WHAT IS A REPORT?
A report is written for a
clear purpose and to a particular audience. Specific information and evidence
are presented, analyzed and applied to a particular problem or issue. The
information is presented in a clearly structured format making use of sections
and headings so that the information is easy to locate and follow.
When you are asked to write
a report you will usually be given a report brief which provides you with
instructions and guidelines. The report brief may outline the purpose, audience
and problem or issue that your report must address, together with any specific
requirements for format or structure. This guide offers a general introduction
to report writing; be sure also to take account of specific instructions
provided by your department.
A report is a systematic, well organized document which defines and
analyses a subject or problem, and which may include:
·
the record of a
sequence of events
·
interpretation
of the significance of these events or facts
·
evaluation of
the facts or results of research presented
·
discussion of
the outcomes of a decision or course of action
conclusions
conclusions
·
recommendations
Reports must always be:
-
Accurate
-
Concise
-
Clear
-
well structured
Various courses require you to write reports (as opposed to essays),
notably business and scientific or technical subjects. There are, however,
different interpretations of what a report should look like, so it is important
that you check with your course tutors and course documentation as to the
report format and content expected. In addition, there is at times some
blurring between what “essays”, “reports” and “assignments” are, so again check
within your department. Much of the advice given in Guide 1.01, How to write an
essay, also applies to reports.
Always
analyses you’re brief carefully, making sure that you fully understand the
topic, question or case, that you know what the purpose of the report is, and
who it is being written for. The clearer these things are in your mind, the
easier the report will be to write and the more effective it will be.
When you
are researching, planning and eventually writing, continually ask yourself what
the main purpose of the report is, what your objective is in writing it: is it
to inform; to argue; to persuade; to evaluate? What does your reader want to
see in the report and what will they do with it?
Planning and research
You first need to decide your basic framework. With your main topic or
question as a central focus, jot down your initial thoughts and start to group
these together. You may find the Mind Mapping technique useful: see Guide 2.11.
Start to divide key ideas from subsidiary information, and continually ask
yourself if everything is relevant; if it isn’t, then delete it.
From your prior knowledge (from reading and lectures), you should be
able to put together a fairly basic structure.
You will now be able to plan your research. Ask yourself what you need
to find out, maybe in the form of questions that need to be answered, then
approach your reading from this starting point. If you have specific
information to look for, it will make your reading easier and less time
consuming. (See Guide 2.02 Reading techniques).
Try not to gather too much information. Again, keeping your topic or
question in mind, reject anything which is not 100% relevant. When you’re
making notes, always try to summarize the main points as concisely as possible.
Remember to make a comprehensive record of any sources consulted in order to be
able to correctly reference these.
Make a record of the research methods you used.
Reports may contain some or all of the following elements:
·
A description of
a sequence of events or a situation;
·
Some interpretation
of the significance of these events or situation, whether solely your own
analysis or informed by the views of others, always carefully referenced of
course (see our page on Academic Referencing for more information);
·
An evaluation of
the facts or the results of your research;
·
Discussion of
the likely outcomes of future courses of action;
·
Your recommendations
as to a course of action; and
·
Conclusions.
You are stuck with assignment problem, don't worry we are available to solve your problems and make you feel free to do assignments easy."https://bestassignments.com/services/report-writing">
ResponderBorrar