A research report is a publication that reports on the findings of a research project.[1]
Research reports are produced by many sectors including industry, education, government and non-government organizations and may be disseminated internally, or made public (i.e. published) however they are not usually available from booksellers or through standard commercial publishing channels.[2] [3] Research reports are also issued by governmental and international organizations, such as UNESCO.
There are various distribution models for research reports with the main ones being: public distribution for free or open access; limited distribution to clients and customers; or commercial sale. For example market research reports are often produced for sale by specialist market research companies,[4] investment companies may provide research reports to clients[5] while government agencies and civil society organizations such as UNESCO, the World Health Organization and many others often provide free access to organization research reports in the public interest[6] or for a range of organization requirements and objectives.