REPORT WRITING SKILLS

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

By the end of the sub-module unit, the trainee should be able to:

a) Explain features of a good report.

b) Explain types of report.

c) Explain format of a report.

Definition:
1. A report refers to information that has been carefully gathered and logically presented.
2. A report is a document which investigates a specific subject according to a prescribed/
given format and for a clearly defined readership/ audience who normally are those in superior
positions within a company or organization.

Features of a good report

a) Factual. A good report should be based on facts and not imagination. The facts should be
accurate.
b) Clarity. A good report is absolutely clear. Clarity depends on proper arrangement of facts.
The report writer must proceed systematically. He should make his/ her purpose clear, define his/
her sources, state the findings and finally make the necessary recommendations. The report
should be divided into short paragraphs giving them headings, and insert other suitable signposts
to achieve greater clarity.
c) Objective. It should be impartial. It should not have personal opinion, bias or prejudice.
d) Orderly / structured in a predetermined fashion. Its contents should be clearly and
logically arranged.
e) Detailed. All relevant information should be included in the report.
f) Precise. In a good report the writer is very clear about the exact purpose of writing it.
Precision gives a kind of unity and coherence to the report.
g) Brevity. A good report should be brief. But brevity should not be achieved at the cost of
clarity or completeness.
h) Grammatical accuracy.
Types of reports
1. Oral Report
Oral Report- is a presentation of factual information to an audience by word of mouth.
2. Written report
Written reports are a written document describing the findings of some individual or group and
are often used to display the result of an experiment, investigation, or inquiry.
3. Management reports
These are reports used by business managers to monitor the success of their businesses and
operations. These reports may include financial, labor and traffic reports.
4. Operations procedure
This is a prescribed procedure to be followed routinely. It is a particular course of action
intended to achieve a result.
5. Formal reports
They are official in nature. They contain information resulting from investigations. They are
about major issues of importance. They are mostly used by a committee or a working party. The
findings are directed at the appointing authority.
6. Informal reports
They are not official in nature. They are produced by junior clerks and personnel.
7. Routine reportsThese are reports submitted on a fixed time span e.g. daily basis, weekly
basis, monthly basis or even annually. They may cover petty expenses on daily basis or
attendance of workers on daily basis. They may also cover various divisions or units of
production on a daily basis.
8. Statutory reports
These are those reports which have a legal status and they are required by law e.g. auditor
general’s, financial reports or chairman’s report to the annual general meeting of the company’s
stakeholders.
9. Financial reports
These are reports prepared by the manager of the finance department or the controller of finance.
They provide valuable information on the financial structure, the effectiveness of the use of
capital, the need and ways of reorganizing capital resources etc.
Role/ uses of reports in an organization
1. Reports facilitate decision making and planning
Reports provide reliable data which can be used in the planning and decision making process. It
acts as a source of reliable information for long term planning and decision making.
2. Reports facilitate framing of personnel policies
Certain reports relating to employees are useful while preparing personnel policies such as
promotion policy, training policy and welfare facilities to employees.
3. Reports used give information to shareholders
Some company reports are prepared yearly for the benefit of shareholders. Annual reports for
example, are prepared and sent to all shareholders before the AGM because they give
information about the progress of the company.
4. Reports are a used for internal communication
Reports acts as an effective means of communication within the organization. They provide
feedback to employees and are prepared for the information and guidance of others connected
with the matter / problem.
5. Reports disclose unknown information
Reports provide information, which may not be known previously. The committee members
collect data, draw conclusions and provide information which may be new to all concerned
parties.
6. Report gives Information to employees
Reports are available to managers and departments for internal use. They are widely used by the
departments for guidance. Report provide a feedback to employees and are useful for their self-
improvement.
 7. Report gives reliable permanent information
The information provided by a report is a permanent addition to the information available to the
office. We have census reports (prepared since last 100 years) which are used even today for
reference purpose.
8. Reports give complete & updated information
A report provides complete, factual and an up-to-date information about a particular matter or
subject.
STEPS TO TAKE IN PREPARATION FOR REPORT WRITING
All reports need to be clear, concise and well structured. With careful planning, the writing of a
