report writing for university assignment

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Report writing

What is a report and how does it differ from writing an essay? Reports are concise and have a formal structure. They are often used to communicate the results or findings of a project.

Essays by contrast are often used to show a tutor what you think about a topic. They are discursive and the structure can be left to the discretion of the writer.

Who and what is the report for?

Before you write a report, you need to be clear about who you are writing the report for and why the report has been commissioned.

Keep the audience in mind as you write your report, think about what they need to know. For example, the report could be for:

• the general public
• academic staff
• senior management
• a customer/client.

Reports are usually assessed on content, structure, layout, language, and referencing. You should consider the focus of your report, for example:

• Are you reporting on an experiment?
• Is the purpose to provide background information?
• Should you be making recommendations for action?

Language of report writing

Reports use clear and concise language, which can differ considerably from essay writing.

They are often broken down in to sections, which each have their own headings and sub-headings. These sections may include bullet points or numbering as well as more structured sentences. Paragraphs are usually shorter in a report than in an essay.

Both essays and reports are examples of academic writing. You are expected to use grammatically correct sentence structure, vocabulary and punctuation.

Academic writing is formal so you should avoid using apostrophes and contractions such as “it’s” and "couldn't". Instead, use “it is” and “could not”.

Structure and organisation

Reports are much more structured than essays. They are divided in to sections and sub-sections that are formatted using bullet points or numbering.

Report structures do vary among disciplines, but the most common structures include the following:

The title page needs to be informative and descriptive, concisely stating the topic of the report.

Abstract (or Executive Summary in business reports)

The abstract is a brief summary of the context, methods, findings and conclusions of the report. It is intended to give the reader an overview of the report before they continue reading, so it is a good idea to write this section last.

An executive summary should outline the key problem and objectives, and then cover the main findings and key recommendations.

Table of contents

Readers will use this table of contents to identify which sections are most relevant to them. You must make sure your contents page correctly represents the structure of your report.

Take a look at this sample contents page.

Introduction

In your introduction you should include information about the background to your research, and what its aims and objectives are. You can also refer to the literature in this section; reporting what is already known about your question/topic, and if there are any gaps. Some reports are also expected to include a section called ‘Terms of references’, where you identify who asked for the report, what is covers, and what its limitations are.

Methodology

If your report involved research activity, you should state what that was, for example you may have interviewed clients, organised some focus groups, or done a literature review. The methodology section should provide an accurate description of the material and procedures used so that others could replicate the experiment you conducted.

Results/findings

The results/findings section should be an objective summary of your findings, which can use tables, graphs, or figures to describe the most important results and trends. You do not need to attempt to provide reasons for your results (this will happen in the discussion section).

In the discussion you are expected to critically evaluate your findings. You may need to re-state what your report was aiming to prove and whether this has been achieved. You should also assess the accuracy and significance of your findings, and show how it fits in the context of previous research.

Conclusion/recommendations

Your conclusion should summarise the outcomes of your report and make suggestions for further research or action to be taken. You may also need to include a list of specific recommendations as a result of your study.

The references are a list of any sources you have used in your report. Your report should use the standard referencing style preferred by your school or department eg Harvard, Numeric, OSCOLA etc.

You should use appendices to expand on points referred to in the main body of the report. If you only have one item it is an appendix, if you have more than one they are called appendices. You can use appendices to provide backup information, usually data or statistics, but it is important that the information contained is directly relevant to the content of the report.

Appendices can be given alphabetical or numerical headings, for example Appendix A, or Appendix 1. The order they appear at the back of your report is determined by the order that they are mentioned in the body of your report. You should refer to your appendices within the text of your report, for example ‘see Appendix B for a breakdown of the questionnaire results’. Don’t forget to list the appendices in your contents page.

Presentation and layout

Reports are written in several sections and may also include visual data such as figures and tables. The layout and presentation is therefore very important.

Your tutor or your module handbook will state how the report should be presented in terms of font sizes, margins, text alignment etc.

