research reflection report

Guide on How to Write a Reflection Paper with Free Tips and Example

A reflection paper is a very common type of paper among college students. Almost any subject you enroll in requires you to express your opinion on certain matters. In this article, we will explain how to write a reflection paper and provide examples and useful tips to make the essay writing process easier.

Reflection papers should have an academic tone yet be personal and subjective. In this paper, you should analyze and reflect upon how an experience, academic task, article, or lecture shaped your perception and thoughts on a subject.

Here is what you need to know about writing an effective critical reflection paper. Stick around until the end of our guide to get some useful writing tips from the writing team at EssayPro — a research paper writing service

What Is a Reflection Paper

A reflection paper is a type of paper that requires you to write your opinion on a topic, supporting it with your observations and personal experiences. As opposed to presenting your reader with the views of other academics and writers, in this essay, you get an opportunity to write your point of view—and the best part is that there is no wrong answer. It is YOUR opinion, and it is your job to express your thoughts in a manner that will be understandable and clear for all readers that will read your paper. The topic range is endless. Here are some examples: whether or not you think aliens exist, your favorite TV show, or your opinion on the outcome of WWII. You can write about pretty much anything.

There are three types of reflection paper; depending on which one you end up with, the tone you write with can be slightly different. The first type is the educational reflective paper. Here your job is to write feedback about a book, movie, or seminar you attended—in a manner that teaches the reader about it. The second is the professional paper. Usually, it is written by people who study or work in education or psychology. For example, it can be a reflection of someone’s behavior. And the last is the personal type, which explores your thoughts and feelings about an individual subject.

However, reflection paper writing will stop eventually with one very important final paper to write - your resume. This is where you will need to reflect on your entire life leading up to that moment. To learn how to list education on resume perfectly, follow the link on our dissertation writing services .

Unlock the potential of your thoughts with EssayPro . Order a reflection paper and explore a range of other academic services tailored to your needs. Dive deep into your experiences, analyze them with expert guidance, and turn your insights into an impactful reflection paper.

Free Reflection Paper Example

Now that we went over all of the essentials about a reflection paper and how to approach it, we would like to show you some examples that will definitely help you with getting started on your paper.

Reflection Paper Format

Reflection papers typically do not follow any specific format. Since it is your opinion, professors usually let you handle them in any comfortable way. It is best to write your thoughts freely, without guideline constraints. If a personal reflection paper was assigned to you, the format of your paper might depend on the criteria set by your professor. College reflection papers (also known as reflection essays) can typically range from about 400-800 words in length.

Here’s how we can suggest you format your reflection paper:

How to Start a Reflection Paper

The first thing to do when beginning to work on a reflection essay is to read your article thoroughly while taking notes. Whether you are reflecting on, for example, an activity, book/newspaper, or academic essay, you want to highlight key ideas and concepts.

You can start writing your reflection paper by summarizing the main concept of your notes to see if your essay includes all the information needed for your readers. It is helpful to add charts, diagrams, and lists to deliver your ideas to the audience in a better fashion.

After you have finished reading your article, it’s time to brainstorm. We’ve got a simple brainstorming technique for writing reflection papers. Just answer some of the basic questions below:

• How did the article affect you?
• How does this article catch the reader’s attention (or does it all)?
• Has the article changed your mind about something? If so, explain how.
• Has the article left you with any questions?
• Were there any unaddressed critical issues that didn’t appear in the article?
• Does the article relate to anything from your past reading experiences?
• Does the article agree with any of your past reading experiences?

Here are some reflection paper topic examples for you to keep in mind before preparing to write your own:

• How my views on rap music have changed over time
• My reflection and interpretation of Moby Dick by Herman Melville
• Why my theory about the size of the universe has changed over time
• How my observations for clinical psychological studies have developed in the last year

The result of your brainstorming should be a written outline of the contents of your future paper. Do not skip this step, as it will ensure that your essay will have a proper flow and appropriate organization.

Another good way to organize your ideas is to write them down in a 3-column chart or table.

Do you want your task look awesome?

If you would like your reflection paper to look professional, feel free to check out one of our articles on how to format MLA, APA or Chicago style

Writing a Reflection Paper Outline

Reflection paper should contain few key elements:

Introduction

Your introduction should specify what you’re reflecting upon. Make sure that your thesis informs your reader about your general position, or opinion, toward your subject.

• State what you are analyzing: a passage, a lecture, an academic article, an experience, etc...)
• Briefly summarize the work.
• Write a thesis statement stating how your subject has affected you.

One way you can start your thesis is to write:

Example: “After reading/experiencing (your chosen topic), I gained the knowledge of…”

Body Paragraphs

The body paragraphs should examine your ideas and experiences in context to your topic. Make sure each new body paragraph starts with a topic sentence.

Your reflection may include quotes and passages if you are writing about a book or an academic paper. They give your reader a point of reference to fully understand your feedback. Feel free to describe what you saw, what you heard, and how you felt.

Example: “I saw many people participating in our weight experiment. The atmosphere felt nervous yet inspiring. I was amazed by the excitement of the event.”

As with any conclusion, you should summarize what you’ve learned from the experience. Next, tell the reader how your newfound knowledge has affected your understanding of the subject in general. Finally, describe the feeling and overall lesson you had from the reading or experience.

There are a few good ways to conclude a reflection paper:

• Tie all the ideas from your body paragraphs together, and generalize the major insights you’ve experienced.
• Restate your thesis and summarize the content of your paper.

We have a separate blog post dedicated to writing a great conclusion. Be sure to check it out for an in-depth look at how to make a good final impression on your reader.

Need a hand? Get help from our writers. Edit, proofread or buy essay .

How to Write a Reflection Paper: Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: create a main theme.

After you choose your topic, write a short summary about what you have learned about your experience with that topic. Then, let readers know how you feel about your case — and be honest. Chances are that your readers will likely be able to relate to your opinion or at least the way you form your perspective, which will help them better understand your reflection.

For example: After watching a TEDx episode on Wim Hof, I was able to reevaluate my preconceived notions about the negative effects of cold exposure.

Step 2: Brainstorm Ideas and Experiences You’ve Had Related to Your Topic

You can write down specific quotes, predispositions you have, things that influenced you, or anything memorable. Be personal and explain, in simple words, how you felt.

For example: • A lot of people think that even a small amount of carbohydrates will make people gain weight • A specific moment when I struggled with an excess weight where I avoided carbohydrates entirely • The consequences of my actions that gave rise to my research • The evidence and studies of nutritional science that claim carbohydrates alone are to blame for making people obese • My new experience with having a healthy diet with a well-balanced intake of nutrients • The influence of other people’s perceptions on the harm of carbohydrates, and the role their influence has had on me • New ideas I’ve created as a result of my shift in perspective

Step 3: Analyze How and Why These Ideas and Experiences Have Affected Your Interpretation of Your Theme

Pick an idea or experience you had from the last step, and analyze it further. Then, write your reasoning for agreeing or disagreeing with it.

For example, Idea: I was raised to think that carbohydrates make people gain weight.

Analysis: Most people think that if they eat any carbohydrates, such as bread, cereal, and sugar, they will gain weight. I believe in this misconception to such a great extent that I avoided carbohydrates entirely. As a result, my blood glucose levels were very low. I needed to do a lot of research to overcome my beliefs finally. Afterward, I adopted the philosophy of “everything in moderation” as a key to a healthy lifestyle.

For example: Idea: I was brought up to think that carbohydrates make people gain weight. Analysis: Most people think that if they eat any carbohydrates, such as bread, cereal, and sugar, they will gain weight. I believe in this misconception to such a great extent that I avoided carbohydrates entirely. As a result, my blood glucose levels were very low. I needed to do a lot of my own research to finally overcome my beliefs. After, I adopted the philosophy of “everything in moderation” as a key for having a healthy lifestyle.

Step 4: Make Connections Between Your Observations, Experiences, and Opinions

Try to connect your ideas and insights to form a cohesive picture for your theme. You can also try to recognize and break down your assumptions, which you may challenge in the future.

There are some subjects for reflection papers that are most commonly written about. They include:

• Book – Start by writing some information about the author’s biography and summarize the plot—without revealing the ending to keep your readers interested. Make sure to include the names of the characters, the main themes, and any issues mentioned in the book. Finally, express your thoughts and reflect on the book itself.
• Course – Including the course name and description is a good place to start. Then, you can write about the course flow, explain why you took this course, and tell readers what you learned from it. Since it is a reflection paper, express your opinion, supporting it with examples from the course.
• Project – The structure for a reflection paper about a project has identical guidelines to that of a course. One of the things you might want to add would be the pros and cons of the course. Also, mention some changes you might want to see, and evaluate how relevant the skills you acquired are to real life.
• Interview – First, introduce the person and briefly mention the discussion. Touch on the main points, controversies, and your opinion of that person.

Writing Tips

Everyone has their style of writing a reflective essay – and that's the beauty of it; you have plenty of leeway with this type of paper – but there are still a few tips everyone should incorporate.

Before you start your piece, read some examples of other papers; they will likely help you better understand what they are and how to approach yours. When picking your subject, try to write about something unusual and memorable — it is more likely to capture your readers' attention. Never write the whole essay at once. Space out the time slots when you work on your reflection paper to at least a day apart. This will allow your brain to generate new thoughts and reflections.

• Short and Sweet – Most reflection papers are between 250 and 750 words. Don't go off on tangents. Only include relevant information.
• Clear and Concise – Make your paper as clear and concise as possible. Use a strong thesis statement so your essay can follow it with the same strength.
• Maintain the Right Tone – Use a professional and academic tone—even though the writing is personal.
• Cite Your Sources – Try to cite authoritative sources and experts to back up your personal opinions.
• Proofreading – Not only should you proofread for spelling and grammatical errors, but you should proofread to focus on your organization as well. Answer the question presented in the introduction.

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Personal Reflection Sample: preparing a Research Report for ACCA

The skill and learning statement includes the implications of interactions with mentor, an analysis of the extent to which research questions have been answered, a brief analysis of interpersonal and communication skills and their relevance to the research, as well as the contribution of the research experience to my professional and personal development.

1.      Experiences of interactions with mentor

I had chances of meeting my project mentor three times and obtained practical support regarding various aspects of the work during these meetings. Our first meeting was mainly dedicated to clarifying our expectations from the research experience and the discussions took place related to the issues of selection of the research approach and formulation of research questions and objectives.

By the time I had a meeting with my mentor for the second time Introduction and Information gathering chapters of the work have been completed and I received detailed feedback for these chapters of the research. Also, discussions were held about data analysis and presentation associated with the project.

During the final meeting with my mentor the overall work has been scrutinised and a set of specific points have been mentioned by my mentor. Specifically, my mentor raised a point that my discussions of research findings lacked depth and scale. Then, these points have been addressed and the final draft of the Research Report was completed.

I found advices given by my mentor very helpful in terms of increasing the quality of my Research Report and equipping me with knowledge of effectively conducting similar studies in the future in general. Moreover, my Project Mentor was not only highlighting the shortages that were associated with my project, but also was giving detailed explanations why these changes were desirable in a passionate manner.

Furthermore, I found these three sessions with my mentor to be highly motivational and informative experience because they have increased the level of my personal interest in conducting businesses studies. Prior to conducting the Research Report and having discussions with my mentor I was assuming conducting analytical business studies to be a rather boring experience.

However, thanks to my mentor I learned to appreciate the importance of analysing a business case in terms of identifying a current strategic and financial position of a business, and formulating the ways of identifying further strategic options available to the business.

2.      The extent to which research questions have been answered

Answering the research questions in my Research Report were directly related to the quality of secondary data, and the choice of methodology. Therefore, these issues were approached effectively by critically assessing the validity of the sources of secondary data and assessing alternative choices of methodology. Moreover, my first meeting with my Project mentor was mainly devoted to the discussion of the same issues.

