Report writing

What is a report? It is an orderly and objective presentation of facts that serves the business purpose of decision making or problem solving. Kinds of report 1) Information reports 2) Research reports Information reports present o Records of previous events o Past or new information o Progress on a project o Insights on product development 3) Research reports are concerned with analyzing information. The writer looks at a problem, gathers data, arrives at a decision and then makes recommendations. Elements of effective business report writing A business report needs to be accurate and objective. 1) Accuracy in report writing includes a) Accuracy of information which means correctness of data b) Accuracy of writing which means correct spelling, punctuation and grammar along with precise specific usage of words and terms. 2) Objectivity in report writing means writing without biases or prejudices and reporting without personal feelings. Objectivity can be achieved by a) Making a distinction between facts and opinions b) Reporting all pertinent information i.e. presenting both positive and negative aspects

Purpose of business reports A written purpose sentence is essential in order to make the objective of the report clear in the writers mind. This purpose could be written in the form of a statement or a question. These are called Statements of Purpose and Questions of Purpose. Steps in writing routine business reports 1) Determine the scope of the report 2) Consider the audience 3) Gather information 4) Analyze it 5) Determine the solution 6) Organize the report 1) Determine the scope of the report- Take care not to make the report too general or too vague. The scope is determined by the factors that youll study. These factors should be the most needed and the most important factors. 2) Consider the audience- Who will read your report? Do they have knowledge of your topic? How much do you need them? What is their position in the organization? - These are some of the questions you will need to think about while writing your report. Levels 1. Primary Audience - People who have to act or make decisions on the basis of the report 2. Secondary Audience - People affected by the actions the primary audiences would take in response to the report 3. Immediate audience - People responsible for evaluating the report and getting it to the right people

3) Gather your information- Information or data can be of two types2

a) Primary Data: That information which you gather and record yourself i.e questionnaires, surveys, observations, experiments, raw data. b) Secondary Data: Books, internet, reports, pamphlets, magazines, periodicals, journals i.e. information recorded by others. 4) Analyze- facts and figures need to be interpreted by explaining what they mean-what significance they have. 5) Determine the solution: the solution is determined on the basis of the gathered data. An objective solution is the key. 6) Organize the report: Reports may be in the form of a memo, a standardized form or a formal report. Memo report: Memo format Purpose Background Supporting data Conclusions and recommendations Parts of a report: Introduction - a brief overview Summary - situation, problem stated Discussion - explanatory details available options explanation of methods criteria Conclusion - implications, evaluations, opinions.