Learning Centre How to... write a report Alternative formats available If you would like more help and advice on finding information or using any of the resources available in the Learning Centre, please ask a member of the Learning Centre staff. © Coleg Gwent Learning Advisors 2011 You can find this document at: http://moodle.coleggwent.ac.uk … Learning Centre Online 2 What is a report? A report is the formal writing up of a piece of research or project work. Reports contain precise detail and are written clearly, without waffle. They are made up of facts and arguments on a specific subject, supported by evidence. The purpose of a report could be to: • inform someone about a particular subject; • research a problem and draw conclusions about it; • make recommendations about ways of doing things, improvements or changes. Writing the report Before you write your report you should consider the following: • who the report is for; • what you are trying to say; • the style it should be written in; • how you are going to set it out. These points are laid out in more detail on the next page. 3 Writing the report Who is your audience/who is going to read the report? What type of language and style should you use/how should the report sound when it is read? If you are writing the report for an expert it is important to use key vocabulary and technical terms. The language you use should be formal; do not use slang or contractions (don’t, won’t). If the reader is new to the topic don't blind them with science; write clearly in a way they will understand. Your report should be written using a factual and objective style. Avoid using personal opinions and unnecessary detail. You should write in the third person, for example, “50 surveys were sent to residents.” Don’t write in the first person, using “I” or “me”, for example, ”I sent 50 surveys to the residents.” How should you set out the report? Think carefully about the order in which you want to present the information. What has to come first? What has to follow it? The order will be linked to the purpose of the report and must have a logical progression, e.g. chronological, order of importance, or general information leading to specific information. You can use subheadings or number each paragraph to make the information very clear and easy for your reader to find at a glance. 4 Planning your report Planning the structure of your report before you start means that your final report should contain all of the key information, presented in a logical sequence that is easy for the reader to follow. Have a look at the suggested structure for a report on the following pages. Also see the Learning Centre “How to... plan your writing” guide for more information on planning what you are going to write in your report. Report structure Please note: Not all reports are structured in exactly the same way. The following information gives you a guide to the key sections but you may not be expected to include each section in your report. Check with your tutor because they may have a preferred or specific structure for your report. This is a suggested report structure: Title page Acknowledgments Contents List of illustrations Abstract Introduction or Terms of Reference Methodology Results Main body/Findings/Discussion Conclusions Recommendations References/Bibliography Appendices 5 Title page The title page is the front page of the report. The title page should include the title of the report, the author’s name and the date. You may also be asked to include your course title. Acknowledgments This may not always be required but it is your opportunity to thank those who have helped you produce your report. Contents The contents page is a list of the sections in the report with the related page numbers. This is possibly the last thing you will complete. If your report is short (less than two pages) a contents page may not be necessary. Contents Page Introduction Findings Conclusion References Appendices For more detailed reports with headings and sub headings, you may need to use a more detailed numbering system to organise the information. List of illustrations This contains the title and page numbers of all graphs, charts, tables and illustrations used in your report. 6 1 2 6 7 Abstract This is a summary of your report and should contain approximately 150 words. It is a good idea to write this last. The abstract should cover: • an outline of what you investigated; • why you chose this area to investigate and briefly refer to previous research undertaken; • your prediction of what the investigation will show, also referred to as a hypothesis; • a brief summary of your methodology; • a summary of your findings and how they relate to your hypothesis; • suggestions for any further research. Please note: Check with your tutor if an abstract is necessary for your report. Depending upon the level of your course, an abstract may not be required. Introduction or Terms of Reference This section is an overview of the task you were set or the research you carried out. It can include: • details of who, if anyone, requested the report and why; • aims and hypothesis of report, i.e. a clear explanation of the purpose of the research or project; and what you expect the results to be; • links to other work, reports or projects; • details of any limitations (time, money, etc). 7 Methodology The methodology contains specific details of how you carried out the research or project. It also details who was involved, what equipment/research method you used and why you chose your research methods, e.g. questionnaire, survey, experiment or case study. Results Present the results of your investigation upon which you have drawn your conclusions. Use clear and concise titles, and describe what the graphs, tables or data show. This information will form the basis of your main body section. Please note: Check with your tutor because they may ask you to incorporate your results within the main body of the report instead. Main body/Findings/Discussion This section of the report should contain the information that you found out as a result of your research. It should make up about 60% of the report. Each paragraph in this section should contain factual information about one key point, which you discuss and explain. Remember that as well as presenting your results, you also need to analyse them. Explain what the results show in relation to the purpose of your report and also in relation to the evidence you have found from your research. Conclusions The conclusion is made up of a summary of the main findings. This is where you show what you think of the information you have found. Make sure that you clearly show how you came to your conclusions and that they are based on your findings. Everything in this section is based on the findings and you should not introduce any new points. 8 Recommendations This is where you explain what should be done as a result of the findings, including why it should be done and by whom. Your recommendations must be based on the findings of the report. You may also want to show that you have thought of the implication of your recommendations, for example, financial cost. Please note: There may not be any recommendations in a report which has been compiled to give information only. References/Bibliography Remember to note down where all your information came from, including websites, as you collect it. See the Learning Centre guide “How to... reference (and avoid plagiarism)” for more details on how to do this. It is usual to list the references alphabetically. Please note: If you are an Access student, please speak to your tutor who will explain the reference and bibliography requirements for your course. Appendices Appendices should only include information that the reader may want to refer to out of interest, or information which is required as evidence. For example, a copy of the survey that was sent as part of the research would go in the Appendices. If information such as graphs and tables needs to be looked at whilst reading the report, it should be in the Results or Main body/Findings section, not the Appendices. Ideally, Appendices should be lettered A, B, C and so on. 9 Bibliography BBC. [no date]. Key Skills: Writing a good report. [Online]. Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/keyskills/comms/level2/module1/3.shtml. (Accessed: 15 August 2005) BIZ/ED. (1996). Study Skills: Report Writing. [Online]. Available at: http://www.bized.ac.uk/reference/studyskills/reports.htm. (Accessed: 15 August 2005) COLEG GLAN HAFREN. (2005). A guide to business report writing. [Online]. Cardiff, Coleg Glan Hafren. Available at: http://www.glanhafren.ac.uk/LearnCent/StudyGuides/ BusinessReportWriting.pdf. (Accessed: 15 August 2005) UNIVERSITY OF WALES. [no date]. Quick guide to report writing. [Online]. University of Wales. Available at: http://lis.newport.ac.uk/sz/QuickGuides/Quick-guide-to-ReportWriting.pdf. (Accessed: 12 June 2007) 10 11 You can find this document at: http://moodle.coleggwent.ac.uk … Learning Centre Online The image below is a QR 2D bar code. Download a free QR code reader app for your phone at the iTunes App store or at: http://www.mobile-barcodes.com/qr-code-software Take a photo of the image with your phone and your browser will take you to Coleg Gwent Moodle. Log on with your college username and password to view all of the Learning Centre “How to...” guides. © Coleg Gwent Learning Advisors 2011 12