A research report is a written document that summarizes the main findings of a study endeavor. A research report serves as a vehicle for communicating study findings to those who need to know. It is also a fantastic way to save research work for future reference. Reports are usually published in academic journals or other publication venues. Authors may also submit their reports as conference presentations. Reports often include discussions of both positive and negative findings, as well as considerations for future studies. This allows others to compare results across studies and use them to build upon existing knowledge or begin new investigations where previous efforts have failed. Reports can also point out limitations in existing research or opportunities for further exploration. In short, a research report is a detailed account of what was found to be true about some topic or topics related through investigation or thought experiment. Reports are written for several different purposes. They can provide information on subjects such as history, science, or society. They can also be used to share results from laboratory experiments or surveys. Finally, reports describe the main findings of a study effort conducted by someone with limited time or resources. For example, a researcher might write a report when results from one of her studies are ready to be shared with others in her field. Or perhaps she plans to publish her findings in a future article. The writer will likely focus on describing those results in detail rather than going into great depth about other aspects of his or her research.