REPORT WRITING

Sundeep Sondhi

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What is a Report
■ A report is a:
– structured form of writing
– which involves:
■ identification of a problem
■ its detailed examination
■ an organized provision of all the results and
discussions followed by some suggestions and
recommendations

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Characteristics of a Report
■ A report is to be structured with the use of headings
and subheadings
■ It should be comprised of sections which can stand
independently when it comes to the comprehension
of these sections without referring to the other
sections
■ A report is a form of impartial communication based
on facts and figures to maintain objectivity in
language

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General Purpose of Writing a Report
■ In general, a report is used to provide information
which is used to persuade your target audience
■ This leads to a change in their perspectives
■ In other words, you are influencing your audience to
take a decision
■ As a result, you initiate an action.

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Report Attributes
■ A report is a methodical, well-planned document
which outlines and evaluates a subject or problem.
■ Essentially, a report is a short, sharp and concise
document which is written for a particular purpose
and audience.
■ It basically analyzes a situation or problem, often
making recommendations for future actions.
■ It is a factual paper and needs to be clear and well-
structured.

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Features of a Well-Written Report
■ A report reflects a clear picture of your clarity of
thought
■ It also elaborates the fact that your knowledge is
comprehensive and you have provided information in
a manner which is self-explanatory
■ The information should not only be comprehensive
but also compact
■ In other words, maximum information is provided
with a minimum use of words
■ The overall structure of a well-written report is
presentable and legible
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STRUCTURE OF THE
REPORT
Sundeep Sondhi

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Sections of a Report
Title Page
Executive Summary
Table of Contents
Introduction
Discussion
Conclusion
Recommendations
Bibliography
Appendices
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Title Page
•Title of the report

•Date of submission

•Addresser’s name

• Addressee’s name

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Report Structure: Title Page
Submission
Date

Title

To From

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Executive Summary (Abstract)
■ Aims
■ Objectives/Methods
■ Findings
■ Conclusions
■ Recommendations

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Report Structure: Abstract

No
Qualitative
abbreviations

Purpose and outcome

with results

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Points to Consider
■ Write it when the report is complete in all respects
■ Grabbing the Reader’s Attention
■ Target Audience
■ Theme
■ Purpose
■ Reflect a Business Plan

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Report Structure: Table of Contents

Section

Subsection Appendices

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 Table of Contents

A sequential list of a report’s organizational structure

Scope
Page numbers
First step towards organization
Decimal system

Executive summary and TOC provided with roman numerals

Rest is decimal

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Level of headings
First degree of heading is written using whole numbers;
for example:
■ 1. Introduction to Economics
The second degree of heading is written using one
decimal place:
■ 1.1 Debit and Credit
The third degree indicates sub-sub-section and is
written as follows:
■ 1.1.1 Expenditure and Finances

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Example: Table of Contents

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Introduction
■ Big Picture
■ Context
■ Subject Matter
■ Problem Description
■ Defining Objectives
■ Indicating the Answer
■ Outlining the Scope (Extent)
■ Report Preview
■ Limitations

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Report Structure: Introduction
Problem
Description

Brevity Objectives

Most
Interesting Methods
Results
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Example 01
Today, many organizations and employees are experiencing the effects
of stress on work performance. The effects of stress can be either
positive or negative. What is perceived as positive stress by one person
may be perceived as negative stress by another, since everyone
perceives situations differently. According to Barden (2001), negative
stress is becoming a major illness in the work environment, and it can
debilitate employees and be costly to employers. Managers need to
identify those suffering from negative stress and implement programs
as a defense against stress. These programs may reduce the impact
stress has on employees' work performance.

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 Example 02

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 Example 03: A Report on the Rise in Computer
Gaming Addiction Among Teenagers

1. Introduction
1.1 Purpose
The purpose of this report is to investigate the reasons behind the rise in computer gaming addiction among teenagers. The report
will also recommend preventive measures for computer gaming addiction.
1.2 Background
A recent study on game technology (Tan, 2010) shows that nearly 75% of teenagers in Singapore play computer games regularly and
the majority of them show signs of addiction. The rise in computer gaming addiction among teenagers is a growing concern and
the Ministry of Media Development (MDD) would like to find out the reasons behind this trend.
The report was commissioned by the Director of Corporate Communications, Ms Julie Sim, on 31 May 2010.
1.3 Method of Investigation
Questionnaires were issued to 100 teenagers from 25 educational institutions on 25 June 2010. Three teenagers who were former
addicts were also interviewed to get more in-depth views. References were also made to books and newspaper articles.
1.4 Scope
Besides respondents’ profile, this report looks into four possible reasons for the rise in gaming addiction among teenagers:
boredom, stress, societal influence and addictive game features.

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Example 04

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Report Structure: Sections
• Title Page
• Executive Summary
• Table of Contents
• Introduction
• Discussion
• Conclusion
• Recommendations
• Bibliography
• Appendices

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Report Structure: Discussions [1/3]
■ Discussion explains:
– What exactly you accomplished?
– What problems you encountered (status report)?
– What you saw and did (trip report)?
– What procedure you followed?
– What you learned from the task (laboratory
report)?
– What options exist as feasible solutions to a
problem (proposal)?

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Report Structure: Discussions [2/3]
■ Author’s reflection on the subject matter
■ Author's expression of his/her own opinions and views
■ Indicates how to provide solution to the problem
■ Good prose style
■ Justified arguments or generalizations

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Report Structure: Discussions [3/3]

•To think critically about an issue.

•To develop creative solutions to the

problems.

•To formulate a deeper, more profound

understanding of the problem under
investigation.

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Report Structure: Results and Discussions

• Textual explanation accompanied with:

• Figures
• Tables
• Diagrams

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Report Structure: Findings

• How reliable are the findings?

• How significant are the findings?

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Findings Examples

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Report Structure: Conclusions
■ Conclusions:
– are logical deductions based on the data in the
findings section.
– are a comprehensive summary of the findings.
– sum up the main points of the report.
– highlight the significant elements.
– relate to the objectives.
– end with a statement which will lead to the
recommendations section.

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Example: Conclusions

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Report Structure: Recommendations
■ Recommendations can be made concerning:
– the implementation
– general applicability
– suitability of findings
– suggestions of topics for further research

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How to write Recommendations?
■ Brief – write concisely; any reason for
recommendation should only be given if necessary.
■ Clear – do not be ambiguous as to how the
suggestion should be implemented.
■ Precise – vague recommendations usually result
from insufficient research/analysis.

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Bibliography or Work Cited
■ All the sources of information are included in the
report
■ Use the standard format: APA/MLA
– https://academictips.org/mla-format/
■ Ensure that all the work you cite in the body of your
report is listed in the reference list

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Appendices
■ An appendix contains material which is too detailed,
technical, or complex to include in the body of the
report .
■ Example:
■ Specifications
■ Questionnaire
■ Long complex table of figures etc.
■ Placed at the very end of the report.

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