Writing a report

MHR 010 coursework should be delivered in a report format.

Word Count:

Please note, overall, word count does not include, such as: title pages, contents, executive summaries/abstracts,
citations or references, tables and diagrams, headings.

For example:

 A Cover Page – not included  

 An Executive Summary – not included   
 A Contents Page – not included   
 An Introduction – included   
 Findings Section – the main body of the report, separated into any number of sub-sections as
required. – included   
 A Conclusion – included   
 A Recommendations section – included   
 A Reference List – not included  
 Appendices – not included  

Overall academic writing style:

 Have a clear and logical format and accurate academic style.

 Students demonstrating higher level academic skills of analysis and evaluation, and sophisticated use
of evidence/sources, will score in the higher grade-ranges.
 Include citations and references. Referencing conventions and the credibility of sources is a vital aspect
of academic report writing.
 Students demonstrating a higher level of academic rigour in these areas will score in the higher grade-
ranges.
 Assignment must not exceed the specified maximum number of words. When a written assignment is
marked, the excessive use of words beyond the word limit is reflected in the academic judgement of the
piece of work which results in a lower mark being awarded for the piece of work (regulation 6.74).

A Cover Page

 Module Title: Managing Human Resources

 Module Code: MOD003486
 Assessment code: 010 Academic (Year: 2021/2022)
 Your work must indicate the number of words you have used.
 Write your student ID number at the top of every page.
 Where the assignment comprises more than one task, all tasks must be submitted in a single document.
 You must number all pages

Assignment submissions are to be made anonymously. Do not write your name anywhere on your work.

An Executive Summary:

As the name suggests, with business reports and proposals it is common to preface the texts with a short
summary of the main points and conclusions. This allows senior managers to keep abreast of the situation,
without needing to study unnecessary detail.

The summary should be written after the report is finalised, and in general will be no more than 10% of the
original length.

An effective summary will, depending on the situation:

 explain the issue being discussed

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  describe the various options
 identify the best course of action
 give reasons to support this.

There is no need to include statistical data and other details since the reader always has the option of studying
the full report.

A Contents Page:

 This should show the reader/marker the basic organisation of the essay, with page numbers.

An Introduction:

 Background to the subject

 Reasons for carrying out the work
 Review of other research in the area

Findings Section

The main body of the report, separated into any number of sub-sections as required. i.e.,

 Discussion of your main findings.

 A summary which explains the report’s purpose and main findings.
 Comments on the effectiveness of your research.
 Methods, how you did your research, description of the tools/materials/sources used.
 Include citations and references. Referencing conventions and the credibility of sources is a vital aspect
of academic report writing.

A Conclusion:

A conclusion should summarise or review your report’s main ideas, such as:

 Summary of your work

 Practical implications of the report (research)
 Suggestions for further research

A Recommendations section:

Recommendations are often included with a report’s conclusion; recommendations suggest actions to be taken
in response to the findings of a report. You can regard recommendations as a prompt to action for your marker. 

 Describe a suggested course of action to be taken to solve a particular problem and are written as action
statements without justification.
 Should be expressed in order of importance.
 Are based on the case built up in the body of the report.

A Reference List:

 You must use the Harvard referencing system.

 This is a complete list of all the sources cited in the text/report.
 Also include a bibliography, which is a list of sources read but not cited.

Appendices:

 These sections are for data related to the topic which the reader may want to refer to. Each appendix
should have a title and be mentioned in the main body.
 Make use of visual information in the form of graphs, diagrams and tables and include appendices
where necessary.

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Further Reading [ARUL online library resource/book reference]:

Bailey, S. 2015. Academic Writing for International Students of Business and Economics.

3rd.ed. Publisher Taylor and Francis.