Clearly describes what the report is about.
Approximately 200 words. States the problem, how it was investigated, what was found, and what the findings mean.
A list of the major and minor sections of the report.
Sets the scene and gives some background information about the topic. States the aim/purpose of the investigation and outlines of the sections in the body of the report.
Organised into sections: what was investigated, how it was investigated it, what was found (evidence), and interpretations.
Summary, what the report achieved – did it meet its aims, the significance of the findings and a discussion and interpretation of the findings.
What is recommended as a course of action following the conclusion?
A list of all the sources you used.
Any information (graphs, charts, tables or other data) referred to in your report but not included in the body.
Lay out the report for easy reading and comprehension. Many managers will only read the recommendations but will dip into the report for the details which they want to find quickly and easily. Use this checklist:
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Introduction.
Most academic courses will require you to write assignments or reports, and this free OpenLearn course, Essay and report writing skills , is designed to help you to develop the skills you need to write effectively for academic purposes. It contains clear instruction and a range of activities to help you to understand what is required, and to plan, structure and write your assignments or reports. You will also find out how to use feedback to develop your skills.
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Did you know that the world's oldest surviving report is believed to be the 'Nabonidus Chronicle,' an ancient Babylonian text dating back over 2,500 years? This intriguing document recounts the reign of King Nabonidus and his activities during his time on the throne. From these ancient origins to the modern-day, report writing has evolved into a powerful means of conveying information and analysis across various fields. Whether you're investigating scientific discoveries, analyzing market trends, or presenting research findings, the art of report writing service empowers you to share your insights with clarity and precision.
Throughout this article, we'll equip you with the skills to craft impactful reports for any setting – be it academic, professional, or research-oriented. You'll learn about the proper report outline and format, ensuring your work is well-structured and easy to follow. But that's not all! We'll provide practical examples, giving you real-world insights into how report writing applies across various fields. Plus, we'll share invaluable tips and best practices to enhance your overall report writing process.
A well-structured report format is essential for conveying information clearly and concisely. Whether you're preparing an academic report, a business analysis, or a research document, following a proper format ensures that your content is organized and easy to understand. In this guide, we'll outline the key elements of a standard format and provide report example cases to illustrate each section effectively.
The title page is the cover of your report and includes essential details such as the report's title, your name, the date of submission, and the name of the organization or institution you are associated with. For example:
Monthly Sales Report
Date: July 28, 2023
XYZ Corporation
Table of Contents
To make a report, the table of contents is a helpful navigation tool. It provides an overview of the report structure and page numbers for each section. It also enables readers to quickly locate specific information within the report. Here's how it looks:
1. Introduction............................3
2. Methodology............................5
3. Findings...................................8
3.1 Sales Analysis..................8
3.2 Customer Survey...........12
4. Conclusion..............................15
5. Recommendations............17
The executive summary is a concise overview of the entire report, providing key findings, conclusions, and recommendations. It is usually placed at the beginning to give readers a snapshot of the main points without delving into the details. For instance:
‘This monthly sales report analyzes the performance of XYZ Corporation during July 2023. Sales experienced a 15% increase compared to the previous month, largely attributed to the successful launch of a new product line. Based on the findings, this report recommends focusing on targeted marketing strategies to sustain this growth in the upcoming quarter.’
The introduction sets the context for the report and outlines its purpose, objectives, and scope. It provides readers with a clear understanding of what to expect from the report. For example:
‘This report presents an analysis of the sales performance of XYZ Corporation during the month of July 2023. The primary goal is to identify the factors contributing to the increase in sales and propose actionable recommendations to sustain this positive momentum in the future.’
The methodology section explains the approach and techniques used to gather data and conduct the analysis. It ensures transparency and allows readers to assess the reliability of the findings. Here's an example:
‘Data for this report was collected through sales records, customer surveys, and market research. A combination of quantitative and qualitative analysis was employed to identify trends and customer preferences affecting sales growth during the specified period.’
In this section, present the results of your analysis and any relevant data in a clear and organized manner. You can use subsections to divide different aspects of your findings. For instance:
3.1 Sales Analysis
- Overall Sales Growth: 15%
- Top-Selling Products: Product A, Product B
- Sales by Region:
- Region 1: 20% growth
- Region 2: 12% growth
- Region 3: 8% growth
3.2 Customer Survey
- Customer Satisfaction: 87%
- Preferred Payment Method: Credit Card (68%), Online Banking (22%), Cash (10%)
- Customer Feedback: Positive response to new product features and customer service improvements.
In the conclusion, summarize the key findings from the report and highlight their significance. Provide a clear and concise overview of the main takeaways. For example:
‘The sales analysis reveals a notable growth of 15% during July 2023, driven by the successful introduction of new product features and improvements in customer service. Understanding customer preferences and targeted marketing strategies will be crucial for sustaining this growth in the upcoming quarter.’
In this final section of the report writing format, offer actionable recommendations based on your findings. Address specific areas for improvement and suggest measures to enhance performance. Here's an example:
1. Launch Targeted Marketing Campaigns : Focus on promoting the top-selling products, particularly Product A and Product B, to boost sales in the following months.
2. Enhance Customer Service : Continuously improve customer service based on the positive feedback received, ensuring a high level of customer satisfaction.
3. Conduct Regular Market Research : Stay informed about changing customer preferences and market trends to adapt and innovate as necessary.
With the following five crucial steps, you'll be well-equipped to write reports with confidence and finesse. From defining your purpose to crafting an engaging introduction, let's unlock the secrets to captivating your audience and leaving them eager for more:
Step 1: Define Your Purpose - Begin by clearly understanding the purpose of your report. Are you presenting research findings, proposing a solution, or providing an analysis? Knowing your objective will guide you throughout your report preparation.
Step 2: Know Your Audience - Identify your target audience and tailor your report to their level of understanding and interests. Whether it's a technical audience or a general readership, speaking their language is key to engaging them effectively.
Step 3: Gather and Organize Information - Conduct thorough research and collect all the relevant data and supporting evidence. Organize your findings logically, creating a structured outline to ensure a smooth flow of information from introduction to conclusion.
Step 4: Craft a Captivating Introduction - Grab your readers' attention from the outset with a compelling introduction. Introduce the topic, highlight the significance of your report, and provide a brief overview of what's to come. A strong beginning will set the stage for an engaging read.
Step 5: Create a Clear and Concise Body - In the main body of the report, present your information in a clear and concise manner. Use headings and subheadings to divide different sections and support your statements with data, facts, and examples. Stay focused on the central theme and avoid unnecessary tangents.
To nail that good report, remember these essential points. They'll guide you to clarity, coherence, and a report that shines bright:
Remember that while these tips can make your report more interesting and effective, it's essential to balance creativity with clarity and professionalism. Always keep your audience in mind and tailor your writing style and content to meet their needs and expectations.
To easily understand how to write a report for work, follow these quick steps:
Reports can be categorized into various types based on their purpose and content. Here are the three main types of reports commonly used in business settings:
In conclusion, mastering how to write a report is like composing a symphony of words—a delicate balance of clarity and creativity. Remember, a report is not just a bunch of jumbled letters on a page; it's a harmonious fusion of information and insight that dances gracefully into the minds of its readers. So, wield your pen with finesse, let your ideas pirouette with precision, and watch your report shine like a brilliant encore!
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Learning outcomes.
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
You might think that writing comes easily to experienced writers—that they draft stories and college papers all at once, sitting down at the computer and having sentences flow from their fingers like water from a faucet. In reality, most writers engage in a recursive process, pushing forward, stepping back, and repeating steps multiple times as their ideas develop and change. In broad strokes, the steps most writers go through are these:
Like other kinds of writing projects, a report starts with assessing the rhetorical situation —the circumstance in which a writer communicates with an audience of readers about a subject. As the writer of a report, you make choices based on the purpose of your writing, the audience who will read it, the genre of the report, and the expectations of the community and culture in which you are working. A graphic organizer like Table 8.1 can help you begin.
Rhetorical Situation Element | Brainstorming Questions | Your Responses |
---|---|---|
Is the topic of your report specified, or are you free to choose? | What topic or topics do you want to know more about? How can you find out more about this topic or topics? What constraints do you have? | |
What is the purpose of your report? | To analyze a subject or issue from more than one perspective? To analyze a cause or an effect? To examine a problem and recommend a solution? To compare or contrast? To conduct research and report results? | |
Who will read your report? | Who is your primary audience—your instructor? Your classmates? What can you assume your audience already knows about your topic? What background information does your audience need to know? How will you shape your report to connect most effectively with this audience? Do you need to consider any secondary audiences, such as people outside of class? If so, who are those readers? | |
What format should your report take? | Should you prepare a traditional written document or use another medium, such as a slide deck or video presentation? Should you include visuals and other media along with text, such as figures, charts, graphs, photographs, audio, or video? What other presentation requirements do you need to consider? | |
How do the time period and location affect decisions you make about your report? | What is happening in your city, county, state, area, or nation or the world that needs reporting on? What current events or new information might relate to your topic? Is your college or university relevant to your topic? | |
What social or cultural assumptions do you or your audience have? | How will you show awareness of your community’s social and cultural expectations in your report? |
Write an analytical report on a topic that interests you and that you want to know more about. The topic can be contemporary or historical, but it must be one that you can analyze and support with evidence from sources.