As a result of comprehensive analysis the most reliable sources of secondary data in order to be used in Research Report were found to include published financial statements and annual reports, textbooks on financial and business analysis, information published in official company website, information available from ACCA website, as well as, various business journals an newspapers.

The choice of methods for conducting the study, on the other hand, was guided by the reliability of the data analysis methods and their relevance to the research issues. After spending additional amount of time for the choice of appropriate methodology and taking into account advises of my mentor, financial ratios and analytic tools have been chosen to be employed in my Research Report.

Purposely, financial and accounting ratios that were used in the study include profitability, liquidity, financial position and investor ratios, whereas, the choice of analytic tools consist of SWOT, PESTLE, and Porter’s five forces analysis.

To summarise this part, it is fair to state that all of the research questions in my Research Report have been effectively addressed, because the secondary data have been obtained from reliable sources, relevant methodology has been used to conduct the study, and the research findings have been critically discussed.

3.      Interpersonal and communication skills and their relevance to the research

I have demonstrated my interpersonal and communication skills at various stages of doing Research Report and preparing for and making the presentation. Moreover, without my interpersonal and communication skills completing the Research Report and doing the presentation would have proved to be highly challenging.

For example, my listening skills have proved to be highly valuable in terms of understanding vital information given by my mentor about increasing the quality of my Research Report, because these advises were fully understood and implemented into the practice.

My interpersonal skills have also played a positive role when I asked some of my trusted colleagues to be an audience when I was rehearsing my presentation. I was making presentations in front of my colleagues and was asking for their opinions about the quality of my presentation. This practice took place many times in different settings and I believe that following this strategy has enhanced the quality of my presentation and my marks.

However, my communication skills have played a crucial role in terms of succeeding in making the presentation effectively. I have learned from my experiences within and outside of academic settings that communication skills play the most crucial role in terms of succeeding in personal and professional lives.

For instance, an individual may possess a deep knowledge about a certain area. However, if the individual lacks competency of communicating his or her ideas, knowledge and feelings in an effective manner, the overall competency of the individual and the level of his or her contribution to the organisation will always remain compromised.

Therefore, in my opinion, regardless of the field, industry or type of organisation, communication skills can be specified as a compulsory attribute for an employee in order to be considered an a competent. In my case in particular, my advanced level of communication skills have enabled me to do my Research Report presentation effectively which has resulted in positive acclaim from my peers and mentor.

4.      The potential contribution of Research Report to the level of professional development

Conducting the Research Report and doing the presentation has increased the level of my professional competency in several ways. First of all, I have to mention the fact that I have developed a critical mindset towards solving business issues as a result of conducting the Research Report.

My mentor made it clear that it was important to critically analyse related issues in Research Report rather than just offering description of the issues and supplying calculations. The mentor had stressed many times that critical analysis and discussions are the elements of the work that increase its value. For the same reason I had to revise my Research Report several times until my mentor was satisfied with the level of critical analysis the work had included.

Although, such an approach to work seemed to be very challenging and confusing during the research process, I appreciated the value of critical analysis once the final work was completed. The skills of critical analysis that I have developed and applied in Research Report can easily be applied when real business issues would need to be resolved by me in the future in my professional capacity.

Completing the Research Report was similar to project management in real businesses environment in terms of strict deadlines, scarcity of resources, organising and planning, scheduling meetings, doing presentations etc. Therefore, the skills I developed during the process of completing Research Report can be used in order to successfully manage business projects in the future.

Moreover, my writing skills have also been greatly improved as a result of engaging in Research Report. Despite the popular opinion that with the increasing importance of information technology the practice of writing letters and reports are being replaced by alternative means of business communications, the importance of writing will always remain significant for business managers.

From this point of view engaging in Research Report was a very beneficial experience for me on a personal level. Specifically, writing the paper of almost ten thousand words in total, including this personal reflection, has made me better prepared to join the full-time workforce once my studies are completed.

Lastly, as a result of preparing the Research Report my professional interest on the issues associated with corporate strategy has been enhanced. Moreover, I am planning to continue studying the issues of corporate strategy and that knowledge would benefit me in the future as a corporate leader.

5.      Gains derived from conducting Research Report experience on a personal level

On a personal level I benefited from conducting the Research Report and doing the presentation in a number of ways. The research experience with Oxford Brookes has increased the level of my motivation for studying, making bold plans for my future career and implements necessary measures and initiatives in order to accomplish these plans. My mentor deserves to be mentioned here specifically for all encouragements and practical tips that can be applied in various alternative settings apart from academic life.

The level of my self-confidence has also been increased because I could complete the Research Report in time. Moreover, the presentation experience has increased the level of my self-confidence dramatically, because I understood that if I could do a successful presentation in front of my mentor and colleagues, doing the presentations of multi-million projects in front of top executives was just a matter of time.

The paramount importance of self-confidence for an individual is an undisputable matter. Self-confidence allows us to set ambitious plans and utilise all the available resources efficiently in order to achieve these plans.

My time-management skills have also been improved by the end of the Research Report. This is because there was a specific deadline for both, the Research Report and presentation and I had to adopt some principles related to time management in order to be able to submit my work on time.

These principles included setting specific deadlines for each chapter of the work, and above all, dramatically cutting the amount of time I used to browse social networking sites on the internet. I can highlight this fact as one of the most substantial gains in a personal level. This is because prior to the research experience I used to spend several hours a day browsing a set of social networking sites with no real benefit whatsoever. However, once the priority was given to the Research Project, this bad habit was dealt with effectively and irreversibly.

6.      Conclusions

To summarise, completing the Research Report and making presentation with Oxford Brookes University following my ACCA course has increased the level of my preparedness to join the full-time workforce and successfully utilise my energy and knowledge. In my opinion the biggest benefit I received from enrolling to this course of study is that the course of study, the Research Report and doing the presentation have made me to believe in my skills and capabilities and they have also awoke my desire to approach studying as a lifelong process.

Moreover, I have obtained a set of professional and personal gains as a result of completing the Research Report and making presentation that include the development of a critical mindset, improvement my writing and time management skills and enhancement of the level of my self-confidence.

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How to Write a Reflection Paper

Last Updated: March 27, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Alicia Cook . Alicia Cook is a Professional Writer based in Newark, New Jersey. With over 12 years of experience, Alicia specializes in poetry and uses her platform to advocate for families affected by addiction and to fight for breaking the stigma against addiction and mental illness. She holds a BA in English and Journalism from Georgian Court University and an MBA from Saint Peter’s University. Alicia is a bestselling poet with Andrews McMeel Publishing and her work has been featured in numerous media outlets including the NY Post, CNN, USA Today, the HuffPost, the LA Times, American Songwriter Magazine, and Bustle. She was named by Teen Vogue as one of the 10 social media poets to know and her poetry mixtape, “Stuff I’ve Been Feeling Lately” was a finalist in the 2016 Goodreads Choice Awards. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 3,806,477 times.

Reflection papers allow you to communicate with your instructor about how a specific article, lesson, lecture, or experience shapes your understanding of class-related material. Reflection papers are personal and subjective [1] X Research source , but they must still maintain a somewhat academic tone and must still be thoroughly and cohesively organized. Here's what you need to know about writing an effective reflection.

Things You Should Know

• Write an introduction that outlines the expectations you had and provide a thesis statement in the last sentence.
• State your conclusions in the body paragraphs of the paper. Explain how you arrived at your conclusions using logic and concrete details.
• Conclude the paper with a concise summary of your overall experience.

Sample Outline and Paper

Brainstorming

• These sentences should be both descriptive yet straight to the point.

• For lectures or readings, you can write down specific quotations or summarize passages.
• For experiences, make a note of specific portions of your experience. You could even write a small summary or story of an event that happened during the experience that stands out. Images, sounds, or other sensory portions of your experience work, as well.

• In the first column, list the main points or key experiences. These points can include anything that the author or speaker treated with importance as well as any specific details you found to be important. Divide each point into its own separate row.
• In the second column, list your personal response to the points you brought up in the first column. Mention how your subjective values, experiences, and beliefs influence your response.
• In the third and last column, describe how much of your personal response to share in your reflection paper.

• Does the reading, lecture, or experience challenge you socially, culturally, emotionally, or theologically? If so, where and how? Why does it bother you or catch your attention?
• Has the reading, lecture, or experience changed your way of thinking? Did it conflict with beliefs you held previously, and what evidence did it provide you with in order to change your thought process on the topic?
• Does the reading, lecture, or experience leave you with any questions? Were these questions ones you had previously or ones you developed only after finishing?
• Did the author, speaker, or those involved in the experience fail to address any important issues? Could a certain fact or idea have dramatically changed the impact or conclusion of the reading, lecture, or experience?
• How do the issues or ideas brought up in this reading, lecture, or experience mesh with past experiences or readings? Do the ideas contradict or support each other?

Organizing a Reflection Paper

• Verify whether or not your instructor specified a word count for the paper instead of merely following this average.
• If your instructor demands a word count outside of this range, meet your instructor's requirements.

• For a reading or lecture, indicate what you expected based on the title, abstract, or introduction.
• For an experience, indicate what you expected based on prior knowledge provided by similar experiences or information from others.

• This is essentially a brief explanation of whether or not your expectations were met.
• A thesis provides focus and cohesion for your reflection paper.
• You could structure a reflection thesis along the following lines: “From this reading/experience, I learned...”

• Your conclusions must be explained. You should provide details on how you arrived at those conclusions using logic and concrete details.
• The focus of the paper is not a summary of the text, but you still need to draw concrete, specific details from the text or experience in order to provide context for your conclusions.
• Write a separate paragraph for each conclusion or idea you developed.
• Each paragraph should have its own topic sentence. This topic sentence should clearly identify your major points, conclusions, or understandings.

• The conclusions or understandings explained in your body paragraphs should support your overall conclusion. One or two may conflict, but the majority should support your final conclusion.

As You Write

• If you feel uncomfortable about a personal issue that affects the conclusions you reached, it is wisest not to include personal details about it.
• If a certain issue is unavoidable but you feel uncomfortable revealing your personal experiences or feelings regarding it, write about the issue in more general terms. Identify the issue itself and indicate concerns you have professionally or academically.

• Avoid dragging someone else down in your writing. If a particular person made the experience you are reflecting on difficult, unpleasant, or uncomfortable, you must still maintain a level of detachment as you describe that person's influence. Instead of stating something like, “Bob was such a rude jerk,” say something more along the lines of, “One man was abrupt and spoke harshly, making me feel as though I was not welcome there.” Describe the actions, not the person, and frame those actions within the context of how they influenced your conclusions.
• A reflection paper is one of the few pieces of academic writing in which you can get away with using the first person pronoun “I.” That said, you should still relate your subjective feelings and opinions using specific evidence to explain them. [8] X Research source
• Avoid slang and always use correct spelling and grammar. Internet abbreviations like “LOL” or “OMG” are fine to use personally among friends and family, but this is still an academic paper, so you need to treat it with the grammatical respect it deserves. Do not treat it as a personal journal entry.
• Check and double-check your spelling and grammar after you finish your paper.

• Keep your sentences focused. Avoid squeezing multiple ideas into one sentence.
• Avoid sentence fragments. Make sure that each sentence has a subject and a verb.
• Vary your sentence length. Include both simple sentences with a single subject and verb and complex sentences with multiple clauses. Doing so makes your paper sound more conversational and natural, and prevents the writing from becoming too wooden. [9] X Research source

• Common transitional phrases include "for example," "for instance," "as a result," "an opposite view is," and "a different perspective is."

• For instance, if reflecting on a piece of literary criticism, you could mention how your beliefs and ideas about the literary theory addressed in the article relate to what your instructor taught you about it or how it applies to prose and poetry read in class.
• As another example, if reflecting on a new social experience for a sociology class, you could relate that experience to specific ideas or social patterns discussed in class.

