This chapter provides a comprehensive guide to preparing effective research reports, including theses, dissertations, and journal articles. It covers the purpose, structure, and key components necessary for clearly communicating findings. The chapter begins with fundamental principles of writing style and language, which are essential for creating effective research reports. These principles apply to every section of a research report, including the introduction, methodology, results, and conclusion. Key topics include document formatting, major sections, and subsections, all aimed at enhancing readability and impact. The chapter also discusses different types of abstracts, emphasizing the characteristics of a well-crafted informative abstract. Additionally, it provides guidance on constructing effective section such as literature reviews, methods, results, and statistical reporting, along with effective discussions and conclusions. Finally, the chapter highlights the importance of proper citation and referencing in research reports. By the end, you will be able to prepare, structure, and present research documents that effectively communicate findings and adhere to academic standards.

Since the publication of Kane (2006) on argument-based validation and the validation project by Chapelle, Enright, and Jamieson (2008), a trend of employing argument-based approach in language testing validation research has emerged as observed by Chapelle and Voss (2013). To better understand this recent trend, this systematic review study identified and analyzed the argument-based validation studies published from 2000 to 2018. A comprehensive literature search was conducted with multiple search terms (e.g., validity, argument-based validation, inferences, etc.) on a variety of research publication sources, including peer-reviewed academic journals, research reports, and dissertations. After applying pre-established inclusion criteria, 70 studies were retained, including 45 journal articles or research reports and 25 doctoral dissertations. The claims and inferences employed in these studies were analyzed into themes and categorized under Chapelle, Enright, and Jamieson (2008)’s framework. In addition, the research methodology addressing the warrants, rebuttals and backing in each study was documented and reviewed. Based on the results of this analysis, we make suggestions about constructing interpretation and use arguments as well as evaluating the coherence and plausibility of the validity arguments in various testing contexts.