Frequently, a report aims to guide and influence decision making. Professionals from many fields regularly write reports. So report writing features largely in university assignments, both as individual and team tasks. Reports can take many forms and address many different purposes. You need to continually consider who the report is being written for. Are you writing for a client?
A manager? Do you have two audiences e. The answers to these questions will guide decisions about how the report is structured, the amount of background information you include, what type of information is required, and how best to present the report, including the level of technical language you use. All reports share some common features, which differentiate them from other types of writing at University like essays as outlined in the following table.
Reports are meant to be read selectively. This means, the reader may choose to read and refer to sections in a particular order, rather than from start to finish. This is why features like a title page, table of contents, bolded headings, numbering, lettering, and bullet points are important in a report. In the fields below drag and drop each feature to the appropriate communication piece: Report, Essay, or Both.
Some assessment tasks at university involve writing a research report to explain a research project or investigation that you have undertaken. Sometimes assignments combine elements of both research and business report formats. The structure of a typical research report includes the following sections:. If your task is to write a specific type of report other than a research or business report, you may want to click on one of the following links:.
Unlike other types of reports, there are a number of ways to structure the content. It is important to seek clarification on the most appropriate structure to adopt. If your report is an academic assignment, start by analysing the task carefully, noting all essential instructions and matching these with the Marking Guide. If necessary, check with your tutor or lecturer.
If your report is a professional task, what style and presentation considerations are important in your organisation? Generally, a formal business report will contain some or all of the following sections, typically presented in this order:.
The preliminary section refers to the parts at the beginning of the report before the introduction. It includes the title page, table of contents, glossary if required and executive summary. Reports usually contain an executive summary after the title page.
It is intended to inform the time-poor executive of the essential elements of the report. It contains no quotations and is usually no more than one page in length.
The executive summary is placed at the beginning of the report, after the title page, but before the introduction. Detailed information including figures, tables and references or discussion is not included in the executive summary.
It is often best to write the executive summary last. In some assessments, the executive summary is not included in the word-count. Check your assignment instructions carefully. The following two excerpts from an Executive Summary in a report by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission ACCC contain good examples of the style of communication required in this section of a report.
The first excerpt demonstrates the opening statements and the second excerpt highlights key findings. Click on the hotspots below to learn more.
The table of contents is a list of different sections or chapters of a report with their corresponding page numbers, which make locating specific information in the report easy and functions as a roadmap to the report.
Regardless of the length of your report, the table of contents makes it reader-friendly by enabling easy navigation. The organisational style you choose for the table of contents has implications for the whole document, so choose your system carefully and apply it consistently, indicating section titles, sub-headings and page numbers.
A brief Google search should help you use this function on your preferred software. Similar to the table of contents, reports usually include a list of tables and figures which indicate the titles and page numbers of the visuals used across the report to make them easy to locate. When there are six or more figures, they are often listed on a separate page with their corresponding page numbers in the text.
Examples of figures include charts, photographs, drawings, diagrams, illustrations or other non-text depictions. When there are fewer than six, they can be included in the table of contents.
These can also be inserted into a Word document automatically, and should be updated before submission. The introduction of a report engages the reader and focuses their attention. Longer reports may include definitions of key terms at this point as well as associated theory. A brief outline of the report should then follow. The outline familiarises the reader with the structure to come. This signposting helps the reader to form expectations about what is presented and navigate the document.
It is a good example of the style of communication required in this section of a report. Is my browser supported? The Form NC-5Q is filed quarterly by semi-weekly payers to reconcile payments made throughout the quarter. The eNC5Q application only supports original forms. Payments and amended return submissions should be mailed to the Department. You can find these forms, here. After explaining the results, you should briefly summarize the findings.
You want this report to show how things are going at the moment. Instead, they are an update for the person who needs it. One example of this could be a weekly report disclossing the progress made throughout the week and what tasks you're looking to work on in the upcoming week.
Every business or enterprise needs business annual reports to see how things are working right now, and what adjustments can be done to improve the situation. They provide a summary or analysis of a particular situation or issue and give specific recommendations for further improvement. As per Stacy research analyst at Best Reviews List , You should know how to write a business report to ensure the best results, as well as choose the right type of report you need for every situation.
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