Expert Q&A

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.csuohio.edu/writing-center/reflection-papers
• ↑ https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/assignments/reflectionpaper
• ↑ Alicia Cook. Professional Writer. Expert Interview. 11 December 2020.
• ↑ https://www.trentu.ca/academicskills/how-guides/how-write-university/how-approach-any-assignment/how-write-reflection-paper
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/thesis-statements/
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/conclusions/
• ↑ https://www.anu.edu.au/students/academic-skills/writing-assessment/reflective-writing/reflective-essays
• ↑ https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/scholarlyvoice/sentencestructure

About This Article

To write a reflection paper, start with an introduction where you state any expectations you had for the reading, lesson, or experience you're reflecting on. At the end of your intro, include a thesis statement that explains how your views have changed. In the body of your essay, explain the conclusions you reached after the reading, lesson, or experience and discuss how you arrived at them. Finally, finish your paper with a succinct conclusion that explains what you've learned. To learn how to brainstorm for your paper, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to write a reflective report with examples

A reflective report is a written piece that summarizes the critical reflection of a person. It differs from an essay in that it is more structured. It is also personal and subjective. Here are some examples of reflective reports: Sage, UNSW, and Monash University. The models provide some ideas and can be use to guide your work.

It is a written report that summarises the critical reflection of a person.

A reflective report is a written document summarising a person’s critical reflection on an experience or a particular topic. It is usually between 250 and 750 words long and should start with a clear line of thought. It must be based on a personal experience to be meaningful.

A reflective report is a type of academic assignment that aims to give students a self-view of the topic they are studying. It should be written in the first person, with an introduction and thesis statement. The report must contain a detailed description of the event or situation and the learnings the student made from it.

It is more structured than an essay.

A reflective essay is a structure different from a report. It is structured differently and follows a stricter format. It should start with a strong introduction. List the main topics, restate the thesis statement and end with a strong conclusion. It should also include a bibliography and references. And works cited list.

A good reflective essay should reflect a specific experience. The author must honestly describe how they felt and the lesson they learned from the experience. They should also attempt to analyze the situation. This requires evaluating the thoughts, feelings, and reactions. They should also be able to judge the merit of their own experiences.

The introduction is an important part of a reflection paper. It should provide background information about the course content, summarize key readings, and narrate their experience of the course objectives. The introduction does not need to be very long but should be informative and catchy. However, it should not start with the thesis.

It is personal

When writing a reflective report, it’s important to keep your subject personal. You want the readers to know what you learned and how those experiences shaped your future. Thoughtful words can be written on various topics, including books, places, and experiences. Here are some tips to help you get start.

When writing a reflective report, you want to start with an introduction that acknowledges your subject and gives the reader an impression of what you are trying to communicate. The introduction should include a thesis statement, serving as your focal point. You can provide facts to support your thesis statement in the second body paragraph.

The body of your reflective essay should be the focus and include an appropriate critique. It should describe the experiences and how they shaped you, including the lessons you learned. Remember to proofread your reflective essay before you submit it.

It is subjective

A reflective report writing service with examples should be written in the first person, which allows you to focus on your thoughts, feelings, and experiences. It is important to state your opinion clearly, support it with arguments, and include examples from your life. Finally, in conclusion, restate your thesis statement.

While reflective reports are meant to be personal, they should still be professionally written. Avoid using slang words and double-check your grammar. Also, use transitional words that draw connections between your ideas. This will make your report look much more professional.

It is academic

When you write reflective academic reports, the goal is to convey your personal learning experiences and take the time to reflect on them. Unlike a personal journal, academic reflective writing needs to be formally structured and written in a formal language. As such, it must begin with a strong thesis statement.

An academic reflective report requires you to be critical and analytical. This means focusing on the negative aspects of the situation rather than the positive aspects. For example, suppose you observe that a leader does not follow the leadership style of his followers.

Alvin Nicolas is a research-based content writer, who works for Cognizantt, a globally recognized professional E-commerce SEO company  provider and Essays.UK,  A leading dissertation and essay writing service in the UK . Mr Alvin Nicolas holds a PhD degree in English Literature. He loves to express his views on a range of issues including education, technology, and more.

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Structure of academic reflections

Guidance on the structure of academic reflections.

Academic reflections or reflective writing completed for assessment often require a clear structure. Contrary to some people’s belief, reflection is not just a personal diary talking about your day and your feelings.

Both the language and the structure are important for academic reflective writing. For the structure you want to mirror an academic essay closely. You want an introduction, a main body, and a conclusion.

Academic reflection will require you to both describe the context, analyse it, and make conclusions. However, there is not one set of rules for the proportion of your reflection that should be spent describing the context, and what proportion should be spent on analysing and concluding. That being said, as learning tends to happen when analysing and synthesising rather than describing, a good rule of thumb is to describe just enough such that the reader understands your context.

Example structure for academic reflections

Below is an example of how you might structure an academic reflection if you were given no other guidance and what each section might contain.  Remember this is only a suggestion and you must consider what is appropriate for the task at hand and for you yourself.

Introduction

Identifies and introduces your experience or learning

• This can be a critical incident
• This can be the reflective prompt you were given
• A particular learning you have gained

When structuring your academic reflections it might make sense to start with what you have learned and then use the main body to evidence that learning, using specific experiences and events. Alternatively, start with the event and build up your argument. This is a question of personal preference – if you aren’t given explicit guidance you can ask the assessor if they have a preference, however both can work.

Highlights why it was important

• This can be suggesting why this event was important for the learning you gained
• This can be why the learning you gained will benefit you or why you appreciate it in your context

You might find that it is not natural to highlight the importance of an event before you have developed your argument for what you gained from it. It can be okay not to explicitly state the importance in the introduction, but leave it to develop throughout your reflection.

Outline key themes that will appear in the reflection (optional – but particularly relevant when answering a reflective prompt or essay)

• This can be an introduction to your argument, introducing the elements that you will explore, or that builds to the learning you have already gained.

This might not make sense if you are reflecting on a particular experience, but is extremely valuable if you are answering a reflective prompt or writing an essay that includes multiple learning points. A type of prompt or question that could particularly benefit from this would be ‘Reflect on how the skills and theory within this course have helped you meet the benchmark statements of your degree’

It can be helpful to explore one theme/learning per paragraph.

Explore experiences

• You should highlight and explore the experience you introduced in the introduction
• If you are building toward answering a reflective prompt, explore each relevant experience.

As reflection is centred around an individual’s personal experience, it is very important to make experiences a main component of reflection. This does not mean that the majority of the reflective piece should be on describing an event – in fact you should only describe enough such that the reader can follow your analysis.

Analyse and synthesise

• You should analyse each of your experiences and from them synthesise new learning

Depending on the requirements of the assessment, you may need to use theoretical literature in your analysis. Theoretical literature is a part of perspective taking which is relevant for reflection, and will happen as a part of your analysis.  

Restate or state your learning

• Make a conclusion based on your analysis and synthesis.
• If you have many themes in your reflection, it can be helpful to restate them here.

Plan for the future

• Highlight and discuss how your new-found learnings will influence your future practice

Answer the question or prompt (if applicable)

• If you are answering an essay question or reflective prompt, make sure that your conclusion provides a succinct response using your main body as evidence.  

Using a reflective model to structure academic reflections

You might recognise that most reflective models mirror this structure; that is why a lot of the reflective models can be really useful to structure reflective assignments. Models are naturally structured to focus on a single experience – if the assignment requires you to focus on multiple experiences, it can be helpful to simply repeat each step of a model for each experience.

One difference between the structure of reflective writing and the structure of models is that sometimes you may choose to present your learning in the introduction of a piece of writing, whereas models (given that they support working through the reflective process) will have learning appearing at later stages.

However, generally structuring a piece of academic writing around a reflective model will ensure that it involves the correct components, reads coherently and logically, as well as having an appropriate structure.

Reflective journals/diaries/blogs and other pieces of assessed reflection

The example structure above works particularly well for formal assignments such as reflective essays and reports.  Reflective journal/blogs and other pieces of assessed reflections tend to be less formal both in language and structure, however you can easily adapt the structure for journals and other reflective assignments if you find that helpful.

That is, if you are asked to produce a reflective journal with multiple entries it will most often (always check with the person who issued the assignment) be a successful journal if each entry mirrors the structure above and the language highlighted in the section on academic language. However, often you can be less concerned with form when producing reflective journals/diaries.

When producing reflective journals, it is often okay to include your original reflection as long as you are comfortable with sharing the content with others, and that the information included is not too personal for an assessor to read.

Developed from:

Ryan, M., 2011. Improving reflective writing in higher education: a social semiotic perspective. Teaching in Higher Education, 16(1), 99-111.

University of Portsmouth, Department for Curriculum and Quality Enhancement (date unavailable). Reflective Writing: a basic introduction [online].  Portsmouth: University of Portsmouth.

Queen Margaret University, Effective Learning Service (date unavailable).  Reflection. [online].  Edinburgh: Queen Margaret University.

How to Write a Reflection Paper? Steps and Examples

Nowadays, one of the most frequently asked questions at the high school, college, and university levels is how to write a reflection paper. You might be thinking, ‘Is it similar to the fundamental essay writing that students learn at the elementary and junior high school level?’ Yes, it is. However, the senior reflection essay and semester reflection essay are specifically designed for high-level students.

According to the Gibbs reflective cycle, this type of academic writing lets students reflect on their experiences, growth, and learning as they progress through their academic journey.

However, many students often struggle with expressing their thoughts and opinions on a given subject. Therefore, in this particular topic, we will reflect upon the challenges that some of our previous students encountered while writing a reflection paper during their last semester of graduation. The aim is to address each challenge and provide solutions on how to overcome them while adhering to the standard format and structure.

Table :  Changes in Student Grades and Missing Assignments After Implementation of Self Reflection.

Source: Sage Journals

Table of Contents

What is a Final Reflection Essay?

Reflective writing is a form of  academic writing  that helps you learn and grow as a writer, thinker, and person. It explores the writer’s personal opinion or experience, thoughts, and emotions.

And involves introspection and critical analysis of one’s own experience.Reflective writing can be done in many different ways and purposes.

In an academic setting, this type of writing is used in essays, journals, or portfolios where individuals are asked to reflect on their learning experiences or professional development critically.

However, learning how to write a reflection paper is also valuable for personal growth, self-expression, and a deeper understanding of oneself and the world around them.

Challenges of Writing the Senior Reflection Essay

What’s the purpose of writing a essay reflection.

The purpose of writing final reflection essay is to help stimulate self-reflection, introspection, and the unfolding of one’s perceptions and beliefs.

Reflecting writing goes beyond just describing or writing the literature it goes into depth about how an experience influences someone’s thoughts and emotions.

Writing the paper of reflection is itself an opportunity to introspect and assess your experience to bring personal improvements. 

💡 Feel Free to Mold As Per Your Assignment of High School Reflection Essay

There are various types of reflective writing and which form you will adopt is entirely subject to the goals and objectives of your assignment. The professor or mentor can ask you to come up with a particular experience in your life or any special moments of the class while learning how to write a reflection paper.

In addition to this, there may be a case of asking you to  write a paper  on any topic or the ideas that you sometimes discussed with your teacher or fellow.

In a nutshell, whatever the topic and assignment you will work on, just remember these tips. 

• Be clear about what type of reflective writing you’re doing—you might need to explain what kind of reflection you’re doing at the start of your paper (e.g., personal reflection vs. academic reflection).
• Define terms—if there are words or concepts that are unfamiliar to readers (or yourself), define them before using them later in the paper so they have

Types of Senior Essay of Reflection and Writing

There are three major types senior reflection essay : personal reflective essays, educational reflections, and professional reflections.

Personal Reflective Writing

Explores the writer’s own experiences, thoughts, and emotions. Personal reflection is often used as a tool for self-improvement or self-exploration. 

Educators often use it to help students reflect on their learning experiences to improve them in the future.

💡 Example for Your Convenience

A student might use personal reflection after reading about the Civil War era to explore what they learned about that period. A teacher could use this type of writing to assess student understanding after reading a chapter in their textbook or participating in an activity during class time.

