Reports

More About Reports

Why do we write reports ?

Reports provide information on research or project work. There are many types of reports, such as business reports, scintific lab reports, case study reports, and others. Every report may require different formats. The common feature of all reports is that they are structured to provide information clearly and quickly. Therefore, reports are organized into sections with headings.  

Commonly used heading for reports

1. Title Page 

       Title page usually contains :

•     The report title, which states the report's purpose
•   Your name and the name of the person receiving the report.
•    Submisson date.

2. . Abstract (summary or executive summary )

     Abstract and summaries are different from an introduction. They :

• Provide a quick overview of the report's purpose, context, major findings, conclusions and recommendations.
• Are restricted to one paragraph.
•  Include one sentence for every main section of the report, omitting details and examples.

3. Table of contents 

     Table of contents lists the main sections (heading) of the report and the page on which each begins. If your report includes tables, diagrams or illustrations, list them on a diffrent page after table of contents.

4. Introduction

    The introduction should : 

•  Discus the importance of significance od the research or problem to be reported.
• Define the purpose of the report.
• Outline the issues (scope).
• Inform the reader of any limitations to the report, or any assumptions made.

5. Discussion or body 

    This part contains the main substance of the report. It is organized into sections with headings and subheadings rather than paragraphs. The body of a report can include:

• Literature review, an assessment of what other people have written about the topic.
• The method of data collection. If applicable, this should include what you did and why, such as a survey or interview, and the size and selection criteria of the stud;y sample.
• Discussion and analysis of the data. This should explain about the reliability and accuracy of the data and relate the findings to your report's purpose and current literature.

6. Conclusion

    This summarizes the key dindings from the discussion section and may be numbered here for clarity. Relate your conclusion to the objectives of the reports and arrange your points logically so that ajor conclusions are presented first. Some reports may require a discussion of recommendations, rather than a conclusion.

7. Recommendations 

    These are subjective opinions of the writer about the action that could be followed. They must be realistic and achievable.

8. Reference List

     This must contin all the material cited in the report.

 

9. Appendices

    They contain detailed information, such as questionnaired, tables, graphs and diagrams. Appendices should be clearly set out and numbered in the order they are mentioned in the text.