You will need good IT skills to manipulate graphical data and work with columns and tables. If you need to improve these skills, try the following online resources:

• Microsoft online training through Linkedin Learning
• Engage web resource on using tables and figures in reports

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Essay and report writing skills

Course description

Course content, course reviews.

Writing reports and assignments can be a daunting prospect. Learn how to interpret questions and how to plan, structure and write your assignment or report. This free course, Essay and report writing skills, is designed to help you develop the skills you need to write effectively for academic purposes.

Course learning outcomes

After studying this course, you should be able to:

• understand what writing an assignment involves
• identify strengths and weaknesses
• understand the functions of essays and reports
• demonstrate writing skills.

First Published: 10/08/2012

Updated: 26/04/2019

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Related topics

• Critical thinking
• Finding information
• Understanding assessments
• Note-taking
• Time management
• Paraphrasing and quoting
• Referencing and avoiding plagiarism

See all available workshops .

Short on time? Watch a video on:

• Essay writing – 6:28
• Paraphrasing and quoting – 22:22
• Using active and passive voice – 9:58
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Successful University Writing

• Before You Start Writing...
• Structuring an essay
• Report writing
• Annotated bibliography
• Literature review
• Reflective writing
• Using Ideas from sources in your writing
• Writing concisely and editing your work
• Student Success study support

What is a report?

A report is an informative piece of writing. It looks to present and analyse information uncovered via an investigation of a topic, problem, situation, experience or event. Ideally, reports do more than simply present findings. Rather, these findings should be discussed and analysed, with many reports offering recommendations that come from these findings.

Formal reports, usually written with a clear audience in mind, follow a specific structure to help the document to be easily read and navigated. The structure may differ slightly, depending on the style and nature of the report, but there are fundamental sections and approaches that are consistent across all reports. This guide looks at the structure and format of a formal academic report, which is likely to contain the following sections in this order below.

Report Structure and Format

• Executive Summary
• Table of Contents

List of figures

Introduction.

• Conclusions

Recommendations

• Glossary and Appendices (not always required)

The title page should clearly state the following information:

• The title of the report, or if appropriate, a re-statement of the assignment task or topic.
• Clarification of the audience for whom the report is prepared. For an academic submission and part of an assignment, you would include the course lecturer's name. Other types of reports would include a client or organisation name here.
• Submission date
• Student name and number

Some published reports may include images or graphics on a report cover or title page. This is not usually required for an academic report.

Executive summary

The executive summary (in some cases referred to as an abstract) captures the main aspects of the report and summarises them in a way that allows the reader to have a sense of the report's purpose, processes of analysis, findings and recommendations, to help make an informed decision as to the report's relevance for their needs. Written well, the executive summary should encourage the reader to continue to read the whole report.

As the executive summary captures aspects of the whole report, including recommendations, it should be written last. That said, it is a key component of the report and should be written carefully and not considered as an afterthought.

In general, the length of the executive summary should be about 10 to 15 percent of the total report and should rarely be longer than one page. It is important to remember that the executive summary is not included in the word count of the report. It would generally be single spaced and witten in paragraph form without subheadings, direct quotes or bullet points. Key parts that should be included in the executive summary are:

• the purpose and scope of the report
• a description of the type of analysis and methods used to investigate the issue or topic
• an outline of the main findings of the report
• a summary of the key recommendations.

The executive summary should be numbered using the lower case roman numerals i . If the summary is long and goes over the page, continue the numbering in the same way, ii .

Table of contents

The table of contents should be listed on a new page of the report, with page numbers continuing on from the executive summary with roman numerals (e.g. ii ).

List the sections in the order they appear in the report and include page numbers. Note that the introduction, which follows the table of contents,  will usually be Page 1 of the report and will be expressed using Arabic numerals (1, 2...).

Look at the following table of contents. Note that sections are numbered using decimal notation, and that subsections are listed using the same system.

This is is a contents page for the report and assists the reader in locating included graphics. In addition to the graphic title, citation details and the page location are included.

It should begin on a new page, directly after the Table of Contents , but before the Introduction .