The following questions can help you think about a topic suitable for analysis:
Consult and cite three to five reliable sources. The sources do not have to be scholarly for this assignment, but they must be credible, trustworthy, and unbiased. Possible sources include academic journals, newspapers, magazines, reputable websites, government publications or agency websites, and visual sources such as TED Talks. You may also use the results of an experiment or survey, and you may want to conduct interviews.
Consider whether visuals and media will enhance your report. Can you present data you collect visually? Would a map, photograph, chart, or other graphic provide interesting and relevant support? Would video or audio allow you to present evidence that you would otherwise need to describe in words?
Another Lens. To gain another analytic view on the topic of your report, consider different people affected by it. Say, for example, that you have decided to report on recent high school graduates and the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the final months of their senior year. If you are a recent high school graduate, you might naturally gravitate toward writing about yourself and your peers. But you might also consider the adults in the lives of recent high school graduates—for example, teachers, parents, or grandparents—and how they view the same period. Or you might consider the same topic from the perspective of a college admissions department looking at their incoming freshman class.
Coming up with a topic for a report can be daunting because you can report on nearly anything. The topic can easily get too broad, trapping you in the realm of generalizations. The trick is to find a topic that interests you and focus on an angle you can analyze in order to say something significant about it. You can use a graphic organizer to generate ideas, or you can use a concept map similar to the one featured in Writing Process: Thinking Critically About a “Text.”
One way to generate ideas about a topic is to ask the five W (and one H) questions, also called the journalist’s questions : Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? Try answering the following questions to explore a topic:
Who was or is involved in ________?
What happened/is happening with ________? What were/are the results of ________?
When did ________ happen? Is ________ happening now?
Where did ________ happen, or where is ________ happening?
Why did ________ happen, or why is ________ happening now?
How did ________ happen?
For example, imagine that you have decided to write your analytical report on the effect of the COVID-19 shutdown on high-school students by interviewing students on your college campus. Your questions and answers might look something like those in Table 8.2 :
was involved in the 2020 COVID-19 shutdown? | Nearly every student of my generation was sent home to learn in 2020. My school was one of the first in the United States to close. We were in school one day, and then we were all sent home, wondering when we would go back. |
happened during the shutdown? were/are the results of the shutdown? | Schools closed in March 2020. Students started online learning. Not all of them had computers. Teachers had to figure out how to teach online. All activities were canceled—sports, music, theater, prom, graduation celebrations—pretty much everything. Social life went online. Life as we knew it changed and still hasn’t returned to normal. |
did the shutdown happen? Is it happening now? | Everything was canceled from March through the end of the school year. Although many colleges have in-person classes, many of us are doing most of our classes online, even if we are living on campus. This learning situation hasn’t been easy. I need to decide whether I want to focus on then or now. |
did the shutdown happen, or is it still happening? | Schools were closed all over the United States and all over the world. Some schools are still closed. |
did the shutdown happen, or is it happening now? | Schools closed because the virus was highly contagious, and no one knew much about how many people would get sick from it or how sick they would get. Many schools were still closed for much of the 2020–21 school year. |
was the shutdown implemented? is it still in effect? | Governors of many states, including mine, issued orders for schools to close. Now colleges are making their own plans. |
Another way to find a topic is to ask focused questions about it. For example, you might ask the following questions about the effect of the 2020 pandemic shutdown on recent high school graduates:
Any of these questions might be developed into a thesis for an analytical report. Table 8.3 shows more examples of broad topics and focusing questions.
Sports, such as college athletes and academic performance | How does participating in a sport affect the academic performance of college athletes? Does participation help or hurt students’ grades? Does participation improve athletes’ study habits? |
Culture and society, such as cancel culture | Who is affected by cancel culture? Who is canceled, and who is empowered? How do the lives of people who are canceled change? How do the lives of people who are canceling others change? How does cancel culture affect community attitudes and actions? |
History and historical events, such as the Voting Rights Act of 1965 | How did voting patterns change after the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965? How has the law been challenged? How have voting patterns changed in the years since the law was challenged? |
Health and the environment, such as a plant-based diet | What are the known health benefits of a plant-based diet? What are the effects of a plant-based diet on the environment? How much money can a person save (or not save) by adopting a plant-based diet, such as vegetarianism or veganism? |
Entertainment and the arts, such as TV talent shows | How do TV talent shows affect the careers of their contestants? How many of the contestants continue to develop their talent? How many continue to perform several years after their appearance on a show? |
Technologies and objects, such as smartphones | Do people depend on smartphones more than they did a year ago? Five years ago? What has changed about people’s relationships with their phones? |
Because they are based on information and evidence, most analytical reports require you to do at least some research. Depending on your assignment, you may be able to find reliable information online, or you may need to do primary research by conducting an experiment, a survey, or interviews. For example, if you live among students in their late teens and early twenties, consider what they can tell you about their lives that you might be able to analyze. Returning to or graduating from high school, starting college, or returning to college in the midst of a global pandemic has provided them, for better or worse, with educational and social experiences that are shared widely by people their age and very different from the experiences older adults had at the same age.
Some report assignments will require you to do formal research, an activity that involves finding sources and evaluating them for reliability, reading them carefully, taking notes, and citing all words you quote and ideas you borrow. See Research Process: Accessing and Recording Information and Annotated Bibliography: Gathering, Evaluating, and Documenting Sources for detailed instruction on conducting research.
Whether you conduct in-depth research or not, keep track of the ideas that come to you and the information you learn. You can write or dictate notes using an app on your phone or computer, or you can jot notes in a journal if you prefer pen and paper. Then, when you are ready to begin organizing your report, you will have a record of your thoughts and information. Always track the sources of information you gather, whether from printed or digital material or from a person you interviewed, so that you can return to the sources if you need more information. And always credit the sources in your report.
Depending on your assignment and the topic of your report, certain kinds of evidence may be more effective than others. Other kinds of evidence may even be required. As a general rule, choose evidence that is rooted in verifiable facts and experience. In addition, select the evidence that best supports the topic and your approach to the topic, be sure the evidence meets your instructor’s requirements, and cite any evidence you use that comes from a source. The following list contains different kinds of frequently used evidence and an example of each.
Definition : An explanation of a key word, idea, or concept.
The U.S. Census Bureau refers to a “young adult” as a person between 18 and 34 years old.
Example : An illustration of an idea or concept.
The college experience in the fall of 2020 was starkly different from that of previous years. Students who lived in residence halls were assigned to small pods. On-campus dining services were limited. Classes were small and physically distanced or conducted online. Parties were banned.
Expert opinion : A statement by a professional in the field whose opinion is respected.
According to Louise Aronson, MD, geriatrician and author of Elderhood , people over the age of 65 are the happiest of any age group, reporting “less stress, depression, worry, and anger, and more enjoyment, happiness, and satisfaction” (255).
Fact : Information that can be proven correct or accurate.
According to data collected by the NCAA, the academic success of Division I college athletes between 2015 and 2019 was consistently high (Hosick).
Interview : An in-person, phone, or remote conversation that involves an interviewer posing questions to another person or people.
During our interview, I asked Betty about living without a cell phone during the pandemic. She said that before the pandemic, she hadn’t needed a cell phone in her daily activities, but she soon realized that she, and people like her, were increasingly at a disadvantage.
Quotation : The exact words of an author or a speaker.
In response to whether she thought she needed a cell phone, Betty said, “I got along just fine without a cell phone when I could go everywhere in person. The shift to needing a phone came suddenly, and I don’t have extra money in my budget to get one.”
Statistics : A numerical fact or item of data.
The Pew Research Center reported that approximately 25 percent of Hispanic Americans and 17 percent of Black Americans relied on smartphones for online access, compared with 12 percent of White people.
Survey : A structured interview in which respondents (the people who answer the survey questions) are all asked the same questions, either in person or through print or electronic means, and their answers tabulated and interpreted. Surveys discover attitudes, beliefs, or habits of the general public or segments of the population.
A survey of 3,000 mobile phone users in October 2020 showed that 54 percent of respondents used their phones for messaging, while 40 percent used their phones for calls (Steele).
Drafting a thesis.
When you have a grasp of your topic, move on to the next phase: drafting a thesis. The thesis is the central idea that you will explore and support in your report; all paragraphs in your report should relate to it. In an essay-style analytical report, you will likely express this main idea in a thesis statement of one or two sentences toward the end of the introduction.
For example, if you found that the academic performance of student athletes was higher than that of non-athletes, you might write the following thesis statement:
student sample text Although a common stereotype is that college athletes barely pass their classes, an analysis of athletes’ academic performance indicates that athletes drop fewer classes, earn higher grades, and are more likely to be on track to graduate in four years when compared with their non-athlete peers. end student sample text
The thesis statement often previews the organization of your writing. For example, in his report on the U.S. response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Trevor Garcia wrote the following thesis statement, which detailed the central idea of his report:
student sample text An examination of the U.S. response shows that a reduction of experts in key positions and programs, inaction that led to equipment shortages, and inconsistent policies were three major causes of the spread of the virus and the resulting deaths. end student sample text
After you draft a thesis statement, ask these questions, and examine your thesis as you answer them. Revise your draft as needed.
As a next step, organize the points you want to make in your report and the evidence to support them. Use an outline, a diagram, or another organizational tool, such as Table 8.4 .
