university of sunderland professionalism and personal skills unit 6 professionalism and personal...

University of Sunderland

Professionalism and Personal SkillsProfessionalism and Personal Skills Unit 6

Professionalism and Professionalism and Personal SkillsPersonal Skills

Lecture 6:

Report Writing




Objectives• By the end of this lecture the student should –

– Understand the different types of report– Understand the essentials elements of a good report– Appreciate how reports have the same fundamental

structure– Understand the step-by-step guide for preparing and

writing a report




Overview• Being asked to write a report can fill people with

horror

• Writing reports correctly is an essential skill you will need as a student



Professionalism and Professionalism and Personal SkillsPersonal SkillsWhat is a Report?

• A Definition –“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.”

• Using this definition what reports have you produced?



Professionalism and Professionalism and Personal SkillsPersonal SkillsTypes of Report

• Reports can be transmitted in the forms of –– Conversations– Demonstrations– Letters– Memos– fill-in-forms– many-page documents




How can we Classify a Report? – Length– Tone– Subject matter– Timing– Importance– Style– Distribution




Essentials of a Good Report

• It should be -– Unified– Complete– Accurate– Planned– Styled– Clear




What is the purpose of the Report?

• Why is the report required?

• Who exactly is it for?

• What do they want it for?




Fundamental StructureParts Elements

Title Page /Abstract

Introduction

Body of the Report

Final Section

Terms of Reference or Objectives. Procedure or Method

Findings

Conclusions, Recommendations (if requested), Appendices and References




Abstract• Should be read separately• Not an Introduction• A summary• An advert• Avoid future tense• Avoid “This paper”• No refernces




Introduction• Clear unambiguous statement of the real

subject• Indication of the purpose• Brief description of the methods to be used• Announcement of the plan



Professionalism and Professionalism and Personal SkillsPersonal SkillsBody of the Report

• This is the report proper• Several sections• All of the facts

– the character of the investigation– detailed explanation of methodology– procedure followed– results obtained

• Analysis




Final Section

• Characteristics– Introduces nothing new– Harmonises with the introduction– Harmonises with the body of the report– Leaves final impression




Format

• Layout

• Headings

• Numbering



Professionalism and Professionalism and Personal SkillsPersonal SkillsSection Headings

• Typography and Spacing

• Fussiness

• Independent

• Words or phrases

• Concise




Long Formal ReportsTypical Structure

• Preliminaries– Title page– Authorisation– Table of contents– List of tables and figures– Acknowledgements– Summary




Long Formal Reports

Typical Structure

• Main Report – Introduction– Findings and discussion– Conclusions and/or recommendations




Long Formal Reports

Typical Structure

• Supplements– References and bibliography– Appendices– Index




Title Page• What is it about?• Who wrote it?• For Whom?• From where?• When?




References - Five rules• 1 Any work not your own should be clearly

marked• 2 Any quotations within quotation marks• 3 Every reference in the text should be

listed• 4 Every item in the list must have a

reference in the text• 5 Every figure or photograph must have a

reference in the text




Format • Author, title, publisher, date of publication• For example –

Gowers, Sir Ernest, Complete Plain Words, Penguin Books, 1995




Bibliography• Is optional, and provides a guide to background

reading around the report



Professionalism and Professionalism and Personal SkillsPersonal SkillsHow to get started

• Setting objective• Researching and assembling material• Organising material and planning report• Writing first draft• Editing report• Producing report




Awl Rite on the Knight Eye have a spelling chequer It came with my pea sea It plainly marques for my revue Mistakes I cannot sea. I’ve run this poem threw it, I’m sure your plea’s too no. Its letter perfect in it’s weigh My chequer tolled me sew




Summary• We have examined

– Types of reports– Essentials elements of a good report– How reports have the same fundamental structure– Provided a step-by-step guide for preparing/writing a

report – Tips on producing the final document

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