REPORT WRITING

BY SANTOSH JHA
LECTURER OF ENGLISH
AT PULCHOWK
ENGINEERING CAMPUS
OUTLINE OF REPORT WRITING
CLASS

• What is a report?
• Who can write a report?
• On what type of real life situation?
• To whom he/she submit the report?
• Why do you have to write a report?
(objectives)
 cont…

• Types of reports
• Common elements/components of
report
• Sample of long /formal report
• Sample of short/informal report
• Questions for practice
 What is a report?

• Report describes a study, an investigation, or a

project. Its purpose is to provide
recommendations or updates, and sometimes
to persuade the readers to accept an idea. It is
written by a single person or a group who has
investigated the issue. It is read by people who
require the information.
INTRODUCTION
(What is a report?)

A report is a report—
that provides information;
that helps decisions
on crucial matters.
 Cont …
• A technical report is a statement of facts. “It is
a statement of the results of an investigation
or of any matter on which definite information
is required.(OED)”

• It facilitates decision-making and acts as an

instrument for nurturing the health of an
organization and promoting its growth.
 Cont …

• A report is also used for the study

of existing procedures and
practices as well as for launching
new projects and assessing the
progress of ongoing projects.

• It is always written to meet a demand or to

fulfill a requirement
 Cont…
• A report has to convey information and ideas
accurately and efficiently

• Usefulness, clarity and economy are its

primary qualities

• A report is not written to express a feeling

 Tip
• Reports can vary in length but a good rule to
remember is that they should be as long as
necessary and as short as possible.
 Cont…
• A professional writes a report not because he
has an impulse to write but because the
situation demands it

• The skill of report writing can be acquired by

mastering the craft of writing and learning the
scientific process of investigation, analysis,
and presentation
 Cont..
• A professional report is a formal
communication written for a specific purpose,
conveying authentic information to a well
defined audience in a completely objective
manner, and containing recommendations, if
required
• Although reports may include a variety of
topics and objectives, they all help in the
process of decision making by answering
questions and determining ways to improve
certain situations
 cont…

• A report reinforces, prompts, motivates and

persuades the readers to act
• Reports normally move in an upward direction
and used to communicate to the senior levels
in an organization.

• A number of decisions and research

conclusions are made on the basis of
information presented or recommendations
made in reports.
 Cont…

• By helping in dissemination of ideas, views,

and suggestions, reports develop information
and understanding essential for effective
decision making.
 Cont…

• A report describes a study, an investigation, or a

project.

• It’s purpose is to provide recommendations or

updates, and sometimes to persuade the readers
to accept an idea.

• It is written by a single person or a group who has

investigated the issue.

• It is read by people who require the information.

WHO CAN WRITE THE REPORTS
1 A professional writes a report
2 Chief Consultant
3 Chairman of a committee
4 Chief engineer
 PURPOSES OF REPORT

• PRESENTING IDEAS
• DESCRIBING PROBLEMS
• SUGGESTING SOLUTION
• DISCUSSING ANALYZING DATA
• RECORDING EVENTS AND HAPPENINGS
• ANALYZING A SITUATION OR A CONDITION
• GIVING FEEDBACK, SUGGESTIONS OR
RECOMMENDATIONS
Real life situation in which you have to write
a report
• The chief engineer, who is working on a five
year project of his/her engineering field, has
to submit first quarterly progress report of the
project after one year.