Introduction (usually one paragraph, but can be two) | Draw readers in with an overview; an anecdote; a question (open-ended, not yes-or-no); a description of an event, scene, or situation; or a quotation. Provide necessary background here or in the first paragraph of the body, defining terms as needed. State the tentative thesis. | |
First Main Point | Give the first main point related to the thesis. Develop the point in paragraphs supported by evidence. | |
Second Main Point | Give the second main point related to the thesis. Develop the point in paragraphs supported by evidence. | |
Additional Main Points | Give the third and additional main point(s) related to the thesis. Develop the points in paragraphs supported by evidence. | |
Conclusion | Conclude with a summary of the main points, a recommended course of action, and/or a review of the introduction and restatement of the thesis. |
With a tentative thesis, an organization plan, and evidence, you are ready to begin drafting. For this assignment, you will report information, analyze it, and draw conclusions about the cause of something, the effect of something, or the similarities and differences between two different things.
Some students write the introduction first; others save it for last. Whenever you choose to write the introduction, use it to draw readers into your report. Make the topic of your report clear, and be concise and sincere. End the introduction with your thesis statement. Depending on your topic and the type of report, you can write an effective introduction in several ways. Opening a report with an overview is a tried-and-true strategy, as shown in the following example on the U.S. response to COVID-19 by Trevor Garcia. Notice how he opens the introduction with statistics and a comparison and follows it with a question that leads to the thesis statement (underlined).
student sample text With more than 83 million cases and 1.8 million deaths at the end of 2020, COVID-19 has turned the world upside down. By the end of 2020, the United States led the world in the number of cases, at more than 20 million infections and nearly 350,000 deaths. In comparison, the second-highest number of cases was in India, which at the end of 2020 had less than half the number of COVID-19 cases despite having a population four times greater than the U.S. (“COVID-19 Coronavirus Pandemic,” 2021). How did the United States come to have the world’s worst record in this pandemic? underline An examination of the U.S. response shows that a reduction of experts in key positions and programs, inaction that led to equipment shortages, and inconsistent policies were three major causes of the spread of the virus and the resulting deaths end underline . end student sample text
For a less formal report, you might want to open with a question, quotation, or brief story. The following example opens with an anecdote that leads to the thesis statement (underlined).
student sample text Betty stood outside the salon, wondering how to get in. It was June of 2020, and the door was locked. A sign posted on the door provided a phone number for her to call to be let in, but at 81, Betty had lived her life without a cell phone. Betty’s day-to-day life had been hard during the pandemic, but she had planned for this haircut and was looking forward to it; she had a mask on and hand sanitizer in her car. Now she couldn’t get in the door, and she was discouraged. In that moment, Betty realized how much Americans’ dependence on cell phones had grown in the months since the pandemic began. underline Betty and thousands of other senior citizens who could not afford cell phones or did not have the technological skills and support they needed were being left behind in a society that was increasingly reliant on technology end underline . end student sample text
Use the body paragraphs of your report to present evidence that supports your thesis. A reliable pattern to keep in mind for developing the body paragraphs of a report is point , evidence , and analysis :
The paragraph below illustrates the point, evidence, and analysis pattern. Drawn from a report about concussions among football players, the paragraph opens with a topic sentence about the NCAA and NFL and their responses to studies about concussions. The paragraph is developed with evidence from three sources. It concludes with a statement about helmets and players’ safety.
student sample text The NCAA and NFL have taken steps forward and backward to respond to studies about the danger of concussions among players. Responding to the deaths of athletes, documented brain damage, lawsuits, and public outcry (Buckley et al., 2017), the NCAA instituted protocols to reduce potentially dangerous hits during football games and to diagnose traumatic head injuries more quickly and effectively. Still, it has allowed players to wear more than one style of helmet during a season, raising the risk of injury because of imperfect fit. At the professional level, the NFL developed a helmet-rating system in 2011 in an effort to reduce concussions, but it continued to allow players to wear helmets with a wide range of safety ratings. The NFL’s decision created an opportunity for researchers to look at the relationship between helmet safety ratings and concussions. Cocello et al. (2016) reported that players who wore helmets with a lower safety rating had more concussions than players who wore helmets with a higher safety rating, and they concluded that safer helmets are a key factor in reducing concussions. end student sample text
In the body paragraphs of your report, you will likely use examples, draw comparisons, show contrasts, or analyze causes and effects to develop your topic.
Paragraphs developed with Example are common in reports. The paragraph below, adapted from a report by student John Zwick on the mental health of soldiers deployed during wartime, draws examples from three sources.
student sample text Throughout the Vietnam War, military leaders claimed that the mental health of soldiers was stable and that men who suffered from combat fatigue, now known as PTSD, were getting the help they needed. For example, the New York Times (1966) quoted military leaders who claimed that mental fatigue among enlisted men had “virtually ceased to be a problem,” occurring at a rate far below that of World War II. Ayres (1969) reported that Brigadier General Spurgeon Neel, chief American medical officer in Vietnam, explained that soldiers experiencing combat fatigue were admitted to the psychiatric ward, sedated for up to 36 hours, and given a counseling session with a doctor who reassured them that the rest was well deserved and that they were ready to return to their units. Although experts outside the military saw profound damage to soldiers’ psyches when they returned home (Halloran, 1970), the military stayed the course, treating acute cases expediently and showing little concern for the cumulative effect of combat stress on individual soldiers. end student sample text
When you analyze causes and effects , you explain the reasons that certain things happened and/or their results. The report by Trevor Garcia on the U.S. response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 is an example: his report examines the reasons the United States failed to control the coronavirus. The paragraph below, adapted from another student’s report written for an environmental policy course, explains the effect of white settlers’ views of forest management on New England.
student sample text The early colonists’ European ideas about forest management dramatically changed the New England landscape. White settlers saw the New World as virgin, unused land, even though indigenous people had been drawing on its resources for generations by using fire subtly to improve hunting, employing construction techniques that left ancient trees intact, and farming small, efficient fields that left the surrounding landscape largely unaltered. White settlers’ desire to develop wood-built and wood-burning homesteads surrounded by large farm fields led to forestry practices and techniques that resulted in the removal of old-growth trees. These practices defined the way the forests look today. end student sample text
Compare and contrast paragraphs are useful when you wish to examine similarities and differences. You can use both comparison and contrast in a single paragraph, or you can use one or the other. The paragraph below, adapted from a student report on the rise of populist politicians, compares the rhetorical styles of populist politicians Huey Long and Donald Trump.
student sample text A key similarity among populist politicians is their rejection of carefully crafted sound bites and erudite vocabulary typically associated with candidates for high office. Huey Long and Donald Trump are two examples. When he ran for president, Long captured attention through his wild gesticulations on almost every word, dramatically varying volume, and heavily accented, folksy expressions, such as “The only way to be able to feed the balance of the people is to make that man come back and bring back some of that grub that he ain’t got no business with!” In addition, Long’s down-home persona made him a credible voice to represent the common people against the country’s rich, and his buffoonish style allowed him to express his radical ideas without sounding anti-communist alarm bells. Similarly, Donald Trump chose to speak informally in his campaign appearances, but the persona he projected was that of a fast-talking, domineering salesman. His frequent use of personal anecdotes, rhetorical questions, brief asides, jokes, personal attacks, and false claims made his speeches disjointed, but they gave the feeling of a running conversation between him and his audience. For example, in a 2015 speech, Trump said, “They just built a hotel in Syria. Can you believe this? They built a hotel. When I have to build a hotel, I pay interest. They don’t have to pay interest, because they took the oil that, when we left Iraq, I said we should’ve taken” (“Our Country Needs” 2020). While very different in substance, Long and Trump adopted similar styles that positioned them as the antithesis of typical politicians and their worldviews. end student sample text
The conclusion should draw the threads of your report together and make its significance clear to readers. You may wish to review the introduction, restate the thesis, recommend a course of action, point to the future, or use some combination of these. Whichever way you approach it, the conclusion should not head in a new direction. The following example is the conclusion from a student’s report on the effect of a book about environmental movements in the United States.
student sample text Since its publication in 1949, environmental activists of various movements have found wisdom and inspiration in Aldo Leopold’s A Sand County Almanac . These audiences included Leopold’s conservationist contemporaries, environmentalists of the 1960s and 1970s, and the environmental justice activists who rose in the 1980s and continue to make their voices heard today. These audiences have read the work differently: conservationists looked to the author as a leader, environmentalists applied his wisdom to their movement, and environmental justice advocates have pointed out the flaws in Leopold’s thinking. Even so, like those before them, environmental justice activists recognize the book’s value as a testament to taking the long view and eliminating biases that may cloud an objective assessment of humanity’s interdependent relationship with the environment. end student sample text
You must cite the sources of information and data included in your report. Citations must appear in both the text and a bibliography at the end of the report.
The sample paragraphs in the previous section include examples of in-text citation using APA documentation style. Trevor Garcia’s report on the U.S. response to COVID-19 in 2020 also uses APA documentation style for citations in the text of the report and the list of references at the end. Your instructor may require another documentation style, such as MLA or Chicago.
You will likely engage in peer review with other students in your class by sharing drafts and providing feedback to help spot strengths and weaknesses in your reports. For peer review within a class, your instructor may provide assignment-specific questions or a form for you to complete as you work together.