Educational Reflective Paper 

Educational reflection focuses on learning experiences like courses, assignments, or projects. These papers are typically written by high school or college students reflecting on what they’ve learned during an academic course or class project. 

Teachers can also use educational reflection as part of a course evaluation process by asking students specific questions related to each course component (i.e., classroom activities) and then having them answer those questions using.

Professional Reflective Writing

Professional reflection involves reflecting on work experiences, internships, or professional development activities. 

These papers are typically written by professionals who have been working in their field for some time and are sharing their thoughts about how they learned certain skills or techniques while doing their job. 

How to Write a Reflection Paper with Proper Outline?

When it comes to writing the semester reflection essay, most teachers tend to give “total freedom” to their students. But this sudden abundance of freedom can lead to massive confusion and late submissions. 

Most of the time, teachers leave it entirely to the students to write their reflective papers. But this abrupt abundance of freedom often confuses them. And instead of easing their way into writing, they are left wondering where to start and how to write a reflection paper. 

When engaging in reflective writing, we should adhere to a similar structure as other forms of academic writing, ensuring our content remains within the boundaries of academic discourse.

To combat this issue, the  expert essay writers  have developed an easy prompt that will help you with outlining your paper. So let’s get straight to it. 

Introduction of Final Reflective Essay

The introduction of a final reflection essay is quite similar to introductions in other academic writings. It includes important elements like providing background information, stating the main idea (thesis), and capturing the reader’s attention with a hook or interesting opening.

To make it easier to understand, think of the introduction as the beginning of your paper, where you introduce the topic and grab the reader’s interest. 

You also share some background information to set the stage for what you’ll be reflecting upon. Finally, you present your main idea or argument, which is a roadmap for the rest of your paper. 

So, remember, the introduction is like the opening chapter of your reflective paper. It sets the scene, captures attention, and tells the reader what you’ll discuss.

Body Paragraphs 

Body paragraphs are the muscle of any academic paper because they serve as the supporting framework for your ideas and experiences. You must keep in mind while you learn how to write a reflection paper that the body of a reflective paper provides the key points that contribute to your overall assessment.

• It helps in describing the experience or the article of writing
• Your emotional or cognitive response to it
• Your critical analysis
• The lesson you might have learned due to the phenomenon you’re writing about
• Your application and the relevance of your experience

How you tackle your body paragraph of a high school reflection essay can make or break your reflective writing. While writing the main section of your paper, ways to connect all the paragraphs.

You must use transitional words and a topic sentence for each paragraph. The number of paragraphs you’re to write depends on the required  length of the research paper  you are writing about. 

Conclusions are important for almost all academic writing pieces as they allow you to tie all loose ends and reinforce your ideas.

Now, most of you must be thinking, “Do we need to reinforce our opinions on our readers when we are going through how to write a reflection paper?” The answer is “No”; we don’t necessarily need to impose our opinion.

But writing an impacting conclusion of a semester reflection essay that makes your reader consider your opinion on a topic is crucial.

Do Reflective Papers Have Citations? 

There is a common misconception that reflective papers do not require citations, but this belief can be misleading. It is important to remember that while reflective writing allows for personal opinions, it still follows the framework and standards of academic writing.

In academic writing,  citing a paper  is not only appreciated but often required. Therefore, referencing your reflective paper adds to its credibility and reliability.

For example:

A prevalent form of reflective writing among students involves referencing the context of their experiences.

How to Format your Semester Reflection Essay?

When writing a final reflection essay, there is typically no strict format. What matters the most is your comfort and expression. 

It is best to write freely without feeling restricted. However, too much freedom can sometimes confuse people. If a reflection paper is assigned to you, the format will usually depend on the criteria set by your professor.

For college reflection papers, also known as high school reflection essay, the length typically ranges from 500 to 1000 words.

In terms of a common senior reflection essay Format, here are some guidelines to consider when we are discussing how to write a reflection paper:

• Double-space the entire paper or text,  leaving a blank line between each line  of writing.
• Indent the  first word of each paragraph , which means starting each new paragraph  slightly inward from the left margin .
• Use a  one-inch margin  on all sides of the paper.
• Choose  “Times New Roman” with a 12-point font , which means the letters are medium size.

💡  Remember, these formatting guidelines generated by  ai essay writer  provide a cohesive and organized structure for your reflection paper, making it easier for readers to follow. It ensures that your paper looks neat and professional.

How to Write a Reflection Paper? Tips Based Steps

Now, let’s jump into the final reflection essay part and learn 9 simple yet powerful steps for writing the reflection paper. So, without further ado, let’s get straight into it.

Analyze the Material

• Play the role of Examiner:  Examine the overall thesis statement and overall content structure.
• Establish Your Perspective:  After you have done your due diligence, now take a clear stance or position.
• Formulate Important Questions:  Look for the loopholes and limitations in the content and develop key questions surrounding the main theme.

Make Connections

• Develop connection:  Find out the ways how you can link your life experience and opinions to the entire content.
• Connect the Dots:  Organize your thoughts while identifying similar patterns and concepts.
• Extract Valuable Insights:  Go into the details to reveal the profound interpretation of the connections.

Understand and Summarize

• Revision and Synthesize:  Highlight the important points and ideas.
• Formulate the Outline:  Make a proper outline to follow for the entire writing.
• Differentiate the content:  Adopt the dynamic strategies depending upon the content. 

Select a Theme

• Define Your Approach:  Pinpoint the crux of your high school reflection essay that sees eye to eye with your experience.
• Divide the Theme:  Make sections and subsections of your main theme and then do an in-depth exploration of each part to illuminate your reflection.
• Visualize:  Craft a clear yet simple narrative by using your main theme. 

Brainstorm Ideas and Experiences

• Let the Ideas Come in:  Make use of the online thesis statement generator  in case you are stuck with some novel ideas concerning your thesis statement.
• Do Note Taking:  Write down the personal experiences that somehow relate to the content at hand.
• Evoke Your Motivation:  Take motivation from experience and thoughts to bring creativity and intrigue in your reflection. 

Craft an Introduction

• Hook the Reader:  Open the sentence with some catchy and attention-grabbing words.
• Make the Context:  Provide brief background data related to your topic that make a context.
• Define Your Thesis Statement:  Use simple and clear words to highlight your main points of reflection. 

Write the Body

• Analyze Key Ideas:  Formulate the crucial part of your reflection paper.
• Use Examples:  Link relevant examples and stories that are most specific.
• Navigate the Reader:  Create imagination and walk your readers through your thoughts and experiences.

Conclude Effectively

• Close with Powerful Thoughts:  Restate your main arguments and ideas to reinforce in the reader’s mind.
• Signify the Importance:  Use strong words and language to showcase how your experiences and reflections influence your personal development.
• Leave the Readers with a Strong Impression:  Leave the readers with thought-provoking questions, words, or any statements that mark a lasting impression on their minds.

Proofread and Edit

• Proofread, Edit, and Improve:  Seek feedback from fellows, proofread, and revise to rectify grammatical and technical mistakes.
• Remove Redundancy:  Declutter your paper by removing the irrelevant and unnecessary content.
• Bring Perfection:  After you are finished with proofreading and redundant data, have a bird’s eye view of your content once to bring it to the perfect.

In conclusion, we are sure that our detailed guide on how to write a reflection paper has covered all of your questions. We have discussed all the ins and outs of reflection paper writing such as meaning, types, mind-mapping steps, etc. If you are still finding yourself struggling to come up with your reflective research paper writing service, don’t hesitate to contact us now. We will take care of everything for you!

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Research reflection guide

This page contains a guide and worksheet to help you reflect on a piece of research. 

The guide helps educators, teachers, leaders and policymakers reflect on a piece of research that provides evidence about the effectiveness of a particular policy, program or practice (that is, an approach), which they may be considering implementing.

Using the guide

First identify a piece of research evidence on a particular approach that you are considering implementing. Then, answer the series of guiding questions below that will prompt you to consider: what the research says; how relevant the research is to your context; whether you should implement the approach; and what you can do to ensure successful implementation.

The guide can be used individually or in a group as part of a community of practice.

Guiding questions

Objective questions.

• What does the research say? What policy, program or practice (i.e. approach ) is being evaluated? Where and when was this evaluation conducted? How many participants were involved?  
• How was the approach evaluated? What outcomes were looked at, and how were these outcomes measured? Was there a comparison between a group of individuals who experienced the approach and a group of individuals who did not experience the approach?  
• What standard of evidence does this research meet?  Is the evidence generated by the research causal or correlational? Causal evidence shows that the approach caused a change in outcomes. Correlational evidence shows that use of the approach is associated with a change in outcomes, but doesn’t rule out the possibility that the change was caused by something else, or by chance.

Reflective questions

• What connects with my experience?  What about the research is similar to my context and our current priorities? What aspects of the research are different to my context?  
• What excites me about the research? What might be possible in my context?

Interpretive questions

• What makes the approach work? According to the research, what are the key features of the approach that led to improved outcomes? What resources and organisational conditions (financial, human, logistical, curricular etc.) enabled success?  
• Would there be a benefit if I changed to this approach? What am I currently doing? What would I have to change in order to adopt this approach? Given what the research says, would any of the changes I make lead to improved outcomes? By how much do I think outcomes would improve? Alternatively, am I already doing something very similar to the approach, such that any changes might not improve outcomes further?
• What adaptations would I need to make? How aligned is this approach with existing system approaches? What about the approach will I need to change? Will any changes affect the key features? Will any adaptations make the approach less effective? Will any adaptations make the approach more effective?  
• What is the cost, in time, effort, and/or other resources, of changing? What will it cost me and/or my students to change what I’m doing? Where will this time, effort or other resources come from? If I implement this approach, what would it replace? What would be the consequences on my students of replacing my existing approach?

Decisive questions

Should I implement the approach? Are the potential benefits worth the costs of implementation?

• How can I rally resources to support implementation? How do I make implementation as smooth as possible? What resources and/or organisational supports do I need? How do I access these resources and/or supports?
• How will I be sure that implementation is effective? What data do I need to collect to track the effects of implementation? How will I know that any changes will be due to implementation of this new approach and not anything else?

The worksheet

The worksheet is designed for reflecting on primary studies, which are individual studies reporting on data collected and analysed by the researchers themselves. It isn’t designed for reflecting on research that summarises a body of evidence (for example, a literature review).

If you’re an educator or teacher, using this resource to reflect on research can help you to make decisions about your practice. If you’re a leader, you can use this resource to support your team to engage with evidence as part of their ongoing professional development.

Ways to use this resource

• Personal professional learning to become more familiar with research.
• Professional learning in a group, such as a community of practice – use the completed worksheets to discuss the education approach as team.
• Keep the completed worksheet as a record of decision-making about a particular approach.
• Revisit the completed worksheet as a reminder of the questions you may still have about an approach (and to focus your efforts on seeking answers).
• Use the questions to structure discussions about an approach with colleagues. 

Worked example

Robyn is the Centre Director at a community kindergarten and early childhood education and care (ECEC) service owned and managed by the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The service is in the outer suburbs of an Australian capital city. All children who attend come from an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander background. All speak English as their first language.

Robyn recently read about the Abecedarian Approach Australia in an online blog and has followed up by reading the  original journal article  to better understand whether the approach is evidence-based and would be relevant for her centre.

Research reflection guide: My notes

About the research article.

Title:  An Abecedarian Approach with Aboriginal Families and Their Young Children in Australia: Playgroup Participation and Developmental Outcomes Author/s:  Jane Page, Megan L. Cock, Lisa Murray, Tricia Eadie, Frank Niklas, Janet Scull, Joseph Sparling Journal:  International Journal of Early Childhood Publication date:  1 August 2019

What does the research say?

What approach was evaluated? Is the approach described clearly enough that I could replicate it? Does the description raise any questions?