• You are asked to prepare a report on “Damage

and loss of Life due to Flood in Different Parts
of Nepal”.
• A geotechnical engineer, working on a soil
exploration in a site, has to submit a report
involving the progress and the results of the
various laboratory experiments carried out on
a soil obtained from the site.
Types of reports
1 Informational and Analytical Reports

2 Routine and Special Reports

3 Oral and Written Reports

4 Formal and Non-formal Reports

 You have to write:
• Project reports
• Progress reports
• Research reports
• Seminar reports
Type of reports:
1 Informal reports
1.1 Memo report
1.1.1 Introduction
1.1.2 parts

1.2 Letter report

1.2.1 Introduction
1.2.2 parts
Cont…
2 Project/Field Report
2.2.1 Introduction
2.2.2 parts

3 Formal report
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Types of formal reports
3.2.1 Progress report
3.2.2 Feasibility report
3.2.3 Empirical/ Research report
3.2.4 Technical report
3 Parts and components of formal report

1 Preliminary section
1 Cover page
2 Title page
3 Letter of transmittal/Preface
4 Acknowledgements
5 Abstract/Executive summary
6 Table of Contents
7 List of tables and figures
Main Section
• Introduction
• Discussion/Body
• Analysis
• Technical section/Methodology
• Summary/Conclusion
• Recommendations
 Documentation
Notes(Contextual/foot notes)
Appendix
Bibliography/References/Works cited
Glossary
Index
 Formal Reports
Cover page
• Cover page is one of the
important elements of a
report.
•As it gives a report a professional look, it should be written
neatly and attractively.

•It contains the following essential information:

Report Number

Title of the report

Name of the author

 Name of the organization and its
address

Date of submission
 Report Number: R1

A
REPORT
ON
AIR POLLUTION IN THE KATHMANDU VALLEY

SUBMITTED BY:
MAHESH ACHARYA
SENIOR ENGINEER

MINISTRY OF POPULATION AND ENVIRONMENT

SINGHA DURBAR, KATHMANDU

DECEMBER 13, 2017

 Title Page:
It is also an important element of a report.
It contains the following:
• Report number
• Title of the report
• Name and designation of the recipient
• Name and designation of the author
• Name and designation of the person who
gives approval
• Name of the organization

• Date

Occasionally one is required to get the report

checked and approved by a senior officer
before submission.
 Sample of Title Page

Report Number: R1

A
REPORT
ON
AIR POLLUTION IN THE KATHMANDU VALLEY

SUBMITTED TO:
SHEKHAR YADAV
CHIEF ENGINEER

SUBMITTED BY:
MAHESH ACHARYA
SENIOR ENGINEER
 SUBMITTED BY:
MAHESH ACHARYA
SENIOR ENGINEER

APPROVED BY:
K.L.ADHIKARI
DIRECTOR

MINISTRY OF POPULATION AND ENVIRONMENT

SINGHA DURBAR, KATHMANDU

DECEMBER 13, 2017

 Preface
• 2 marks
• At least 3 paragraphs(125 words)
• One of the important points in writing reports
• Mention the following things
The necessity of the report
Purpose
Description of the work
Acknowledgement
Advantages
 Acknowledgements

It is necessary to acknowledge any help,

assistance or guidance received from different
persons or organizations. In doing so you
should be sincere and courteous and have
variety in your expressions. A few commonly
used expressions are given below:
a We thank……………………..
b We are grateful…………………
c We are indebted……………….
d We must express our gratitude…….
e We owe a great deal……………….
f We are deeply grateful………..
g We acknowledge our indebtedness………………
h We are highly obliged to……………..
I Thanks are due……………..
 J We are particularly grateful………….
k We should like to thank………
l We wish to record our appreciation…………
m We must acknowledge our obligation…….
n We must acknowledge our deep sense of
gratitude….

The reasons for thanking the person or persons

are also stated. For example, ‘We are grateful to
Mr. Sharma for his useful advice’, ‘We wish to
express our appreciation to Mr. Singh for
reading the first draft of the report.

