Report writing

What is a report?
- The word ‘Report’ means ‘to give an account’. It thus means
to give people information about something that you have
heard, seen, done, etc.’ It is a very formal document that is
written for a variety of purposes (business, social, academic,
scientific, professional etc.).

- Report is a piece of factual writing containing organized

information based on
- Facts and evidences on a specific subject matter.
- Analysis of a particular topic.
- Description of an event or a condition.
- Statement of the results of an investigation or of any matter
on which definite information is required.
- Summary of findings and recommendations/suggestions about a
particular matter / problem.
- Record of important works and happenings
- Can provide information or guidelines for higher authorities
including company executives and directors to facilitate timely
decisions and follow up measures.
Objectives of Reports:
A report is an extremely official document that is written to serve a
range of purposes. Reports play a crucial role in communication in
all types of businesses, organizations and professions. People are
asked to write and present reports in every type of profession for
different objectives. Some important objectives are:
- To keep check and control over a business/ institute happenings.
- To execute new strategies and measures.
- To keep a record of research work, events, schedules,
timetables, milestones and happenings
- To record and clarify complex information for future generation
- To meet the requirements of legal and governmental
regulations.
- To study a particular situation in order to find an effective
solution
- To discuss, analyze and evaluate data
- To present information to a large number of people
- To present organized information on a particular topic.
- To make current and future planning and implement it
- To evaluate infrastructure, resources and manpower.
- To compare growth, profit, achievements of an organization
with those of its competitors.
- To give feedback, suggestions or recommendations on a
particular problem.
- To help in taking vital decisions and actions.
Characteristics of a Report
An effective reporting calls for professionalism, profound
knowledge of the subject, attentiveness and outstanding writing
proficiency. A good report is essentially:
Precise and comprehensible: Precision gives unity and coherence
to the report and makes it a valuable document. Effective reports
must clearly reflect their purpose. The objective should be defined
clearly, considering the expected response from the
audience/readers. A good report should cover all vital details e.g.,
What is the main problem? Who is/are involved in it? When did it
arise? Moreover, it should convey understandable information.

Factual: A report should be very detailed and factual. The scientific

accuracy is essential to a good report as it leads to decision making.
Relevant and appropriate: The facts presented in a report should
concentrate on the particular problem and should include no
irrelevant details or misleading ideas. Irrelevant facts make a report
confusing and at the same time exclusion of relevant facts leaves it
incomplete.

Highly objective: Recommendations and conclusions should come

logically through investigations and analysis. There is no place for
prejudices, distortion of facts, self- interest or personal opinions on
the part of the writer.
Simple, brief and unambiguous: A good report should be written in
simple and unambiguous language. It should be clear, brief and
grammatically correct.

Well organized: A good report should present facts in systematic

and definite manner. 
Grammatically Accurate: A good report uses short sentences,
correct grammatical structures and spellings.
Suitable Style and Layout: A good report should follow a particular
appropriate layout and professional style according to the type.
Formal and informal report
Formal/long report: A formal report is the result of thorough
investigation of a problem or situation. Formal reports are generally
detailed and elaborate. That’s why they are also called long reports.
These reports follow a fixed format. The length of the report may
vary according to the requirement. Formal reports include
informational, analytical, investigational and special reports etc.
Informal Reports: Also called short report, informal reports are
more frequent than the formal ones in any business or institute.
Basically, informal reports perform the same function as the formal
reports – transmitting information, facts or data to someone for
taking decision. However, informal reports are quite brief about one
to five pages that too when you have supplementary material like
bibliography, appendices etc. The style of writing is personal and
conversational.
Difference of long and short report

Length: As the name implies, a short report is very short in length. Short
report writing is usually completed in a page or two. A long report is
never possible to be completed in a page or two. A long report usually
includes some special sections (preface etc.) that do not appear in short
reports.
Nature: A short report deals with the routine matters. Subjects of the
long report are not routine type. It deals with investigating and finding
the solution of serious problems.
Reader: A short report is usually written for someone within’ the
organization. It is used when the reader’s time is very limited and the full
detail of the subject is not needed. A long report is written for someone
within the organization or outside the organization.
Format: Many short reports are written in memorandum and letter
formats. A long report is always written in a manuscript (narrative style)
format.
Formality: Short reports being informal do not require extended planning
and contain varieties of formats. A long report being formal needs a
careful planning before it is written because planning focuses on your
reader(s) and has a more formal format.
Use of Supplements: A short report does not include preface and other
extra sections because it presents only day-to-day events. A long report
includes these special parts. As long report deals with major complex
problems and it is kept on the file for future record, inclusion of the
supplements (additional sections like preface, bibliography, appendices)
will increase the reliability and validity of the report.
Writing: A short report highlights facts and some suggestions. It avoids
analysis and inclusion of supporting information. A long report on the
other hand, after analyzing and interpreting the facts, draws conclusion
and makes recommendations.
Style: Personal writing styles (using first or second person pronoun) are
used in writing a short report. A formal long report is written using
impersonal (using third person pronoun) style.