REPORT
WRITING
•A report is a written,
factual account that
objectively
What is communicates
information about
a some aspect of
REPOR business.
T? •A usually detailed
account or statement
of a judicial (legal)
opinion or decision
• To monitor & control
operations.
• To help implement policies &
procedures.
• To comply with legal @
Purpos regulatory requirements.
• To document work performed
e of for a client.
Report • To guide decisions on
particular issues.
• To obtain new business @
funding.
• To get products, plans, @
projects accepted by others.
Characteristic of a good report
Accurate
Documented
properly Complete
Clear & Logical Balanced
• Accurate - Information is factually
correct and error free.
• Complete - Include all information
necessary for readers to
understand the situation, problems
or proposal.
• Balanced - Present all sides of
Characteristic issue fairly and equally and
s of a good include all essential information.
report • Clear and logical - Clear
sentence structure and good
transitions to help readers move
from one point to another.
• Documented properly - To
properly document and give credit
to primary and secondary sources
used in the report.
Classifications of Business
Reports
• Who initiates them (SOURCE)
Reports • How often they are needed
(FREQUENCY)
are often • Where they are being sent
classified (TARGET AUDIENCE)
• How much detail they contain
by (LENGTH)
CRITERI • Whether they are designed to
simply educate or to present a
A: decision and require action
(INTENT)
SOURCE FREQUENCY
Routine @ periodic reports
Voluntary reports
submitted on a recurring
prepared on own
basis (daily, weekly,
initiative.
monthly..)
Authorized reports Special reports present the
prepared at the request of result of specific, onetime
someone. studies @ investigations.
LENGTH TARGET
AUDIENCE
Long reports examine
Internal reports: for use
problem in detail and require
within organization. (less
extensive research &
formal eg: memo format)
preparation time.
Short reports may discuss
External reports: for use
just one part of the problem
outside organization.
and not require formal
(letter/manuscript format)
research.
INTENT
Informational reports focus on facts & are intended mainly to
explain or to educate readers.
Presents data and facts without analyses @ recommendations.
Offering information but no analysis or recommendation.
Analytical reports designed to solved a problem by convincing
readers that conclusions and recommendations reached are
justified based on data, analysis and interpretations.
Offering both information and analysis, and perhaps
recommendation
INFORMATIONAL ANALYTICAL
▪ Sometimes oral ▪ Mostly written
▪ Usually quite short ▪ Vary in length, can range
▪ Subject matter maybe a routine between one page and a book
occurrence ▪ Usually written on a particular
▪ Present factual information issue of problem
without analysis ▪ Combine factual information
▪ Sometimes special preprinted with and evaluation
forms are provided ▪ Usually in a fixed format
▪ May be in letter or memo form ▪ Maybe in letter or memo format
▪ No conclusion or ▪ Recommendations are given for
recommendation given making important decisions
ANALYTICAL
REPORT
• FRONT PAGE
• Title of report
FORM • LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL
• Introduces your report to
AT OF your audience
• TABLE OF CONTENT
A • Indicates in outline form the
coverage, sequence, and
REPO relative importance of the
information in the report
RT • EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
• Brief overview of the report’s
most important points
• INTRODUCTION
• Background of problems or issues
• Provide some background
FORM information of the company or
series of events that show how
AT OF the problems developed
• Purpose
A • Objective, aim goal or mission
• Scope
REPO • The exact coverage of the
problem
RT • Method of Investigation
• How and where you obtain
information
• Limitations
• FINDINGS/ANALYSIS
• Include all the relevant data, results,
statistical information, accounts of
observation
FORM
• CONCLUSION
AT OF • Summarized the result and draw
conclusion of your findings or result
A • Could be opinions based on facts,
comparisons of viewpoints
REPO
• RECOMMENDATION
RT • Recommendation in solving the
problems/issues
• E.g. suggestions for actions,
suggestions for further investigation
• REFERENCES/BIBILIOGRAPHY
• A report always contains
information taken from secondary
sources such as books, journals,
FORM newspaper articles, magazine and
other online articles that you have
AT OF referred to in your research.
A • Your sources should include the
following:
REPO • Name of Author
RT • Year of publication
• Title of book, article, journal
• Name of publisher
• Place of publication
• REFERENCES/BIBILIOGRAPHY
• Two commonly known reference style
• APA – American Psychological
Association,
FORM • MLA – Modern Language Association
AT OF • Example of listing references
• Black, D & Wilson, J. (2004). Academic
A Report Writing. Pearson Prentice Hall
• Azmin, Mohamad. (1994, June 20). The
Year of Misery Asia Week, p 20-22
REPO • Pang, E.S. (2003, October 20).
Unemployment Among University
RT Graduates. The Star, p 76
• Special Committee on Language
Teaching Practice (2001) Operations
Plan from
[Link]
•Appendices
FORM
AT OF •Questionnaires
A •Sample of
REPO articles,
RT newspaper
cuttings,
pictures
Report Writing : The Four Stage Method
Revising
Drafting
Selecting
Information
Planning and
and Outlining
Gathering
Data
Planning the Report
Planning involve 4 steps:
• Define the problem
• Limit problem definition to a realistic assessment
Step 1 : • Do this by asking 5Ws and 1 H – What, Why,
Where, Who, When, How
Determine the
problem/issue
• What is the issue of the problem?
• Why are you conducting the research?
• Where will you collect the data?
• Who will be your respondents?
• How will you collect the data?
• When is the timeframe for you to conduct the
research?
Planning the Report
• Ask yourself two questions:
• What do I need?
• Where can I get it?
• Where can I get it?
• Primary Data
Step 2: • Secondary Data
• Primary Data
Conducting the • Questionnaires
research • Interview
• Observation
• Experiment
• Secondary Data
• Books, journals, newspapers, internet websites, etc
• Quote
Planning the Report
• The word analysis means to look
at the part of things separately
or in relationship to the whole.
• The various parts of your
Step 3: information are compared and
Analyzing the contrasted in an effort to
data develop ideas
• Facts and figures are interpreted
by explaining what they mean
Planning the Report
• A good outline will help you write clearly
Step 4: Preparing the • Outline performs the following function:
outline
Enables you to
Serves as a guide spot structural
Presents ideas in a Keeps you focus
to writing the mistakes, such as
logical order on the main topics
report explaining some
ideas fully
Permits checking
Serves as a
of relationships
Verifies that detailed table of
between all parts
conclusions and contents
of the report
recommendations
are supported
• Based on your analysis, you
can offer solution or solutions
to the problems that you have
researched.
• Conclusion is an inference
drawn from the facts of your
Conclusions and analysis.
Recommendation • Based on your conclusion,
s you could state the
recommendation or research
solution.
• Conclusions and
recommendations must be
based on findings and your
objective analysis.