If you have a writing center on your campus, it is well worth your time to make an online or in-person appointment with a tutor. You’ll receive valuable feedback and improve your ability to review not only your report but your overall writing.
Another way to receive feedback on your report is to ask a friend or family member to read your draft. Provide a list of questions or a form such as the one in Table 8.5 for them to complete as they read.
Questions for Reviewer | Comment or Suggestion |
---|---|
Does the introduction interest you in the topic of the report? | |
Can you find the thesis statement? Underline it for the writer. | |
Does the thesis indicate the purpose of the report? | |
Does each body paragraph start with a point stated in the writer’s own words? Does that point relate to the thesis? Mark paragraphs that don’t have a clear point. | |
Does each body paragraph support the main point of the paragraph with details and evidence, such as facts, statistics, or examples? Mark paragraphs that need more support and/or explanation. | |
Does each body paragraph end with an analysis in the writer’s own words that draws a conclusion? Mark paragraphs that need analysis. | |
Where do you get lost or confused? Mark anything that is unclear. | |
Does the report flow from one point to the next? | |
Does the organization make sense to you? | |
Does the conclusion wrap up the main points of the report and connect to the thesis? Mark anything in the conclusion that seems irrelevant. | |
Does the report have an engaging title? |
When you receive comments from readers, including your instructor, read each comment carefully to understand what is being asked. Try not to get defensive, even though this response is completely natural. Remember that readers are like coaches who want you to succeed. They are looking at your writing from outside your own head, and they can identify strengths and weaknesses that you may not have noticed. Keep track of the strengths and weaknesses your readers point out. Pay special attention to those that more than one reader identifies, and use this information to improve your report and later assignments.
As you analyze each response, be open to suggestions for improvement, and be willing to make significant revisions to improve your writing. Perhaps you need to revise your thesis statement to better reflect the content of your draft. Maybe you need to return to your sources to better understand a point you’re trying to make in order to develop a paragraph more fully. Perhaps you need to rethink the organization, move paragraphs around, and add transition sentences.
Below is an early draft of part of Trevor Garcia’s report with comments from a peer reviewer:
student sample text To truly understand what happened, it’s important first to look back to the years leading up to the pandemic. Epidemiologists and public health officials had long known that a global pandemic was possible. In 2016, the U.S. National Security Council (NSC) published a 69-page document with the intimidating title Playbook for Early Response to High-Consequence Emerging Infectious Disease Threats and Biological Incidents . The document’s two sections address responses to “emerging disease threats that start or are circulating in another country but not yet confirmed within U.S. territorial borders” and to “emerging disease threats within our nation’s borders.” On 13 January 2017, the joint Obama-Trump transition teams performed a pandemic preparedness exercise; however, the playbook was never adopted by the incoming administration. end student sample text
annotated text Peer Review Comment: Do the words in quotation marks need to be a direct quotation? It seems like a paraphrase would work here. end annotated text
annotated text Peer Review Comment: I’m getting lost in the details about the playbook. What’s the Obama-Trump transition team? end annotated text
student sample text In February 2018, the administration began to cut funding for the Prevention and Public Health Fund at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; cuts to other health agencies continued throughout 2018, with funds diverted to unrelated projects such as housing for detained immigrant children. end student sample text
annotated text Peer Review Comment: This paragraph has only one sentence, and it’s more like an example. It needs a topic sentence and more development. end annotated text
student sample text Three months later, Luciana Borio, director of medical and biodefense preparedness at the NSC, spoke at a symposium marking the centennial of the 1918 influenza pandemic. “The threat of pandemic flu is the number one health security concern,” she said. “Are we ready to respond? I fear the answer is no.” end student sample text
annotated text Peer Review Comment: This paragraph is very short and a lot like the previous paragraph in that it’s a single example. It needs a topic sentence. Maybe you can combine them? end annotated text
annotated text Peer Review Comment: Be sure to cite the quotation. end annotated text
Reading these comments and those of others, Trevor decided to combine the three short paragraphs into one paragraph focusing on the fact that the United States knew a pandemic was possible but was unprepared for it. He developed the paragraph, using the short paragraphs as evidence and connecting the sentences and evidence with transitional words and phrases. Finally, he added in-text citations in APA documentation style to credit his sources. The revised paragraph is below:
student sample text Epidemiologists and public health officials in the United States had long known that a global pandemic was possible. In 2016, the National Security Council (NSC) published Playbook for Early Response to High-Consequence Emerging Infectious Disease Threats and Biological Incidents , a 69-page document on responding to diseases spreading within and outside of the United States. On January 13, 2017, the joint transition teams of outgoing president Barack Obama and then president-elect Donald Trump performed a pandemic preparedness exercise based on the playbook; however, it was never adopted by the incoming administration (Goodman & Schulkin, 2020). A year later, in February 2018, the Trump administration began to cut funding for the Prevention and Public Health Fund at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, leaving key positions unfilled. Other individuals who were fired or resigned in 2018 were the homeland security adviser, whose portfolio included global pandemics; the director for medical and biodefense preparedness; and the top official in charge of a pandemic response. None of them were replaced, leaving the White House with no senior person who had experience in public health (Goodman & Schulkin, 2020). Experts voiced concerns, among them Luciana Borio, director of medical and biodefense preparedness at the NSC, who spoke at a symposium marking the centennial of the 1918 influenza pandemic in May 2018: “The threat of pandemic flu is the number one health security concern,” she said. “Are we ready to respond? I fear the answer is no” (Sun, 2018, final para.). end student sample text
A final word on working with reviewers’ comments: as you consider your readers’ suggestions, remember, too, that you remain the author. You are free to disregard suggestions that you think will not improve your writing. If you choose to disregard comments from your instructor, consider submitting a note explaining your reasons with the final draft of your report.
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Writers often wonder how to stand out from the crowd when writing a professional report.
Unlike articles or blogs, the informative, formal nature of reports can make them feel stiff and boring. And whether you want a top grade or to make an impact on your audience, another dull report probably won’t help.
In my career I’ve written a range of reports for both internal and external audiences—and regularly read reports from industry leaders, too. Top reports are informative and educational, summarizing key information quickly so it’s easy to digest. But the best examples also use high-quality research and concise but compelling language to bring the subject matter to life.
In this article, I’ll focus on general thematic reports, the kind you may be asked to write at college or work. I’ll give you the lowdown on how to write an effective report that still packs in the facts.
The term “report” comprises a wide genre of documents. If you’re used to other kinds of academic writing, it will help to understand the key qualities that reports share.
Reports are similar to other kinds of academic writing in many ways: you’ll still need strong research in the background, clear citations, and a formal language style , for example.
But several details set reports apart from other forms. Reports:
Reports are used in a wide range of contexts, so make sure you’re writing the right kind of report for your purposes. Here’s an overview of some common types.
Before you set pen to paper, it’s important to do your research and plan your report carefully. Giving yourself plenty of time for this stage will make the actual writing quicker and less rambling.
If you haven’t already been given a purpose for the report, be sure to define this before you begin. This can help you decide on the type of research you need to do and check if your report is fulfilling its goals while you draft.
Examples of common report aims:
On top of this, ask yourself who your audience is and what is their level of prior knowledge relative to yours. Within a hierarchy, such as a company or school, the audience may be more senior than you (vertical reporting), or at the same level as you (lateral reporting). This can affect what information is relevant to include.
Additionally, note whether it’s an internal or external publication and what your audience might do with the information they learn from your report.
2. establish goals and objectives.
If you are writing your report for school or university, check the assessment guidelines for the report before you begin. You’ll need to include all the required elements.
If you are writing for professional purposes, however, the goals and objectives may be up to you or your department to define. An objective for your report should ideally be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-Bound).
For example, a lead-generating report can be used for the aim of securing meetings with interested buyers by highlighting a problem that your company can solve, and the impact of your report can be measured by the number of downloads and subsequent meetings within a certain time period.
An internal report could be used to inform a strategy meeting, and the impact could be measured in how many strategic recommendations are made as a result.
3. research and gather information.
A report needs to be based on factual evidence, so the research stage is absolutely key to producing an informative piece. Firstly, you should review the major literature on the topic to make sure you can define and explain key terms and set out any needed context.
For academic reports, your professor or institution may be able to provide a recommended reading list. Use your college library and make sure you find out which academic journals your institution subscribes to. You can often access these online using sites like JSTOR and Google Scholar .
You may also want to include primary sources to add originality to your report and make it more appealing to your audience. These could include:
It’s really helpful to keep organized notes during your research. Note any key quotations with page numbers, plus publication and author details for each text you reference or read. This will make it much easier to create your citations and bibliography later on.
You could do this on paper or using flexible software like Notion or Evernote or specialist software like Mendeley or Zotero .
4. outline your report structure.
Creating an outline before you begin writing is key to successfully drafting a report.
Start by noting down a skeleton framework, i.e. the main points you want to cover, which you will then develop as you write. In some cases, if you’re clear on what you might include in your report, this step might come before you start researching; alternatively, your main points might change during your research phase.
Although the exact layout of your report will depend on your objectives, a report should include the following sections:
Additional sections that you may want to include, depending on context:
5. write the draft of your report.
Your first draft is your chance to develop the ideas you noted down during outlining. You might need to continue researching as you go, especially if you find that certain areas need more evidence or explanation.
