How to Write a Report? Format, Examples & Tips

Reports follow a formal format and are brief. The findings or outcomes of a project are frequently communicated using them. On the other hand essays are frequently used to demonstrate to a tutor your thoughts on a subject. They are discursive and the author may choose how they are structured. 

Report Writing : What and for Whom?

You must clearly identify the reports intended audience and the purpose of the commission before you begin writing it. When writing your report keep the audience in mind and consider what they should know. The report might be for: for instance. the people in general. personnel in academia. senior executives. a client or customer.

Reports are typically evaluated on their language referencing structure layout and content. For instance you should think about the reports focus in the following ways:

• Reporting on an experiment?
• Does it serve to give background information?
• Do you think you should be suggesting actions?

Language Used When Writing Reports

• The clear and succinct language used in reports can be very different from that of essays. 
• They frequently consist of sections each with its own headings and subheadings. 
• These parts could have more structured sentences bullet points or numbering. 
• Reports typically have shorter paragraphs than essays. 
• Reports and essays are two types of academic writing. 
• You must employ vocabulary punctuation and sentence structure that are all grammatically correct. 
• Adjectives and contractions like “it's and couldn't” should be avoided in academic writing because it is formal. Instead use could not and it is.

Organization and Structure

Compared to essays, reports are far more structured. They are formatted using numbering or bullet points and are separated into sections and sub-sections. Although report formats differ from discipline to discipline the following are the most popular formats. .

The Title Page

The reports topic should be succinctly stated on the title page which should be both informative and descriptive.

Abstract

In business reports an abstract is also known as an executive summary. The abstract is a concise synopsis of the reports background methodology results and conclusions

Summary of Report

It is advisable to write this section last because its purpose is to provide the reader with a summary of the report before they continue reading.

Executive Summary

Key findings and recommendations should be covered after the main problem and objectives are outlined in an executive summary.

Table of Contents

This table of contents will be used by readers to determine which sections are most pertinent to them. Make sure your contents page accurately reflects the organization of your report.

Objectives to Include

There are components to include in reports. Details are elaborated below:

An Introduction

• Include details about the history of your research as well as its goals and objectives in your introduction. 
• Additionally you can consult the literature in this section which reports on the current state of knowledge regarding your question or topic and identifies any gaps. 
• A section titled “Terms of Reference” is also expected in some reports where you specify who requested the report what it covers and its limitations.

Methodology

• If your report included research you should specify what that research entailed. 
• For instance you might have conducted a literature review focus groups or client interviews. 
• The materials and procedures used should be accurately described in the methodology section so that the experiment you conducted can be replicated by others.

The Findings and Outcomes

• An objective synopsis of your findings should be included in the results/findings section. 
• The most significant findings and trends can be described using tables graphs or figures. 
• It is not necessary for you to try to explain your findings this will be covered in the discussion section.

Discussions

• You must critically assess your findings during the discussion. 
• It might be necessary to restate the purpose of your report and whether it was successful. 
• Along with evaluating the findings significance and accuracy you should also demonstrate how they relate to earlier studies.

Findings and Suggestions

• The results of your report should be summarized in your conclusion along with recommendations for additional study or next steps. 
• Because of your research you might also need to include a list of specific recommendations. .

Citations

• The sources you used for your report are listed in the references. 
• You should use the standard referencing style that your department or school prefers such as OSCOLA Harvard or Numeric in your report.

Appendices

• The appendices serve to further explain points raised in the main body of the report.
• For more than one item, they are called appendices. 
• An appendix may be used to include information as a supporting, or supplementary, document; usually this consists of data or statistics although it is vital that this information is relevant to the main ideas presented in the report. 
• Headings for appendices can be consecutive numbers or letters, for example, Appendix A or Appendix 1. 
• They are listed in the order in which they are referenced in the report’s body, and is reflected in the order they appear at the back. 
• This means when you refer to your appendices in the body of your report See Appendix B for a breakdown of the questionnaire results, for example.
• Appendices should also be listed on your contents page.

Arrangement and  Layout

• Reports may contain visual data such as tables and figures and are written in multiple sections. 
• For this reason presentation and layout are crucial.

Summing Up With Key Takeaways

In conclusion,  the ability to write reports effectively is essential for conveying conclusions and suggestions in a clear organized way. Reports are written with a formal structure intended for particular audiences such as senior management academic staff and the general public in contrast to essays which engage in discursive exploration. 

• You can create a report that is both impactful and educational by defining its goal and knowing what your audience needs. 
• Recall that effective reports are judged on their language structure layout and proper referencing in addition to their content. 
• Gaining proficiency in the subtleties of report writing will improve your capacity to communicate ideas clearly whether you are recording an experiment giving background information or offering practical suggestions. 
• By following these guidelines you can produce reports that captivate readers and satisfy their informational needs. .