Learning Objects

A report is a formal written document providing technical information and informed opinion relating to a specific task.

Reports are written for a variety of purposes. Different types of reports include:

• business reports
• financial reports
• feasibility studies
• technical reports
• laboratory reports
• health and safety reports
• case study reports.

Reports are considered to be legal documents in the workplace, and must be accurate and concise in order to avoid misinterpretation.

A report is broken into sections and subsections, each of which has a heading.

A report may include the following:

• letter of transmittal
• title page
• abstract or executive summary
• table of contents
• table of figures and tables
• scope
• introduction
• analysis
• lists
• conclusion
• recommendations
• appendices

Source:
Dwyer, J 2009, The Business Communication Handbook, 8th edn, Pearson Education, Frenchs Forest.

Example:

1 January 2009

The Planning Committee
Kalkadoo Shire Council
PO Box 102
Kalkadoo Qld 4830

Dear Councillors

Please find enclosed the Feasibility Study into the damming of the Blue River as requested. The report discusses in detail the findings of the study for your perusal. It is our belief that discussions about the proposed dam should be given a high priority at the next planning meeting scheduled for 12 January 2009.

Yours faithfully

Jane Brown John Black

Jane Brown and John Black
Environmental Engineers

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Source:
Communications Learning Centre (CLC) n.d., Report Writing, viewed 19 December 2011

An abstract or synopsis summarises briefly (150-200 words), the findings of the entire report.

It usually contains:

• the aim or purpose
• methodology (procedures followed)
• the main findings
• conclusion.

The abstract does not include the report's recommendations.

Tip: The abstract is NOT the introduction.

Example:

This report discusses the feasibility study carried out from 12 June 2001 to 7 December 2001 into the damming of the Blue River between Johnson's Creek and Blackstump Creek. Water flow rates, sediment levels, fish stock numbers, weed infiltration rates and salinity tests have been carried out and positive conclusions have been drawn. It should be noted that areas flooded by the proposed dam include only those areas already declared unusable for agricultural purposes. It is expected that economic opportunities for a fishery, council caravan park, irrigation leases and household water meter reservoirs will be forthcoming within twelve months of the dam's completion.

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Source:
Communications Learning Centre (CLC) n.d., Report Writing, viewed 19 December 2011

A table of contents shows the reader where the various sections of the report are located.

It is written on a separate page.

It includes the page numbers of each section within the report and any appendices that are attached to the report.

It does not include the title page, abstract or executive summary. These sections are attached to the report before the table of contents page.

Example:

Note: This is a very simple example of a table of contents. More detailed examples can be found in the Faculty of Business and Informatics Guide for Students.

In a general sense, scope means"'the extent of the area or subject matter that something deals with" (The Oxford Dictionary of English).

The scope of a report therefore shows what it includes and excludes.

It outlines the aims and limitations of the report.

Example:

This business plan examines investment opportunities for XYZ Holdings over the next 12 months. It will not consider previous investment strategies or comment on the performance of current or former investment consultants.

Source:

‘Scope noun’ 2005, in C Soanes & A Stevenson (eds),The Oxford Dictionary of English, (rev. edn), viewed 19 December 2011, http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/SEARCH_RESULTS.html?y=0&q=scope&x=0&ssid=212360512&scope=global&time=0.756923276090191

Analysis means a 'detailed examination of the elements or structure of something' (Oxford Reference Online).

In a report, the topic must be examined from different perspectives in order to build up a comprehensive picture.

In other words, everything needs to be taken into account before an informed decision can be made.

The analysis is part of the main body of a report, and is often its longest section.

In the analysis, report writers prove a case by providing:

• a balanced argument
• evidence in the form of statistics, graphs, tables, lists
• justification for conclusions and recommendations.

The conclusion is a brief section (less than a page) in which the writer analyses the significance of the report's findings.

These findings must derive logically from material presented in the report.

A generalisation is then drawn from the specific findings of the research.

New information is not included in the conclusion.

Information in a conclusion may be presented as dot points.

Example:

• The report demonstrates the viability of the proposed Pine Ridge Resort.
• Survey results indicate a need for this kind of facility in the community.
• Some objections may be forthcoming from members of the public concerned with environmental issues.

The title page of a report should be brief and precise.

It contains the following information:

• the name of the report

• who prepared the report

• for whom the report was prepared

• the nature of the report

• the date the report was prepared

Tip: The title page of a report is NOT the same as an assignment cover sheet.

Example:

The executive summary is a one page (or less) statement of a report’s purpose, findings and recommendations.

It is more detailed than the abstract, enabling the reader to see the "big picture" without getting absorbed in technicalities.

According to Putnis and Petelin (1999, cited in Dwyer 2006, p. 469), it is 'an acceptable substitute for the whole report'.

Tip: Referencing is not used in the executive summary.

Source:
Dwyer, J 2009, The Business Communication Handbook, 8th edn, Pearson Education, Frenchs Forest.

In addition to the Table of Contents, a Table of Figures and Tables is usually required in a report.

It is situated immediately after the Table of Contents.

It contains a list of figures, statistical tables, diagrams and graphs, including their titles.

Example:

The introduction consists of two or three paragraphs in which the aims, structure and methodology of the report are outlined.

It states clearly the purpose or main task of the report and what the reader can expect to obtain from it.

Important background information is included, such as why the report was commissioned in the first place.

The introduction may mention previous reports and research projects if the present report builds on, or challenges them. 

Lists can be used to organise ideas relating to a particular topic. 

Lists are often used in reports but are not generally found in essays.

Whilst a fluent writing style is important, the point of a report is to get information across clearly and concisely.

Do not attempt to convince the reader with rhetoric, but with facts, figures and lists.

Crucial information may be listed in dot points rather than in prose and paragraphs.

Tip: Use dot points where the order of items is not significant; use numbering where the order of items is important.

Example:

Popular film genres include:

• romance
• horror
• science fiction
• adventure
• crime.

The crucial elements of a formal meal include:

1. hors d'oeuvres
2. entree
3. main course
4. dessert
5. coffee

An appendix contains important supplementary information, too detailed for inclusion in the main body of the report.

This information might be particularly useful to personnel who have to implement the recommendations of the report.

A  report's appendices might include:

• glossary of terms
• raw data sheets
• maps
• diagrams
• survey results.

The reader's attention is drawn in-text to the appropriate appendix.

Example:

A cash flow statement for XYZ Holdings covering the period 2007-2008 is included as Appendix 1.

Tip: Always ensure your appendix has a title and the title is included on the table of contents.

Example:

 Appendix 1 - Cash Flow Statement for XYZ Holdings 2007-2008

Recommendations are suggestions for further action based on a report’s conclusions.

In other words, they outline what the reader should do to solve the problem(s) identified in the report.

Not all reports will ask for recommendations.

Some reports will have a section where both conclusions and recommendations are given.

Recommendations are usually numbered as they tend to follow sequentially.

Example:

• The development of the Pine Ridge Resort should proceed.
• An environmental impact study should be made to meet community concerns.
• Work should proceed as soon as possible to take advantage of economic conditions.

Essays and reports include a separate page containing a list of references.

These are the publishing details of works referred to by the writer in producing the document.

Example:

Smith, J 2008, Book of facts, Penguin Books, London.

The reference list is arranged in alphabetical order according to the author's surname.

A bibliography is a list of references in which extra background reading is listed although it has not been explicitly referred to in the text.

A comprehensive guide to referencing and reference lists  (Harvard style) has been provided by the Communications Learning  Centre.