if you are stuck. The model solution is for self-checking; your written work is not automatically marked.
A report concludes that a service is fair after analysing only its average waiting time. What additional analysis could support or challenge that conclusion?
Give me a hint
Consider whose waits are hidden by the average and which perspectives the question requires.
Compare my reasoning
- Clarify what fairness means for the question.
- Check whether the data can be compared across relevant groups or contexts.
- Add suitable evidence or qualify the conclusion and cite the method.
Define the relevant fairness criterion, then check whether waiting-time data can be compared across relevant locations or groups without exposing personal identities. An average can hide long waits for some users. Add appropriately aggregated evidence or state that the current data cannot establish distributional fairness, then explain that limitation in the conclusion.
Look for these in your work
- Defines a criterion
- Checks variation and scope
- Qualifies or extends the conclusion with evidence
A report uses a quotation from a community source but has no bibliography entry. What must be corrected before submission?
Give me a hint
Make the quotation traceable and consistent with the source list.
Compare my reasoning
- Identify the complete source details and quotation location if available.
- Add the required full reference and matching bibliography entry.
- Check the quotation's accuracy, relevance and word-count convention.
The candidate should verify the quotation against the source, add a complete in-text reference and bibliography entry using a consistent convention, and ensure the source's context is represented accurately. The title and bibliography are excluded from the 5000-word count, but the report still needs an accurate stated word count.
Look for these in your work
- Verifies the quotation
- Adds full references
- Checks accuracy and count
A report's conclusion is broader than the locations or sources studied. Rewrite its reasoning approach without inventing new results.
Give me a hint
Limit the claim to the studied scope and say what further research would be needed.
Compare my reasoning
- Identify the mismatch between conclusion and evidence.
- State a conclusion within the studied places, sample and methods.
- Name what additional research could justify a broader claim.
The candidate should revise the conclusion to state what the evidence supports in the studied context, then acknowledge where the sample or methods limit wider transfer. They can propose comparing additional locations or groups as further research, without implying that those results already exist.
Look for these in your work
- Aligns claim with studied scope
- States the limitation
- Separates future research from current evidence
Common mistakes
- Writing for a specialist audience when the syllabus specifies a non-specialist reader
- Using methods or sources without justifying their fit
- Allowing background to replace analysis and comparison
What can you explain now?
Who is the report written for?
Compare with the explanation
A non-specialist audience.
The syllabus says the report should not be highly technical and should be understandable to non-specialists.
After trying it yourself, choose your next review. This is your self-assessment.
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Make it stick
Name two ways a report can show that its conclusion follows from research.
If you needed the solution, close it and solve the problem again from a blank page. A correct answer is stronger when you can explain the reason for each step.