Robyn's notes:

The study explored whether the ‘Abecedarian Approach Australia (3a)’ improved early language and learning skills of Aboriginal children attending Families as First Teachers early childhood playgroups. They specifically used the Conversational Reading and Learning Games that are two main elements of the approach. Described in plenty of detail on pp.238-239. Appears to require use of a suite of 200 Learning Games that are copyrighted, and staff need to be trained to use them. It would be good to find out more about how to access the Learning Games and training.

Where and when was the research conducted? Is the research recent enough to be relevant?

Yes it’s recent - research was done in 2 remote Northern Territory communities between 2015 and 2017 and published in 2019. 

Number of participants

Do the authors justify the sample size or discuss sample size in the limitations section?

191 Aboriginal children in 2 communities but only 149 who had data collected. There’s no discussion of sample size. However, the authors clearly describe the sample and explain that they wanted to maximise the number of children who were eligible to participate in the study. The sample was different for different parts of the analysis.

How was the approach evaluated?

What outcomes were measured?

Are these outcomes relevant to me?

Outcomes measured were language development, early academic skills and motor skills. These are key outcomes for the children – so yes, relevant.

How were the outcomes measured?

Do the authors provide evidence that their methods for measurement are valid and reliable ways to measure these outcomes?

Used a standardised instrument called the Brigance Early Childhood Screen but they adapted it to make it culturally appropriate for remote Aboriginal communities – many children didn’t speak English as their first language. The adaptations and the process of making them are described in detail in an Appendix – it appears valid.

Was there a comparison between a group who experienced the approach and a group who didn’t?

How were participants assigned to each group? Was it random? If not random, do the authors explain how the groups were similar enough for a comparison to be valid?

No. The Families as First Teachers playgroups are provided by the Northern Territory government, and they all use the Abecedarian approach. The playgroups are available to anyone who chooses to attend – the researchers couldn’t randomly assign children to attend or not attend.

The study analysed whether children who had greater participation in the program had better outcomes than those who had less participation. The researchers refer to this as the children’s level of ‘dosage’. The researchers grouped children into low, medium or high participation based on how often they attended the playgroup (and did at least one activity) and how many Conversational Reading interactions and Learning Games they participated in when they attended.

The only information about the children is gender, age and the community they live in so you can’t tell if the groups are similar on other characteristics. And the number of children in the high dosage group is much smaller than in the medium and low groups.

What standard of evidence does the research meet?

What did the research find?

The study was with Aboriginal children attending free playgroups in remote Northern Territory communities. It found that children who had higher dosage of the Abecedarian activities had better outcomes than children who had lower dosage – high was better than medium and medium was better than low.

Is this causal evidence or correlational evidence?

Because children weren’t randomly assigned to groups it’s possible the groups were different and that something else caused the results – maybe the families who went to the playgroup less often were busier or had other reasons for not being able to attend? The study wasn’t able to account for those things. There have been randomised control trials with other cohorts of children around the world though, and the article references a small randomised trial with Aboriginal children conducted by other researchers. Even though this study isn’t designed to test causal inferences, I’m pretty confident the approach itself is evidence-based. Page 4 says that the Abecedarian approach was selected ‘because of the quality, scale and impact of the empirical research and its well developed educational focus on children from birth to age 3’.

What connects with my experience?

In what ways is the research similar or different to my context?

What do the authors say about the context? Does it appear that the context was important for the results or is it likely the approach would be just as effective in a different context?

This study was in two remote Aboriginal communities with children who mainly didn’t speak English but the Abecedarian approach has been used in many different contexts – it started in the United States. In fact, the remote context is seen as a challenge by the authors so there’s no reason to think the program wouldn’t be useful for Aboriginal students in my city location. Like the study locations, our staff are Aboriginal and we have people from the local community volunteering or on staff. The study highlights that the number of times children engage in Conversational Reading and Learning Games with adults matters. It doesn’t give a minimum dosage needed to see improvement so we need to make sure that will be okay in our context – some of our children don’t attend regularly.

What excites me about the research?

What might be possible in my context? 

What do I like best about this approach? Does anything concern me? Do I feel motivated to try it in my context? Why or why not?

This looks like something we could do but I need to investigate how to access the Learning Games and other materials, and find more guidance on implementing the activities. The researchers mention the importance of fidelity of implementation a few times – this means that it’s important that the program is implemented exactly as intended. There’s training to make sure we can do that. I’ve heard good things about Abecedarian before but didn’t know the Learning Games (which is a main element of the approach) had been adapted for Aboriginal children. Based on what I’ve read here I definitely want to find out more.

What makes the approach work?

What does the research say about the key features that led to improved outcomes?

What resources and organisational features enabled success? Does it seem that this would translate to my setting? Why or why not?

Key features aren’t really mentioned but the article says it’s important to use both the Conversational Reading and the Learning Games (not just one or the other). Though how often children and adults engage in them is important. There are special materials to use, and training in the approach. Since dosage matters it would be important that children attended the centre on enough days to benefit from the approach. High dosage was at least 80 sessions in this study which seems achievable for us. It’s also important that children engage in Conversational Reading and Learning Games in daily programs. We should plan for Conversational Reading and Learning Games throughout the day (indoors and outdoors).

Would there be a benefit if I changed to this approach?

What am I currently doing?

How different is this approach to what I’m already doing? How much would I be changing if I implemented this approach?

We try to engage parents now but not in the focused way it’s done in Abecedarian. This would be more structured and intentional than the reading and educational games we currently do with the children. That could create greater consistency between educators which would be good. It would be quite a big change but it’s doable.

Based on the research and my current practice, would changing be likely to lead to improved outcomes?

Why do I think this? By how much are outcomes likely to improve?

It’s hard to know how much this would improve outcomes. I think our children might get a higher dosage and they’re probably starting from a higher base than the children in the study (hard to tell as the article doesn’t include the Brigance scores). Also, I think we’d get better engagement from our parents/carers than in the study. So I think we should see at least as much improvement as in the study. I could talk to other centres or look for more research before deciding whether to go further with this.

What adaptations would I need to make?

How aligned is this approach with existing system approaches?

Would I need to adapt the approach for my context? Why or why not? If yes, what would I need to adapt? Why? Will this affect the key features I identified above? Could it make the approach less effective? More effective?

No, I wouldn’t need to adapt. The approach has been used in numerous contexts and the Learning Games have already been adapted for Aboriginal children. Also implementing with fidelity seems important – there’s training and materials to use – so I don’t want to change anything.

What is the cost (time, effort, resources) of changing?

What is the cost to me or the children/students in terms of time, effort and resources?

Where will this time, effort and/or other resources come from? If I implement this approach, what would it replace? Would I be replacing something I’m confident is effective? What would be the consequences of replacing my existing approach for the children/students?

Financial cost for training – there’s a practitioner course and a trainer course with an Australian Uni. It looks like one person can become a trainer then train others. I’ll do some searches to find out more about these options. Maybe a grant? Working with carers is a core part of the approach that will take extra time and effort – we’ve been wanting to do more parent engagement anyway so I’m happy with that. I see this improving our interactions with children and carers rather than replacing anything.

Should I implement the approach?

Are the benefits worth the costs?

How have I arrived at that conclusion? How confident am I?

I need to check financial costs before deciding. If we have the money then the benefits look worth the costs. I’m confident staff will be on board – the approach aligns with what we’re already aiming to achieve and how we work.

If I implement the approach:

How can I rally resources to support implementation? What support will I need and where can I find it?

It would take a while to embed the whole approach and train staff – perhaps we could just try it in the 4-year-old room to start? Maybe we could embed 1 element first to gain fidelity with 1 element, and then embed the other (for example, Conversational Reading first, then Learning Games). This needs some thought.

I’ll take a proposal to the management committee next meeting to discuss once I’m clear on the cost.

How will I be sure that implementation is effective?

What data will I need to collect?

How will I know that any changes are due to the change or approach and not something else?

We wouldn’t be able to use a screening tool like the Brigance used in the study but the observations of children that we already collect provide good data. We could also collect feedback from parents/ carers in our half yearly interviews with them. I know other ECEC services use the approach so I’ll ask them what changes they’ve seen and how they monitor monitor whether it’s making a difference.

Now that Robyn has reflected on the research, she can decide what to do next. She can choose actions that apply to her context. She could:

• keep the completed worksheet as a record of decision-making about a particular approach
• revisit the completed worksheet as a reminder about what questions she may still have about an approach (and to focus her efforts on seeking answers)
• use the completed worksheets to discuss the education approach as team, for example as part of professional learning in a group community of practice
• use the questions to structure discussions about an approach with colleagues
• searching academic search engines or Google Scholar
• checking the website of the authors’ institution
• contacting the authors directly to ask specific questions about the approach
• find out if professional learning is available to support the approach.

Robyn decides she wants to use the completed worksheet to discuss the approach with her team. But first, she decides to find out more about the Abecedarian approach.

She takes the following steps:

• She checks the authors’ institution (the University of Melbourne) and finds information relating to Abecedarian Approach Australia (3a).
• She conducts a search on Google Scholar, using key words associated with the approach (for example, ‘Abecedarian Approach Australia’).
• She searches the institution website and finds the Research in Effective Education in Early Childhood (REEaCh) website has research briefs reporting on the approach, as well as other related research.
•  the authors’ institution website and finds information about 3a Practitioner, Coach and Affiliate training programs
• government education websites to see whether there is funding available to access the training.

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Frequently Ask Questions?

How can our reflective report samples help.

What are reflective reports?

First, let’s look at what reflective reports are. They are assignments frequently given in colleges and universities. Unlike essays and dissertations, reflective reports need to describe individuals, outline their experiences, and critically evaluate occurrences and situations.

Understanding the purpose of a reflective report is key; knowing the exact purpose of what you’re writing, you make a better job of it. These assignments are usually given as a means of grading your ability to critically evaluate.

What is in reflective reports?

Reflective reports ask you to talk about what you have learned in life through different experiences. They allow you to talk about your personal achievements and to outline your future plans.

While relating experiences, it’s important to begin with the academic and progress to the practical. It is advisable to avoid discussing your failures; but you can strategically refer to them if the event led to a subsequent accomplishment.

How are they assessed?

This work will be assessed on how well you evaluate yourself and your experiences. Showing you can learn good lessons from your encounters is very valuable, and is very important within the assignment. A reflective piece is not complete if you do not discuss your learning from experiences and where this supports your plans.

Our samples

Now you know the purpose of reflective reports, look at the samples published on the site. You’ll see that these samples include the critical evaluation of events and a description of how you can apply what you learned to similar future situations.

Examining our samples will help you in writing and submitting an outstanding reflective report. They demonstrate the usual structure and the format that is required.

Headings are not common in reflective reports because paragraphs start with topic sentences. Another point to note is that you write in the first person; this is because you are talking about personal experiences.

As such – and you’ll see this in our samples – you are unlikely to need to include many references. Although it is still required if you mention particular concepts or theories.

How we can help

Are you looking for help writing your reflective report? Getting professional help can mean the difference between passing or failing – and possibly writing the whole thing again.

At ResearchProspect, we can make sure your reflective report contains everything it’s supposed to. Tell us about the requirements of the report and we can get to work on it.

We assign a writer to your task, and while our writers are outstanding, they still need your contribution for a reflective report. So, they will ask for your input, whether it concerns academic or professional experience. This helps them relate to your position and produce a reflection from your point of view.

Why is reflective work so different?

Reflective writing is very different to essay writing. Rather than discussing an academic subject, you write about personal experiences. You then reflect on your experiences, what you learned from them, and how you can apply this learning in the future. The writing is in the first person and you give your opinions because it’s a subjective piece of work.

What academic subjects does ResearchProspect’s essay service cover?

We cover subjects from A to Z. Well, OK, there isn’t much call for Z subjects. But if you need some Z-based writing, we’ll be able to do it.

How do you reflect on personal experience of a client?

