WRITING REPORTS

A technical report is a formal report designed to convey technical information in a clear and
easily accessible format. It is divided into sections which allow different readers to access
different levels of information. This guide explains the commonly accepted format for a technical
report; explains the purposes of the individual sections; and gives hints on how to go about
drafting and refining a report in order to produce an accurate, professional document.

Structure
A technical report should contain the following sections;

Section Details

Must include the title of the report. Reports for assessment,

Title page where the word length has been specified, will often also require
the summary word count and the main text word count

A summary of the whole report including important features,

Summary
results and conclusions

Numbers and lists all section and subsection headings with page
Table of Contents
numbers

States the objectives of the report and comments on the way the
Introduction topic of the report is to be treated. Leads straight into the report
itself. Must not be a copy of the introduction in a lab handout.

The sections which make up Divided into numbered and headed sections. These sections
the body of the report separate the different main ideas in a logical order

A short, logical summing up of the theme(s) developed in the

Conclusions
main text

Details of published sources of material referred to or quoted in

References the text (including any lecture notes and URL addresses of any
websites used.

Other published sources of material, including websites, not

Bibliography referred to in the text but useful for background or further
reading.

List of people who helped you research or prepare the report,

Acknowledgements
including your proofreaders
 Any further material which is essential for full understanding of
Appendices (if appropriate) your report (e.g. large scale diagrams, computer code, raw data,
specifications) but not required by a casual reader

Writing Report

A report is a technical data that have been collected, analyzed, and presented in
organized form to the person or organization requesting that information.
Reports are also required to clarify or answer questions or problems, compile or verify
data. Consequently, reports may be used as guide for action and repository of information which
may be retrieved when needed and eventually used for decision making or as jump- off points
for new research.
Characteristics of a Reliable Report
Reports must meet certain criteria to be considered reliable documents upon which
important decision may be based .A report, therefore must be:
Objective and Accurate
In presenting facts in reports, personal biases are not welcome. Facts must be
presented objectively as they are and not exaggerated or understated .If the data in the report
are inconclusive, tentative, insufficient or confusing, the report must say these clearly so
management can take appropriate action.
Objectivity must be backed by accuracy. Wrong data may lead to wrong conclusions and
consequently wrong decisions.
Nonemotional
The report must not appeal to emotion as a vehicle for persuasion but it must stand by
its own merit and is accepted because the data it presents are useful to management.
Report writers, therefore, must avoid the use of such superlatives as greatest, most,
monumental, very,highest, etc. They must shun personal pronouns as I and we because these
have strong emotional overtones.
Simple and Straightforward
The report must use formal language and standard format. The text must be simple and
straightforward but it does not mean being blunt or impolite.
Example:
Rude: The method is obsolete and the results obtained are inaccurate.
Improved: A more modern method may be used to get more accurate results.
Well-organized
A report, though simply worded, may become vague if the facts are not logically
organized and made coherent.
Preparing the Report
These are the guide questions in preparing your report:

 What are the purposes of the report?

 To whom is the report addressed?(audience)
 What decisions will be based on the report?
 Are you reporting a problem? If so, what is the problem?
 How did you study the problem? (materials and methods)
 What did you find? (results)
 What do the findings mean? (significance)

Knowing the purpose of reports prevents you from cluttering your report with
needless data or details. Knowing the characteristics of readers is important because
the style of the report depends on the background and needs of readers.

Types of Report

Reports may be classified based on time, subject, function or format. As to time,

reports may be daily, weekly or annually or any time frame in which the report comes
out. Reports based on subject are those on personnel, finance, research, etc. Reports
based on function include information report and analytical or recommendation report
Information report presents pure data and there is no attempt to interpret or analyze
the data. One example is the profit and loss statement of a corporation which does not
explain why losses or profits occur.

Analytical or recommendation report presents and interprets data to help

management see immediately the significance of the data presented. Evaluation and
projection reports are analytical reports.

Conclusions or recommendations are offshoots of analytical reports.

Recommendations are positive or negative steps which an organization must take to
solve problems or achieve goals and objectives.

Format of Reports
 A report may be long or short. Short report format includes memo and letter
report formats. Any report longer than ten pages is a formal report and contains more
details than the short report. It may contain figures or tables.

The parts of a formal report in the order of their arrangement is as follows:

 Cover;
 Title page;
 Letter of transmittal;
 Table of contents;
 List of figures and tables;
 Executive Summary;
 Body;
 References, if any;
 Appendix (not always included)

The title page must contain these parts: title of the report, about 3 inches from
the top of the page), author and designation, person or organization which h requested
or commissioned the report and date of writing the report.

The title should state the subject of the report in inverted pyramid arrangement.
Most of the reports may begin with any of these phrases:

Progress Report on . . .
Annual Report . . .
A Study of

A letter of transmittal merely endorses the report to the person or institution

which requested for or commissioned the report .It may also contain very short
information on the background of the report, purpose and reasons for highlighting some
of the data gathered. The letter may not exceed one page.

Executive Summary gives management a clear picture of the subject of the

report in a few paragraphs.
Body of the long report covers these aspects:
 Introduction
 Discussion
 Conclusion
 Recommendation (if necessary)
 Acknowledgment (not always included)
 References (not always included)
 The introduction includes a statement of the subject of the report, situational and
historical background, purpose and scope.
The situational or historical backgrounds give the readers a fuller grasp of the
significance of the report since these provide information on the particular conditions or climate
which led to the making of the report.
For easy reference, the body of the report must be divided into subtopics and clearly
indicated by subheads.
Methods of expository development are used in the discussion. This may include:

 Definition
 Description
 Explanation
 Classification
 Interpretation

The discussion usually starts with a definition. Definitions are presentation of

qualities of things or events. Concrete examples helps clarify thorny definitions. They
answer the question “what”.

Explanation usually follows the definition. It is a detailed discussion of processes

or movements of machines or living things. Explanations are easier to understand if the
subjects are discussed logically. They answer the question “why” or “how”.
Classification is grouping of subjects based on logical divisions. The technique
permits clear and systematic presentation of facts.

For example, in reporting effects of drought in the country in crops, you may
discuss these effects by crops, regions, or areas.

Data or events by themselves are often meaningless to the reader unless these
are interpreted. In interpretation, the writer points out the possible implications or
effects of data or events.
The conclusion may consist of a summary of the salient findings of the report
and their significance. One or two paragraphs may suffice for the conclusion.