Reports-

1. What is a report?

A report is a formal communication written for a specific

purpose and audience. It includes a description of
procedures followed for collection and analysis of data, their
significance, the conclusions drawn from them and
recommendations if required.

2. Characteristics of a report-

 Precision- it should clearly reflect its purpose.

 Factual details- The report should be detailed and factual. It

should include the kind of details your specific audience
needs. The accuracy of facts is essential as reports invariably
lead to decision making.

 Relevance- the facts presented should be relevant to the

central purpose of the report.

 Reader Oriented- keeps in mind the person who is going to

read the report. The report for a layman is different from the
one for a technical report.

 Objectivity of recommendations- the recommendations

made at the end should be impartial and objective. They
should not reveal any self- interest.

 Simple and unambiguous language- since it’s a document of

practical utility it should be written in a simple language.
  Clarity- a good report should contain the facts arranged
systematically. Insert proper headings and signposts achieve
greater clarity.

 Brevity- Include everything significant and yet be brief.

 Grammatical accuracy- The language should be

grammatically correct otherwise it leads to obscure
meaning.

 Special format- It follows a set format including preface,

table of contents etc.

 Illustrations- Most reports contain illustrations, graphs,

tables, charts etc.

 Homogeneity- your report should deal with one topic at a

time.

 Documentation- It should be adequately documented

acknowledging the sources of information.

3. Significance of a report-

 A report is the only tangible product of a professional- It

coveys to others how efficiently the assignment was handled.

 Reports enable decision making and problem solving in

organization- based on the information presented decisions
are made and problems can be solved

 It helps the authorities in planning new ventures and in

evaluating men and material- if the organization wants to
open a new branch it can do its planning by going through the
 feasibility report first, and similarly for assessing men and
material.

 They are a means of information dissemination within and

outside the organization-eg. Annual reports

 They serve as a measure of growth progress or success of an

organization.

 They serve as a valuable repository of information -

Organisations preserve reports of importance and value for a
long time so that they can refer to these reports whenever
needed.

 Reveal gaps in thinking- if the writer has not done an in-depth

study of the topic the report will reveal it.

 Reports develop certain skills in the writer- the writer

develops the ability to organize, evaluate and to
communicate.

4. Types of reports –

A report may be oral or written depending on the mode of

presentation.
Reports

Oral written

Informal formal
 Informational interpretive
routine special

a. Based on means of communication-

Oral – it’s face to face communication. There is immediate

feedback and less time consuming but lacks accuracy and
cannot be preserved for future use.

Written- it’s a carefully edited, reviewed written document

which contributes to the permanent record of the
organization. There is more accuracy as facts are put down
with great care.

b. On the basis of formality-

Informal- This is usually in the form of a person-person

communication. It does not follow any format and informally
conveys the required information.It is usually in the form of a
memorandum ranging from few lines to several pages.

Formal- this is in a prescribed form, presented in a proper way

to the prescribed authority they can be statutory (law binding,
like the annual report) or non- statutory (not necessary by law
but helps the mgmt in policy formulation)

c. On the basis of function-

Informative report- This presents facts and information

related to an issue or situation. Eg. A report presenting sales
 figures for a quarter. Recommendations do not arise in this
type of report.

Interpretive report- This analysis the facts, draws conclusions

and makes recommendations to solve the problem. Eg. If the
report delves into the causes of low sales during a particular
period it becomes an interpretive report.

d. On the basis of frequency-

Periodic or routine- These are presented at regular, routine

intervals in the normal course of business. The time period
could be annually, semi- annually, monthly, fortnightly, weekly
or even daily. These are mere statement of facts. They do not
give recommendations or opinion. Eg. Inspection report,
monthly sales report.

Special report- They are related and generated for a special

occasion or situation. They deal with non-recurrent issues. An
individual committee is appointed to investigate the situation
and present its findings. They give suggestions to the
management to take decisions. Eg. Project report, feasibility
report.

5. Elements of structure-

Prefatory parts:

a. Cover page
b. Title page
c. Certificate
 d. Preface
e. Acknowledgement
f. Table of contents
g. List of illustrations
h. Abstract or summary

Body or main text:

a. Introduction
b. Discussion
c. Conclusion
d. Recommendation

Supplementary parts:

a. Appendix/appendices
b. References/ Bibliography
c. Glossary

Optional Elements:

a. Copyright notice- grants exclusive rights to the creator.

b. Summary- presents the entire report in a nutshell.
c. Index- helps to locate a topic or sub-topic easily and quickly.

