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Technical Writing

Topic 8

Report Writing

What is a report?

-A report is a structured written document in which a specific issue is examined for the
purpose of conveying information, in order to report findings, to answer a request, to put
forward ideas and make recommendations or offer solutions.

An effective report is one that is written appropriate to its purpose and audience, accurate,
logical; clear and concise; and is well organized into clear section headings. These sections
enable readers to find and focus on specific pieces of information.

Purpose, audience and types of Reports

Keep in mind what your audience needs to know, this will dictate what type of report you will
need to write and the amount of detail to be contained therein. Some questions you need to
keep in mind include:

 Who is the report written for? How is it relevant to them?

 Why has the report been written?
 Why should they read the report?
 What will the audience do with the information?
 What are the topics covered?
 What are the recommendations or outcomes?
 It is most important to think about your reader(s) in terms of their wants, needs and
expectations. The level of knowledge they have on the topic and their individual areas
of expertise could impact greatly on how your report is received.

Planning your report

1. Defining the purpose - read the brief carefully - identify key words - make sure you
know what's really being asked 2.
2. Defining the audience - determine your audience's level of understanding - determine
what your audience needs to know
3. Establishing parameters - determine the scope and level of detail required - determine
the length of the report and what can be covered in that length
4. Gathering information - make sure the information you gather is relevant,
contemporary and factually correct - make sure that you transcribe facts and figures
correctly
Source:Curtin University: Study Skills on Report Writing:http://startup.curtin.edu.au/study/writing/report.cfm

Research the topic In order to produce a high quality report, it is essential to include accurate,
relevant and up to date information collected from a wide variety of sources. Examples of
where to collect information include: interviews or discussions with experts, surveys,
observations, a compilation of statistics and company or industry data – this is called
primary data.
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You may also find secondary data in books, theses, on the Internet, in journals or newspapers,
reports, conference papers, brochures etc. Report writers also consult secondary sources in
order to get ideas for writing a report. It is always useful to not only consult sources but also
refer to them directly in the body of the report. Why would a report writer refer to secondary
resources in their report?
Source: Flanagan, S. (2007), Report Writing Skills. CSU Organisational Development. Page 8

Types of Reports

There are numerous types of reports that are widely used in business. These range from short
informal or semi-formal reports to longer formal reports. The format is determined by the
purpose of the report, the amount of detail required, and the audience for whom it is intended.

1. SHORT INFORMAL / SEMI-FORMAL REPORT The short report is generally

less than four pages or 1200 words in length. It has fewer parts than a longer report
and may use headings to guide the reader through the ideas being presented in the
body of the text. Because the report is written in an informal or semi-formal style,
first person and active voice are preferred (e.g. “I consider that …” rather than “It is
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considered that …”).

Structure:
 Title Introductory statement – what the report is about and why it is being
written
 Body of the report – findings and discussion
 Conclusions and recommendations

Other formats may also be used for short reports. For example: Pre-Printed Report Form A
report form usually consists of questions to gain specific information that can be stored
manually and/or entered onto a computer.

Letter Report

If a short report is written for a reader outside the organization in which it was written, it may
be written as a letter report. This report is usually written in the first person and active voice
(e.g. “I consider that …” rather than “It is considered that …”) and is more informal than a
long report. A letter report shares certain features with normal letters – features that would not
normally be found in a report: it is written on letterhead and includes the address of the
reader, salutation (Dear …), close (Yours Sincerely/faithfully) and signature. On the other
hand, a letter report is more structured than a normal letter. It has a subject line, which is
sometimes seen in letters, and an introduction and conclusion which are similar to those of a
letter in that neither is prefaced by a heading. The body of the letter, however, is in report
format, with headings and sub-headings clearly defining the sections and sub-sections.

Memo Report

A memo report may be written to a reader who works in the same organization as the writer.
Because the writer is likely to know something about the reader and his/her requirements and
level of knowledge of the subject matter, the memo report does not need to contain detailed
background information about all of the things to which it refers. This report is written on
memo paper and follows the memo format. However, it is longer than the conventional memo
(two pages or more) and is therefore divided into separate, labelled sections. The memo report
is usually written in the first person and active voice (e.g. “I consider that …” rather than “It
is considered that …”) and is more informal than a letter report.
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3. FORMAL REPORT

Formal reports are rarely less than ten pages long and can often run into hundreds of pages.