If there is a preface, acknowledgements may not

appear as a separate element but this
information may be included in the preface
itself.
 Acknowledgements
I express my sincere gratitude to ...
(Name of the helpful person who
helped most in this work) for his/her
immense support and constant
encouragement. Without his guidance,
inspiration and feedback this...(book)
would not have reached to this stage.
My sincere thanks to ….(Name of the
publication house and associated
people) for extending their consistent
support and cooperation.
With a sense of gratefulness, I thank the
publishers and authors of ………….(Name
of various resources) for their kind
permission to reproduce the materials.
I take the opportunity to thank my ……
(People at work place) who supported in
successful completion of this …….(Book)
for their encouragement and academic
support throughout.
I extend my thanks to all the technical devices
……(World Wide Web,….) for being a constant
source of information always.
Apart from academics, emotional and loving
support helps somebody to a great extent in
excelling in life. Thanks and appreciation to the
people …(in Society, family, friends, well-
wishers and so on) for their motivation.
Finally, I thank ………(Almighty).
Thank you all
 Table of Contents
The main function of the table of contents is to
help the reader locate specific material in your
report.

It gives an overall picture of what your report

contains.
For proper organization you should follow the
decimal numbering system in listing the topics
and sub-topics.
• Number each topic and sub-topic and write
the page number on which it appears.
• The numbering of the elements up to
abstract/summary is in small Roman numerals
and that from introduction onwards in Arabic
numerals.
• In preparing the table leave 4 cm. margin on
the left and 3 cm. on the right, top and bottom
of the page.
 Sample of Table of Contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface/Letters of transmittal ii
Acknowledgements iii
Abstract iv
1 Introduction 1
2 ……………………… 3
2.1 ………………. 4
2.2 ………………. 5
3 ……………………. 6
4 Conclusions 39
5 Recommendations 40
6 Bibliography 41
 ABSTRACT
• An abstract is a concise description of the report
including its purpose and most important results.
• An abstract must not be longer than half a page
and must not contain figures or make reference to
them.
• The results may be summarized in the abstract
but qualitatively, not quantitatively.
• No specific technical jargon, abbreviations, or
acronyms should be used. This is not a numbered
page of the report.
 Abstract/Executive summary
• Abstract and summary appear in almost all
reports.
• An abstract is a clear, concise condensation of
the purpose and most important results of the
project.
• It states what the report is all about, what has
been accomplished and the significance of the
achievement.
• The emphasis is on the presentation of the
idea and not on its explanation.
• Does not include equation, tables and figures.
• A summary on the other hand is the entire
report in a nutshell.
• It has a beginning, stating why the project was
carried out why the report was written; a
middle, highlighting the most features of the
report and an end giving conclusions and
recommendations.
• The contents of the summary are presented in
the same sequence as they appear in a report.
• In a summary too, figures do not generally
appear, however, equations tabular data are
sometimes included.
 Characteristics of a good abstract
• Concise in size
• Information about the problem
• Information about methodology
• Information about the findings
• Don’t use table in abstract
• Don’t use figures, abbreviated words
• No references
 Main idea of abstract
• What is the report all about?
• What has been accomplished?
• What is the significance of the achievement?
• No ideas are explained
• Only ideas are presented
• No figures, no equation
• Focus on key facts
 Sample of Abstract
ABSTRACT
This report describes the working principles,
construction and design of industrial motors. It
attempts to find out the various reasons for energy
losses during motoring operations and suggests ways
to improve their efficiency. It deals with power
factors, its importance for proper working of motors
as well as the methods of improving it. This report
also attempts to highlight various tests which are
essential for proper maintenance safety and repair of
these electrical devices. The troubleshooting section
gives methods of tackling operational hazards
effectively.
 Introduction
• Give the objective of the work, a brief description of
the problem, and how it is to be attacked.
• This section should provide the reader with an
overview of why the work was performed, how the
work was performed, and the most interesting results.
This can usually be accomplished with ease if the work
has clearly stated objectives. After introducing the
problem, indicate how those objectives are met. The
• length of this section depends on the purpose but the
author should strive for brevity, clarity, and interest.
 Main Section
Introduction

