What is Interpretation ?

Why it is necessary ?

• It refers to the task of drawing inferences

from the collected facts after an analytical
and /or experimental study.
• Aspects
1.To establish continuity in research through
linking the results of a given study with those
of another.
2.Establishment of some explanatory concepts.

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 REPORT WRITING: Significance

WHAT IS REPORT
WHAT IS PURPOSE OF REPORT
KINDS OF REPORT
STRUCTURE OF REPORT
OBJECTIVES OF REPORT
FORMAT
WHY REPORT FAILS?
 WHAT IS REPORT

 Reports are documents which presents specific,

focused content-often the result of an experiment,
investigation, or inquiry to a specific audience.
 PURPOSE OF REPORT

 To give the information.

 To records events for decision making.
 To recommend specific action.
 TYPES OF REPORTS

 Technical Report
 Popular Report
 Oral Presentation
 Book reviews
 Research report
 News items.
 OBJECTIVE OF REPORT

 It helps the management to identify the reason

underlying the situation that management already
knows.
 STEPS IN WRITING REPORT
 Logical analysis of subject of matter.
 Preparation of the final outline.
 Preparation of the rough draft.
 Rewriting and polishing of rough draft.
 Preparation of the final bibliography.
Eg. Kothari, C.R., Quantitative Techniques, New Delhi, Vikas Publishing house
Pvt. Ltd., 1978.

Eg for magazines and news papers

Robert V.Roosa, “Coping with Short-term International Money Flows”,
The banker, London, September, 1971, p.995
 Writing the final draft.
 BUSINESS REPORT FORMAT

 Title page
 Executive Summary
 Table of contents
 Introduction
 Body
 Conclusions
 Recommendations
 Appendices
 TECHNICAL REPORT FORMAT

1. Summary of results.
2. Nature of the study.
3. Methods employed.
4. Data.
5. Analysis of Data and Presentation of Findings.
6. Conclusions.
7. Bibliography.
8. Technical appendises.
9. Index.

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 Popular Report

• Findings and their implications.

• Recommendations for action.
• Objectives of the study
• Methods employed
• Results.
• Technical appendices

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 Report Structure: Possible Sections
• Abstract
• Contents list (longer reports)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
• Introduction
• Methods
• Results
• Discussion
• Conclusions (suggestions for further work in some longer reports)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
• References
• Acknowledgements (longer reports)
• Appendices
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 Report Structure: IMRaD+ C

Core sections of a report can be summarised as

IMRaD+ C
• Introduction
• Methods
• Results
• and
• Discussion
• + Conclusion

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Report Structure: Writing for The Reader of The Report

• Before you start writing, think about who the

reader will be.
• Then make sure you write in a manner & with a
level of detail appropriate for them
• Explain to your reader:
why & what you did
what the outcome was
• Write concisely whilst explaining clearly.
• Write in good English [clearly, accurately &
ensure your work is reader friendly ]
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 Report Structure- Section by Section: Title

The title needs to be

• self explanatory

• concise

and

• attract the reader, encouraging them to read further

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 Report Structure: the Abstract

• This needs to standalone i.e. complete in itself

• A complete summary of the entire report from
aims to conclusions
• Allows the reader to gain a very brief but
complete overview of your project
• Typically 100-200 words in length
• One paragraph
• Highly succinct
• Is not an introduction
• Is the final piece you write
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 Report: Contents Page

• Needs to be self explanatory

• Gives a clear overview of structure

• Uses headings to guide the reader through the

report structure

• Uses numbering, indentation & subheadings,

especially in long reports

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 Report Structure: The introduction

This gives

• sets the scene for the report

• some background to the study

• explains connections with previous work

• explains reason for the work carried out

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 Report Structure: The introduction

At the end of the introduction

• explain your aims clearly
• introduce how you will address these

In longer reports it is helpful [reader- friendly]

to explain briefly how the report is structured
[signposting]

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 Report Structure: Methods

Now detail the methods you used to address the

aims that you introduced in the introduction.

Depending on your study, the methods may describe:

• the construction or choice of apparatus and/or

• the development of a mathematical model.