The title of your report should clearly and concisely state what it is about. Your audience may need to quickly select it from a list of other publications, so make sure to use keywords to make your work easy to identify. Remember that this is also your audience’s first impression of your writing!
You may also need to create an abstract for your work: a short summary of your research and findings, giving a quick statement about the problem and/or potential solution, a concise explanation of what you did to investigate it, and your findings in brief. You will probably want to write your abstract after finishing the rest of the report.
The table of contents should direct readers to each section of the report with page numbers. You may want to include hyperlinks to relevant sections if you are presenting your document electronically.
Developing each section in full will form the bulk of your drafting work. Make sure each section is adding value to your report.
Report writing should be factual. There will be times when you need to draw conclusions and make recommendations. However, this analysis should not overwhelm the factual content of your report. Remember, this is not a persuasive opinion piece. Make sure your analysis is grounded in evidence, and keep your recommendations concise.
A report should clearly inform the audience about the topic at hand. Keep your language precise and easy to understand. Keep sentences and paragraphs at a sensible length. If you use technical terms your audience might not know, include definitions. Try to avoid emotive language that can make the report sound like a persuasive essay.
Sometimes it can be difficult to achieve all this while writing the first draft, so feel free to come back to improve on it in later drafts.
Many reports use visuals like graphs, charts, photographs, or infographics. These can convey information quickly and engage your audience by breaking up the text.
Simple graphs and charts can usually be made in spreadsheet software, but you may want to call on the skills of a graphic designer if your organization has the resources. Make sure to caption and number your graphics.
Your institution or organization may stipulate a citation model, so double-check what is required before you begin. In general, quotations or anything else taken from another source should be properly cited, including the author’s name, title, and page number, plus other information, depending on format. Citations may be in-text or footnotes.
It’s a good idea to add citations as you write, because going back and putting them in afterwards can be very fiddly and time-consuming.
At the end of your report you will also need to provide a bibliography, which lists the texts you have cited. Citation software like Zotero or a bibliography generator like MyBib can make this easier.
Make sure to check the style guidelines provided by your academic institution or work organization. These might determine the page formatting you need to use (e.g. page numbering, page size, use of images, etc.). If no such guidelines exist, look at other reports from your field to determine what will be clear and useful for your audience.
6. edit, review and revise.
Reviewing and revising your work is one of the most important parts of the writing process, so make sure you give yourself plenty of time for this part and avoid rushing to meet a deadline. Review your content first, checking that each section has enough evidence and development, before moving on to editing for clarity and technical accuracy.
Using a reading and writing assistant like Wordtune can make editing at the phrase, sentence, or word level quicker and easier. Wordtune not only finds spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors, but it can also suggest changes to your vocabulary and sentence structure that make your work clearer and more compelling. You can even specify whether you want a more formal or casual tone — most reports should be formal in nature.
Writing a report using an ai prompt (chatgpt + wordtune).
You can use this prompt to generate a useful report:
Please generate a comprehensive report on the topic "[Your Specific Topic Here]". Ensure the report adheres to the following structure and guidelines: Title: Craft a concise and descriptive title that encapsulates the essence of the report. Abstract: Provide a succinct summary (100-150 words) that encapsulates the main objectives, methodology, findings, and significance of the report. Table of Contents: List all the sections and relevant sub-sections of the report for easy navigation. Introduction: Introduce the topic, its background, relevance in today's context, and the primary objectives of this report. Body: Dive deep into the topic. This should include: Background/History: A brief history or background of the topic. Current Scenario: Present relevant data, facts, and figures. Analysis/Discussion: Discuss the implications of the data, any patterns observed, and their significance. Conclusion: Summarize the main findings, discuss their implications, and suggest recommendations or potential future research directions. Additionally, ensure that the content is: - Well-researched and cites reputable sources. - Coherent and logically structured. - Free from jargon, unless necessary, and is accessible to a general audience.
Whether your report is for academic or business purposes, you need to make sure it is well-researched, clearly expressed, and conveys the main points quickly and concisely to your audience. Careful planning and organization can make this process much easier, as well as leaving time to review and revise your work, either manually or with the help of software like Wordtune. Following these tips, your first report is sure to make an impact — and the more you write, the easier it will get.
Looking for fresh content, thank you your submission has been received.
Last Updated: September 5, 2024 Fact Checked
This article was co-authored by Emily Listmann, MA and by wikiHow staff writer, Amy Bobinger . Emily Listmann is a Private Tutor and Life Coach in Santa Cruz, California. In 2018, she founded Mindful & Well, a natural healing and wellness coaching service. She has worked as a Social Studies Teacher, Curriculum Coordinator, and an SAT Prep Teacher. She received her MA in Education from the Stanford Graduate School of Education in 2014. Emily also received her Wellness Coach Certificate from Cornell University and completed the Mindfulness Training by Mindful Schools. There are 22 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 8,777,064 times.
When you’re assigned to write a report, it can seem like an intimidating process. Fortunately, if you pay close attention to the report prompt, choose a subject you like, and give yourself plenty of time to research your topic, you might actually find that it’s not so bad. After you gather your research and organize it into an outline, all that’s left is to write out your paragraphs and proofread your paper before you hand it in!
Tip: Always get approval from your teacher or boss on the topic you choose before you start working on the report!
Tip: Writing a report can take longer than you think! Don't put off your research until the last minute , or it will be obvious that you didn't put much effort into the assignment.
Tip: It can help to create your outline on a computer in case you change your mind as you’re moving information around.
Tip: Assume that your reader knows little to nothing about the subject. Support your facts with plenty of details and include definitions if you use technical terms or jargon in the paper.
Tip: If you have time before the deadline, set the report aside for a few days . Then, come back and read it again. This can help you catch errors you might otherwise have missed.
It can seem really hard to write a report, but it will be easier if you choose an original topic that you're passionate about. Once you've got your topic, do some research on it at the library and online, using reputable sources like encyclopedias, scholarly journals, and government websites. Use your research write a thesis statement that sums up the focus of your paper, then organize your notes into an outline that supports that thesis statement. Finally, expand that outline into paragraph form. Read on for tips from our Education co-author on how to format your report! Did this summary help you? Yes No
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Mar 10, 2018
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Mar 20, 2023
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Apr 16, 2017
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Sep 17, 2017
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Introduction
Most assignments require either an essay or report. Essays and reports differ from one another in both their purpose and the information they contain.
The table below describes the differences between essays and reports.
Essays | Reports |
Present arguments and/or issues | Present information |
Read carefully by your teacher/tutor | Can be scanned quickly by the reader |
Use limited headings and/or lists | Use numbered headings and sub headings |
Link ideas into paragraphs | Use dot points to emphasise points |
Make limited use of tables, graphs and illustrations | Tables and graphs illustrate points more clearly |
Abstracts are only required if essays are very long and one has been requested by your teacher/tutor | May require an executive summary or abstract |
Seldom have recommendations | Recommendations often follow the conclusions in order to correct problems or situations discussed in the report |
Seldom contain appendices | Contain appendices |
Essay writing
While there are some basic steps for writing an essay, it is not always a straight forward process. You might like to work through the different stages a number of times. You may need to return to your reading and notetaking as you realise you are missing pieces of information.
General layout and presentation of an essay
The essay is generally organised into three broad sections - introduction, body, conclusion.
The introduction for the essay provides an overview of your assignment question and the arguments that you will make in this essay to answer it. The introduction captures the reader's interest and prepares the reader for what is to come The introduction is usually one paragraph in length.
The body of the essay uses ideas set out in the introduction, and expands on them to convince the reader of the argument or position of the author. The body is the largest section of the essay, with a number of paragraphs outlining a number of ideas or arguments related to the assignment question.
You should focus on one idea or argument in each paragraph. Each paragraph should logically follow on from the one that precedes it to make sure that the essay is presenting a clear and connected argument throughout. Paragraphs should be at least three sentences in length (mirroring the introduction, body and conclusion of an essay).
The conclusion bring together the ideas for the body of the assignment. It will sum up you ideas/arguments so the reader can understand in full the final position you are taking. The conclusion is only restating arguments that have been mad, and should not introduce new ideas or facts.
Your teacher will instruct you on margins, spacing, font and paragraph formatting for your assignments.
R eport writing
A report provides an account of research or an investigation. It clearly describes, in logical sequence the steps that have been followed. Reports can be any length and can be:
Informational - contain facts/figures, e.g. sales, production or accident reports. Analytical - written to solve problems/situations, contain recommendations.
Report structures include numbered sections and have:
Major headings in upper case letters. They can be underlined. Minor headings indented from the left margin and in lower case letters. They can be underlined also.
These headings distinguish major ideas from minor ones, help to organise your material and enable you to maintain a consistent layout throughout the report.
Remember: Write your report to get your message across - above all, your report should provide a clear and concise analysis of the work undertaken with no unfinished work apparent.
Example of a report format:
Cover page (Name of the report, your name, date, course name/no.)
Executive summary or abstract: short summary of the report containing all the most important information such as the purpose, methods, findings, any recommendations and conclusion. Write this summary after you have finished the rest of the report.
Table of contents : list of all headings and corresponding page numbers in the report
Body of report: 1. INTRODUCTION (an example of a major heading)
1.1 Aim of the report (an example of a minor heading) Describe the aim or scope of the report. 1.2 Authorisation Why the report was requested and by whom. 1.3 Sources of information List interviews, laboratory procedure manuals consulted and so on.