Prefatory Parts:
a. Cover page - It protects the manuscript from damage and gives
the report a neat appearance. Some organizations have their
name and address printed on them. The cover gives the first
impression and you should not crowd it with information.

b. Title page- It covers the title, name of the author. Name of the
authority for whom the report was written, project no. or report
number, approvals. Proper grouping of items, and spacing are
essential to make the title page look attractive. A sample is shown
below-

. Report No. 234

BHARAT STEEL CORPORATION

Chandpura-3452678

A Report
On
Installing a new production plant

Prepared
For
The Managing Director

By
B. L. Rai
Assistant engineer(production)
Approved by
Sri MS Khan
Production Manager

12 March 2011
c. Certificate-certain reports require a certificate vouching the original contribution of the report
writer. Generally the certificate contains the statement testifying the original work, place, date
and signature of the supervisor or guide.

CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the project entitled------------------ embodies the original
work done by--------------- under my supervision.
Place:
Date: Signature

d. Preface- This introduces the report and not the subject matter to the reader. The contents are:
 Factors that led you to the report- the need for this study and report
 Organization of your report- what do the various sections contain
 Highlights- Important observations and findings.
 Significance- how your report will enable the reader in further study or research.

e. Acknowledgement- mention the names of persons and organizations that helped you in the
production of the report. Clearly indicate that permission has been taken for the reproduction of
copyright material, if any.

I would like to thank------------- for encouraging me to undertake

this study. I am also grateful to Sri -------- and other members of
the staff who helped me in preparing this report. I specially wish to
thank my parents without whose cooperation this report would
not have been possible.

f. Table of contents- If the report is long, the table of contents is essential. Its function is to give
the reader an overall view of the report and help him locate a particular topic easily. While
preparing the table of contents bear in mind the following points about its layout:

 Leave a 1,50” margin on the left and a 1” margin on the right, top and bottom.
 Write Table of contents on the top centre in capitals and underline.
 Leave 3 or 4 spaces and then type the first heading.
 Leave 2 spaces between headings and 1 space between sub-headings
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgement ii
Abstract iv

1. Introduction 1
2. Actual air pollution episodes 6
3. Effects in general 9
3.1 Physical
3.2 Chemical
3.3 Biological

4. Effects of specific agents 16

4.1 carbon
4.1.1-------
4.1.2-------
4.2 Ozone
4.2.1------
4.2.2.------
5. Conclusions 20
6. Recommendations 21
Appendix 24
References 26

g. List of illustrations- A separate list of illustrations is given if there are a large number of tables
and figures.
h. Abstract or summary- An abstract tells in concentrated form what the report is about whereas,
a summary presents the report in a nutshell without any illustrations and explanations.

Main Text:
a. Introduction- The main function of the report is to say what the report is about, what work has
already been done on the subject and what new grounds have been covered in the present
study. It includes the following information-

 Technical background
 Scope of study, specifying its limitations and qualifications
  Methods of collecting data and their sources.
 Organisation of the material

b. Discussion- this is the most voluminous part of the report. Here the information and data are
analysed and interpreted.

c. Conclusion- In this section of the report you bring together all the essential points developed in
the discussion. The function of this section is to bring the discussion to a close and to signal to
the reader that he has reached the end.

d. Recommendations- It pertains to the action that is to be taken as a result of the report.

Supplementary Parts-
a. Appendix- This section of your report is used for information which has some relevance to
the report but cannot be easily fitted into the text. Avoid lengthy and numerous appendices
as they reveal the writer’s poor organization.
b. Bibliography- It is an alphabetical list of the sources- books, interviews, magazines etc. It
helps the reader to identify and consult the sources and also to check for accuracy. It includes
author, title and publication.
Eg. Miller, G Wayne. King Of Hearts: The True Story Of The Maverick Who Pioneered Open
Heart Surgery. New York: Times, 2000.
c. Glossary- This is a list of technical words used in the report and their explanations

Sample Outline Of A Report

Education system in India
1. Introduction
2. Status before Independence
3. Present Status
3.1 School Education
3.1.1 Primary
3.1.2 Secondary
3.1.3 Higher Education
3.2 College Education
3.3 University Education
4. Status of Women’s Education
5. Merits and Demerits
6. Financial Support
7. Employment Prospectus
8. Conclusions
9. Recommendations
1. Computer with internet facilities are made available to students for 24 hours. There are complaints
about students suffering from various kinds of aches and pains, and students using internet for non-
academic purposes like chatting etc .Make a report after analyzing the above information.

2. write a report on the canteen of your college. Include information on the kinds of food served, prices,
physical arrangements for serving and dining, flow of traffic etc.

3. prepare a report on the spending habits of the students studying in your college.