They are commonly written for a large audience who do not know the writer, and are sent
outside an organization. Third person and passive voice should be used (e.g. “It is considered
that …” rather than “I consider that …”).

Structure:

 Cover letter/memorandum
 Cover Title page Summary
 Table of contents
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 Table of illustrations, figures, tables, etc. (if applicable)

 Introduction Body of the report – methodology, findings and discussion
 Conclusions
 Recommendations
 Bibliography
 Appendices (if applicable)
 Glossary or list of abbreviations (if applicable)
 Index (optional)
 Cover Letter/Memorandum

Write a cover letter if the report is to be sent to a reader outside the organization.

Write a cover memo if the report is to be sent to a reader inside the organization.

The letter/memo should contain a salutation (“Dear …” for a letter), statement of purpose
(“Here is the report on … that you requested”), a brief overview or summary (“In this report
you will find …”), acknowledgements (“Several people proved to be of great assistance to
me…”), and a courteous close (“Thank you for the opportunity to investigate … If you have
any questions about the report, please contact me”).

Cover

A report may be bound into a folder or professionally produced as a book.

The cover should be attractive.

The report title should be on the cover and spine.

Title

The title should be complete and comprehensive, without being so long that it is difficult to
grasp. E.g. “Report on the Proposed Realignment of CSU‟s Division of Human Resources
2008”

Title Page

 Title of the report.

 Name and position of the person who wrote the report.
 Name of the person (or organization) for whom the report was written. An alternative
to having a separate title page is to set out this information at the top of the first page.

Summary

The summary is a quick overview of the aim, conclusions and most important aspects of the
report.

The summary is designed to be read by people who are too busy to read the whole report.

It is therefore essential that it be brief, comprehensive and interesting.

The summary is usually written last.

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Table of Contents

The table of contents is a systematic list, in page order, of all the parts of a report.

Page numbers are listed next to each heading and sub-heading. If desired, a numbering system
may be used for organizing the table of contents and report: Table of Illustrations, Figures,
Tables, etc. (if applicable) Include separate tables of illustrations, figures (i.e. graphs and
diagrams) and/or tables if the report is four or more pages long and contains a number of
graphics, figures or tables.

Introduction

The introduction is the beginning of the major part of the report. Its aim is to provide all the
necessary information so that the reader can understand the main discussion and the body of
the report. It is the place for a broad, general view of your material. Avoid details that belong
properly to the body of the report or the appendices.

Authorization or terms of reference:

What is the problem or issue being reported on? Who asked for the report?

Purpose:

Why is the report being written?

Background information:

What was the sequence of past events leading to the present problem or issue?

Scope:

What aspects of the topic will be dealt with? What will be excluded? What kind of
information will be presented? Definitions of technical terms and words that you intend to use
in a special sense.

Methodology

Outline the method of investigation or research:

When and how was the information obtained?
Outline the sources of information:
Where was the information obtained?

Findings

Present the facts and results that were obtained through the investigation or research. Restrict
the content of this section to factual information of high credibility. Opinions should be
located in the discussion section of the report. Divide the section into sub-topics and use sub-
headings. Arrange the sub-topics in accordance with a basic plan or logical progression. For
example: Order of time Order of location Order of importance Order of process Parallel order.

Discussion
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Analyze and evaluate the facts already presented. Present your expert opinions. Avoid
emotional statements or opinions expressed in a “parent” tone. Based on the results of your
research, argue the case for and against various courses of action, estimate the possible
effects, and then recommend a suitable course of action. If you wish, briefly include some
additional material to support your argument, e.g. graph, diagram, table, picture. Throughout
the discussion, refer to any appendices

Summarize your findings and inferences. Emphasize the significance of your subject matter.
Refer briefly to any wider consideration, outside your terms of reference, on which your
report may have a bearing.

Recommendations

Make recommendations based on your findings and inferences. Be as specific as you possibly
can. State clearly what action should be taken as a result of your recommendations, and by
whom. Use subjunctive mood, e.g. “That … be [past tense of verb]” Set your
recommendations out step by step and in a logical sequence. Do not put more than one step in
each recommendation. Always number your recommendations. Keep your explanations out of
the recommendations. If it needs explaining, do so in the discussion section of the report. If
you expect a “knockback” on some of your recommendations, include some alternatives in
the recommendations. Don’t be afraid to recommend further investigation if you feel you still
don’t have the answer when it is time to write the report.

