It should be no more than half a page to a page in length. It’s worth writing this last, when you know the key points to draw out. The executive summary or abstract, for a scientific report, is a brief summary of the contents. However, as a rough guide, you should plan to include at the very least an executive summary, introduction, the main body of your report, and a section containing your conclusions and any recommendations. Like the precise content, requirements for structure vary, so do check what’s set out in any guidance. Although referencing is perhaps less important in the workplace, it’s also important that you can substantiate any assertions that you make so it’s helpful to keep track of your sources of information. Make sure that you keep track of your references, especially for academic work. Anything irrelevant should be discarded.Īs you read and research, try to organise your work into sections by theme, a bit like writing a Literature Review. Step 2: Keep your brief in mind at all timesĭuring your planning and writing, make sure that you keep your brief in mind: who are you writing for, and why are you writing?Īll your thinking needs to be focused on that, which may require you to be ruthless in your reading and thinking. You will usually receive a clear brief for a report, including what you are studying and for whom the report should be prepared.įirst of all, consider your brief very carefully and make sure that you are clear who the report is for (if you're a student then not just your tutor, but who it is supposed to be written for), and why you are writing it, as well as what you want the reader to do at the end of reading: make a decision or agree a recommendation, perhaps. It’s worth taking a bit of time to plan it out beforehand. The structure of a report is very important to lead the reader through your thinking to a course of action and/or decision. Report Writing Getting Started: prior preparation and planning Modern word processors have features to add tables of contents (ToC) and page numbers as well as styled headings you should take advantage of these as they update automatically as you edit your report, moving, adding or deleting sections. It follows that page numbering is important. Reports usually, therefore, have numbered sections and subsections, and a clear and full contents page listing each heading. Sections and NumberingĪ report is designed to lead people through the information in a structured way, but also to enable them to find the information that they want quickly and easily. If you’re writing a report in the workplace, check whether there are any standard guidelines or structure that you need to use.įor example, in the UK many government departments have outline structures for reports to ministers that must be followed exactly. Not all of these elements will be essential in every report. Your recommendations as to a course of action and.Discussion of the likely outcomes of future courses of action.An evaluation of the facts or the results of your research.
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