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What is a Report?
REPORT WRITING
Types of Reports?
• Information Report
– Covers record of events, past and present
– Purpose is to convey the events, ideas and data clearly,
concisely and correctly
– Example: Sales Report, Financial Report, Marketing
Campaign Report
• Research Report
– Covers an analysed report
– Writer includes the problem to be solved, present the
data, its analysis, findings, recommendations
– Example: Feasibility Report, New Product Development
Report, Product Performance Research Report
Questions need to be answered before Writing a
Report
• What is the purpose of the report?
– Reason, need and objective
• Who will read the report?
– Knowledge of the reader, primary and secondary readers,
how technical should it be?
• What information does the reader need?
– Role of the reader, reader’s knowledge of the subject, how
the reader will use the document,
• What research resources are available?
• Employees, customers, public, files, experiments, documents,
books etc
• How should information be organised?
• To understand and comprehend
Contents of the Report depends on the answers to above questions.
• It is a logical presentation of facts and information
• It must be an orderly arrangement of information
• It presents a comprehensive information to the
reader about the subject matter
• After reading the report the reader should be able to
arrive at conclusions / decisions
• May be broadly divided in to information report and
research report
Various Reports
• Sales Reports
• Inspection Reports
• Feasibility Reports
• Audit Reports
• Progress Reports
• Annual Reports
• White Papers
Organising Ideas for Report
• Develop your purpose (Statement of Purpose)
• Should know for what purpose you are writing the report.
• For example for a class assignment, to present a solution to a
case, at work it may be to present a method of overcoming a
design problem of a product
• The generic five step process for solving any problem is:
• Define the key problem
• Describe the dimensions of the problem
• Determine the cause of the problem
• Describe the alternate ways of dealing with causes
• Determine the best action to solve
• Apply the same concept in developing your purpose
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Organising Ideas for Report Organising Ideas for Report

• Organise your scope
• Scope of your writing should match your main idea and
purpose
• Scope is determined by:
• How much information your reader needs?
• How much information you are able to find?
• How much time available to prepare the report? Proposed
Purchase
• You may brain storm yourself or do mind mapping
• What is mind mapping?
• For example you want to purchase 20 computers for your
office and what should be gone into as regards to purchase?
• It is a nonlinear method, that is I am drawing a map on
various points that come to my mind related to it

Organising Ideas for Report Report Format

• Organise ideas in sequential manner • There is no standard format
• Make the free flow non-linear ideas in to sequential form • One suggested format
• Follow some logical method – Cover materials
• Inductive order – from one to other – Acknowledgements
• Deductive order – building facts to results – Executive Summary
• Chronological / beneficial / cost/ problem-solution orders – Introduction / Background
– Objective/ Problem statement / Scope of the report
– Methodology / Research Methods/ Technical solution/
– Budget
– Findings / Observations/ Recommendations
– Conclusions
– Annexures / Appendices / Glossary
– Dissenting notes if any

Report Format Report Format

• The formats will vary and need to be modified – Schedules to be annexed to the balance sheet
according to the requirement – Notes on account wherever necessary
• For example a company’s typical annual report will – Auditor’s report
have following headings – Commentary on the financial statements
– Board of directors – Ratios and statements
– Top management team – Remuneration paid to the top management
– Names of auditors – Changes in the board
– Progress at a glance – Acknowledgements
– Performance highlights • Formal and Informal reports
– Director’s report
– Accounting policies adopted
– Balance sheet
– Profit and Loss account
– Future Plan

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Use of Headings/ Sub headings Use of Headings/ Sub headings

• Use of proper para, sub para headings should be done • Numeric out line
• You can use alphabetic outline or numeric outline 1. First Major Heading
• Alphabetic out line 1.1 First sub point
1. First Major Heading 1.2 Second sub point
a. First sub point 1.2.1 Evidence
b. Second sub point 1.2.2Evidence
i. Evidence 1.3 Third sub point
ii. Evidence 2. Second Major Heading
c. Third sub point 2.1 First Sub point
2. Second Major point A Suggested Summer Internship Report Format
a. First Sub point

Assignment Assignment
• The assignment is “Writing a Report on GD • Assignment is an individual work
Competition” • Last Date of submission: 06 Feb 2018
• The GD competition is going to be held next week
• Write a report with following paragraphs
– Introduction
– Concept of GD Competition
– Overview of the competition
3 to 4
– Participant selection process of your “House” pages
– Conduct of the competition and topics covered
– Performance of participants
– Awards
– Your analytical View of the entire competition 1 page
– Conclusion

CONCLUSION