Close Signature.

Printed name. Position. Name of organisation or committee. Date that the report was
completed or signed.

Bibliography (if applicable)

Record the bibliographic details (i.e. author, title, edition, publisher, place of publication, and
year of publication) for the sources of information used. List the sources of information
alphabetically by author.

Appendices (if applicable)

The appendices contain data (such as charts, tables, photographs, maps and statistics) that
support the body of the report. These are located in a separate section to avoid disrupting and
cluttering the flow of the discussion.

Glossary or List of Abbreviations (if applicable)

If the report is particularly complex and involves terminology that the reader may not be
familiar with, include a glossary (mini-dictionary) to explain the meaning of words and terms.
If there are a number of abbreviations (acronyms, initials or shortened words), create a list of
abbreviations and what they stand for.

Index (if applicable)

If the report is over 20 pages long, an index will help the reader find specific information
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contained within the report more easily than is possible with the table of contents. you have
attached to supplement the information in the body of the report.

Conclusions

Summarize the discussion.

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Monthly Reports

1. THE TITLE PAGE A long report will usually have a title page, which should include the
title, the author, the reader for whom the report is intended, and the date of completion.
Because the purpose of the title is to make it clear what the report is about, a good title may
be quite long. Remember that using a complete and concise title helps writers to clarify their
terms of reference.
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2. THE INTRODUCTION The purpose of the report should be clearly stated and, if
necessary, the reader should be reminded of the general goals of the organization.

3. SPECIFIC GOALS FOR THE MONTH State clearly and concisely what the goals for
the month were. These should be as specific as possible and may be set out in point form. For
example: The goals for this month were:

(a) To finalise the plans for the May youth camp.

(b) To increase hospital visitations by 10% over last month.

(c) To prepare a draft budget for 2002.

4. STRATEGIES ADOPTED TO MEET THIS MONTH’S GOALS This will be a

description of how you went about trying to achieve the goals that had been set for the month.
For example: In order to finalize the plans for the May youth camp, meetings were scheduled
for 1 – 3pm each Monday. Those invited were …. The agenda for the first meeting were
circulated one week prior to the meeting. At the conclusion of each meeting, a list of points
was identified as the agenda for the following meeting.

5. ACHIEVEMENTS FOR THE MONTH This will be a summary of the successes you
had in meeting the goals for the month and details of achievements that had not been planned.

For example: Plans for the May youth camp were finalized after three meetings. An outline of
the program for the camp is attached. All arrangements for accommodation and food have
been finalized and deposits have been collected from all who will be attending.

It will sometimes be appropriate to include some simple statistics to help explain your
achievements for the month. These can be as simple as a list of activities showing how many
people participated, or they may be more detailed summaries such as those given as examples
in the earlier section on using visual materials to support your report.

5. CONSTRAINTS EXPERIENCED IN ACHIEVING THE GOALS Not everything

will go according to your plans each month. It is important to record why goals were not
achieved so that the reader can appreciate the constraints under which you were
operating. The information in this section of your report can provide very valuable
background information for your future plans or for recommendations that you might
make.

For example:

The major reason that the draft budget for 1993 could not be finalized was that the
information on funding from … is not yet available. This meant that we were unsure of the
number of staff who could be employed. It is anticipated that the information will be available
by 15th June.

6. OBJECTIVES TO BE ACHIEVED OVER THE NEXT MONTH Here you identify,

as precisely as possible, what you intend to achieve during the next month. The more
specific you make these statements, the more use they will be in guiding your activities,
and the easier it will be to determine whether or not you achieve your objectives.
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For example: During June our objectives are to:

(a) Purchase a new computer and word-processing package. (b) Conduct six one-day
training programs for new youth counsellors. (c) Evaluate our telephone counselling
service.

7. RECOMMENDATIONS These are your suggestions for what action should be taken
by the person or persons reading your monthly report. The general guidelines given
previously also apply here.
Source: Killen, R. & Killen, A. 1992, Report Writing, Hunter Educational Services, Newcastle, pp. 19-20.

References:

Flanagan, S. (2007), Report Writing Skills. CSU Organisational Development. Page 8

University of Warwick 1994 cited in Blaxter, L. Hughes, C. & Tight, M. 1996, How to Research, Open University Press,
Buckingham, p. 217.