Report Writing

REPORT WRITTING

Submitted To: Ma’am Summera Malik

Comsats University Islamabad Chak Shahzad Campus

Report Writing

Muhammad Nauman Rashid

FA09-BBA-061

Khadija Sikandar
FA09-BBA-041

Fizza Ateeq
FA09-BBA-111

Zara Hassan
FA09-BBA-108

Mariam Bashir
FA09-BBA-046
 Report Writing

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LONG REPORTS..........................................................................................................1
TYPES OF LONG REPORTS..........................................................................................1
ELEMENTS OF A LONG REPORT.................................................................................2
HOW TO WRITE…......................................................................................................3
INTRODUCTIONS....................................................................................................3
SUMMARIES AND ABSTRACTS................................................................................4
CONCLUSIONS........................................................................................................5
RECOMMENDATIONS.............................................................................................5
EDITING A LONG REPORT..........................................................................................6
FORMATTING A LONG FORMAL REPORT..................................................................6
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................7
Report Writing

LONG REPORTS

A long report is simply an extension of shorter report. It involves the discussion of complex
problems in greater depth and more detail. Some long reports extend from a few pages to
several hundred. They are a mix of informative and persuasive information. They tend to be long
because they are a result of an intensive investigation. In style, the long or formal report is
impersonal and restrained in tone. The writer or writers generally do not use the first person (I
or WE), but used third-person reference in some such ways. "It was found" and "the writers are
of the opinion"

TYPES OF LONG REPORTS

All business reports, whether long or short, can be categorized by the extent of the contribution
they make to the decision making process.

The informational report, which presents data without interpretation, is valuable and
ever present. However, it has little application in decision making. An example is a
weekly absenteeism report that indicates only who was absent, when, the employee’s
department, number of absences to date.
A step above the Informational report, the interpretive report adds meaning to the data.
The facts presented in the informational report are examined and implications are drawn
to the absenteeism report already described, the writer would add an explanation: which
employees are absentee problems, whether some departments experience higher rates
than others, and what cost in time, dollars, or materials is attributable to absenteeism.
The third level of decision making reports and the one that makes the most contribution
to the decision making process is the problem-solving report. Because the problem-
solving report not only informs with data and interprets the data, but also analyzes the
problem situation, reviews alternatives, examines implications, draws conclusions, and
makes recommendations, it is frequently referred to as an analytical report. The
absenteeism report already described might; for example, include a recommendation
that two employees be interviewed by their supervisors to determine the cause of their
extreme absenteeism.
Report Writing

ELEMENTS OF A LONG REPORT

A long formal report usually has the following basic structure

 FRONT SECTION :

Title page
It includes title, name of author and receiver, and date.

Letter of Transmittal
It explains the purpose and content of the report and also highlights parts of the report
that may be of special interest.

Table of Contents
It includes sections of report with corresponding page numbers.

 MAIN SECTION:
Although the form and content of the main section will vary with different kinds of report,
the basic elements of this section are the following.

Summary
Concisely describes the content and scope of the writing.

Introduction
A paragraph introducing the topic and what you plan on writing about in the report.

Discussion of findings
It discusses the details of your investigation, the facts on which you have based your
conclusions or recommendations. It should be subdivided, with numbered and descriptive
subheadings.

Conclusions
It is a concise interpretation of the facts that are covered in the body of the report.

Recommendations
Actions to be taken based on the conclusions of the report.
Report Writing

 BACK SECTION:

References
If you have referred in your report to any facts or figures that are not general knowledge
or part of the organization’s internal operation, you should give the source in a
reference.

Appendixes
Additional material that is useful but not essential to understanding the body of the
report

HOW TO WRITE…

INTRODUCTIONS
The purpose of the introduction is to lead the reader into the topic of the report; its nature will
depend on the gap between the topic and the reader's background knowledge. An introductory
paragraph of a report should be written such that it clearly introduces the topic and captures
readers’ attention. Beginning with the attention grabber, it should outline all those points or
ideas which are to be discussed further. Providing the background information to the report it
includes the following:

Who authorized the report

What the report is about
Why it is being prepared
Research methods
Limitations (if relevant)
Scope of the report.

