Report Writing

Summary of this page

Introduction
Difference between essays and reports
Structure of a report
Presentation of a report
Common problems
Links to other sites
Summary of this page
Report writing is an essential skill for professionals.
A report aims to inform as clearly and succinctly as possible.
!elow we gi"e some general guidelines but you should check with your lecturer for more detail
on what is e#pected.
A report is similar to an essay in that both need$
formal style
introduction body and conclusion
analytical thinking
careful proof%reading and neat presentation.
A report differs from an essay in that a report$
presents information not an argument
is meant to be scanned &uickly by the reader
uses numbered headings and sub%headings
uses short concise paragraphs and dot%points where applicable
uses graphics where"er possible 'tables graphs illustrations(
may need an abstract 'sometimes called an e#ecuti"e summary(
does not always need references and bibliography
is often followed by recommendations and)or appendices.
A report should generally include the following sections.
'Sections marked with an asterisk '*( are essential$ others are optional depending on the type
length and purpose of the report.(
Letter of transmittal
+itle page*
+able of contents
List of abbre"iations and)or glossary
,#ecuti"e summary)abstract
Introduction*
!ody*
Conclusion*
Recommendations
!ibliography
Appendices.
Presentation and style are important. -irst impressions count so consider these simple tips$
use plenty of white space
ensure the separate parts of your report stand out clearly
use subheadings
allow generous spacing between the elements of your report
use dot points) numbers) letters to articulate these elements
use tables and figures 'graphs illustrations maps etc( for clarification.
number each page
use consistent and appropriate formatting
use formal language.
A"oid these$
the inclusion of careless inaccurate or conflicting data
the inclusion of outdated or irrele"ant data
facts and opinions that are not separated
unsupported conclusions and recommendations
careless presentation and proof%reading
too much emphasis on appearance and not enough on content.
End of Summary
Introduction
Report writing is an essential skill for professionals in almost e"ery field$ accountants teachers
graphic designers information scientists 'the list goes on(. +hat.s one of the reasons why your
lecturers will almost certainly re&uire you to write reports during your period of study at the
/ni"ersity of Canberra.
A report aims to inform as clearly and succinctly as possible. It should be easy to read and
professional in its presentation.
,#actly what you include in your report and how you present it will "ary according to your
discipline and the specific purpose of the report. 0ere we gi"e some general guidelines but you
should check with your lecturer for more detail on what is e#pected.
Reports and essayswhats the difference?
A common problem is that students transfer what they ha"e learned about essay writing to report
writing.
!oth essays and reports need$
formal style
careful proof%reading and neat presentation
introduction body and conclusion
analytical thinking.
!ut there are some essential differences between the two.
A Report An Essay
Presents information Presents an argument
Is meant to be scanned &uickly by the
reader
Is meant to be read carefully
/ses numbered headings and sub%
headings
/ses minimal sub%headings if any.
1ay not need references and
bibliography)reference list
Always needs references and bibliography)reference
list
/ses short concise paragraphs and dot%
points where applicable
Links ideas into cohesi"e paragraphs rather than
breaking them down into a list of dot%points
/ses graphics where"er possible 'tables
graphs illustrations(
Rarely uses graphics
1ay need an abstract 'sometimes called
an e#ecuti"e summary(
2ill only need an abstract if it is "ery long or if your
lecturer asks for one specifically
1ay be followed by recommendations
and)or appendices
Seldom has recommendations or appendices
Report structure
2hat follows is a generic structure for reports. /sing this structure will help to gi"e your report
the correct le"el of formality3 it will also help to ensure that you do not lea"e out anything
important. 0owe"er the actual structure re&uired by your discipline may not be e#actly what is
represented here % you should check with your lecturer.
A report should generally include the following sections.
'Sections marked with an asterisk '*( are essential$ others are optional depending on the type
length and purpose of the report.(
Letter of transmittal
+itle page*
+able of contents
List of abbre"iations and)or glossary
,#ecuti"e summary)abstract
Introduction*
!ody*
Conclusion*
Recommendations
!ibliography
Appendices.
