REPORTS:
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A report typically considers the issues surrounding a problem which has to be solved and an answer given which involves recommending action and/or an action plan. However, like an essay it is written in formal academic style.
In terms of presentation it is more usual for a report to have numbered headings especially in any field connected with business but always check what your lecturers require.
Typically reports will include:
- academic
- business
- scientific
- laboratory & practical
- professional practice
Unlike an essay, a report needs headings for each section so that its structure is immediately clear. It is also essential, in most cases, to include a brief but full summary on the page immediately following the title page. In other words, the structure of the report should be clear so that the reader can quickly find out what the report is about and what the conclusions are.
Typical components of a report include:
- Title page – should contain the report title, who it was written for, the name of the writer(s) and the date
- Introduction – should give some background (why it was produced) and a brief explanation of what the report is about
- Summary – also called synopsis, executive summary or abstract – which is a summary that could be used outside the document
- Contents page – this can be omitted if the report is short, otherwise it should contain the main and paragraph headings with their page numbers
- Where relevant:
- list of figures
- list of tables
- list of symbols
- glossary
- Main body of the report – each section and subheading needs numbering. For some scientific and legal reports, it may also be necessary to number each paragraph.
- Conclusions – clearly stated and summarised from the main body of the report together with a list of recommendations/implications
- References/Glossary
- Appendices
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