REPORT WRITING

DEFINITION
A document in which a given problem is examined for the purpose of conveying information and findings, putting forward ideas and sometimes making recommendations.

A business report is any factual objective document that serves a business purpose.

FEATURES

Factual (not imaginative)

Use of concrete words which enable the reader to visualize what has been written. Objective (no personal opinion, bias, prejudice or criticism) Orderly/structured in a predetermined fashion Comprehensive (concise & complete)

FEATURES
Detailed (all relevant information included)
Logical (sequential) Clear (accuracy & clarity) Coherent

CLASSIFICATION
Source
Frequency Target Audience Length Intent

SOURCE
Voluntary Reports: Prepared on own initiative, and require substantial background on the subject and a detailed explanation of purpose.
Authorized Reports: Prepared at the request of someone else and organized to respond to the request of the reader.

FREQUENCY
Routine/Periodic Reports: Submitted on recurring basis (daily, monthly, quarterly, annually etc.)
Specialized Reports: Non-recurring reports that present the results of specific studies or investigations.

TARGET AUDIENCE
Internal Reports: designed for use within the organization, and thus less formal. They may be written in memo format.
External Reports: Sent to people outside the organization. These may be written in letter format (less than 5 pages) or manuscript format (more than 5 pages).

LENGTH
Short Reports: 1-9 pages
Long Reports: 10 pages or more. These reports examine a problem in detail and require extensive research.

INTENT
Informational Reports: focus on facts and are intended to explain something or educate readers. Eg.: Reports for monitoring & controlling operations, compliance & progress reports.
Analytical Reports: Designed to solve a problem by convincing readers that the conclusions and recommendations are justified based on the data, analyses and interpretations presented in the reports.

TYPES OF REPORTS
Routine/Periodic/Progress Reports: Reports written at regular intervals from sales/ production/ operations/ customer service personnel.
Justification Reports with recommendations: Managers may have to justify a decision that arises out of the facts gathered and relevant to the problem.

TYPES OF REPORTS
Feasibility Reports: Analysis and interpretation of cost, benefits, disadvantages and future possibilities, managers have to point out whether a given project is feasible or not.
Situational Reports: Reports regarding office trips, conferences, seminars etc. updating the organization on the activities of managers.

TYPES OF REPORTS
Research Reports: Research has to be carried out continuously to determine the response of products in the market, or market trends prior to launching a new product.
Business Proposal: Persuasive reports that attempt to secure new business and answer the basic questions an investor would like to know.

WRITING PROCESS
Planning:
Analyze the situation and define the problem (what, why, who, where, when & how). Develop statement of purpose. Develop a preliminary outline which establishes the framework for the report.

WRITING PROCESS
Planning:
Prepare the Work Plan: list the steps you plan to take with an estimate of their sequence and timing. Investigate: Gather primary and secondary data. Adapt your report to your audience: Use you attitude, emphasize positive, be polite and courteous.

FORMAT OF REPORTS
Title Page
Title should cover the basic questions what, who, why, when & where Prepared for (Name of organization) Date

Prepared by (Name of person)

FORMAT OF REPORTS
Letter of Authorization: written by the person who has authorized the report.
Table of Contents: Outline of the topics covered with page numbers. Executive Summary: Brief synopsis of the entire report.

FORMAT OF REPORTS
Introduction:
Why report has been authorized Objective/purpose of report Scope of report (boundary within which research has been carried out, ie., economic segment of population, geographical area etc.)

FORMAT OF REPORTS
Limitations or obstacles face by reporter (eg. Data not available)
Sources of data collection Methods of data collection (Primary and secondary research)

FORMAT OF REPORTS
Main Text:
Explanation of problem or opportunity Facts, statistical evidence & trends Results of studies or investigations Analysis of data examined Charts, graphs, illustrations supporting written explanation Divided into sections & sub-sections

FORMAT OF REPORTS
Conclusion:
End result of data Summarize the main idea of report Should be written clearly, concisely, correctly and completely

Should be authentic

FORMAT OF REPORTS
Recommendations:
Optional Introduce the benefit that can be achieved. List the steps required to achieve the benefit, and give details on procedures, costs and benefits.

FORMAT OF REPORTS
Appendix:
Information that indirectly supports the report Official letters from an organization, questionnaires & responses, charts/graphs Adds value to the report

FORMAT OF REPORTS
Bibliography:
List of sources referred to (books, articles from newspapers, magazines or journals, websites, interviews etc.) General details to be included for a book: Title, name of the author, edition, place and year of publication, and name of publisher.

COMMON ERRORS
Lack of objectivity: Seeing only the facts that support your views and ignoring any contradictory information.
Hasty generalizations: Forming judgments on the basis of insufficient evidence or a special case. Personal attacks or appeals to popular prejudice

COMMON ERRORS
Hidden Assumption: Hiding a questionable major premise.
Either/or scenarios: setting up two alternatives and not allowing for others. False causal relationships: Assuming that event A caused event B simply because A preceded B.

REVISING THE REPORT

Evaluate content and review readability.
Edit and rewrite for conciseness and clarity. Use effective design elements. Proofread: review texts and visuals for errors in layout, spelling, grammar, punctuation etc.