Letter of transmittal
'only if specified by your lecturer(
+his is a letter to the person who commissioned the report in which you effecti"ely hand o"er
your work to that person. Include$
a salutation 'eg. Dear 1s Podolinsky(
the purpose of the letter 'eg. 0ere is the final "ersion of the report on 4/nderwater
2elding. which was commissioned by your organisation.(
the main finding of the report
any important considerations
an acknowledgement of any significant help
an e#pression of pleasure or gratitude 'eg. +hank you for gi"ing us the opportunity to
work on this report.(
Title page
+his must contain$
the report title which clearly states the purpose of the report
full details of the person's( for whom the report was prepared
full details of the person's( who prepared the report
the date of the presentation of the report
Tale of !ontents
'usually only if the report is longer than say ten pages(
+his is a list of the headings and appendices of the report. Depending on the comple#ity and
length of the report you could list tables figures and appendices separately. 1ake sure the
correct page numbers are shown opposite the contents. /p%to%date word processing packages can
generate a table of contents for you.
Are"iations and#or glossary
If necessary you should pro"ide an alphabetical list of the abbre"iations you ha"e used in the
report especially if they may not be familiar to all readers of the report.
If you ha"e used a lot of technical terms you should also pro"ide a glossary 'an alphabetical list
of the terms with brief e#planations of their meanings(.
Ac$nowledgements %if appropriate&
+his is a short paragraph thanking any person or organisation which ga"e you help in collecting
data or preparing the report.
Astract %Summary or E'ecuti"e Summary&
An abstract is &uite different from an introduction. It is a summary of the report in which you
include one sentence 'or so( for e"ery main section of your report. -or e#ample you can include$
the conte#t of the research
the purpose of the report
the ma5or findings 'you may need se"eral sentences here(
the conclusions
the main recommendations
2rite the abstract after you ha"e written the report.
Introduction
6i"e enough background information to pro"ide a conte#t for the report.
State the purpose of the report.
Clarify key terms and indicate the scope of the report 'ie what the report will co"er(.
(ody
+he content of the body depends on the purpose of the report and whether it is a report of
primary or secondary research.
A report of primary research 'based on your own obser"ations and e#periments( would include$
Literature re"iew 'what other people ha"e written about this topic. See our webpage for
hints on writing a literature re"iew(. +he literature re"iew should lead towards your
research &uestion.
1ethod 'summarises what you did and why(. /se the past tense.
-indings or results 'describes what you disco"ered obser"ed etc in your obser"ations
and e#periements(. /se the past tense.
Discussion 'discusses and e#plains your findings and relates them to pre"ious research(.
/se the present tense to make generalisations.
A report of secondary research 'based on reading only( would include$
Information organised under appropriate topics with sub%headings. It is unlikely that your
report will discuss each source separately. 7ou need to synthesise material from different
sources under topic headings.
Analysis)discussion of the sources you are reporting.
!onclusion
Sum up the main points of the report. +he conclusion should clearly relate to the ob5ecti"es of
your report. 8o surprises please9 'that is don.t include new information here.(
Recommendations 'if appropriate(
+hese are suggestions for future action. +hey must be logically deri"ed from the body of your
report.
(iliography
'See our page on /sing References for more information(.
Appendices
An appendi# contains material which is too detailed technical or comple# to include in the body
of the report 'for e#ample specifications a &uestionnaire or a long comple# table of figures(
but which is referred to in the report. Appendices are put at the "ery end of the report after
e"erything else. ,ach appendi# should contain different material. 8umber each appendi# clearly.
)resentation of the report
+he content and structure of your report is important3 so is the presentation and style. -irst
impressions count so consider these simple tips to ensure your report is reader%friendly$
use plenty of white space
ensure the separate parts of your report stand out clearly
use subheadings
allow generous spacing between the elements of your report
use dot points) numbers) letters to articulate these elements
use tables and figures 'graphs illustrations maps etc( for clarification. Label them clearly
and cite the source. +hese graphics should relate to the te#t of your report3 for e#ample
Figure 1 shows that the population of Bandung has increased dramatically since 1890 or
The population of Bandung has increased dramatically since 1890 (see Figure 1).
number each page 'a neat header and)or footer makes your work look more professional(
use consistent and appropriate formatting 'you may like to follow the report format
supplied with your word processing package(
use formal language. It would be worth ha"ing a look at the language which is used in
other similar reports to check out useful e#pressions and terms.
!ommon prolems
Some common problems with research report writing that you should take care to a"oid are$
the inclusion of careless inaccurate or conflicting
the inclusion of outdated or irrele"ant data
facts and opinions that are not separated
unsupported conclusions and recommendations
careless presentation and proof%reading
too much emphasis on appearance and not enough attention to solid content.
Lin$s to other sites
Ad"ice about writing a Report % 1iddlese# /ni"ersity
Report 2riting % Curtin /ni"ersity
1.02 How to write a report
What is a report? : Initial preparation : Planning and research : Report structure : Style : Checking
What is a report?