• The main function of the introduction is to

provide an indication of the topic or subject of
the report.
• This section clearly illustrates the purpose of
the report.
• It describes the specific problem that has been
investigated and the methods adopted to
solve these problems
The introduction prepares the reader for the
content of the report.
It is very helpful for one who is not familiar with
the subject.
In writing an introduction you should, therefore,
keep in mind particularly the three basic
questions governing all good professional
writing-for whom, for what, and why.
Specially, an introduction:
 Cont…
• States the subject and the purpose of the
project;
• Specifies the authorization;
• Gives the background
• describes the basic procedure or methods
followed for the collection of data and their
sources;
• Defines scope pointing out the limitations or
qualifications of the project; and
• Indicates the value or importance of the project.
 Introduction
The introduction should inform the reader
about the following things:
• Background-why was the report
commissioned in the place? What
circumstances led people to believe that a
report was needed?
• Purpose- what is the purpose of this report?
 Cont…

scope-- what issues are covered in this report?

What issues are not covered?
• Research methods– How were the data in this
report obtained? What types of primary and/or
secondary data were used? Do the data limit the
report in any way?
• Definition of terms– what specific terminology is
used in the report with which the lay reader
may not be familiar?( If there are more than five
or six such terms, you should consider having a
separate glossary of terms included in the end
matter of your report.)
 Introduction
• This is the background that may describe
how the project came into being.
• It is important to explain the aims and
objectives to clarify the framework or context
of the report.
• Explain why the report was requested.
• Describe the scope of the subject matter of
the report and what is covered
 Cont…
• Explain also how the data was obtained
• Define any specific terms or concepts
 Sample of Introduction
The report on ‘A Study on Industrial Motors’ at
Bhaktapur Power Division, Sharma Industries Limited contains
concepts through which we try to understand the basic
principles, design, and construction of industrial motors,
along with some common problems encountered in normal
motoring operations. An industrial motor is a rotatory
machine which converts electrical energy into mechanical
drive. The motors, therefore, are used as prime movers to
drive mechanical loads. In this project we have thrown light
on testing, efficiency and troubleshooting aspect of motor
and various methods to make to improve them.
 The importance of motors can be seen in
every power plant today. In Bhaktapur, motors
have found applications in Aerial Ropeway,
pumps, and coal handling plant cooling tower
fans, plant machinery and other prime mover
rotation applications. Thus the scope of this
project has been as vast as the range of the
motor applications of motors itself. Various
problems such as motor breakdown, voltage
and current variations, flux leakages, etc. are
encountered and these hamper motoring
operators and consequently affect the whole
Industrial applications. This report also discusses
how these problems can be sorted out in a
more effective manner.
Even though the project has tried to cover
all that has been possible in the context of its
topic, it has a few limitation in the form of
limited hands in terms of practical training for
motoring operations and their occasional
absence due to repair/servicing. Data have
been mainly collected from the richly equipped
Training Center Library and the internet.
 Cont…

This work may prove valuable to those who

are interested in understanding the basic
principles of motoring operations as well as
those who are in need of a quick reference for
testing, troubleshooting and improving
efficiency of industrial motors.

For whom is this report useful?

 Discussion or Description
Main part of the report
Present the data

Focus on facts and findings

Include objective description and discussion of
the problem, an analysis of the situation, and
findings of the investigation.
Is divided into sections and sub-sections with
 Cont…

well-structured and clear headings and sub-

headings.
• Causes
 Cont…
• Largest section of your report
• Ensure the argument is developed clearly, and
is broken up into sections and sub-sections,
with headings and sub-headings.
 Some argument development method

There are numerous methods by which you can

develop an argument
Argument development method Approach
Chronolical From then to now, and on to the future
Inductive From the particular to the general
Deductive From the general to the particular
Geographical From one area/section/state/country/planet
to another
Tropical From one subject to another
Problem/solution The problem is……..solutions/options are…
Pros/cons Advantages are….. Disadvantages are…
5W/H Explanation of what, where, when, why, who,
how
Ideal/reality What we would like is…. What we are stuck
with is…….
 Methodology
• Methodology: It broadly includes the objectives and
significance of the study, description of methodology,
formulation of hypothesis, testing and tools of analysis and the
technical aspects and limitation of the study.
• It tells the reader what was done to solve the problem. The
purpose of this information is two -fold.
• First, it aims at satisfying the criterion of reliability, in other
words, it must provide the researchers requisite information to
reproduce another piece of research.
• Second, It aims at enabling the reader to review the quality and
worth of the study. For that , several questions can be raised.
 For that , several questions can be raised.