report will be made much easier. The following are the steps to take in report writing.
Step One: Understanding the purpose of the report
You must understand the purpose of your report as described in your report instructions.
Consider who the report is for and why it is being written. Understand the terms of reference,
scope and purpose of the report.
Step Two: Gathering and selecting information
Once you are clear about the purpose of your report, you need to begin to collect data relevant to
the report. Data may come from a variety of sources, and may be collected using data collection
tools like questionnaires, interviews schedules or by surveying.
Step Three: Organizing your material
Once you have gathered information you need to decide what will be included and in what
sequence it should be presented. Begin by grouping together points that are related. These may
form topics/ sections or chapters. Choose an order for your material that is logical and easy to
follow.
Step Four: Analyze your material
Before you begin to write your first draft of the report, take time to consider and make notes on
the points you will make using the facts and evidence you have gathered. Ask yourself what
conclusions can be drawn from the material? What are the limitations or flaws in the evidence?
Do certain pieces of evidence conflict with one another? Relate the information you have
gathered to the problem or issue described in the report brief.
Step five: Write the draft
Use short words and sentences. Avoid use of jargon. Avoid ambiguity.
Step six: Revise and proof read the draft (Refer to notes on paragraph development)
GENERAL REPORT FORMAT GUIDELINES
When you write a report, you will want to make it easy to read and understand. Here are some
guidelines to apply to any report you write.
 Use lists: Whenever you can, help your reader by using lists. Give your lists visual
emphasis by bullets.
 Use headings and subheadings: Use headings and subheadings to guide your reader
through the organization of the report and list them in the table of contents. Each section should
have a clear topic statement to let the reader know what will be included in the section.
 Use clear typefaces, such as Times New Roman or Arial: Avoid using more than one
typeface in a document. Bold section headings for emphasis.
 Use white space to enhance your information: Dense blocks of text are difficult to read
and will make it more difficult for your readers to find the information they need. For further
information on this topic, see the OWL resource on document design, HATS.
 The structure of a report
I. Preliminaries
 Title Page/ cover page
 Executive Summary
 Terms of Reference
 Table of contents
 Acknowledgements
II. Body
 Introduction
 Methods
 Findings
 Discussion
 Conclusion
 Recommendations
III. Appendices
IV. Bibliography
V. Glossary of Technical Terms
1. Title Page
It explicitly describes the purpose of the report. It may include could be your name, the date and
for whom the report is written.
2. Executive Summary
It gives an overview of subject matter, methods of analysis, findings, and recommendations in
brief detail.
3. Terms of Reference
This section gives precise indication of the area covered by the report. Under this heading you
could include a brief explanation of who will read the report (audience) why it was written
(purpose) and how it was written (methods).
4. Table of contents
It lists the different chapters and/or headings together with the page numbers. Your contents page
should be presented in such a way that the reader can quickly scan the list of headings and locate
a particular part of the report. You may want to number chapter headings and subheadings in
addition to providing page references. Whatever numbering system you use, be sure that it is
clear and consistent throughout.
5. Introduction
The introduction sets the scene for the main body of the report. It explains the aims and
objectives of the report in detail. It identifies any problems or limitations in the scope of the
report gives and a description of research methods, the parameters of the research and any
necessary background history.
6. Methods
Information under this heading may include: a list of equipment used; explanations of procedures
followed; relevant information on materials used including sources of materials and details of
any necessary preparation; reference to any problems encountered and subsequent changes in
procedure.
7. Findings
This section should include a summary of the results of the investigation or experiment together
with any necessary diagrams, graphs or tables of gathered data that support your results. Present
 your results in a logical order without comment. Discussion of your results should take place in
the main body (Discussion) of the report.
8. Discussion
This is where you discuss the findings. The facts and evidence you have gathered should be
analyzed and discussed with specific reference to the problem or issue. If your discussion section
is lengthy you might divide it into section headings. Your points should be grouped and arranged
in an order that is logical and easy to follow. Use headings and subheadings to create a clear
structure for your material. Use bullet points to present a series of points in an easy-to-follow list.
As with the whole report, all sources used should be acknowledged and correctly referenced.
9. Conclusion
It describes that section of the report which interprets the facts and observations presented in the