Keep the introduction brief by adopting a light tone and staying away from long-winded
explanations. Use correct language and grammar and avoid slang or paraphrasing. Ensure that
the introduction is structurally correct and arranged into manageable sentences and
paragraphs.  Finish with a final statement or question that should lead naturally and
Report Writing

automatically to the main body of your essay. Leave your audience with a sense of anticipation
that makes them want to continue to the end.

SUMMARIES AND ABSTRACTS

The summary is a report in miniature, normally of not more than 200 words. It will state the
main objectives of the work, and the principal results and conclusions; it will omit all inessential
detail. A summary should not merely describe what the report is about; it should also give some
information about the results. Where appropriate, it may include quantitative results. The
summary must stand alone; it must be intelligible without reading any other part of the report
except the title.It reduces a body of material to its bare essentials. Creating a summary is,
therefore, an exercise in compression. The principles of writing summary are

Be brief
Key in on main ideas
Focus on important details
Organize your ideas carefully
Write clearly

An executive summary differs from an abstract in that an abstract will usually be shorter and is
intended to provide a neutral overview or orientation rather than being a condensed version of
the full document.
The format of abstract will depend on the work being abstracted. All abstracts share several
mandatory components, and there are also some optional parts that you can decide to include or
not. While preparing to draft an abstract, the following key process elements should be kept in
mind

Reason for writing

Problem
Methodology
Results
Implications
Report Writing

CONCLUSIONS

The Conclusion section indicates the writer’s sense of the meaning of all the fact findings. It
should be a very short summing-up of the main findings from the results and the discussion. It
should summarize the Findings and what they mean to the writer and provide a logical basis and
reason for proposing certain recommendations that follow. It summarizes, interprets, and
synthesizes. In the conclusion you restate the problem and then answer the questions that
initiated the analysis.It should evaluate the significance of the report, and reemphasize the main
points. The conclusion pushes beyond the boundaries of the question and enables a broader
consideration of issues, makes new connections, and elaborates on the significance of the
findings.
The conclusion section should not introduce any new information. It should communicate a
feeling of finality and closure. It should be written in plain English for readers to easily
understand it.

RECOMMENDATIONS

This section proposes ways to solve the identified problems (with alternatives) and rectify or
improve a situation. The problem identification and the recommended solutions must have a
logical connection, obviously. They are the writer's own ideas and are fully supported by the
conclusions and research findings. Work your way up to the recommendations, which should
track against all that comes before them. Furthermore, sometimes you can propose an
Implementation/Action Plan explaining exactly how to implement the recommendations to solve
the problems. In this section state who should act, when, and why. . State your recommendations
in order of priority, and in plain English. Place recommendations always at the end of the
report.
 Report Writing

EDITING A LONG REPORT

The final stage in the process of writing a report is editing and this stage is a significant
one. Thorough editing helps to identify

Spelling mistakes;

Awkward grammar;

Breakdowns in the logic of the report's organization or conclusion.

If you have really fulfilled the requirements of the report and answered all parts
of the question.

Text editing and revising functions are easily accomplished on a word processor. A few key
strokes permit condensing, changing or adding words, rearranging paragraphs, adjusting
margins, detecting spelling errors, and a host of other functions.

FORMATTING A LONG FORMAL REPORT

Following are some general guidelines which should be kepr in mind at the time of formatting a
long formal report

Follow the generally accepted format for a report: Summary, Introduction, Main Body,
Conclusions, Recommendations and Appendices.
Organize your information in each section in a logical fashion, putting things in order of
priority - most important first.
No indentation, left justify only.
Generally use double-spaced typing except in those areas where single-spacing is shown.
Page numbers in upper right corner. No page number on title page Use 1- or 1-1/2-inch
margins for all four margins of the report.
1 blank line between new paragraphs and before and after subheadings.
Final report must be bound, with loose letter of transmittal clipped to cover.
Only one side of the page should be used.
Written in the passive voice, no first person "I" or "we" except in the analysis.
Report Writing

REFERENCES

(Herta A. Murphy., 1972) Effective Business Communication 7th Edition.

http://www.ehow.com/how_2272372_format-business-report.html
http://www.io.com/~hcexres/textbook/final.htm
http://www.lsu.edu/faculty/jpullia/2002longreportformatting.htm
http://www.ncistudent.net/studyskills/writingskills/Reports1.htm
http://www.whitesmoke.com/how-to-write-a-conclusion