2. BACKGROUND INFORMATION
2.1 Information available A statement on the present situation.
3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
3.1 Summary of data 3.2 Explanation of tables and graphs 3.3 Analysis of data 3.4 Observation of results
4. CONCLUSION/S State what the results have proved or suggested. Do not introduce any new information at this stage of the report.
5. RECOMMENDATIONS (if required) It is recommended that: (action to be/not to be taken, or a choice can/cannot be made)
5.1 First recommendation 5.2 Second recommendation
Appendices Examples: Glossary, Survey results
Bibliography/Reference List
An essay usually consists of an introduction, the body, a conclusion and a reference list or bibliography. The assignment question will contain instruction or direction words.
Helpful Tips
Report writing: overview.
Reports are typical workplace writing. Writing reports as coursework can help you prepare to write better reports in your work life.
Reports are always written for a specific purpose and audience. They can present findings of a research; development of a project; analysis of a situation; proposals or solutions for a problem. They should inlcude referenced data or facts.
Reports should be structured in headings and sub-headings, and easy to navigate. They should be written in a very clear and concise language.
Following the instructions
You may have been given a report brief that 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. Thus, always check the report guidelines before starting your assignment.
An effective report presents and analyses evidence that is relevant to the specific problem or issue you have been instructed to address. Always think of the audience and purpose of your report.
All sources used should be acknowledged and referenced throughout. You can accompany your writing with necessary diagrams, graphs or tables of gathered data.
The data and information presented should be analysed. The type of analysis will depend on your subject. For example, business reports may use SWOT or PESTLE analytical frameworks. A lab report may require to analyse and interpret the data originated from an experiment you performed in light of current theories.
A good report has a clear and accurately organised structure, divided in headings and sub-headings. The paragraphs are the fundamental unit of reports. (See boxes below.)
The language of reports is formal, clear, succinct, and to the point. (See box below.)
The language of reports should be:
Formal – avoid contractions and colloquial expressions.
Direct – avoid jargon and complicated sentences. Explain any technical terms.
Precise – avoid vague language e.g. 'almost' and avoid generalisations e.g. 'many people'
Concise – avoid repetition and redundant phrases. Examples of redundant phrases:
Strong paragraphs
Paragraphs, and namely strong paragraphs, are an essential device to keep your writing organised and logical.
A paragraph is a group of sentences that are linked coherently around one central topic/idea. Paragraphs should be the building blocks of academic writing. Each paragraph should be doing a job, moving the argument forward and guiding your reading through your thought process.
Paragraphs should be 10-12 lines long, but variations are acceptable. Do not write one-sentence long paragraphs; this is journalistic style, not academic.
You need to write so-called strong paragraphs wherein you present a topic, discuss it and conclude it, as afar as reasonably possible. Strong paragraphs may not always be feasible, especially in introductions and conclusions, but should be the staple of the body of your written work.
Topic sentence : Introduces the topic and states what your paragraph will be about
Development : Expand on the point you are making: explain, analyse, support with examples and/or evidence.
Concluding sentence : Summarise how your evidence backs up your point. You can also introduce what will come next.
PEEL technique
This is a strategy to write strong paragraphs. In each paragraph you should include the following:
P oint : what do you want to talk about?
E vidence : show me!
E valuation : tell me!
L ink : what's coming next?
Example of a strong paragraph, with PEEL technique:
Paragraph bridges
Paragraphs may be linked to each other through "paragraph bridges". One simple way of doing this is by repeating a word or phrase.
|
|
In short, a number of have been made to.... | Despite these ,... |
|
|
Smith suggests that there are two types of personalities: and ... | typically favour... |
Check the tabs of this guide for more information on writing business reports and scientific reports.
Generally, a report will include some of the following sections: Title Page, Terms of Reference, Summary, Table of Contents, Introduction, Methods, Results, Main body, Conclusion, Recommendations, Appendices, and Bibliography. This structure may vary according to the type of report you are writing, which will be based on your department or subject field requirements. Therefore, it is always best to check your departmental guidelines or module/assignment instructions first.
You should follow any guidelines specified by your module handbook or assignment brief in case these differ, however usually the title page will include the title of the report, your number, student ID and module details.
You may be asked to include this section to give clear, but brief, explanations for the reasons and purpose of the report, which may also include who the intended audience is and how the methods for the report were undertaken.
It is often best to write this last as it is harder to summarise a piece of work that you have not written yet. An executive summary is a shorter replica of the entire report. Its length should be about 10% of the length of the report,
Please follow any specific style or formatting requirements specified by the module handbook or assignment brief. The contents page contains a list of the different chapters or headings and sub-headings along with the page number so that each section can be easily located within the report. Keep in mind that whatever numbering system you decide to use for your headings, they need to remain clear and consistent throughout.
This is where you set the scene for your report. The introduction should clearly articulate the purpose and aim (and, possibly, objectives) of the report, along with providing the background context for the report's topic and area of research. A scientific report may have an hypothesis in addition or in stead of aims and objectives. It may also provide any definitions or explanations for the terms used in the report or theoretical underpinnings of the research so that the reader has a clear understanding of what the research is based upon. It may be useful to also indicate any limitations to the scope of the report and identify the parameters of the research.
The methods section includes any information on the methods, tools and equipment used to get the data and evidence for your report. You should justify your method (that is, explain why your method was chosen), acknowledge possible problems encountered during the research, and present the limitations of your methodology.
If you are required to have a separate results and discussion section, then the results section should only include a summary of the findings, rather than an analysis of them - leave the critical analysis of the results for the discussion section. Presenting your results may take the form of graphs, tables, or any necessary diagrams of the gathered data. It is best to present your results in a logical order, making them as clear and understandable as possible through concise titles, brief summaries of the findings, and what the diagrams/charts/graphs or tables are showing to the reader.
This section is where the data gathered and your results are truly put to work. It is the main body of your report in which you should critically analyse what the results mean in relation to the aims and objectives (and/or, in scientific writing, hypotheses) put forth at the beginning of the report. You should follow a logical order, and can structure this section in sub-headings.
The conclusion should not include any new material but instead show a summary of your main arguments and findings. It is a chance to remind the reader of the key points within your report, the significance of the findings and the most central issues or arguments raised from the research. The conclusion may also include recommendations for further research, or how the present research may be carried out more effectively in future.
You can have a separate section on recommendations, presenting the action you recommend be taken, drawing from the conclusion. These actions should be concrete and specific.
The appendices may include all the supporting evidence and material used for your research, such as interview transcripts, surveys, questionnaires, tables, graphs, or other charts and images that you may not wish to include in the main body of the report, but may be referred to throughout your discussion or results sections.
Similar to your essays, a report still requires a bibliography of all the published resources you have referenced within your report. Check your module handbook for the referencing style you should use as there are different styles depending on your degree. If it is the standard Westminster Harvard Referencing style, then follow these guidelines and remember to be consistent.
You can format your document using the outline and table of contents functions in Word
Show AWL words on this page.
Levels 1-5: grey Levels 6-10: orange
Show sorted lists of these words.
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Any words you don't know? Look them up in the website's built-in dictionary .
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There are many forms of writing which you may have to undertake at university, from reflective journals to extended researched assignments. The two most common forms of writing are reports and essays . This page describes what a report is , outlines the main types of report you may need to write, and summarises the differences between reports and essays .
For another look at the same content, check out the video on YouTube (also available on Youku ).
A report is a clearly structured form of writing which presents and analyses information clearly and briefly for a particular audience. The information is usually the result of an experiment, investigation, or some other form of primary research such as a questionnaire or survey. It will contain headings and sub-headings, as well as graphics such as graphs, charts and tables. Reports often use the information they contain to present recommendations for future action. They are common not only at university, but also in industry and government. For more information on what a report is, see the section below which compares reports to essays .
There are many different types of reports which can be written, though the type you will write at university depends very much on your course of study. Each report will have a different format and writing conventions, though the structure and language used are broadly similar for all reports. The following are some of the main reports written at university.
Other types of report are possible, such as a systems analysis report , a maths report , a feasibility study and a client case work report . Some disciplines, especially business, may require you to write an essay with headings. This is not a report, since all the other features, aside from the headings, are the same as a conventional essay.
Although many of the writing skills required for essays also apply to reports, such as use of topic sentences , cohesion and citations , reports are quite unlike essays in several regards. The table below summarises the main differences. These are divided into three categories: general areas, structure, and content.
| : Provides specific information (description and explanation) to the reader |
: Presents an argument | |
| : Allows information to be found quickly in specific sections (and the abstract) |
: Requires careful reading to follow the argument | |
| : Demonstrates research skills and ability to analyse information |
: Demonstrates ability to support an argument (thesis) through knowledge and understanding of the topic | |
| : Will always be a long assignment |
: May be relatively short (e.g. for an exam answer) or a long assignment | |
: Sections | : Has clearly defined sections, each with a different function |
: Uses well ordered paragraphs, not sections | |
: | : Uses headings and sub-headings for the different sections (often numbered) |
: Does not usually use headings, sub-headings or numbering | |
: | : Will often include a to show the sections of the report |
: Will not usually include a Contents page | |
| : Usually uses graphics such as tables, graphs, charts |
: Does not usually include graphics | |
| : Usually includes primary research (e.g. experiment, survey) in addition to secondary research |
: Generally only includes secondary research (e.g. citations from text books/journals) | |
| : Often has |
: Only certain essay types (e.g. ) include recommendations | |
| : May include with additional information |
: Unlikely to include appendices |
| |||
to show the sections of the report | |||
) include recommendations | |||
with additional information |
Charles Darwin University (2013) Report . Available from http://learnline.cdu.edu.au/studyskills/studyskills/reports.html (Access date 19 July, 2015).