findings. No new material should be introduced in the conclusion.
10. Recommendations
This section is used to put forward a future course of action concerning the topic under
investigation.
11. Appendices
This is where youinclude all the supporting information you have used or is contained in the
body of the report. This might include tables, graphs, questionnaires, surveys or transcripts.
12. Bibliography
It lists all published sources referred to in your report. It is listed alphabetically. There are
different styles of using references and bibliographies. Refer to the study guide Referencing and
Bibliographies and check your departmental handbook for guidelines. Texts which you consulted
but did not refer to directly could be grouped under a separate heading such as 'Background
Reading' and listed in alphabetical order using the same format as in your bibliography.
13. Acknowledgements
Where appropriate you may wish to acknowledge the assistance of particular organisations or
individuals who provided information, advice or help.
14. Glossary of Technical Terms
This is a brief, clear description of each term used. You can also include in this section
explanations of the acronyms (short forms), abbreviations or standard units used in your report.
Audience analysis (check ex book notes)
Data collection
Data collection refers to the gathering of information to serve or prove some facts. Data
collection is aimed at proving or refuting some facts.
Purpose of data collection
 To obtain information
 To keep on record
 To make decisions about important issues
 To pass on information to others
Sources of data
There are two major sources of data. These are primary sources and secondary sources.
i. Primary sources
This is information gathered directly from respondents. They provide first-hand information or
original data. e.g. Interviews, diaries, letters, journals, original hand-written manuscripts,
newspaper and magazine clippings, government documents, [Link] is through questionnaires,
 interviews, focused group discussions, observation and experimental studies. It involves creating
new data.
ii. Secondary sources
This is data gathered and recorded by someone else prior to and for a purpose other that the
current project. This is data that is being reused usually in a different context e.g. textbooks,
review articles, biographies, historical films, music and art, articles about people and events from
the past
Data collection instruments/ tools
Questionnaires, interview schedules e.t.c
Data analysis
Data analysis refers to examining what has been collected in a survey or experiment and making
deductions and inferences. The methods or statistics used for data analysis are influenced by the
stated objectives, research questions or hypothesis, and the research design used.
Reading skills
Improving your reading skills will reduce unnecessary reading time and enable you to read in a
more focused and selective manner. You will also be able to increase your levels of
understanding and concentration.
Reading for study
You already use a range of reading styles in everyday situations. The normal reading style that
you might use for reading a novel is to read in detail, focusing on every word in sequence from
start to finish. If it is a magazine you are reading, you might flick through the pages to see which
articles are of interest. When you look in a telephone directory for a particular name, you
purposefully ignore all other entries and focus your attention on spotting the name you want.
These everyday reading skills can be applied to your studies.
To improve your reading skills you need to:
 have clear reading goals;
 choose the right texts;
 use the right reading style;
 use note taking techniques.
 Reading goals
Clear reading goals can significantly increase your reading efficiency.
Use your reading goals to help you identify the information that is relevant to your current task.
 Choosing a text
Assess the text to see if it contains information that is relevant to your reading goals.
 Reading style
Scanning
Scanning is where you pass your eyes speedily over a section of text in order to find particular
words or phrases that are relevant to your current task. You can scan:
 the introduction or preface of a text;
 the first or last paragraphs of chapters;
 the concluding or summarizing chapter of a text;
 the book index.
Skimming
Skimming is the process of speedy reading for general meaning. Concentrate on identifying the
central or main points. Use this technique to:
 pre-view a selection of text prior to detailed reading;
 refresh your understanding of a selection of text following detailed reading.
Detailed reading and note taking
Once you have selected useful information, you can begin to read in detail. Note taking
techniques provide a useful aid to reading. Use:
 Underlining and highlighting to pick out what seem to you the most central or
important words and phrases. Do this in your own copy of texts or on photocopies - never on
borrowed texts;
 Keywords to record the main headings as you read. Use one or two keywords for each
main point. Keywords can be used when you don't want to mark the text;
 Questions to encourage you to take an active approach to your reading. Record your
questions as you read. They can also be used as prompts for follow up work;
 Summaries to check you have understood what you have read. Pause after a section of
text and put what you have read in your own words. Skim over the text to check the accuracy of
your summary, filling in any significant gaps.