• What are the objectives for the study?

• What sample or samples are used?
• What is the sample size?
• How are the sample selected, and why were they so selected?
• How was field data collected?
• What were the techniques for analysis used?
• How is the hypothesis formulated?
• Whether pilot studies and pretesting are done to try out the techniques? If
• yes, what was their outcome?
• What method is used for testing the hypothesis?
• Whether the study is experimental or ex-post facto?
• How is the collected data verified?
• State the method used for your investigation
• Why this method was chosen
• Explain how data was gathered
interviews
survey
observations
discussions ,
 Conclusion
• In this section, you can interpret the facts that
have been brought to bear answering the question
‘What does all this stuff mean?’
• You can also create a specific context for the
recommendations you are about to make.
• Typical conclusions might be:
It is clear that ………………
Options 2 and 6 are attractive if ………..
 Conclusion
Wrap up the report by summarizing key points
but not introducing any new material.
Present the report’s most significant data and
ideas
Give a sense of finality and completeness to the
discussion or description.
Relate each conclusions to specific data.
Don’t write conclusions about material you have
not discussed in the text
Use concise, numbered conclusions
Keep commentary brief.
Add inclusive page number to indicate where to
find the discussion of the conclusions.
 Recommendations
• Recommendations concern specific actions
that should flow from the conclusions drawn.
• Keep in mind that just as conclusions are based
upon what you have discussed in the body of
the report, so too are recommendations based
upon conclusions.
• You should not introduce any new material in
the conclusion/s or recommendations.
 Cont…
• If the introduction, discussion and conclusions
are part of the problem solving process, then
recommendations are part of the decision-
making process.
• It may be useful to number your
recommendations.
• You may also choose to put recommendations
in priority order.
 Recommendations

Recommendations are only given when

required.
They are based on results and conclusions. As
they propose a course of action to improve a
situation or a condition, they may present
several ways to solve a problem or improve a
situation.
This section may also indicate the need and
nature for future work in the concerned area.
 Cont…
Typical recommendations might be:
• It is recommended that Quality Control retain
its seven Apple computers for the next six
months. At that time, Data Processing will
report on upgrade options to trans-
Apple/IBM(e.g., Power Mac) hardware and
software.
• 3 Option 3 should be trialled for 12 months.
 References
• These are the full list of books, articles and
internet sources you cite to write the report.
• The standard style of citation used in
Engineering field is APA style (named after
American Psychological Association’s research
and formatting style).
 References/bibliography
• Once you have finalised the conclusion/s– and
recommendations, where appropriate –then
you have completed the body of the report.
All that remains is the end matter. This part of
the end matter is usually the references.
• This section contains a list of the materials you
may have referred to in your research.
 Appendix
If you use supplementary materials in the
process of research or writing the report, such
as questionnaires, interview transcripts, list of
interviews, survey forms, letters, maps,
graphics, and photos, you will need
appendices. Place each appendix in a separate
page. Number (Appendix I , Appendix ii ,
Appendix iii, etc.) or letter (Appendix A,
Appendix B, Appendix C, etc.) each appendix.
 Index
• This is the alphabetical list of report topics and
the relevant page number; useful in very long
reports.
 Glossary
• Alphabetical list of key terms and
abbreviations, and their definitions, especially
for highly technical reports, and for reports
that use specialized or foreign vocabulary.
 Informal Report Writing
Q. What is a report?
A report is a document reporting the status of
an activity or project as it occurs, or after
some action has been taken, or when they are
concluded. It can be descriptive or analytical,
with recommendations. A report is a factual
and systematic account of a specific business
or professional activity.
 Cont…
• Reports help in the analysis of a condition,
situation, of a problem for an effective
solution.
 Types of Reports
Criteria Types Description Examples