A report is a systematic, well organised document which defines and analyses a su!ect or prolem,
and which may include:
the record of a se"uence of e#ents
interpretation of the significance of these e#ents or facts
e#aluation of the facts or results of research presented
discussion of the outcomes of a decision or course of action
conclusions
recommendations
Reports must always e:
accurate
concise
clear
well structured
$arious courses re"uire you to write reports %as opposed to essays&, notaly usiness and scientific or
technical su!ects' (here are, howe#er, different interpretations of what a report should look like, so it
is important that you check with your course tutors and course documentation as to the report format
and content e)pected' In addition, there is at times some lurring etween what *essays+, *reports+
and *assignments+ are, so again check within your department' ,uch of the ad#ice gi#en in -uide .'/.,
0ow to write an essay, also applies to reports'
Initial preparation
Always analyse your rief carefully, making sure that you fully understand the topic, "uestion or case,
that you know what the purpose of the report is, and who it is eing written for' (he clearer these
things are in your mind, the easier the report will e to write and the more effecti#e it will e'
When you are researching, planning and e#entually writing, continually ask yourself what the main
purpose of the report is, what your o!ecti#e is in writing it: is it to inform1 to argue1 to persuade1 to
e#aluate? What does your reader want to see in the report and what will they do with it?
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Planning and research
2ou first need to decide your asic framework' With your main topic or "uestion as a central focus, !ot
down your initial thoughts and start to group these together' 2ou may find the ,ind ,apping techni"ue
useful: see -uide 3'..' Start to di#ide key ideas from susidiary information, and continually ask
yourself if e#erything is rele#ant1 if it isn4t, then delete it'
5rom your prior knowledge %from reading and lectures&, you should e ale to put together a fairly
asic structure'
2ou will now e ale to plan your research' Ask yourself what you need to find out, maye in the form
of "uestions that need to e answered, then approach your reading from this starting point' If you ha#e
specific information to look for, it will make your reading easier and less time consuming' %See -uide
3'/3 Reading techni"ues&'
(ry not to gather too much information' Again, keeping your topic or "uestion in mind, re!ect anything
which is not .//6 rele#ant' When you4re making notes, always try to summarise the main points as
concisely as possile' Rememer to make a comprehensi#e record of any sources consulted in order to
e ale to correctly reference these'
,ake a record of the research methods you used'
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Report structure
(itle page : Acknowledgements : Contents page : (erms of reference : Procedure : ,aterials and
methods : Summary : Introduction : ,ain ody : Results : Conclusion : Recommendations : Appendices :
References : 7iliography : -lossary
8nlike essays, reports are written in sections with headings and su9headings, which are usually
numered' 7elow are the possile components of a report, in the order in which they would appear'
Check within your department which of these you should include'
Title page %always included&
(his should normally include the title, your name and the name of the tutor to whom it is eing
sumitted, date of sumission, your course:department, and if applicale, the name of the person
and:or organisation who has commissioned the report'
A#oid *fancy+ fonts and effects and don4t include any clipart'
See -uide .'3;'
Acknowledgements %usually !ust in long reports&
A list of people and organisations oth within and outside 7irmingham City 8ni#ersity who ha#e helped
you'
See -uide .'3<'
ontents page %always included in reports of ;= pages&
A clear, well9formatted list of all the sections and su9sections of the report' >on4t forget to put the
page numers? If applicale, there should e a separate list of tales, figures, illustrations and:or
appendices after the main inde)'
,ake sure that the headings in this list correspond e)actly with those in your main ody' It is est to do
your list of contents right at the end'
See -uide .'3@
Terms o! re!erence %sometimes included&
A definition of the task1 your specific o!ecti#e and purpose of writing'
A#en if you donBt include this as a heading, it is a #ital process to go through in your planning'
What e)actly is your report going to e aout?
If it is group work, who e)actly is responsile for what?
0ow long ha#e you got? What is your task timescale?
Why are you writing the report? What e)actly are the assessment criteria?
Who are you writing the report for? Are you actually playing a role? What does your reader want to
see?