When ordering you can give us detailed information about experiences or situations encountered. The more information on experiences, feelings, and thoughts, the better. This can be enough for us to formulate an account from your viewpoint. Really, we are rearranging your words to their best advantage.

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Reflective report structure: here is the brief guide and help

Reflective reports are written to explain your experiences concisely and informally. They should be written like short essays and be structured as separate sections. Unlike articles, however, reports are more practical and should focus on lessons learned. The descriptions of situations and feelings should be brief, and the main lessons learned should be expressed and applied in the future.

Writing a reflective report

The introduction to a reflective report should explain what the topic is about. It should also summarise what you learned through a certain activity. Then, in your body paragraphs, provide at least three points supporting your opinion. You can include arguments for and against each method. Finally, it would help if you connected back to the audience.

Reflective reports are different from other kinds of academic assignments. Instead of presenting a researcher’s viewpoint, students present their own. They must also provide evidence to support their arguments. While some students enjoy writing this type of paper, others find it challenging. Not everyone can formulate opinions on various topics, and so seeking help is important.

Paragraphs should be three to eight sentences long. They should be structured like small essays. They should also emphasise the lessons learned. It’s important to provide enough details to help the reader envision the setting or experience. The points can range from the visual appearance of a scene to the sounds and general ambience.

A reflective report can be structured using several different models. While Gibb’s reflective cycle is an example of one of these models, it is not the only one that applies to this type of writing. You may also consider Kolb’s model, which is much more compact. The overall goal of a reflective report is to examine the process and outcome of a specific event, activity, or process, and then to apply the learning to future practice.

Reflective reports generally include three parts: context description, analysis, and conclusions. There is no set proportion for these three parts, but remember that the learning process occurs during the latter two stages. Therefore, describe the context briefly but include details that make the reader feel they are living in the setting.

When writing a reflective report, there are a few rules to follow. It is important to keep the report concise, with each section having a clear purpose. The content should focus on lessons learned. Typically, the first part of the report should describe the event and the methods you used. The second part of the report should evaluate the experience by considering what you learned, how you responded, and what you would do differently next time.

The introduction is usually the most difficult part of the report, so it is advisable to write it last. Reflective reports generally follow a more structured format than essays, with sub-headings and section headings. The structure may vary by assignment, but it should follow the assignment guidelines.

A reflective report is a great way to express what you learned in a specific situation. It can be written in a five-paragraph essay structure or in a format like the Gibbs Reflection Cycle. In either case, there are some tips you should follow in order to create a good structure for your reflective report.

First, you should be as specific as possible. This means that you should name two main things you learned and how you plan to use your learning in the future. For example, if you studied conflict resolution in school, you can use the new skills you learned in the workplace.

The structure of a reflective report is a critical component of the writing process. It must demonstrate critical analysis and thoughtful reflection. There are many different models for reflective writing. While Gibb’s reflection cycle is widely used, Kolb’s version is more concise. The structure of a reflective report should be a reflection of the student’s experiences.

Reflective report structure should include separate sections, each with a distinct purpose. Rather than discussing complex theories, a reflective report should focus on the lessons learned.

Owen Ingram is a research-based content writer, who works for Cognizantt, a globally recognised professional SEO service and Research Prospect , a Servizio di redazione di saggi e dissertazioni . Mr Owen Ingram holds a PhD degree in English literature. He loves to express his views on a range of issues including education, technology, and more.

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How to Write 1st Class Reflective Reports

Reflective Reports are a common assignment in UK universities. Unlike traditional essays and presentations, the Reflective Report gives students a chance to highlight their own experiences and opinions in an academic setting. Reflective Reports need to contain a good level of critical analysis, but they can also be fun and useful for students.

What Is a Reflective Report?

As the name suggests, a Reflective Report is a piece of writing that summarises a student’s critical reflection on a subject. While traditional academic writing discourages first-person accounts, Reflective Reports rely on them. Reflective Reports are frequently used as part of the assessment of practical projects. In group projects, individual Reflective Reports can document each student’s own contribution to the collective work.

How Is a Reflective Report Different from Other Types of Academic Assignment?

The reflective report is different from traditional assignments because it allows students to explore their own experiences and viewpoints. In these assignments you will not be expected to maintain impersonal objectivity; instead you are expected to highlight your own actions, emotions, and opinions. To be successful, students should critically evaluate their own actions and progress, and demonstrate an ability to link their personal experience with theoretical knowledge.

What Does a Reflective Report Normally Contain?

The contents of the Reflective Report will vary according to the discipline, but it typically provides an overview of the practical project and a thorough account of its progression. Students should highlight their own role in the project if it is a group assignment, and they should always provide critical analysis of their own achievements. In general, Reflective Reports often address the following points:

• What were the project goals and how did you attempt to achieve them? Describe your project plan and how it addressed the requirements of the assignment and your broader area of practice.
• What did you learn? Connect theoretical knowledge from your course to the practical work you undertook. Discuss how particular actions reflect major theories in your field.
• What did you do and feel? Describe your own opinions about the project, including choices that were made and actions that were taken. What were your own contributions and why did you perform in the way that you did?
• What did others do and feel? If this is a group project, discuss the opinions that other group members conveyed to you, and the actions they took. Did you disagree about any points, and if so how did you resolve these issues?
• What was the outcome? Critically assess the success or failure of your practical work. Point out the ways that it benefited users, and/or met the project objectives.
• What were your personal strengths and weaknesses that were revealed? What have you learned about your own professional development from this project? What skill areas do you still need to develop?
• What would you do differently next time?

What Use Are Reflective Reports to Students?

Many students enjoy assignments that contain Reflective Reports, because they allow them to think critically about their own scholarly development and practical progress. Reflective Reports also develop a capacity for critical reflection on professional performance. This is key to developing ethical practice in a wide range of fields, from business to medicine to teaching. People who have experience with Reflective Reports are better able to reflect on their day to day practice, and they also have the ability to summarise and contextualise their performance for colleagues and governing authorities.

How to Write a Good Reflective Report

• Be critical . Although the content of a reflective portfolio will be more personalised than other assignments, you should use the same level of critical analysis as you do for any essay or exam .
• Be thorough . Make sure that you write about all the stages of your project, from the planning phases through to completion. You also need to include a comprehensive post-project analysis.
• Don’t be afraid to state what went wrong! Writing about the least successful aspects of your project allows you to demonstrate a capacity for true critical analysis. It also lets examiners see that you are self-aware and capable of independent professional development.
• Don’t be afraid to state what went right! Some students find it difficult to write confidently about the most successful parts of their work. Scholars are normally expected to be highly objective, and they are often discouraged from celebrating an individual achievement or personal contributions. However, in the Reflective Report you should be sure to state clearly and concisely how your own actions contributed to a successful outcome.
• Analyse outcomes and suggest future improvements. To earn the highest possible marks your Reflective Report should include a detailed critique of the project outcomes. Part of this should include a few well-thought-out suggestions for improving similar projects in the future.

Mistakes to Avoid in Writing Reflective Reports

The most common mistake in Reflective Writing is to be either too objective and scholarly, or too emotional and non-critical. Either mistake is equally wrong. Students should aim for a middle ground in their writing, in which they highlight their own personal feelings and reflections but analyse these with reference to theoretical course material.

Avoid blaming others for things that went wrong . Try to maintain some level of objectivity with regard to both failures and successes. To avoid being overly personal, emphasise the way that theories from your field could address any weaknesses that you encountered.

Finally, be professional . It is true that Reflective Reports require a less formal style of writing, but students sometimes believe that this allows for illegible handwriting and poor grammar. Remember that this is still an academic assignment , and all the normal standards of presentation apply!

University of Kent, 2013. Reflective Learning Study Guide. Available: https://www.kent.ac.uk/learning/documents/PDP/reflectivelearningstudyguide1112.docx. Last Accessed 01 Oct, 2020.

Ursula Lucas and Leng Tan, 2007. Developing a Reflective Capacity Within Undergraduate Education: the role of work-based placement learning. York: Higher Education Academy.

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Research Paper Reflection

In the research paper, I can feel my biggest change is in dealing with the structure of the whole article. The structure of the essay is already mentioned in the introduction part, so the next step is to follow the structure I have made. In other words, each part, as well as each title of paragraphs of the essay should take concerted action with the structure and the development in the the introduction. Otherwise, the introduction part will lost its function. As for my thinking aspect, the most important thing is to organize and get idea fragments in order in my mind. And now I will follow the principle of thinking first and writing second. After dividing the whole structure into some main parts, some smaller structures in each part should also be divided further. In my revision process, because of huge number of words, I firstly made a plan for the overall structure, and then for the words, finally for the content. Therefore, after finishing this essay, I have learned that breaking up the goal is very important. When the big goal becomes into small, it will be much easier.

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Module 6: Reflection on “Searching and Researching”

I am writing for a student audience.

The most useful thing I learned in this module was the core elements of academic writing and research. I learned that effective academic writing is more than just gathering information, but requires critical analysis and integration of different perspectives in a conversation. Additionally, the difference between searching and researching and how to construct effective research questions were particularly valuable to my academic exploration.

The search strategies I learned in this module are particularly useful when applied to academic research. I paid particular attention to how to effectively use Google Scholar searches and library databases for literature reviews. Recently, I practically utilized these strategies while preparing a research paper on the impact of social factors on high school dropouts. By utilizing these newly learned search techniques, I accessed a range of important journals and authoritative publications that I was previously unaware of. The discovery of these sources not only enriched my research, but also enhanced the strength and depth of support for my dissertation argument. This approach enabled me to analyze the issue holistically from multiple dimensions and to delve into how different social factors, such as family environment, economic conditions, and educational policies, affect student dropout rates, and these quality resources greatly enhanced the depth and breadth of my dissertation.

I intend to apply the skills of learning how to formulate research questions and evaluate sources of information to all future academic endeavors. For example, for my next research project, I will begin by clarifying my research question by identifying relevant topics and keywords to ensure that my search is both efficient and relevant. This will help me find the necessary scholarly resources more accurately and ensure that the information I use is of high quality, thus increasing the depth and breadth of my research.

I advise other students to take the process of academic writing and research seriously, As stated in the ALX Unit 6 Course PowerPoint, “Good academic writing does not come quickly or easily; like many things in life, quality takes time and effort.” (p. 2). It is important to be well informed about and utilize a variety of information sources before writing. In particular, when using Internet resources, one should learn to recognize and assess the reliability of information and ensure that the material cited is both authoritative and accurate, which is essential to enhancing the quality of academic work.

ALX Module 6 Lesson.” Google Docs , https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1iINaiETNaPsAumvNYuARUoszlK9_rzOefzufqepsNQg/edit#slide=id.p

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• Open access
• Published: 11 April 2024

Organizing the dissemination and implementation field: who are we, what are we doing, and how should we do it?

• Gretchen J. R. Buchanan   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-5186-0145 1   na1 ,
• Lindsey M. Filiatreau 2   na1 &
• Julia E. Moore 3   na1  

Implementation Science Communications volume  5 , Article number:  38 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

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Two decades into its tenure as a field, dissemination and implementation (D&I) scientists have begun a process of self-reflection, illuminating a missed opportunity to bridge the gap between research and practice—one of the field’s foundational objectives. In this paper, we, the authors, assert the research-to-practice gap has persisted, in part due to an inadequate characterization of roles, functions, and processes within D&I. We aim to address this issue, and the rising tension between D&I researchers and practitioners, by proposing a community-centered path forward that is grounded in equity.

We identify key players within the field and characterize their unique roles using the translational science spectrum, a model originally developed in the biomedical sciences to help streamline the research-to-practice process, as a guide. We argue that the full translational science spectrum, from basic science research, or “T0,” to translation to community, or “T4,” readily applies within D&I and that in using this framework to clarify roles, functions, and processes within the field, we can facilitate greater collaboration and respect across the entire D&I research-to-practice continuum. We also highlight distinct opportunities (e.g., changes to D&I scientific conference structures) to increase regular communication and engagement between individuals whose work sits at different points along the D&I translational science spectrum that can accelerate our efforts to close the research-to-practice gap and achieve the field’s foundational objectives.

