2. What is a report anyway? Aren’t they the same as essays? What do we have to write about? What does my lecturer expect? What is there to think about? Where do I start? Writing Reports

3. Writing Reports This guide is to help you in the task of researching, structuring, writing and presenting a report

4. This workshop will cover  An overview and purpose of reports  The process of planning and research  The structure of a report  How to write and present the report  Editing and quality control

5. Definition of a Report “A report is a communication of information or advice from a person who has collected and studied the facts, to a person who has asked for the report because they need it for a specific purpose.” Stanton (1990 ) p.243

6. Overview and Purpose  Key purposes To inform (establish the current situation) To explain (investigate a problem/point out options) To persuade (suggest a course of action) A report is the documentation of an inquiry. Your assignments may encompass all or one of the following purposes

7. what should a report look like?  There is no single and correct format  Varies between organisations/courses  You should adhere to format applying to your course (course guides, or your course tutor should provide specific guidance) However, there are some key common features in a standard report Overview and Purpose:

8. The ‘Shape ‘of a Report: your report will be structured to reflect the answers to these questions actions should be taken? What have I been asked to find out? did I set about finding it out? did I find out? conclusions can I draw? How What What What

9. Process and Planning Before you start the process you need to be clear about what you have been asked to do. This will involve understanding the main purpose of the report and setting yourself objectives

10. Process and Planning: what have I been asked to do?  You will need to Consider what lecture notes you have and what books you have read Pinpoint what you need to find out Decide how you will find the information Plan and organise your timeorganise your time Collect your ideas / make notes Evaluate and structure your ideasstructure Consider the knowledge you already have and what you will need to find out

11. Process and Planning: how do I set about it?  Identifying methods and sources to gather information/evidence  Gathering the information  Evaluating and selecting the relevant information There are several different approaches in any planning process. Some people prefer to brainstorm or produce mind maps, whilst others prefer to think in a logical fashion from the outset. Whichever method is chosen, the process should include:mind maps

12. Identify methods and sources These are the four main sources of information and the chosen method should be robust and able to withstand criticism by assessors etc  Experiment  Survey  Visit  Observation  Calculations  Questionnaires  Tutors  Interviews  Peers  Phone contacts  Meetings  Faculty Librarian  Company reports  Visit  Brochures  Other literature  Internet  Books  Journals  Newspapers  Video  Dissertations  Literature search First Hand First Hand Library Library People People Organisations Organisations The quality of your core research determines the quality of your report and therefore your grade

13. Gathering Information  Always focus on the aim of the report ; don’t fall into the trap of writing everything you know about the subject.  You will not gain additional marks for additional material that is not required  Make sure your ideas are realistic and relevant  Record your method and sources meticulously e.g. equipment, actions, contacts  Record results e.g. keep a record of actions and whether they were successful, or not

14. Selecting Relevant Information  In evaluating your ideas, decide on the kind of evidence you will need to demonstrate the significance of your facts  Will you need to carry out a survey or interviews?  Will you need to carry out studies of other works? (a literature review)a literature review  Consider using graphs or diagrams  What other visual material will you use? How will you produce it?

15. Structure A clear structure to your report will demonstrate that you have understood the brief, carried out appropriate research, adopted sound methodology, analysed your findings and justified your conclusions and recommendations

16.  Title Page  Summary or abstract  Contents  Introduction  Main Body (methods and results)  Conclusions  Recommendations  References/ Bibliography  Appendices  Glossary of terms The way in which you build your report will differ from the final layout e.g. you will work on the main body and conclusion before other aspects of the report Structure Key features of a report

17.  The main body  Conclusions  Recommendations  Introduction Structure Suggested order for writing your report This constitutes the first draft; the following sections could be left until the final draft:  References, contents, bibliography, appendices  Summary/abstract  Title page

18. Main Body This is the part of the report where you develop your ideas. The sections in the main body should deal with the main topic. It should contain enough information to justify your conclusions. The main body of the report is where you show what you have done, how you did it, what you found out and what you think about it (analysis) Remember, you must be careful and systematic.

19. Main Body (continued)  This is where you include graphs, tables, diagrams and other visual material  Your commentary should discuss the results: what are the trends? how do they fit with prior expectations? do they confirm or contradict? what are their limitations?

20. Main Body (continued)  Each paragraph should cover one aspect of the subject  There should be a logical sequence  Move from the descriptive to the analytical (e.g. describing methods and then what you think about them)  Appropriate information is crucial in this section and should link to the aim of the report

21. Conclusions  Conclusions are examined carefully by assessors  They need to link with the aims of the report  They need to be supported by results (in the main body)  They need to be set in the context of any previous work, if appropriate  Do not repeat findings, results or add new data You draw your conclusions from the analysis of your findings in the main body of the report. They should cover what you have deduced about the situation.

22. Recommendations  Recommendations must be specific  They should have clear links to the main body and conclusions of the report  They should take account of feasibility and implementation issues e.g. timing, resources etc  Avoid unrealistic or non-specific recommendations e.g. “it is recommended that some changes be made” …!! Recommendations are suggested actions that need to follow on from your report. They are not always needed, particularly in a short report.

