Writing Good Reports

By BNET Editorial
published on BNET.com 5/02/2007

What You Need to Know

I have a report to write that covers issues that could become large
and unwieldy. How do I control the scope of the material?
Try these techniques for controlling scope and content:

• Take the time for a detailed conversation with the person requesting the report. Ask about the
specific objectives of the report.
• Think carefully about your audience, their perspective, their background knowledge of the topic,
and their likely investment in it.
• Work out your desired outcome, which will help you to organize your information and arguments.
• It may seem obvious that the report should have a beginning, a middle, and an end, but many
report writers lose track of this basic structure. Plan the sections and sub-sections carefully and
logically.
• Find, organize, and analyze the information that you want to include. Then exclude anything you
don’t really need.
• After you’ve written a draft, check and double-check your work. If at all possible, ask someone
else to read the report and give you feedback on whether it flows logically and convincingly.

I work in a technical area and much of my information is

numerical. How can I make this compelling reading?
Unless your readers are highly technical, reams of numbers or formulas will turn them off. Make the
data come alive by describing in lively terms what the numbers mean. Whenever possible, present
data in easy-to-grasp graphs, charts, or other illustrations.

How can I show myself in the best light when I write a report?
Producing a highly professional document may help you advance your career as well as meet
the objectives of the report, but don’t fall into the trap of thinking of the report as your résumé. It’s
a vehicle to show your professional expertise, not an excuse to show off. Follow the basic rules:
logical organization, simple and straightforward language. Don’t pepper the document with the latest

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acronyms and jargon. If you do need to use an acronym, write out the term the first time you use
it. If you need to use a technical term that many in your audience may not understand, include a
brief definition. If the report must use acronyms and terms specific to the field, consider including a
glossary at the back.

You may include a line that will help the reader recognize your expertise, for example: “The current
debate about [subject] goes beyond the scope of this report, but my conclusions take in account the
relevant issues.”

What to Do

Know What Impact You Want to Have on Your Audience

To write a good report, you need to be clear about your audience, what they know already, and what
they’ll learn from your final document.

You may be writing for a number of different reasons, but each will inform the approach you take:

• justifying a decision that has already been made and reviewing its effectiveness.
• developing a persuasive argument in support of a particular decision
• providing background knowledge for a debate or a decision in which you have no investment.

Each possibility suggests an organizing framework.

Visualize your finished document at the outset and get a sense of how you’d like the readers to feel
as they read through it. This will help you decide what to include, what to leave out, and what tone will
work best.

Set the Context

Your first task is to draw readers into the material and to remove anything that would detract from
them understanding it fully. Think of creating a “frame” through which readers view the topic. This
frame may be a summary at the beginning of the report of its purpose, scope, structure, and any
assumptions on which it’s based. You may include an outcomes statement to set expectations and
guide the reader on how the contents of the report should be considered or applied. For example:
“This report will contribute to the debate on [subject]” or “This report will set out the rationale for
making a decision on [subject]… and conclude with a recommendation on what this decision should
be.”

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Present the Key Issues, Themes, and Arguments
Identify the key issues and themes that will be developed in the main body of the report, and help
the reader by providing signposts—subheads, etc.,—for where those themes will be found. Rather
than crisscross themes, introduce and address each theme separately and develop your argument
logically. Do not conflate personal opinions with the facts; be accurate and objective in the way you
present your data, findings, or discussion points.

Explore the Implications

Now that you’ve identified and explained the key issues and themes, you need to expand on their
underlying causes and consequences. Explore possible solutions, being careful to cover any
implications, including costs (often overlooked). Your logic will pull the readers along and help them to
come to the same conclusions as you do. If your report is designed to favor one option out of many,
this is clearly the way you want to go!

Look to the Future

Some of your readers won’t be natural decision makers and may feel uncomfortable when weighing
a number of options. Help them along by including a forward-looking section where you explain why
one decision is better than another. Sometimes, you can do this most effectively by painting a picture
of the future if the “ideal” decision isn’t made. If you do take this approach, however, you must be
absolutely sure that your logic is watertight, as any gaps will give others an excellent opportunity to
launch counterarguments.

Conclude and Make Recommendations

Powerful conclusions reiterate the points made, draw all the threads together, and assert what needs
to be done next.

Prepare the Executive Summary

Although the executive summary usually comes at the beginning of any report, it’s actually much
easier and more effective to write it after you write the report. You’ll have thought through your
arguments to their logical conclusions, all of which should still be clear in your mind, so it should be

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a relatively simple task to summarize. Remember that the summary need only be a few paragraphs
long. Its purpose is to give the reader a brief overview of the report’s content and outcome.

Here’s a quick checklist covering the main structural points along with some items to consider when
reviewing your document.

Context Do you have a clear understanding of the

purpose of the report and its scope and expected
outcome? Have you considered the readers
and understood their needs, perspective, and
motivations for reading the report?
Organization Have you made sure that your document is
ordered logically and that your arguments are
robust? Is there an obvious beginning, middle,
and end to your report? Is there a logical thread?
Presentation Is the document attractive to the eye? This
includes layout, formatting, and use of tables,
figures, and illustrations. It’s true that pictures
can say a thousand words, but make sure they’re
relevant and add something to the report. Make
sure there is enough white space for easy reading
but not so much that the report looks weak.
Content Have you covered all the key issues? Have you
differentiated between fact and opinion? Have
you outlined your assumptions? Are your facts
accurate? Are your arguments clear and free from
personal or unreasoned bias?
Style Is your writing concise and your meaning clear
and consistent? Have you checked your spelling
and grammar?
Conclusions and Recommendations Are your conclusions a natural outcome
of the arguments in your report? Are your
recommendations based upon your conclusions
and free from prejudice or bias?
And finally… Have you included a succinct executive
summary? Does the report look professional as
you page through it one last time?

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What to Avoid

Your Report Is Too Long

Many people assume that they must include everything they know about a topic or issue in a report.
Remember that “less is more”and include only information that is essential to the logic and purpose of
the report or that provides important background.

Your Report is Too Subjective

It’s easy to weave too much of yourself into a report, especially if you feel strongly about the subject
or have a vested interest in it. But the result can be a report that doesn’t help your audience and may
even damage your credibility. Avoid unsubstantiated statements or emotional assertions Instead,
use solid information and examples to support your points. If there are web sites or publications that
bolster your argument, list them as references to further build your credibility and allow readers to
conduct their own research.

You Assume That Others Think Like You

Report writers often assume that their audience thinks as they do and will see an argument along the
same lines. Don’t fall into this trap; remember that others approach topics with their own perspective
and logic. Part of knowing your audience is anticipating their arguments to your case. When you
address these arguments in your report, you can show respect for the audience while you politely
counter the arguments themselves. Ask a colleague to read your report and alert you to any
unwarranted assumptions about your readers.

Where to Learn More

Books:
Alred, Gerald, et al. The Business Writer’s Handbook. 8th ed. St. Martin’s Press, 2006.

Tufte, Edward. The Visual Display of Quantitative Information. 2nd ed. Graphics Press, 2001.

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 Web Sites:
About: Freelance Writers: http://freelancewrite.about.com/cs/prmarcom/a/busreport.htm

“How To Write More Powerful Reports”: http://hodu.com/report-writing.shtml

Copyright © 2007 CNET Networks, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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