Table of Contents
Report Writing: The Basics
The necessity of making reports is something you might encounter during both your academic studies and professional career. That is why it is essential to acquaint your self with the basics of report writing which are quite different from those of a standard essay. The main difference lies in the nature of the two types of writing: a typical essay is aimed at developing some new ideas, concepts and hypothetical notion. The author writing a basic report focuses on certain actualities in the past, describing, summarizing and analyzing them. When writing a basic report, he/she may also provide insightful predictions or recommendations.
Basic Report Writing: The Aims
The basis for report writing is provided by the main report aims:
- To communicate the objectives of the work done.
- To describe the procedures applied.
- To discuss the results achieved.
- To draw unbiased objective conclusions.
Basic Report Writing: The Structure
Though the report structure may vary in every particular case, keep in mind the following scheme when writing a basic report:
- Introduction. Clearly state the objective of the work and provide the background for your research.
- Methods. A detailed description of the ways your research was done.
- Results. Explain your findings to the reader. This may require using charts and graphs, but do not forget to discuss the key points verbally.
- Discussion. Analyze your results in connection with each other and with your objectives. Relate them to the existing situation in the research field. Critically assess the role of the research methods you used.
- Conclusion. Summarize the key points, provide recommendations if applicable.
Basic Report Writing: The Three C’s
Due to the formal nature of report as such, when writing a basic report keep in mind that it must be:
- Clear. Make your writing transparent so that the reader grasps the information easily.
- Concise. Limit yourself to the facts, not the opinions.
- Complete. Include all the relevant facts.
Bear in mind those simple basics of report writing and make your reports a success!