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Report
A report is a document or a statement that presents
information in an organized format for a specific audience and
purpose. Although summaries of reports may be delivered
orally, complete reports are usually given in the form of written
documents.[1][2] Typically reports relay information that was
found or observed.[2] The credible report enhances the
previous beliefs while dishonest information can question the
agency preparing the report.[3] Reports from IPCC as IPCC
reports, World Health Report and Global Gender Gap Report
from World Economic Forums are few examples of reports
highlighting important worldly affairs.

Usage
In modern business scenario, reports play a major role in the Example of a front page of a report
progress of business. Reports are the backbone to the thinking
process of the establishment and they are responsible, to a
great extent, in evolving an efficient or inefficient work environment.

The significance of the reports includes:

Reports present adequate information on various aspects of the business.

All the skills and the knowledge of the professionals are communicated through reports.
Reports help the top line in decision making.
A rule and balanced report also helps in problem solving.
Reports communicate the planning, policies and other matters regarding an organization to the
masses. News reports play the role of ombudsman and levy checks and balances on the
establishment.

Attributes
One of the most common formats for presenting reports is IMRAD—introduction, methods,
results, and discussion. This structure, standard for the genre, mirrors traditional publication of
scientific research and summons the ethos and credibility of that discipline. Reports are not
required to follow this pattern and may use alternative methods such as the problem-solution
format, wherein the author first lists an issue and then details what must be done to fix the
problem. Transparency and a focus on quality are keys to writing a useful report. Accuracy is also
important. Faulty numbers in a financial report could lead to disastrous consequences.

Standard elements
Reports use features such as tables, graphics, pictures, voice, or specialized vocabulary in order to
persuade a specific audience to undertake an action or inform the reader of the subject at hand.
Some common elements of written reports include headings to indicate topics and help the reader
locate relevant information quickly, and visual elements such as charts, tables and figures, which

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are useful for breaking up large sections of text and making complex issues more accessible.
Lengthy written reports will almost always contain a table of contents, appendices, footnotes, and
references. A bibliography or list of references will appear at the end of any credible report and
citations are often included within the text itself. Complex terms are explained within the body of
the report or listed as footnotes in order to make the report easier to follow. A short summary of
the report's contents, called an abstract, may appear in the beginning so that the audience knows
what the report will cover. Online reports often contain hyperlinks to internal or external sources
as well.

Verbal reports differ from written reports in the minutiae of their format, but they still educate or
advocate for a course of action. Quality reports will be well researched and the speaker will list
their sources if at all possible.

Structure of a report
A typical report would include the following sections in it:[4]

Title page
Executive summary
Table of contents
Introduction
Discussion or body
Conclusion
Recommendations
Reference list
Appendices.

Types
Some examples of reports are:

Annual reports
Auditor's reports
Book reports
Bound report
Retail report
Census reports
US President Donald Trump hears
Credit reports
the military report from the
Demographic reports commander of the 1st Battalion,
Expense report Grenadier Guards.
Experience report
Incident report
Inspection reports
Military reports
Police reports
Policy reports
Informal reports
Progress reports
Investigative reports
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Technical or scientific reports Appraisal reports

Trip reports Workplace reports[5]
White papers

See also
List of environmental reports
Customer relationship management
Data quality
Decision support system
Enterprise application integration
Enterprise resource planning
Global Reporting Initiative
Grey Literature International Steering Committee – International guidelines for the production
of scientific and technical reports
Management information system

References
1. Madan, Poonam (2016–2017). Language proficiency in English. 28/115, jyoti block, sanjay
place, Agra-2: Agarwal publication. p. 138. ISBN 9789385872280.
2. "Definition of REPORT" (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/report). www.merriam-
webster.com. Retrieved 2023-11-26.
3. Hunter, Aaron (2024). Liu, Tongliang; Webb, Geoff; Yue, Lin; Wang, Dadong (eds.). "Reports,
Observations, and Belief Change" (https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-99-8391-
9_5). AI 2023: Advances in Artificial Intelligence. Lecture Notes in Computer Science. 14472.
Singapore: Springer Nature: 54–65. doi:10.1007/978-981-99-8391-9_5 (https://doi.org/10.100
7%2F978-981-99-8391-9_5). ISBN 978-981-99-8391-9.
4. "QUT cite|write - Writing a report" (https://www.citewrite.qut.edu.au/write/report.jsp).
www.citewrite.qut.edu.au. Retrieved 2020-08-06.
5. "Report" (https://web.archive.org/web/20140319203959/http://studyboom.net/wiki/Report).
archive.org. Archived from the original on 2014-03-19.

Further reading
Blick, Ronald (2003). "Technically-Write!". Prentice Hall. ISBN 0-13-114878-8.
Gerson, Sharon and Gerson, Steven (2005). Technical Writing: Process and Product. Prentice-
Hall. ISBN 0-13-119664-2.
Lannon, John (2007). Technical Communication. Longman. ISBN 0-205-55957-3.

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