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How to Write an Academic Report

Presentation · October 2019

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.12740.58243

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WRITING SCIENTIFIC AND
RESEARCH REPORTS
(ACADEMIC REPORT)
Nabeel Salih Ali
ITRDC, University of Kufa
MSc. Internetworking Technology
ORCID: 0000-0001-9988-5619
2nd October 2019
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Presentation Overview
 What is Report?  Typical Report Structure

 Why Write A Report?  Report Presentation

 Types of Reports  Report Writing Style

 Stand out and Successful
 What is Academic Report?
Report Writing
 How Preparing and Planning?  High Scoring in Report Writing
 WHAT IS A REPORT?
 Essentially, a report is a short, sharp, concise
document which is written for a particular
purpose and audience.

 It generally sets outs and analyses a situation

or problem, often making recommendations for
future action. It is a factual paper, and needs to
be clear and well-structured.

 Report writing comes in different shapes and

styles, depending on your topic and your
supervisor’s requirements. Some reports
contain all of the common report writing
components, while others contain only a few.
WHY WRITE A REPORT?

 A report provides clearly organized information

and/or data about a situation or problem under
investigation.

 The information/data may come from your

experience, your reading, your research,
experiments or measurements conducted in a
laboratory or out in the field.

 Knowing your audience will determine how much information and how much context
you need to provide, and the choice of technical and non-technical language in your
writing.
 WHY WRITE A REPORT?

Two of the reasons why reports are used as forms

of written assessment are:

• To find out what you have learned from

your reading, research or experience;

• To give you experience of an important

skill that is widely used in the workplace.

TYPES OF REPORTS?

 Reports can be academic, technical, or business-

oriented, and feature recommendations for specific
actions.

 Academic reports are used to present and

discuss the results of an experiment, survey, or
other research method.

 These reports often require a specific layout and the inclusion of a certain set of
sections.
What Is Academic Writing?

 Academic writing refers to a particular

style of expression.

 Characteristics of academic writing

include:
 A formal tone
 Use of the third-person rather than first-
person perspective

 Clear focus on the issue or topic rather than the author's opinion
 Precise word choice
How? (Preparation and Planning )

First, you should take some time to prepare and plan for your report. Before you start
writing, identify the audience. Your report should be written and tailored to the readers'
needs and expectations. When planning, ask yourself several questions to better
understand the goal of the report. Some questions to consider include:

 Who are the readers?

 What is the purpose of the report?

 Why is this report needed?

 What information should be included in the report?

Report Structure (Formatting)
Typical Report Structure (Formatting)

 Title Section:
There are four main pieces of information that must
be present on the title page:

 The report title

 The name of the person, company, or organization

for whom the report has been prepared

 The name of the author and the company or

university that originated the report

 Report completion date

• Summary (Abstract) or Executive Summary Section:

 The summary consists of the major points, conclusions, and

recommendations.

 It needs to be short, as it is a general overview of the report.

 Some people will read the summary and only skim the
report, so make sure you include all of the relevant
information.

 It would be best to write this when the report is finished so you will include
everything, even points that might be added at the last minute.
• Summary (Abstract) or Executive Summary Section:

This part of a report is usually no more than one page in length, and it includes:

 The purpose of the report

 The background of the report

 Sources of information

 Main findings

 Conclusions and recommendations

• Introduction Section:

The introduction should be a brief but thorough discussion of the problem’s context.

A typical introduction is about 1½ to 2 pages long, and it includes:

1. The purpose or objective of the report

2. Background information (e.g., a brief history of the organization, context of the topic
or the problem)

3. A literature review (what research has already been done in this field)

4. The scope of the study, which may include the size or extent of study, amount of
data collected, time frames, the focus of data collection or discussion (e.g., a single
department or a whole organization).
• Introduction Section:

5. Methodology, including the kind of data used (e.g., who was interviewed, what types
of materials were referred to)

6. Assumptions and limitations

7. A plan that briefly overviews the argument, framework, or logical structure of the
report.

 Use the present tense to outline the problem and your aims.

 Use the past tense to describe events that have occurred when giving background
information or context.
Introduction Samples
• Method Section:

 List the procedures and processes undertaken in your investigation in clear order. If
necessary, use subheadings like Sample, Instruments.

 For a technical report, you may need to include descriptions of materials, equipment
and resources.

 Use the past tense as the events of the research are over.

 Unless you are told specifically to write in first person, choose impersonal sentence
structures such as passive constructions, e.g. “20 students were selected randomly to
form the sample group” instead of “I selected 20 students randomly to form the sample
group”.
Method Samples
• Findings, Results and Data Section:

 Present your information in a clear and logical sequence.

 You may want to use charts, tables, graphs and pictures to demonstrate your results.
These are collectively called ‘figures’ in a report. Make sure that each of these is
labelled and numbered consecutively.

 If you have a large amount of empirical results, include them in an appendix.

 Use the past tense and passive construction to describe what was found, in keeping
with the impersonal tone of the report.
• Discussion and Analysis Section:

 This section explains and argues the interpretation of the evidence in the report.

 Use the present tense to discuss the ongoing situation as revealed in the investigation.