23. Introduction The introduction to a report should set the scene, give background and define the purpose of the reportintroduction You should state the topic, what you are going to cover (i.e. the context and limitations) and the intended outcome Include a summary of any previous literature or work that is relevant to your topic This is an important part of the report and should get your readers’ attention. It is not another name for a summary and should not be confused with it

24. Appendices  Appendices contain material that adds to the report e.g. additional results details of the method e.g. sample questionnaires details of the analysis financial data details of products/processes flow charts Appendices are included so that the main body of the report is not fragmented by details. Use Roman numerals when numbering appendices for the list of contents e.g. Appendix (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) etc

25. References/Bibliographies  There are different styles for creating bibliographies  Check with your course tutor/guide for any preferred style  The Harvard system is the most regularly usedHarvard system  It is imperative that all punctuation is exact  Be consistent with chosen style throughout A reference list is a compilation of items referred to in the report. The Bibliography contains additional material which may not be referred to in the report but which readers may want to follow up

26. Contents Page  The contents page should list the headings in the report, together with the page numberscontents page  There should be an indication showing where a particular section, illustration or diagram can be found  All components of the report should appear in the list of contents e.g. appendices, bibliographies etc A good contents page helps in understanding the structure and guides the reader through the report.

27. Summary/Abstract  It comprises the problem/topic investigated how it was investigated the main findings a clear summary of any recommendations  The length is determined by length of full document  Typically, academic reports summaries are one paragraph long – one page for Commercial/ management reports A summary or abstract is not required for every report. You should check with your course tutor/guide whether it is needed. If it is, this can be the most important part of your report and it is read in detail.

28. Title Page  Title  Student number  Tutor name  Student name  Course module title  Date The title page should include the following details to ensure clarity of ownership and facilitate the assignment handling processtitle page

29. Writing and Presenting Sections The first part of this workshop covered the purposes of a report, the planning and processes that could be used and the structure. This section explains

30. Writing Sections  Each section should have a heading and can be divided into sub sections (slide 25)  One word headings should be avoided as they can be vague and misleading  Each heading and any sub heading should be clear and tell the reader what is in each section  Each section should contain only one point, topic or theme (although you may need to refer to something covered elsewhere)  Take care to ensure that the material in each section is clear, concise and relevantclear, concise and relevant

31. Writing Sections - Style  A report should be written in the third person - this means not using "I" or "we".  Write in the past tense, in a formal manner  Sentences should be clear, direct and easy to read  Avoid using “fancy language” designed to impress Report writing adopts a particular style that is dispassionate, objective and impersonal.impersonal

32. Writing Sections - Presentation  Text should be double line spaced or 1.5  Font should be Arial 12 point or Times New Roman  There should be indentations for Quotes (use italics) Bullet points Lists/tables/figures  Diagrams/tables etc should be numbered and labelled Check with your course tutor/guide to determine preferred spacing and font usage

33. Editing and Quality Control There is no such thing as a completed report at first writing. A professional document is the outcome of several drafts, redrafts, editing and refining. This process has to be evident in all submitted work i.e. there is no excuse for a disjointed report full of errors

34. Checking contents  What you were asked to do or find out (aims)  How you set about finding it out or doing it (methods)  What you found out (results)  What conclusions you drew (analysis)  What recommendations you made (evaluation) In checking the contents of your report you will be checking the clarity of the structure. Ask your self whether it is clear

35. Checking for Accuracy  Does the title reflect the content?  Does the introduction describe the aims of the report : what you will do /will not do ?  Are the results clear and do the figures add up?  Are there clear links in the text to the supporting data?  Are the references correct both in the text and in the reference list?  Are abbreviations consistent throughout?

36. Checking Layout  Does the title page conform to requirements?  Have you used the correct fonts, spacing and indentations?  Are the headings and sub headings numbered correctly?  Are the tables and figures numbered accurately?  Does the listing of contents match the body of the report?

37. Checking Academic Conventions  Are quotes in italics?  Are you sure you have given the source of the information or study? (Referencing)  Have you made it clear if you have given a personal opinion? (Plagiarism)Plagiarism  Have you checked your punctuation, spelling and grammar? (Professional standards)punctuationspelling grammar  Have you checked that you have not used colloquial language and first person? (Academic credibility)

38. Happiness comes after…….. You’ve done the right stuff!

39. This workshop was produced by the Centre for Academic Practice (CfAP). You can receive one-to-one personal guidance on this and any other assignment-related topic, or you can pick up hard copy, open learning packs on almost any skill, from graphs to critical analysis Contacts: Telephone893120 (or ext 3120) Emailsandy.gilkes@northampton.co.uksandy.gilkes@northampton.co.uk chris.butts@northampton.co.uk The Centre for Academic Practice is at Avenue Campus in Maidwell Building on the lower ground floor, at the front (MY89) C f AP