Peer Review reports

Contributions to the literature

Providing clarity regarding the distinct groups of individuals involved in D&I science and practice from researchers to the communities impacted by the change and outline key roles of these unique sets of actors.

Specifying the range of activities, from theoretical research to applied implementation, involved in D&I science and practice using a translational structure.

Identifying existing gaps (e.g., poor integration of research into existing implementation efforts) that impede attainment of the shared vision of D&I science and practice and propose solutions to these gaps.

Introduction

Though still in its infancy, the field of dissemination and implementation science (D&I) [ 1 , 2 ] is facing challenges related to the growing gap between the science and practice of implementation [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]. D&I is the scientific study of translating research findings and evidence-based interventions into everyday practice; in the current state of the D&I literature, this often means that a practice developed by one group of actors is being implemented into the everyday practice of others [ 5 ]. A premortem by Beidas and colleagues [ 4 ] highlighted several factors stagnating the field, including closure of the evidence-to-practice gap [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ], insufficient impact, and inability to align timelines and priorities with partners [ 1 ]. This commentary aims to establish further clarity regarding who “we” are as a field, what we are doing, and how we can collectively work to achieve shared goals of improved population health in D&I. This refers to the collective “we” of those engaged in D&I work.

In clarifying key components of D&I, important lessons can be drawn from more established fields. For example, when reflecting on disciplines such as mathematics and physics, one notes the emergence of two broad areas of scholarship—theoretical and applied—within these fields. These scholarship areas fill distinct, but important roles within their fields. Here, the authors posit that D&I science could be similarly broken down into theoretical and applied scholarships. In this paper, we, the authors, elaborate on the functions of these differential scholarships, and the functions of professionals working in the large and ever-growing field of implementation practice.

While many have noted D&I aims “to promote the adoption and integration of evidence-based practices, interventions, and policies into routine health care and public health settings to improve the impact on population health,” [ 10 ] specificity in how to achieve this outcome has been elusive. In this article, we propose that the field must first define the actors and audiences across the implementation spectrum and how each group connects with others. Subsequently, the field can strengthen the infrastructures that facilitate these connections. In this article, we aim to address the rising tension between implementation scientists, implementation support practitioners, delivery systems [ 11 ], and communities by proposing a path forward that is community-oriented and grounded in equity, thereby upholding every actor’s place at the D&I table. We draw on principles well-established in the field of translational science to better align D&I towards both improved ideas and real-world impact. We note that our mental model as authors is that success for D&I would be defined as impact at the community or population levels. We recognize this is not the mental model held by all people working in D&I, but believe even for those whose focus is not on population impact, we can collectively work together to achieve these outcomes and impact practice [ 12 ].

Who are we?

To date, much of the discussion around the direction of D&I has been researcher-centric [ 13 ]. To promote greater equity within the discipline (i.e., to reduce disparities in whose voices are heard within the field of D&I), we would like to expand the existing discourse to include the entire spectrum of professionals who work in implementation, including communities, delivery systems, implementation support practitioners, intermediaries, non-implementation science researchers (e.g., interventionists), and applied and theoretical D&I researchers. Including the entire implementation workforce in a description of the field provides opportunities to see where practitioners have not been empowered to exert influence and to change these inequities. While D&I professionals are likely to fill more than one role at a time or during their careers and may hold perspectives that are therefore representative of a number of these D&I actors, we would like to re-center the current conversation within D&I around implementation support practitioners and delivery systems specifically to uphold our commitment to those most directly affected by D&I efforts.

Communities and individuals impacted by the change

Communities and the individuals who comprise them play a critical role in the success or failure of efforts to implement evidence-based or informed programs and practices (EBPs) within a particular setting [ 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 ]. Aligned with this principle, there has been a shifting focus from using community-based to community-led research methods across academic disciplines [ 18 , 19 ]. Funding agencies have also begun to recognize the need for greater community involvement in research, with current directives to engage community partners across the research spectrum [ 20 ]. As suggested by others, strengthening relationships between communities and individuals working at all levels of implementation should remain a priority in closing the evidence-to-practice gap and upholding equity in D;I; indeed, it is essential [ 21 ].

Practitioners—implementation support practitioners and delivery systems

Implementation has been happening for the entirety of human history. While several scientific fields (e.g., political science, medicine) began formally investigating processes of D&I in the mid-to-late twentieth century—thereby laying the foundation for current research in this area— the distinct field of D&I only emerged in the past few decades, prompted by repeatedly observed barriers to the successful implementation of EBPs [ 5 , 22 ].

“Implementation practitioners” are professionals comprised of two distinct groups: implementation support practitioners [ 23 , 24 ] (e.g., administrators, policy-makers) are involved in planning, engagement, co-creation, strategy selection, capacity building, monitoring, and evaluation; delivery systems (e.g., front-line managers at organizations implementing an EBP) are responsible for implementing the actual practices with professionals, organizations, and the public [ 11 ]. Identifying professionals engaged in implementation practice can be difficult as there is inconsistency and terminology; for example, there are over 30 job titles associated with implementation support practitioner roles (see Fig.  1 ). “Delivery systems” are often unaware of the D&I field or their role as end-users. Implementation researchers appropriately identifying and connecting with delivery systems and implementation support practitioners is key to closing the evidence-to-practice gap and improving impact [ 4 ].

Professional job titles of individuals working directly in implementation or implementation support as identified through the Center for Implementation (In preparation for an event about the roles of implementation support practitioners, an open call was sent out to members of an online community of professionals supporting implementation. People were asked for their current or previous job titles that included an implementation component.)

Intermediaries

Globally, there are several intermediary organizations serving to translate findings from D&I to support the implementation of EBPs by delivery systems and implementation support practitioners (e.g., the Collaborative for Implementation Practice; Center for Evidence and Implementation in Australia; Impact Center at the University of North Carolina; Center for Effective Services in Ireland; the Nigerian Implementation Science Alliance). These organizations employ implementation support practitioners and bridge the implementation research-to-practice divide by providing training in implementation-related skills and creating tools to support the selection of appropriate implementation strategies. For example, one intermediary has a mini-course providing an introduction to implementation that has enrolled over 10,000 individuals. Millions of research, government, and philanthropic dollars are being invested in these organizations [ 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 ]. As implementation researchers and intermediaries, the authors regularly hear from organizations, communities, and individuals that they struggle to access supports in implementation science to address their needs in implementing evidence The demand for this type of work often outpaces the supply, and researchers and funders alike state a clear need for additional resources linking implementation science and practice [ 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 ].

Researchers

To better clarify the full spectrum of implementation researchers, researchers whose work is primarily centered on the advancement of implementation ideas (e.g., theory, methods, or framework (TMF) development) are referred to as theoretical implementation scientists and those whose work is primarily centered on the direct use of implementation concepts as a method to achieve better clinical or programmatic outcomes as applied implementation scientists . Scientists may work on both theoretical and applied projects but tend to focus their programs of research in one or the other and may even identify as one or the other.

Non-D&I researchers are also becoming increasingly interested in D&I, as evidenced by the growing number of D&I training institutes globally (e.g., HIV, Infectious Disease and Global Health Implementation Research Institute (HIGH IRI); University College Cork Implementation Science Training Institute; University of Nairobi Implementation Science Fellowship; Training Institute for Dissemination and Implementation Research in Health (TIDIRH)) [ 34 ]. Non-D&I researchers are individuals from distinct substantive areas (e.g., HIV, cancer prevention) who are interested in applying D&I to their work but have limited training in this area. These researchers often aim to draw from the TMFs and evidence from D&I to design, implement, and scale EBPs. They may benefit from increased collaboration with individuals who have worked more squarely in D&I.

What are we doing?

We, the paper’s authors, entered the field of D&I with the goal of bridging the research-to-practice gap to better improve the lives of people in our areas of scholarship (HIV, mental health). Yet, we have found that our substantively distinct bodies of applied D&I research have unfolded in such a way that we are all currently involved in a range of theoretical implementation research. This journey has not been without difficulty—the further we moved from our applied work and what grounded our science, the less impact we felt we were having. While we found theoretical research important, we felt as though our roles and functions within D&I were less clear. This lack of clarity in our professional self-concept ultimately helped us identify that D&I is not monolithic. Through conversation, we found that articulating the spectrum of theoretical to applied D&I helped us regain the clarity we needed to continue advancing our science. We believe these realizations could also be beneficial to other D&I professionals.

Leveraging translational science to find clarity

There is extensive literature on moving research findings into practice [ 35 ], but the translation of D&I knowledge into practice has received much less attention [ 1 ]. Moreover, there is insufficient understanding of which actors are involved at which stages along this spectrum, how each stage contributes to the field, and how these stages, and actors at each of these stages, can connect and achieve shared goals. In Fig.  2 , the authors draw on the translational spectrum to address these limitations. The traditional translational spectrum aims to streamline the “bench to bedside” approach and defines the continuum of basic science (stage T0) to public health science (stage T4) [ 36 ]. D&I science has long been placed in the T3–T4 segments of the traditional translational spectrum [ 36 ]. However, we argue that the full translational spectrum, from T0 through T4, is applicable to D&I. This distinction is often at the core of the tension observed within the field and where our personal struggles in our shifting identities and relationship with D&I research emerged.

The translational spectrum applied to implementation science

In the traditional translational spectrum, T0, “pre-clinical research,” includes bench science and aims to define mechanisms, targets, and strategies for intervention on a general level. In D&I, theoretical implementation scientists work on the development of TMFs, and elicitation, description, and modeling of mechanisms. Many of the foundational papers that guide implementation research to date stem from work at this stage [ 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 ]. T1, “translation to humans,” includes Stage 1 clinical trials and proof of concept science and aims to develop new methods of diagnosis, treatment, and prevention in highly controlled settings. In D&I, theoretical and applied implementation researchers focus on translating theoretical constructs (i.e., TMFs) to actual people and developing methods to test these constructs. Examples of this type of research include measurement of implementation domains such as context (e.g., the Organizational Readiness for Change measure) [ 44 ] and implementation outcomes (e.g., the NoMAD measure from Normalization Process Theory) [ 45 ]. T2, “translation to patients,” includes Stages 2–3 clinical trials and aims to develop clinical applications and evidence-based guidelines for a given disease. In D&I, applied implementation researchers focus on identifying implementation constructs relevant to a specific situation, intervention, context, or population where the researchers aim to understand how best to implement. Traditional randomized controlled trial designs are often used in this stage. Individuals working at this stage may test bundled strategies, interrogate the “active ingredients” in strategies [ 46 ], or test strategies in varied contexts.

An interesting phenomenon occurs in the T3–4 range. Acknowledging the contributions of researchers and practitioners, we see a split whereby researchers continue to serve as the primary actors in one branch of the translational spectrum, while practitioners become the primary actors in another branch of the spectrum. T3, “translation to practice,” includes comparative effectiveness trials and clinical outcome studies and aims to evaluate real-world effectiveness. In D&I, implementation support practitioners come into a principal role. Individuals working in this capacity use the results of T0–2 to plan implementation projects, sometimes in the form of quality improvement-type projects. In parallel, T3 applied implementation researchers are primarily monitoring or evaluating implementation projects’ real-world effectiveness; this could involve research using pragmatic or naturalistic methods whereby researchers partner with healthcare delivery systems or organizations to better understand real-world implementation or effectiveness outcomes. T4 involves population-level outcomes research and monitoring improvements in morbidity and mortality to impact policy or system change. In D&I, implementation support practitioners and delivery systems scale EBPs up and out. Implementation researchers working at stage T4 define the implementation workforce, develop surveillance systems, and evaluate the effects of evidence-informed implementation on project successes. Intermediaries are prime partners in this work. Additional work is needed to establish clear evidence about what is and is not working on a broad scale and in what contexts [ 42 , 47 ].

