Writing project reports

Dr.A.Joycilin Shermila
Associate Professor of English
Annammal College of Education
Thoothukudi
 What is a report?
• A report is a systematic, well organised
document which defines and analyses a
subject or problem, and which may
include:
– the record of a sequence of events
– interpretation of the significance of these events or
facts
– evaluation of the facts or results of research
presented
– discussion of the outcomes of a decision or course of
action
– conclusions
– recommendations
Steps to be followed in an effective
report
• Determine the objective of the report, i.e.,
identify the problem.
• Collect the required material (facts) for the
report.
• Study and examine the facts gathered.
• Plan the facts for the report.
• Prepare an outline for the report, i.e., draft
the report.
• Edit the drafted report.
• Distribute the draft report to the advisory
team and ask for feedback and
 TYPES OF REPORTS
• Research Report
• Business Report
• Scientific Report
• Routine Report
• Investigation Report
• Project Report
• Director’s Report
 Report structure
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Abbreviations and/or glossary
• Acknowledgements
• Abstract
• Introduction
• Body
• Conclusion
• Bibliography
Writing is not easy - Why ?

You do not know where to start.

You do not know what to include.
You are not sure what to exclude.
You do not have all the information.
You do not know how to structure it.
You do not know where to stop……
 Ideas for a Good Project Report
∗ Don’t ask a question

∗ Don’t use first or second person – I, you, we

∗ Don’t use qualifiers that make you sound

uncertain such as might, may be, perhaps, etc.

∗ Don’t use absolute qualifiers that mean

everything, all, none, always, never. These are
too hard to prove!
 Ideas for a good project report
Contd…
∗ Don’t use “to be” verbs – am, are, is, was,
were, be, being, been. They aren’t
descriptive enough.

∗ Do use relative qualifiers which show real-

world variation such as often, primarily,
frequently, too often, regularly, some,
many, most. These are much easier to
prove!
Avoid some aspects of informal
English
• don't (do not!) use contractions (eg it's, he'll,
it'd etc): always use the full form (it is/has,
he will, it would/had).
• don't use colloquial language or slang (eg kid,
a lot of/lots of, cool)
• always write as concisely as you can, with no
irrelevant material or “waffle”.
• generally avoid "phrasal verbs" (e.g. get off,
get away with, put in etc): instead, use one
word equivalents.
Avoid some aspects of informal
English contd…
• be more precise.
• avoid overuse of brackets; don’t use
exclamation marks or dashes; avoid
direct questions; don’t use “etc”.
• always use capital letters appropriately
and never use the type of language used
in texting!
FEATURES OF REPORT WRITING
• Good Report has –
»clarity of Thought
»is complete and Self-explanatory
»is Comprehensive but Compact
»is Accurate in all Aspects
»has Suitable Format for readers
»Supports Facts and is Factual
» has an Impersonal Style
 FEATURES OF REPORT WRITING
Contd…
• Good Report has
–a Proper Date and Signature
–has a Reference to Relevant Details
–follows an Impartial Approach
–has all Essential Technical Details
–is presented in a Lucid Style
–is a Reliable Document
–is arranged in a Logical Manner
 Editing checklist
General layout
Is the title page clear, accurate and complete?
Is the contents page clearly laid out and
accurate?
Do you have a margin of about 1"/2.5cm?
Are your lines spaced as per the instruction?
Are all pages numbered, if necessary?
Have you avoided unnecessary use of bold,
italic and colour type?
Have you used a standard font (Times, Arial
etc)? Is it large enough?
 Text organisation
Does the introduction show understanding of
the question?
Are all the sentences complete?
Are all the paragraphs adequately developed?
Do all the sections have clear headings?
Are tables and figures properly integrated into
the text?
Are all tables and figures titled, with source if
necessary?
Is there a clear and adequate conclusion or
summary?
 Introduction
• What is the setting of the problem? This is, in
other words, the background..
• What exactly is the problem you are trying to
solve? This is the problem statement.
• Why is the problem important to solve? This
is the motivation.
• How is the rest of the report organized?
 Technical sections
• Outlines/flow: For sections which may be
huge, have a rough outline at the
beginning of that section.
• Use of figures: Wherever necessary,
explain all aspects of a figure and do not
leave the reader wondering as to what
the connection between the figure and
the text is.
• Terminology: Define each term/symbol
before you use it, or right after its first
use. Stick to a common terminology
 Planning and research
• Decide the basic framework.
• With the main topic or question as a central
focus, jot down the initial thoughts and
group these together.
• Mind Mapping technique will be useful. Start
to divide key ideas from subsidiary
information, and if anything is irrelevant
then delete it.
• From the prior knowledge (from reading and
lectures) form a fairly basic structure.
Planning and research Contd…
• Try not to gather too much information.
Reject anything which is not 100% relevant.
• When making notes, try to summarise the
main points as concisely as possible.
• Remember to make a comprehensive record
of any sources consulted in order to be able
to correctly reference these.
• Make a record of the research methods you
used.
 Coherence
• Does it all make sense? (especially to
another person)
• Do sentences, paragraphs and sections run
together smoothly?
• Is everything relevant?
• Is the language as concise as possible?
 Grammar, spelling &
punctuation
• Have you carefully checked for the
type of grammar mistakes you tend to
make?
• Have you used verb tenses
consistently?
• Have you used the spellchecker?
• Have you checked the spelling
yourself?
• Does your punctuation make your
writing easier to read?
 Referencing
• Are all your sources always
acknowledged?
• Is your referencing accurate and
consistent?
• Is your list of references complete and in
the correct format?
• Do all your references appear in your
bibliography/list of references?
• Are the beginning and the end of quotes
clearly indicated?
 Style
• Have you avoided colloquial language?
• Have you avoided personal language
where necessary?
• Is your language as clear and as concise as
possible?
• Is your vocabulary varied, but always
appropriate?
 Overall
• Coherence
• Grammar, spelling & punctuation
• Referencing
• Style
Common Mistakes in Report
Writing
Any Question