Massey University (2012) Business Report . Available from http://owll.massey.ac.nz/assignment-types/business-report.php (Access date 20 July, 2015).
Monash University (2015) Report Writing . Available from http://www.monash.edu.au/lls/llonline/writing/general/report/index.xml (Access date 20 July, 2015).
Purdue University (2015) Purposes and Types of Report Format . Available from https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/726/02/ (Access date 20 July, 2015).
Queensland University of Technology (2014) Writing a report Available from http://www.citewrite.qut.edu.au/write/report.jsp (Access date 19 July, 2015).
RMIT University (2007) Differences between Essays, Reports and Journals . Available from https://www.dlsweb.rmit.edu.au/lsu/content/2_assessmenttasks/assess_pdf/diffbet_reportsessays.pdf (Access date 19 July, 2015).
Unilearning (2000) Comparison: reports and essays . Available from http://unilearning.uow.edu.au/report/1b.html (Access date 19 July, 2015).
University of Queensland (2015) Types of assignment . Available from http://www.uq.edu.au/student-services/learning/types-of-assignments (Access date 20 July, 2015).
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Find out about report structure in the next section.
Read the previous article about the writing process .
Author: Sheldon Smith ‖ Last modified: 01 February 2022.
Sheldon Smith is the founder and editor of EAPFoundation.com. He has been teaching English for Academic Purposes since 2004. Find out more about him in the about section and connect with him on Twitter , Facebook and LinkedIn .
Compare & contrast essays examine the similarities of two or more objects, and the differences.
Cause & effect essays consider the reasons (or causes) for something, then discuss the results (or effects).
Discussion essays require you to examine both sides of a situation and to conclude by saying which side you favour.
Problem-solution essays are a sub-type of SPSE essays (Situation, Problem, Solution, Evaluation).
Transition signals are useful in achieving good cohesion and coherence in your writing.
Reporting verbs are used to link your in-text citations to the information cited.
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Published on February 4, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on July 23, 2023.
A good introduction paragraph is an essential part of any academic essay . It sets up your argument and tells the reader what to expect.
The main goals of an introduction are to:
This introduction example is taken from our interactive essay example on the history of Braille.
The invention of Braille was a major turning point in the history of disability. The writing system of raised dots used by visually impaired people was developed by Louis Braille in nineteenth-century France. In a society that did not value disabled people in general, blindness was particularly stigmatized, and lack of access to reading and writing was a significant barrier to social participation. The idea of tactile reading was not entirely new, but existing methods based on sighted systems were difficult to learn and use. As the first writing system designed for blind people’s needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also helped change the cultural status of blindness. This essay begins by discussing the situation of blind people in nineteenth-century Europe. It then describes the invention of Braille and the gradual process of its acceptance within blind education. Subsequently, it explores the wide-ranging effects of this invention on blind people’s social and cultural lives.
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Step 1: hook your reader, step 2: give background information, step 3: present your thesis statement, step 4: map your essay’s structure, step 5: check and revise, more examples of essay introductions, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about the essay introduction.
Your first sentence sets the tone for the whole essay, so spend some time on writing an effective hook.
Avoid long, dense sentences—start with something clear, concise and catchy that will spark your reader’s curiosity.
The hook should lead the reader into your essay, giving a sense of the topic you’re writing about and why it’s interesting. Avoid overly broad claims or plain statements of fact.
Take a look at these examples of weak hooks and learn how to improve them.
The first sentence is a dry fact; the second sentence is more interesting, making a bold claim about exactly why the topic is important.
Avoid using a dictionary definition as your hook, especially if it’s an obvious term that everyone knows. The improved example here is still broad, but it gives us a much clearer sense of what the essay will be about.
Instead of just stating a fact that the reader already knows, the improved hook here tells us about the mainstream interpretation of the book, implying that this essay will offer a different interpretation.
Next, give your reader the context they need to understand your topic and argument. Depending on the subject of your essay, this might include:
The information here should be broad but clearly focused and relevant to your argument. Don’t give too much detail—you can mention points that you will return to later, but save your evidence and interpretation for the main body of the essay.
How much space you need for background depends on your topic and the scope of your essay. In our Braille example, we take a few sentences to introduce the topic and sketch the social context that the essay will address:
Now it’s time to narrow your focus and show exactly what you want to say about the topic. This is your thesis statement —a sentence or two that sums up your overall argument.
This is the most important part of your introduction. A good thesis isn’t just a statement of fact, but a claim that requires evidence and explanation.
The goal is to clearly convey your own position in a debate or your central point about a topic.
Particularly in longer essays, it’s helpful to end the introduction by signposting what will be covered in each part. Keep it concise and give your reader a clear sense of the direction your argument will take.
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As you research and write, your argument might change focus or direction as you learn more.
For this reason, it’s often a good idea to wait until later in the writing process before you write the introduction paragraph—it can even be the very last thing you write.
When you’ve finished writing the essay body and conclusion , you should return to the introduction and check that it matches the content of the essay.
It’s especially important to make sure your thesis statement accurately represents what you do in the essay. If your argument has gone in a different direction than planned, tweak your thesis statement to match what you actually say.
To polish your writing, you can use something like a paraphrasing tool .
You can use the checklist below to make sure your introduction does everything it’s supposed to.
My first sentence is engaging and relevant.
I have introduced the topic with necessary background information.
I have defined any important terms.
My thesis statement clearly presents my main point or argument.
Everything in the introduction is relevant to the main body of the essay.
You have a strong introduction - now make sure the rest of your essay is just as good.
This introduction to an argumentative essay sets up the debate about the internet and education, and then clearly states the position the essay will argue for.
The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education. The use of the internet in academic contexts is on the rise, and its role in learning is hotly debated. For many teachers who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. This concern, while understandable, is misguided. The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its critical benefits for students and educators—as a uniquely comprehensive and accessible information source; a means of exposure to and engagement with different perspectives; and a highly flexible learning environment.
This introduction to a short expository essay leads into the topic (the invention of the printing press) and states the main point the essay will explain (the effect of this invention on European society).
In many ways, the invention of the printing press marked the end of the Middle Ages. The medieval period in Europe is often remembered as a time of intellectual and political stagnation. Prior to the Renaissance, the average person had very limited access to books and was unlikely to be literate. The invention of the printing press in the 15th century allowed for much less restricted circulation of information in Europe, paving the way for the Reformation.
This introduction to a literary analysis essay , about Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein , starts by describing a simplistic popular view of the story, and then states how the author will give a more complex analysis of the text’s literary devices.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is often read as a crude cautionary tale. Arguably the first science fiction novel, its plot can be read as a warning about the dangers of scientific advancement unrestrained by ethical considerations. In this reading, and in popular culture representations of the character as a “mad scientist”, Victor Frankenstein represents the callous, arrogant ambition of modern science. However, far from providing a stable image of the character, Shelley uses shifting narrative perspectives to gradually transform our impression of Frankenstein, portraying him in an increasingly negative light as the novel goes on. While he initially appears to be a naive but sympathetic idealist, after the creature’s narrative Frankenstein begins to resemble—even in his own telling—the thoughtlessly cruel figure the creature represents him as.
If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!
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Your essay introduction should include three main things, in this order:
The length of each part depends on the length and complexity of your essay .
The “hook” is the first sentence of your essay introduction . It should lead the reader into your essay, giving a sense of why it’s interesting.
To write a good hook, avoid overly broad statements or long, dense sentences. Try to start with something clear, concise and catchy that will spark your reader’s curiosity.
A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.
The thesis statement is essential in any academic essay or research paper for two main reasons:
Without a clear thesis statement, an essay can end up rambling and unfocused, leaving your reader unsure of exactly what you want to say.
The structure of an essay is divided into an introduction that presents your topic and thesis statement , a body containing your in-depth analysis and arguments, and a conclusion wrapping up your ideas.
The structure of the body is flexible, but you should always spend some time thinking about how you can organize your essay to best serve your ideas.
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Tips and tricks for crafting engaging and effective essays.
Writing essays can be a challenging task, but with the right approach and strategies, you can create compelling and impactful pieces that captivate your audience. Whether you’re a student working on an academic paper or a professional honing your writing skills, these tips will help you craft essays that stand out.
Effective essays are not just about conveying information; they are about persuading, engaging, and inspiring readers. To achieve this, it’s essential to pay attention to various elements of the essay-writing process, from brainstorming ideas to polishing your final draft. By following these tips, you can elevate your writing and produce essays that leave a lasting impression.
Before you start writing your essay, it is crucial to thoroughly understand the essay prompt or question provided by your instructor. The essay prompt serves as a roadmap for your essay and outlines the specific requirements or expectations.
Here are a few key things to consider when analyzing the essay prompt:
By understanding the essay prompt thoroughly, you can ensure that your essay addresses the topic effectively and meets the requirements set forth by your instructor.
One of the key elements of writing an effective essay is conducting thorough research on your chosen topic. Research helps you gather the necessary information, facts, and examples to support your arguments and make your essay more convincing.