Function Informational Objective presentation of data Conference reports ,

without analysis or interpretation seminar reports,
trip reports , and so
on.
Analytical Presentation of data with analysis Project reports,
and interpretation Feasibility reports,
Market research
reports
periodicity Routine Presentation of routine
information
Special Presentation of specific
information related to a single
condition, situation, problem
or occasion
Daily production reports,
Monthly sales reports,
annual reports
Inquiry reports, research
reports, thesis, dissertation

Communic Oral Face-to-face presentation of Accident reports, sales

ative form Information reports, joining reports,
conference reports,
written Presentation of information in project reports, progress
written form reports, research reports
Nature , scope and Formal Long reports with elaborate Annual reports,
length description and discussion Thesis, project
reports, technical
reports

Non-
formal Short reports Laboratory reports,
daily production
reports, trip
reports
 INFORMAL REPORT WRITING
• brief account of a specific business or
professional activity
• short , do not need elaborate descriptions or
discussions
• Provides introductory information about a
routine affair
• Information or analytical
• May use oral or written form
 Cont…

• Contains only a few elements

• Two forms

Letter format Memo format

 Letter Format
• A letter report follows the format of business
letter
• Contains all the elements of a letter with some
additional sections such as illustrations,
references and so on.
• Personal and informal tone
 Parts of a letter report
• A letter report contains the following parts:
1 Letter head
2 References
- Your reference
- Our reference
3 Date
4 Address
5 Subject
6 Salutation
7 Body
8 Subscription
9 Signature
10 Name of the writer
11 Post/Designation of the writer
12 Enclosure
13 Superscription/Envelop
 MEMO REPORT
• Another variety of informal report(more informal
than the letter report)
• A memorandum report is commonly known as ‘memo
report’.
• Used for internal communication within the
organization.
• Used to handle routine business matters like passing
information from one department to another, making
changes alerting employees, solving a problem etc.
• Helps administration in making decisions or
solving certain problems
• A memo report is a permanent record of the
internal operations of an organization and is
quite similar to letter report.
Parts of a memo report
 Informal Reports

Memo Report
Parts and components of progress report in
format of memo report
1 Heading
a Date
 b To
c From
d Subject
2 Introduction
3 Discussion
- work completed
- work remaining
- problems encountered
4 Analysis
5 Conclusion
6 Recommendations
1 Heading
a Date: It indicates date of writing the
report.
b To: It indicates name, official post and
address of receiver.
c From : It contains name, post and official
address of sender/writer
• Subject: contains topic
2 Introduction : It highlights the source of
authorities and date of obtaining the request
letter from the authority and also contains the
purpose of writing it.
3 Discussion
works completed : how much work is done
work remaining : indicates how much of work
remains
Problems encountered: indicates problems
encountered during progress of work
4 Analysis : highlights the critical examination of the
data
5 Conclusion: contains the inferences drawn by
author or researcher from the analysis of the
data.
6 Recommendation : contains suggestions for the
authorities from the author of report or research.
Guideline for Writing a Technical Report

• The quality of any technical

report can be greatly enhanced
by adhering to ten fundamental
guidelines. Following the
suggestions given below will add
clarity and value to a technical
report.
• Have a clear idea of the type of report to be
written
• Clearly state the objectives of the report
• Plan the section and sub sections
• 4 write the report headings in bold letters
• Make the contents specific and remove
ambiguity
• ensure that the contents meet the needs of
the readers
• use diagrams, flowcharts, and graphs to
enhance content/results clarity
• Use as many examples and illustrations as
needed to drive home the message
• Avoid jargon of all types
• Use a proper layout to draw attention to key
information