There are three main aspects that should be addressed in the report introduction.

The purpose and audience

• Name the audience for whom the report is being produced.
• Include clear statement outlining the problem to be addressed or the question/s that the report will attempt to answer.
• Include a brief summary of what is included in the report,
• Briefly escribe how information will be presented and research methods employed.

Limitations

• Acknowledge limitations of the report.

The body of the report contains discussion and analysis, and should consistently link information back to the objective of the report. Organise the body into sections and use decimal notation to number the headings and subheadings ( see a sample Table of Contents to illustrate decimal notation ).

Typically, the report body should:

• Provide some historical background or context relevant to the report subject.
• Name, discuss and analyse relevant data.
• Present ideas and theories, using illustrations, tables and graphics to convey key or complex information.
• Break the information down into logical sections to assist with selective reading and understanding.
• Use evidence to support any independent research that is included.

The conclusion of the report should tie together the main points and findings that were presented in the body. The purpose of the conclusion is to connect all of the information presented in such as way as to make sense of it as a whole. One way to look at this is to treat the conclusion as as a response to the question, "What is the significance of the findings of this report?"

The conclusion should make reference to the purpose of the report. Was the purpose and reason for the report fulfilled? Were the initial questions to be answered sufficiently addressed? What insights might have been gleaned through the report? Have the stated areas of investigation been addressed sufficiently?

Recommendations are a significant aspect of report writing. After all, reports are generally commissioned to investigate a particular area of focus so as to inform potential action. Often, analytical reports reports seek to suggest solutions to specific problems. Recommendations should be made on the basis of the report's findings and be tailored to the audience.

The report's recommendations should commence with a brief persuasive statement, followed by numbered or bulleted recommendations.

Recommendations should flow logically from the report's conclusion.  It is useful to think about this as, "the reports concludes that... therefore the following action should be taken". Think about how the recommendations might be implemented, how realistic they are and what the implications might be.

A good tip when phrasing recommendations is to begin with a verb - after all they should refer to actions. Some examples of verbal phrasing might include:

• Offer industry incentives...
• Establish a fund to...
• Revise current arrangements...
• Increase payments to...
• Continue to research...
• Promote awareness through...
• Engage stakeholders by...
• Extend access hours to...

References should be included using the style stipulated by your school or discipline.

Usually, a glossary is only required if a considerable amount of jargon or a number of technical terms, which need to be explained to readers, have been included.

Begin the glossary on a new page. The term to be explained should be listed on the left, with an explanation and reference added on the right hand side.

Appendices can include material that is supplementary to information that is present in the body of the report. Appendix material should help to deepen a reader's understanding of the topic and the particular appendix should be referred to in the relevant body section. 

Some examples of appendices could include resources such as:

• questionnaires
• tables 

Number the appendices sequentially (i.e. 1, 2, 3...) and provide a title for each one.

Begin each appendix on a new page.

Ensure that information included in the appendices is properly acknowledged and referenced.

Grellier, J. & Goerke, V. (2006). Communication skills toolkit: Unlocking the secrets of tertiary success. Cengage

Summers, J. & Smith, B. (2010). Communication skills handbook (3rd ed.). Wiley.

Turner, K., Krenus, B., Ireland, L., & Pointon, L. (2011).  Essential academic skills  (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.

Success Now! workshops are available live online or on campus. Register here for workshops on research and writing . You can also organise an individual consultation here to talk to a learning advisor about planning your assignments.

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Report writing

• Features of good reports
• Types of Report

Introduction

Organising your information, abstract / executive summary, literature review, results / data / findings, reference list / bibliography.

• Writing up your report

Useful links for report writing

• Study Advice Helping students to achieve study success with guides, video tutorials, seminars and one-to-one advice sessions.
• Maths Support A guide to Maths Support resources which may help if you're finding any mathematical or statistical topic difficult during the transition to University study.