Here are some tips for researching your topic thoroughly:
Don’t rely on a single source for your research. Use a variety of sources such as books, academic journals, reliable websites, and primary sources to gather different perspectives and valuable information. | |
While conducting research, make sure to take detailed notes of important information, quotes, and references. This will help you keep track of your sources and easily refer back to them when writing your essay. | |
Before using any information in your essay, evaluate the credibility of the sources. Make sure they are reliable, up-to-date, and authoritative to strengthen the validity of your arguments. | |
Organize your research materials in a systematic way to make it easier to access and refer to them while writing. Create an outline or a research plan to structure your essay effectively. |
By following these tips and conducting thorough research on your topic, you will be able to write a well-informed and persuasive essay that effectively communicates your ideas and arguments.
A thesis statement is a crucial element of any well-crafted essay. It serves as the main point or idea that you will be discussing and supporting throughout your paper. A strong thesis statement should be clear, specific, and arguable.
To create a strong thesis statement, follow these tips:
Remember, a strong thesis statement sets the tone for your entire essay and provides a roadmap for your readers to follow. Put time and effort into crafting a clear and compelling thesis statement to ensure your essay is effective and persuasive.
One of the key elements of writing an effective essay is developing a clear and logical structure. A well-structured essay helps the reader follow your argument and enhances the overall readability of your work. Here are some tips to help you develop a clear essay structure:
1. Start with a strong introduction: Begin your essay with an engaging introduction that introduces the topic and clearly states your thesis or main argument.
2. Organize your ideas: Before you start writing, outline the main points you want to cover in your essay. This will help you organize your thoughts and ensure a logical flow of ideas.
3. Use topic sentences: Begin each paragraph with a topic sentence that introduces the main idea of the paragraph. This helps the reader understand the purpose of each paragraph.
4. Provide evidence and analysis: Support your arguments with evidence and analysis to back up your main points. Make sure your evidence is relevant and directly supports your thesis.
5. Transition between paragraphs: Use transitional words and phrases to create flow between paragraphs and help the reader move smoothly from one idea to the next.
6. Conclude effectively: End your essay with a strong conclusion that summarizes your main points and reinforces your thesis. Avoid introducing new ideas in the conclusion.
By following these tips, you can develop a clear essay structure that will help you effectively communicate your ideas and engage your reader from start to finish.
When writing an essay, it’s crucial to support your arguments and assertions with relevant examples and evidence. This not only adds credibility to your writing but also helps your readers better understand your points. Here are some tips on how to effectively use examples and evidence in your essays:
By integrating relevant examples and evidence into your essays, you can craft a more convincing and well-rounded piece of writing that resonates with your audience.
Once you have finished writing your essay, the next crucial step is to edit and proofread it carefully. Editing and proofreading are essential parts of the writing process that help ensure your essay is polished and error-free. Here are some tips to help you effectively edit and proofread your essay:
1. Take a Break: Before you start editing, take a short break from your essay. This will help you approach the editing process with a fresh perspective.
2. Read Aloud: Reading your essay aloud can help you catch any awkward phrasing or grammatical errors that you may have missed while writing. It also helps you check the flow of your essay.
3. Check for Consistency: Make sure that your essay has a consistent style, tone, and voice throughout. Check for inconsistencies in formatting, punctuation, and language usage.
4. Remove Unnecessary Words: Look for any unnecessary words or phrases in your essay and remove them to make your writing more concise and clear.
5. Proofread for Errors: Carefully proofread your essay for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. Pay attention to commonly misused words and homophones.
6. Get Feedback: It’s always a good idea to get feedback from someone else. Ask a friend, classmate, or teacher to review your essay and provide constructive feedback.
By following these tips and taking the time to edit and proofread your essay carefully, you can improve the overall quality of your writing and make sure your ideas are effectively communicated to your readers.
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Emphasizing clarity and organization: Lastly, the purpose of a report essay is to emphasize clarity and organization. It should be well-structured, with a logical flow of ideas and information. The purpose is to ensure that readers can easily navigate through the essay, grasping the main points and arguments.
Review your report's purpose and see if these sections are necessary. This is a first draft, so focus on getting your ideas down on paper. Don't get bogged down in perfect grammar or style - you can polish that later. Just make sure you write in a clear way and use everyday language your target audience can understand.
1 Choose a topic based on the assignment. Before you start writing, you need to pick the topic of your report. Often, the topic is assigned for you, as with most business reports, or predetermined by the nature of your work, as with scientific reports. If that's the case, you can ignore this step and move on.
Determine the main points and key findings you will present in your report and lay them out in an order that makes sense for your report topic. Structuring your information logically will make your report easy to understand and allow you to accurately convey your thoughts and findings. Step 4. Writing the Report.
Essentially, a report is a short, sharp, concise document which is written for a particular purpose and audience. It generally sets outs and analyses a situation or problem, often making recommendations for future action. It is a factual paper, and needs to be clear and well-structured. Requirements for the precise form and content of a report ...
Reports use clear and concise language, which can differ considerably from essay writing. They are often broken down in to sections, which each have their own headings and sub-headings. These sections may include bullet points or numbering as well as more structured sentences. Paragraphs are usually shorter in a report than in an essay.
Table of contents. Step 1: Prewriting. Step 2: Planning and outlining. Step 3: Writing a first draft. Step 4: Redrafting and revising. Step 5: Editing and proofreading. Other interesting articles. Frequently asked questions about the writing process.
Course description. Writing reports and assignments can be a daunting prospect. Learn how to interpret questions and how to plan, structure and write your assignment or report. This free course, Essay and report writing skills, is designed to help you develop the skills you need to write effectively for academic purposes.
Report Writing Examples - Solved Questions from previous papers . Example 1: Historical Event Report. Question: Write a report on the historical significance of the "Battle of Willow Creek" based on the research of Sarah Turner. Analyze the key events, outcomes, and the lasting impact on the region. Solved Report:
The essay writing process consists of three main stages: Preparation: Decide on your topic, do your research, and create an essay outline. Writing: Set out your argument in the introduction, develop it with evidence in the main body, and wrap it up with a conclusion. Revision: Check your essay on the content, organization, grammar, spelling ...
Report writing. Report writing is an essential skill in many disciplines. Master it now at university and writing reports in the workplace will be easier. A report aims to inform and sometimes to persuade. They should be written as clearly and succinctly as possible with evidence about a topic, problem or situation.
Introduction. Most academic courses will require you to write assignments or reports, and this free OpenLearn course, Essay and report writing skills, is designed to help you to develop the skills you need to write effectively for academic purposes. It contains clear instruction and a range of activities to help you to understand what is ...
Step 5: Create a Clear and Concise Body - In the main body of the report, present your information in a clear and concise manner. Use headings and subheadings to divide different sections and support your statements with data, facts, and examples. Stay focused on the central theme and avoid unnecessary tangents.
Whenever you choose to write the introduction, use it to draw readers into your report. Make the topic of your report clear, and be concise and sincere. End the introduction with your thesis statement. Depending on your topic and the type of report, you can write an effective introduction in several ways.
Pre-writing steps. Before you set pen to paper, it's important to do your research and plan your report carefully. Giving yourself plenty of time for this stage will make the actual writing quicker and less rambling. 1. Define the audience and purpose of the report.
The basic steps for how to write an essay are: Generate ideas and pick a type of essay to write. Outline your essay paragraph by paragraph. Write a rough first draft without worrying about details like word choice or grammar. Edit your rough draft, and revise and fix the details. Review your essay for typos, mistakes, and any other problems.
The basic structure of an essay always consists of an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. But for many students, the most difficult part of structuring an essay is deciding how to organize information within the body. This article provides useful templates and tips to help you outline your essay, make decisions about your structure, and ...
Easy Steps to Write a Report. Choose an interesting topic and narrow it down to a specific idea. Take notes as you research your topic. Come up with a thesis, or main theme of your report, based on your research. Outline the main ideas you'll cover in your report. Then, write the first draft.
Tips and Hints. Most assignments require either an essay or report. Essays and reports differ from one another in both their purpose and the information they contain. The table below describes the differences between essays and reports. Essays. Reports. Present arguments and/or issues. Present information. Read carefully by your teacher/tutor.
Overview. Reports are typical workplace writing. Writing reports as coursework can help you prepare to write better reports in your work life. Reports are always written for a specific purpose and audience. They can present findings of a research; development of a project; analysis of a situation; proposals or solutions for a problem.
Report writing. There are many forms of writing which you may have to undertake at university, from reflective journals to extended researched assignments. The two most common forms of writing are reports and essays. This page describes what a report is, outlines the main types of report you may need to write, and summarises the differences ...
There are three main stages to writing an essay: preparation, writing and revision. In just 4 minutes, this video will walk you through each stage of an acad...
Table of contents. Step 1: Hook your reader. Step 2: Give background information. Step 3: Present your thesis statement. Step 4: Map your essay's structure. Step 5: Check and revise. More examples of essay introductions. Other interesting articles. Frequently asked questions about the essay introduction.
2. Organize your ideas: Before you start writing, outline the main points you want to cover in your essay. This will help you organize your thoughts and ensure a logical flow of ideas. 3. Use topic sentences: Begin each paragraph with a topic sentence that introduces the main idea of the paragraph.