See -uide .'3C'
Procedure %sometimes included&
0ow your research was carried out1 how the information was gathered'
"aterials and methods %included if applicale&
Similar to procedure, ut more appropriate to scientific or engineering report writing' (he following
ad#ice comes from Roert 7arrassB ook Scientists Must Write %Chapman D 0all,.ECF:.G@9.G<&:
1 Hist the e"uipment used and draw anything that re"uires description %unless this is #ery simple&'
2 State the conditions of the e)periment and the procedure, with any precautions necessary to ensure
accuracy and safety' 0owe#er, when se#eral e)periments are reported, some details may fit etter in
the appropriate parts of the Results section'
# Write the stages in any new procedure in the right order and descrie in detail any new techni"ue, or
modifications of an estalished techni"ue'
$ If necessary, refer to preliminary e)periments and to any conse"uent changes in techni"ue' >escrie
your controls ade"uately'
% Include information on the purity and structure of the materials used, and on the source of the
material and the method of preparation'
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&ummar' %usually included in longer reports1 may e called A)ecuti#e Summary, Astract or Synopsis&
(his is a #ery rief outline of the report to gi#e the potential reader a general idea of what it4s aout'
A statement of:
o#erall aims and specific o!ecti#es %unless included in terms of reference&
method:procedure used %unless included in separate section&
key findings
main conclusions and recommendations
Introduction %always included&
(his should show that you ha#e fully understood the task:rief and that you are going to co#er
e#erything re"uired' Indicate the asic structure of the report'
2ou should include !ust a little ackground:conte)t and indicate the reasons for writing the report' 2ou
may include your terms of reference and procedure:research methods if not co#ered elsewhere'
2our introduction will often gi#e an indication of the conclusion to the report'
See -uide .'33'
"ain (od')!indings %always included&
(his is the sustance of your report' (he structure will #ary according to the nature of the material
eing presented, with headings and su9headings used to clearly indicate the different sections %unlike
an essay&' A IsituationJprolemJsolutionJe#aluationI approach may e appropriate'
It is not sufficient to simply descrie a situation' 2our tutor will e looking for analysis and for a critical
approach, when appropriate'
Charts, diagrams and tales can e used to reinforce your arguments, although sometimes it may e
etter to include these as an appendi) %particularly if they are long or complicated&'
>o not include opinions, conclusions or recommendations in this section'
Results %possily included in scientific:engineering reports&
(his section records your oser#ations %in the past tense& and would normally include statistics, tales
or graphs'
onclusion %always included&
2our conclusion should draw out the implications of your findings, with deductions ased on the facts
descried in your main ody' >on4t include any new material here'
See -uide .'3G
Recommendations %sometimes included&
(hese should follow on logically from your conclusion and e specific, measurale and achie#ale' (hey
should propose how the situation:prolem could e impro#ed y suggesting action to e taken' A
*statement of cost+ should e included if you are recommending changes that ha#e financial
implications'
Recommendations can e numered if you wish'
Appendices %sometimes included&
An appendi) %pluralKappendices& is detailed documentation of points you outline in your findings, for
e)ample, technical data, "uestionnaires, letters sent, tales, sketches, charts, leaflets etc' It is
supplementary information which you consider to e too long or complicated or not "uite rele#ant
enough to include in your main ody, ut which still should e of interest to your reader'
Aach appendi) should e referred to in your te)t' 2ou should not include something as an appendi) if it
is not discussed in the main ody'
Re!erences %always included&
(his is a list gi#ing the full details of all the sources to which you ha#e made reference within your
te)t' 7y far the most common method in use at 7irmingham City 8ni#ersity is the 0ar#ard method'
See -uide .'.G'
*i(liograph' %sometimes included&
(his is either a separate list of sources which you ha#e used during your research, ut ha#e not actually
made reference to in your writing, or this list together with your list of references'
Check in your department what you are e)pected to use'
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+lossar' %occasionally included&
Include a glossary if the report includes a lot of specialised #ocaulary or acronyms which may not e
familiar to the reader'
&t'le
Always use clear and concise Anglish, a#oiding !argon and collo"uial language'
Write in fairly short sentences'
,ake sure you de#elop each paragraph sufficiently %usually a minimum of @:< sentences&'
,ost of your report should e impersonal, although it may e appropriate in your conclusion or
recommendations to include more personal language'
7e e)tra careful with #er tenses'
See -uide .'3/
heck e,er'thing care!ull'
Careful checking of your report efore you print off the final #ersion can make a ig difference'
Check:
-eneral layout
(e)t organisation
Coherence
-rammar, spelling and punctuation
Referencing
Style
And finally o#erall, does the report fulfil its purpose? >oes it do what you4re eing asked to do and
what you say you4re going to do in your introduction? Are you pleased with it? If you can4t confidently
answer *yes+ to these "uestions, then you may need to do some ma!or editing and rewriting'
See -uide .'G<

-inks to !urther resources on writing reports
8ni#ersity of Surrey
8ni#ersity of Reading
7ournemouth 8ni#ersity