Defining the translational spectrum for D&I facilitates the process of identifying a “home base” for individuals involved in D&I science, thereby improving self-concept clarity and making clear how individuals can foray into upstream and downstream segments to better link their research with that of others. In keeping with findings from workplace self-concept clarity literature [ 48 , 49 ], when we claim our places in the spectrum, we can improve our effectiveness and avoid burnout [ 50 ]. Specifically, we can improve our capacity to clearly generate research questions, identify colleagues, and expand the impact of our work.

How should we do it?

As has been noted by others [ 21 , 51 , 52 ], there is a significant disconnect between individuals working in distinct roles within the field of D&I, particularly between those operating at the two ends of the D&I translational spectrum. By interacting more often and intentionally across the entirety of the D&I process, we as a field could develop significant synergy and produce actionable solutions more quickly to achieve shared goals.

Asking and answering the right question

Fundamental respect for the work of actors at every level of the implementation spectrum, fostered by regular communication, is essential in resolving our identity crises, achieving our shared goals, and upholding equity within the field [ 21 ]. One fundamental way for theoretical implementation scientists to demonstrate respect for implementation practitioners is to ask research questions that implementation practitioners want answered [ 52 ]. Implementation practitioners have critical theoretical questions that arise while implementing programs and policies in their specific contexts. For example, implementation practitioners regularly assess organizational readiness for change before altering or implementing a new program or policy (as recommended in the implementation science literature). Yet when the assessments suggest that sites are not ready to implement the intended change, there is little guidance from implementation science about how to best address this issue. A common suggestion is to prioritize “ready” sites [ 53 ]. This approach is likely to perpetuate existing inequities or disparities, as “ready” sites are often the sites that are least in need of additional resources and supports, and leaves “non-ready” sites with no plan for reaching a sufficient level of readiness. What strategies can increase readiness? Another example involves the need for a more concrete understanding of the effects of adaptation. While the field might agree adaptation is often important to the scale-up and scale-out of EBPs, many adaptation tools [ 54 , 55 ] are designed for researchers as opposed to practitioners looking for guidance in understanding if the adaptations they propose will influence the effectiveness of the original EBP. How can D&I measures be made more accessible for implementation practitioners? These are just two examples of many.

Working with existing implementation efforts

Evaluating existing processes and successes of implementation practitioners can also galvanize efforts, improve impact of D&I, and uphold equity in D&I. Delivery systems are continually implementing “the thing” and have been for years. Connecting with existing implementation efforts and studying the effectiveness of implementation strategies being actively used by delivery systems is critical to supporting the ongoing work of these individuals [ 2 , 21 , 56 ]. In many ways, this can shortcut science more quickly to a clearer understanding of what works when and for whom, and improve the likelihood of establishing sustainable practices and policies that are feasible, acceptable, and appropriate [ 23 , 24 ]. This approach is also consistent with the principles of community-based participatory research, including respect for lived experience and tailoring interventions to the needs of the community [ 57 , 58 ].

Fostering increased communication

Increased communication among actors across the D&I translational spectrum is critical, as previously noted [ 3 , 52 , 59 ]. To again draw from the successes of other fields, the International AIDS Society is a group of over 13,000 members worldwide that “unite(s) scientists, policymakers and activists to galvanize the scientific response, build global solidarity and enhance human dignity for all people living with and affected by HIV” [ 60 ]. The International AIDS Society hosts two conferences that rotate annually with a shifting focus between research and practice. Using this model, which has been repeatedly shown to be highly impactful, individuals working at all stages of the HIV implementation science spectrum can engage in, learn from, and contribute to dialogue with others with distinct perspectives and roles in the discipline, thereby improving equity concerning whose voices are centered and uplifted in global agenda-setting efforts. As such, the field of D&I could benefit from an organization akin to the International AIDS Society and agenda-setting practices and conference structures employed by this Society [ 61 , 62 , 63 ].

Developing tools to directly support real-world D&I

Tools that facilitate the translation of D&I into practice are also critical to achieving shared goals [ 1 ]. Again, the field of D&I can look to adjacent fields to learn how they have successfully scaled. For example, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), whose mission is to improve health and healthcare worldwide, has scaled the use of quality improvement methods. Over 30 years, they have worked in 42 countries and have had over 7 million online course enrollments [ 64 ]. Part of IHI’s model has been to develop practical and easy-to-use improvement tools. A critique of implementation science is that existing frameworks are complicated and difficult to use [ 3 , 4 ]. If the field of D&I learned from the success of IHI and developed tools that help professionals operationalize implementation science in practice, it would support the broader use of D&I to improve outcomes.

Aligning funding mechanisms and priorities

Funding agencies should increase requirements and supports for community inclusion and implementation throughout the research process. Researchers currently prioritize funding agency policies and expectations, which may not allow enough time for building sustainable community relationships and co-creation of work. A shift in funding agencies’ research calls and approach to awarding research dollars is necessary to build capacity for long-term academic-community partnerships [ 65 , 66 , 67 ]. Implementation science-related funding calls from the National Institutes of Health, UK Research and Innovation, the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases, the South African Medical Research Council, and other funding agencies could more intentionally include requirements for this type of work.

Key actions are needed for the field of D&I to self-actualize: (1) Uphold everyone’s place at the implementation table while centering the wants and needs of those most directly affected by implementation efforts; (2) Clarify where on the translational spectrum work is being done by whom and where the gaps in both sufficient volume of work and translation of that work lie; and (3) Facilitate regular communication across the spectrum, from theoretical implementation scientists to implementation practitioners and vice versa. Ideally, this work should be done with researchers and practitioners around the globe. If these three tasks are accomplished, we as a field will be able to reverse the tides and bridge the implementation research-to-practice gap, instead of letting it continue to grow.

Availability of data and materials

Not applicable.

Abbreviations

• Dissemination and implementation

Human immunodeficiency virus

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Drs. Cory Bradley and Donny Gerke for their contributions in early conceptualization of this paper and to colleagues who took the time to review and provide feedback prior to submission.

GB was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health grant T32MH019960 at Washington University (PI: Leopoldo J. Cabassa) during a portion of manuscript development. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institute of Mental Health.

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Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, MO, St. Louis, USA

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The Center for Implementation, ON, Toronto, Canada

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Buchanan, G.J.R., Filiatreau, L.M. & Moore, J.E. Organizing the dissemination and implementation field: who are we, what are we doing, and how should we do it?. Implement Sci Commun 5 , 38 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s43058-024-00572-1

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Why is looking at a solar eclipse dangerous without special glasses? Eye doctors explain.

By Sara Moniuszko

Edited By Allison Elyse Gualtieri

Updated on: April 8, 2024 / 8:54 AM EDT / CBS News

The solar eclipse will be visible for millions of Americans on April 8, 2024, making many excited to see it — but how you watch it matters, since it can be dangerous for your eyes. 

A  solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and Earth, blocking the sun's light . When the moon blocks some of the sun, it's a partial solar eclipse, but when moon lines up with the sun, blocking all of its light, a total solar eclipse occurs,  NASA explains . Either way, you need eye protection when viewing.

"The solar eclipse will be beautiful, so I hope that everyone experiences it — but they need to experience it in the right way," said Dr. Jason P. Brinton, an ophthalmologist and medical director at Brinton Vision in St. Louis.

Here's what to know to stay safe.

Why is looking at a solar eclipse dangerous?

Looking at the sun — even when it's partially covered like during an eclipse — can cause eye damage.

There is no safe dose of solar ultraviolet rays or infrared radiation, said  Dr. Yehia Hashad , an ophthalmologist, retinal specialist and the chief medical officer at eye health company Bausch + Lomb.

"A very small dose could cause harm to some people," he said. "That's why we say the partial eclipse could also be damaging. And that's why we protect our eyes with the partial as well as with the full sun."

Some say that during a total eclipse, it's safe to view the brief period time when the moon completely blocks the sun without eye protection. But experts warn against it. 

"Totality of the eclipse lasts only about 1 to 3 minutes based on geographic location, and bright sunlight suddenly can appear as the moon continues to move," notes an eclipse viewing guide published in JAMA , adding, "even a few seconds of viewing the sun during an eclipse" can temporarily or permanently damage your vision. 

Do I need special glasses for eclipse viewing?

Yes.  Eclipse glasses are needed to protect your eyes if you want to look at the eclipse.

Regular sunglasses aren't protective enough for eclipse viewing — even if you stack more than one. 

"There's no amount of sunglasses that people can put on that will make up for the filtering that the ISO standard filters and the eclipse glasses provide," Brinton said.

You also shouldn't look at the eclipse through a camera lens, phone, binoculars or telescope, according to NASA, even while wearing eclipse glasses. The solar rays can burn through the lens and cause serious eye injury.

Eclipse glasses must comply with the  ISO 12312-2 international safety standard , according to NASA, and should have an "ISO" label printed on them to show they comply. The American Astronomical Society  has a list  of approved solar viewers.

Can't find these, or they're sold out near you? You can also  make homemade viewers ,   which allow you to observe the eclipse indirectly — just don't accidentally look at the sun while using one.

How to keep kids safe during the solar eclipse

Since this eclipse is expected to occur around the time of dismissal for many schools across the country, it may be tempting for students to view it without the proper safety precautions while getting to and from their buses. That's why some school districts are  canceling classes early so kids can enjoy the event safely with their families.

Dr. Avnish Deobhakta, vitreoretinal surgeon at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary at Mount Sinai, said parents should also be careful because it can be difficult for children to listen or keep solar eclipse glasses on. 

"You want to actually, in my opinion, kind of avoid them even looking at the eclipse, if possible," he said. "Never look directly at the sun, always wear the right eclipse sunglasses if you are going to look at the sun and make sure that those are coming from a reliable source."

Brinton recommends everyone starts their eclipse "viewing" early, by looking at professional photos and videos of an eclipse online or visiting a local planetarium. 

That way, you "have an idea of what to expect," he said. 

He also recommends the foundation  Prevent Blindness , which has resources for families about eclipse safety.

What happens if you look at a solar eclipse without eclipse glasses?

While your eyes likely won't hurt in the moment if you look at the eclipse without protection, due to lowered brightness and where damage occurs in the eye, beware: The rays can still cause damage .

The harm may not be apparent immediately. Sometimes trouble starts to appear one to a few days following the event. It could affect just one or both eyes.

And while some will regain normal visual function, sometimes the damage is permanent. 

"Often there will be some recovery of the vision in the first few months after it, but sometimes there is no recovery and sometimes there's a degree to which it is permanent," Brinton said. 

How long do you have to look at the eclipse to damage your eyes?

Any amount of time looking at the eclipse without protection is too long, experts say. 

"If someone briefly looks at the eclipse, if it's extremely brief, in some cases there won't be damage. But damage can happen even within a fraction of a second in some cases," Brinton said. He said he's had patients who have suffered from solar retinopathy, the official name for the condition.

Deobhakta treated a patient who watched the 2017 solar eclipse for 20 seconds without proper eye protection. She now has permanent damage in the shape of a crescent that interferes with her vision. 

"The crescent that is burned into the retina, the patient sees as black in her visual field," he said. "The visual deficit that she has will never go away."

How to know if you've damaged your eyes from looking at the eclipse

Signs and symptoms of eye damage following an eclipse viewing include headaches, blurred vision, dark spots, changes to how you see color, lines and shapes. 

Unfortunately, there isn't a treatment for solar retinopathy.

"Seeing an eye care professional to solidify the diagnosis and for education I think is reasonable," Brinton said, but added, "right now there is nothing that we do for this. Just wait and give it time and the body does tend to heal up a measure of it."

Sara Moniuszko is a health and lifestyle reporter at CBSNews.com. Previously, she wrote for USA Today, where she was selected to help launch the newspaper's wellness vertical. She now covers breaking and trending news for CBS News' HealthWatch.

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