Check with your lecturer whether you should adopt a personal or impersonal tone in

the discussion.
• Conclusion Section:

 The conclusion is the last part of your report writing.

 Sum up the main points and refer to any underlying theme.

 If any questions or issues remain unresolved, mention them in the conclusion.

 Write in a brief, concise manner because your readers are already familiar with your

points
Findings, Results and Data Samples
• Recommendations and Implications Section:

 If the nature of the report has been to identify actions to be taken as a result of the

findings, they should be listed here sequentially.

 Use the past tense to review what the report found, and comment in the present tense.
Recommendations and Implications Samples
• References Section:
 It demonstrates that you are enlisting the support of someone’s research to support
your own ideas and findings.

 It demonstrates what ideas or information you have referred to from someone’s

research as distinct from your own.

 It demonstrates that you acknowledge and give credit to the work of someone else.

 Makes sure that you are familiar with the referencing style as prescribed by your
faculty.

 Only includes those references that you have used in your report (i.e. those that you
have cited in the report).
• Appendices Section:

 An appendix is any extra material that you wish to include at the end of your report for
the audience to consider

 It may be that it is not essential in the body of the report itself, or is too lengthy and
would interrupt the flow of information

 In some cases, it may be evidential material on which your findings are based (e.g.
statistical calculations or data from another source)

 Each appendix should be titled and numbered (e.g. Appendix A, Appendix B), and
listed in the table of contents.
Recommendations and Implications Samples
• Report Presentation

 present your report in a simple and concise style that is easy to read and navigate.
Readers want to be able to look through a report and get to the information they need
as quickly as possible. That way the report has a greater impact on the reader.

 There are simple formatting styles that can be used throughout your report that will
make it easy to read and look organized and presentable. For example:

1. Font: Use just one font in your report. An easy-to-read font such as Arial or Times
New Roman is best for reports. Section headings can be a different font from the
main text if you prefer.
• Report Presentation

2. Lists: Use lists whenever appropriate to break information into easy-to-understand

points. Lists can either be numbered or bulleted.

3. Headings and Subheadings: You can use headings and subheadings throughout

your report to identify the various topics and break the text into manageable chunks.

These will help keep the report organized and can be listed in the table of contents

so they can be found quickly.

Report Presentation Samples
• Report Writing Style

There are also some writing styles to consider:

Keep It Simple. Don't try to impress; rather try to communicate. Keep sentences short
and to the point. Make sure every word needs to be there, that it contributes to the
purpose of the report.

Use the Active Voice. Active voice makes the writing move smoothly and easily. It also
uses fewer words than the passive voice and gives impact to the writing by emphasizing
the person or thing responsible for an action. For example: "Bad customer service
decreases repeat business" is more concise and direct than "Repeat business is
decreased by bad customer service."

Mind Your Grammar. Read the report aloud and have someone proofread it for you.
Remember that the computer cannot catch all the mistakes, especially with words like
"red/read" or "there/their." You may even want to wait a day after you write it to come
back and look at it with fresh eyes.
Recommendations and Implications Samples
7 Tips To Make Your Report Stand Out

1 – Determine its purpose…… What should it accomplish?

2 – Write to your readers…….. Who is your audience?

3 – Proceed in an orderly manne Research - Write - Summarize.

4 – Length matters…… Cover your topic, then quit.

5 – Flow logically……. Lead the reader from start to finish.

6 – Appearance matters……. Make it visually appealing.

7 – Review and revise.

The Essential Stages of Successful Report Writing

Stage One: Understanding the report brief

Stage Two: Gathering and selecting information

Stage Three: Organizing your material

Stage Four: Analyzing your material

Stage Five: Writing the report

Stage Six: Reviewing and redrafting

Stage Seven: Presentation

Pointers to Score High in Report Writing
1. Use names and pronouns

2. Limit yourself to one idea per sentence.

3. Be as clear and specific as possible.

4. Use simple language.

5. Stick to observable facts.

6. Write in paragraphs.

7. Use active voice.

8. Use bullet style.

 REFERENCES

[1] https://www.careeranna.com/articles/report-writing-format-sample-report/
[2] https://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/ld/resources/writing/writing-resources/reports
[3] https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/style-and-usage/report-writing-format.html
[4] https://www.wikihow.com/Sample/Science-Report
[5] https://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Report
[6] https://www.skillsyouneed.com/write/report-writing.html
[7] https://www.openpolytechnic.ac.nz/current-students/study-tips-and-techniques/assignments/how-to-write-a-report/
[8] https://www.uts.edu.au/current-students/support/helps/self-help-resources/academic-writing/report-writing
[9] https://custom-writing.org/blog/report-writing-top-tips
[10] https://biggsuccess.com/bigg-articles/how-to-write-a-great-report/
[11] https://www.wordy.com/writers-workshop/writing-an-academic-report/
 Nabeel Salih Ali
MSc. Computer Science (Internetworking Technology)
Lecturer at ECE, Faculty of Engineering &
Member at Information Technology Research and Development Centre,
University of Kufa, Kufa, P.O. Box (21), Najaf Governorate, Iraq

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