WRITING VARIOUS REPORTS

• Reports are part of our lives—starting from

school reports through news reports on TV
and Radio to many kinds of reports we are
required to submit in the course of our
work.
•From time to time, the Government
sets up committees and
commissions to report on various
issues of social, political, and
economic importance.
• There are various Parliamentary committees
such as Committee on Human Resources,
Committee on Agriculture, Committee on
Industry, Committee on Science & Technology,
Committee on Environment & Forests, and so on
are set up to discuss, analyze, and report on
various matters pertaining to the respective
Ministries.
• Such committees meet from time to time,
work out a detailed plan to conduct surveys
and collect data from various sources, and
finally submit their findings and
recommendations in the form of a technical
report.
WHAT IS A REPORT?
• It is a major form of technical/business/professional communication.
In writing a report, a person who possesses certain facts, ideas, or
suggestions useful for courses of action transmits this information to
another person who wants to use it.

• A report can be the description of an event by a person who

witnessed it to somebody else who was not actually present on the
scene.
• • It can be the description of the conditions that did exist, that do
exist, or that are likely to exist. In short, we can say that a report is
usually a piece of factual writing, based on evidence, containing
organized information on a particular topic and/or analysis of that
topic.

• • It is formal in nature and is written for a specific purpose and

audience. It discusses the topic in depth and contains conclusions and
recommendations if required.
TYPES OF REPORT
Informal Report

• • The informal report functions to inform, analyze,

and recommend.
• • It usually takes the form of a memo, letter or a
very short international document like a monthly
financial report, monthly activities report, research
and development report, etc.
• • This report differs from the formal report in length and
formality.

• • It is written according to organization style and rules,

but usually does not include the preliminary (front) and
supplemental (back) material.

• • The informal report is usually more controversial in

tone and typically deals with everyday problems and
issues addressed to a narrow readership inside the
organization.
Types of Informal Report
• There are many embodiments of the informal report:
• ▪ Progress report
• ▪ Sales activity report
• ▪ Personnel evaluation
• ▪ Financial report
• ▪ Feasibility report
• ▪ Literature review
• ▪ Credit report
Formal Report
• • The formal report is the collection and interpretation of
data and information.
• • The formal report is complex and used at an official level.
• • It is often a written account of a major project.
• Examples of subject matter include new technologies, the
advisability of launching a new project line, results of a study
or experiment, an annual report, or a year-old review of
developments in the field.
Types of Formal Report
They can be categorized as:
▪ Informational reports
▪ Analytical reports
▪ Recommendation reports
Informational Reports
• Informational reports present results so readers
can understand a particular problem or situation.
• • Example: Manager of a city’s website might
prepare an informational report for the city
council, the report would provide statistics on the
number of people who pay their city water and
sewage bills online etc.
• Informational reports might:
➢ Present information on the status of current
research or of a project.
➢ Present an update of the operation in your division.
➢ Explain how your organization or division does
something.
➢ Present the results of a questionnaire or research.
Analytical Reports
• • This type goes a step beyond presenting results.
Analytical reports present results analyze those
results, and draw conclusions based on those results.
• • These reports attempt to describe why or how
something happened and then to explain what it
means.
• • Like informational reports, analytical reports can be
formal or informal.
• • Explain what cause a problem or situation
– Present the results of a traffic study
showing accidents at an intersection – the
report explains what it means.
• • Explain the potential results of a particular
course of action.
• • Suggest which option, action, or
procedure is best.
Recommendation Reports

• • This type advocates a particular course of

action. This usually present the results and
conclusions that support the
recommendations.
• • This type is identical to analytical report.
• For example, your analytical report suggests using
treatment X is more efficient than treatments Y and Z.
However, that does not mean that you will use
treatment X as cost and other considerations might
recommend treatment Y.
• What should we do about a problem?
• Should we or can we do something?
• Should we change the method or technology we use
to do something?
OBJECTIVES OF REPORTS
The purposes for which reports are written vary widely.
Given below are some important purposes of reports:

• To present a record of accomplished work (Project

report)
• To record an experiment (primary research
report/laboratory report)
• To record research findings or technical
specifications (a report on the details of a new
product)
• To document schedules, timetables, and
milestones (a report on a long-term plan)
• To document current status (an inspection
report)
• To record and clarify complex information for
future reference (a report on policies and
procedures)
• To present information to a large number of
people (annual report)
• To present organized information on a
particular topic (a report describing the
working of various divisions of an
organization)
• To recommend actions that can be
considered in solving certain problems.
(recommendatory report)
•Understanding the function of each
section will help you to structure
your information and use the
correct writing style. Reports for
different briefs require different
sections, so always carefully check
any instructions you have been
given
STRUCTURE OF REPORTS
• A key feature of reports is that they are formally structured in
sections. The use of sections makes it easy for the reader to
jump straight to the information they need.

• Unlike an essay which is written in a single narrative style from

start to finish, each section of a report has its own purpose and
will need to be written in an appropriate style to suit – for
example, the methods and results sections are mainly
descriptive, whereas the discussion section needs to be
analytical.