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Brief notes on business report writingNewcastle University
Submitted toProf Steve Lockley2003Hector C Sikazwe
 
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Basic principles and componentsin academic report
October 2003
 
Hector Chapa Sikazwe
Keywords
Report writing, structure, methodology research sources
1.1 What is a report?
 A report is a systematic, well organised document which defines and analyses a subject orproblem, and which may include:(a)
 
the record of a sequence of events(b)
 
interpretation of the significance of these events or facts(c)
 
evaluation of the facts or results of research presented(d)
 
discussion of the outcomes of a decision or course of action(e)
 
conclusions(f)
 
recommendationsReports must always be:(a)
 
accurate(b)
 
concise(c)
 
clear(d)
 
well structuredVarious courses require students and researchers to write reports (as opposed to essays),notably business and scientific or technical subjects. There are, however, differentinterpretations of what a report should look like, so it is important that one checks withcourse tutors and course documentation as to the report format and content expected. Inaddition, there is at times some blurring between what “essays”, “reports” and “assignments”are.
 
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1.2 Initial preparation
 Always analyse the brief carefully, making sure that you fully understand the topic, questionor case, that you know what the purpose of the report is, and who it is being written for. Theclearer these things are in your mind, the easier the report will be to write and the moreeffective it will be.During the research period, planning and eventually writing, students and researchers shouldcontinually ask themselves(a)
 
what the main purpose of the report is,(b)
 
The objective for writing it: is it to inform; to argue; to persuade; to evaluate?(c)
 
Consider the reader and what you understand the reader want to see in the report andwhat will they do with it?
1.3 Planning and research
 Principally, the prerequisite is to first decide the basic framework or structure. Let the maintopic or question as a central focus, jot down initial thoughts and start to group these together.You may find the Mind Mapping technique useful:. Start to divide key ideas from subsidiaryinformation, and continually ask yourself if everything is relevant; if it isn’t, then delete it.Secondly, plan the research process. Identify what you need to find out, maybe in the form of questions that need to be answered, and then approach your reading from this starting point.If you have specific information to look for, it will make your reading easier and less timeconsuming.Information quality is paramount. Try not to gather too much information. Again, keepingyour topic or question in mind, reject anything which is not 100% relevant. When you’remaking notes, always try to summarise the main points as concisely as possible. Rememberto make a comprehensive record of any sources consulted in order to be able to correctlyreference these.Make a record of the research methods you used.
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