Introduction and Essential Elements of Report Writing
Introduction and Essential Elements of Report Writing
For each theme, you should aim to set out clearly and
concisely the main issue under discussion and any areas of
difficulty or disagreement.
Conclusions and Recommendations
The next step is to find the information you need for your report. To do
this you may need to read written material, observe people or activities,
and/or talk to people.
Make sure the information you find is relevant and appropriate. Check
the assessment requirements and guidelines and the marking schedule
to make sure you're on the right track. If you're not sure how the marks
will be assigned contact your lecturer.
What you find out will form the basis, or main body, of your report – the
findings.
For more on finding information:
Research and reading
Steps for writing an assignment
Step 4: Decide on the structure
Reports generally have a similar structure, but some details may differ. How
they differ usually depends on:
The type of report – if it is a research report, laboratory report, business
report, investigative report, etc.
How formal the report has to be.
The length of the report.
Depending on the type of report, the structure can include:
A title page.
Executive summary.
Continued….
Contents.
An introduction.
Terms of reference.
Procedure.
Findings.
Conclusions.
Recommendations.
References/Bibliography.
Appendices.
The sections, of a report usually have headings and subheadings,
which are usually numbered
Step 5: Draft the first part of your report
Once you have your structure, write down the headings and
start to fill these in with the information you have gathered so
far. By now you should be able to draft the terms of reference,
procedure and findings, and start to work out what will go in the
report’s appendix.
Findings
The findings are result of your reading, observations, interviews
and investigation. They form the basis of your report.
Depending on the type of report you are writing, you may also
wish to include photos, tables or graphs to make your report
more readable and/or easier to follow.
Appendices
The conclusion is where you analyze your findings and interpret what you
have found. To do this, read through your findings and ask yourself:
What have I found?
What's significant or important about my findings?
What do my findings suggest?
For example, your conclusion may describe how the information you
collected explains why the situation occurred, what this means for the
organization, and what will happen if the situation continues (or doesn't
continue).
Don’t include any new information in the conclusion.
Step 7: Make recommendations
APA/MLA referencing
Step 10: Revise your draft report
That all terms, symbols and abbreviations used have been explained.
That any diagrams, tables, graphs and illustrations are numbered and labelled.
That the report reads well, and your writing is as clear and effective as
possible.
You might need to prepare several drafts before you are satisfied. If possible,
get someone else to check your report.