writing report text

Writing the report

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Structure

Do you know what a report involves?

A typical report investigates, describes, and analyses information in a thorough and logical manner. This information is then presented in a report format.

Some features which typify a report format include: numbered sections with headings, a contents page, data presented in figures, tables, or diagrams, short paragraphs, and objective language.

Before you begin to write your report for Computer Systems, it is important that you are familiar with:

    the structure of a report
    the type of information required in each section of a report
    the style of language used in a report

There are many types of reports, such as technical reports, scientific reports, and business reports. Each type of report has its own structure and conventions, and often these conventions vary between your subjects at university.

Most reports include the following:

    Title page
    Abstract
    Table of contents
    Introduction
    Body of report
    Conclusion
    Reference List
    Appendices

Do you know what type of information is required in each of the report sections? Click on a section heading to find out.

Do you know how to write an abstract, introduction, or conclusion? Click on a section heading to find out.
Style

The style of language you use in a report is also important. Your ideas need to be expressed in an objective manner. To do this, most reports are written in third person. For example,
The purpose of this study was to…
rather than
I did this study…
It was found…
rather than
I found…

Using this writing style the pronouns 'I', 'you', and 'we' are replaced by 'it', 'she/he', and 'they', making your position as a writer an impartial observer. An alternative to using the third person is to rephrase the sentences, for example,
This study was conducted for the purposes of…
instead of
The purpose of this study was to…
The findings indicate…
instead of
It was found…

When writing a report, also remember to avoid using contractions such as 'don't': you should write 'do not', 'should not', and 'has not' instead of 'don't', 'shouldn't', 'and hasn't'. Avoid using slang.