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 Report Structure: Results

Presents the results from the experiment or model

Do not just include figures and tables, ensure that the
text provides:
• a commentary guiding the reader through the figures
& tables
• references all of these: Figure 3.2 shows how…
Remember the reader will look at the figures & tables
only if directed to do so in the text.
The results should include any assessment of
uncertainty in your data/model. 20
 Report Structure: Conclusions

This section is reasonably short & succinct

• State what you major conclusions are,

referring back to your original aims

• Discuss what advances you have made

• Make suggestions for the future

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 Report Structure: References

Use the standard format [covered in wk 3]

Ensure that
• all the work you cite in the body of your report is
listed in the reference list
• all the work you include in the reference list is
cited in the body of the report
Next week: Internet & other non-standard
referencing
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Report Structure: Acknowledgements

Acknowledge:

• financial support [If any]

• Technical and academic help from others

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 Report Structure: Appendices

To make your report easy to read, it is often useful

to include some material in an appendix.
Many readers of your report may not read these
sections & certainly should not need to read them
to follow your report.
However, some readers will want to analyse your
detailed results in greater depth e.g. to compare
with their own findings.

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 Report Structure: Appendices

An appendix can be used to include

• details of statistical tests
• the way you calibrated apparatus you used
If you include any appendices, reference them in the
main report (otherwise the reader will not be aware
of them or fail to understand their purpose).
The presentation of appendices needs to be of the
same standard as the body of the report.
Each appendix needs a self-explanatory title.
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 Part Checklist

A final check
Title Does it explain what the report is about succinctly ?
Abstract Does it explain why the work was done ?
Does it outline the entire report, including the findings ?
Have you managed to keep the abstract to one paragraph ?
Contents list Are all the sections covered ?
Are the page numbers correct ?

Go through
Introduction Does it contain enough background material and cite the
relevant references ?
Have you defined all the technical terms used ?
Is it clear why you have investigated the problem ?

Andy’s Methodology
Have you explained why you have chosen the experimental or
mathematical approach adopted for your work ?
Is there sufficient detail to allow repetition of the work ?

check list Results

Are correct names used for all chemicals used ?
Is the sequence of experimental results presented logically ?
Are the data presented in the clearest possible way ?

before Have SI units been used throughout ?

Have adequate statistical techniques been used ?
Are all figures and tables numbered in the order they appear ?

submitting
Tables
Are all your tables clear ?
Do the tables have a caption placed above the table ?
Does the caption provide all the necessary information without

your reference to the main text ?

Have you referred, in the main text, to all tables ?
Figures

reports! Are all your figures clear ?

Are all the symbols used explained in a key or in the caption ?
Do all maps have a scale bar and north arrows ?
Do all figures have a caption placed beneath the figure ?
Does the caption provide all the necessary information without
reference to the main text ?
Have you referred, in the main text, to all figures ?
Discussion/ Have you explained the significance of the results ?
Conclusions Have you compared your results with published work ?
Are your conclusions justified by the data and statistical
techniques used ?
Have you managed to suggest what further work is useful ?
Acknowledgements Have you listed all people who have contributed to the work
you have reported ?
References Do all the references in the main text (and appendices) appear in
the list ?
Is the list in alphabetical order ?
Have you used a consistent format for all references in the list ?
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 Mechanics of writing the report

1. Size and physical design.

Margin of at least 1 and 1.5 inches at the left at least half an
inch at the right hand, one inch margins top and bottom.

2. Procedure
3. Layout
4. Treatment of quotations
5. Foot notes
meant for cross references citation of authorities and
sources or explanation of point of view.

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6. Documentation style.
I. Regarding the single volume reference-
John Gassner, Masters of the Drama, New York: Dover Publications, Inc.
1954, p. 315.
II. Regarding multi volume reference
III. Regarding works arranged alphabetically
IV. Regarding periodicals reference
name of the author in normal order
Title of article in quotation marks.
Name of periodical in italics.
volume number
Date of issuance
Pagination
V. Regarding second hand quotation reference
J.F.Jones, Life in Ploynesia, P. 16, quoted in history of the Pacific Ocean
area, by R.B.Abel, p.191

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VI. Case of multiple authorship: et al
Subsequent references to the same work need
not to be so detailed if the work is cited again
should be indicated as ibid followed by comma
and page number
7. Punctuations and abbreviation in foot note .
8. Use of statistics charts and graph.
9. Final draft.
10.Bibliography.
11.Preparation of the index.
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 WHY DO REPORTS SOMETIMES
FAILS ?
 Over all message is not clear.
 Report is badly structured.
 Report is too long.
 Inappropriate language for intended audience.
 Report is boring, does not engage the reader.
 Report is full of grammatical and spelling errors.