• Academic Phrasebank Use this site for examples of linking phrases and ways to refer to sources.
• Academic writing LibGuide Expert guidance on punctuation, grammar, writing style and proof-reading.
• Reading and notemaking LibGuide Expert guidance on managing your reading and making effective notes.
• Guide to citing references Includes guidance on why, when and how to use references correctly in your academic writing.

The structure of a report has a key role to play in communicating information and enabling the reader to find the information they want quickly and easily. Each section of a report has a different role to play and a writing style suited to that role. Therefore, it is important to understand what your audience is expecting in each section of a report and put the appropriate information in the appropriate sections.

The guidance on this page explains the job each section does and the style in which it is written. Note that all reports are different so you must pay close attention to what you are being asked to include in your assignment brief. For instance, your report may need all of these sections, or only some, or you may be asked to combine sections (e.g. introduction and literature review, or results and discussion). The video tutorial on structuring reports below will also be helpful, especially if you are asked to decide on your own structure.

• Finding a structure for your report (video) Watch this brief video tutorial for more on the topic.
• Finding a structure for your report (transcript) Read along while watching the video tutorial.

• When writing an essay, you need to place your information  to make a strong argument
• When writing a report, you need to place your information  in the appropriate section

Consider the role each item will play in communicating information or ideas to the reader, and place it in the section where it will best perform that role. For instance:

• Does it provide background to your research? ( Introduction  or  Literature Review )
• Does it describe the types of activity you used to collect evidence? ( Methods )
• Does it present factual data? ( Results )
• Does it place evidence in the context of background? ( Discussion )
• Does it make recommendations for action? ( Conclusion )

• the purpose of the work
• methods used for research
• main conclusions reached
• any recommendations

The introduction … should explain the rationale for undertaking the work reported on, and the way you decided to do it. Include what you have been asked (or chosen) to do and the reasons for doing it.

- State what the report is about. What is the question you are trying to answer? If it is a brief for a specific reader (e.g. a feasibility report on a construction project for a client), say who they are.

- Describe your starting point and the background to the subject: e.g., what research has already been done (if you have to include a Literature Review, this will only be a brief survey); what are the relevant themes and issues; why are you being asked to investigate it now?

- Explain how you are going to go about responding to the brief. If you are going to test a hypothesis in your research, include this at the end of your introduction. Include a brief outline of your method of enquiry. State the limits of your research and reasons for them, e.g.

Introduce your review by explaining how you went about finding your materials, and any clear trends in research that have emerged. Group your texts in themes. Write about each theme as a separate section, giving a critical summary of each piece of work, and showing its relevance to your research. Conclude with how the review has informed your research (things you'll be building on, gaps you'll be filling etc).

• Literature reviews LibGuide Guide on starting, writing and developing literature reviews.
• Doing your literature review (video) Watch this brief video tutorial for more on the topic.
• Doing your literature review (transcript) Read along while watching the video tutorial.

The methods  should be written in such a way that a reader could replicate the research you have done. State clearly how you carried out your investigation. Explain why you chose this particular method (questionnaires, focus group, experimental procedure etc). Include techniques and any equipment you used. If there were participants in your research, who were they? How many? How were they selected?

Write this section  concisely  but  thoroughly  – Go through what you did step by step, including everything that is relevant. You know what you did, but could a reader follow your description?

Label your graphs and tables clearly. Give each figure a title and describe in words what the figure demonstrates. Save your interpretation of the results for the Discussion section.

The discussion ...is probably the longest section. It brings everything together, showing how your findings respond to the brief you explained in your introduction and the previous research you surveyed in your literature review. This is the place to mention if there were any problems (e.g. your results were different from expectations, you couldn't find important data, or you had to change your method or participants) and how they were, or could have been, solved.

• Writing up your report page More information on how to write your discussion and other sections.

The conclusions ...should be a short section with no new arguments or evidence. This section should give a feeling of closure and completion to your report. Sum up the main points of your research. How do they answer the original brief for the work reported on? This section may also include:

• Recommendations for action
• Suggestions for further research

If you're unsure about how to cite a particular text, ask at the Study Advice Desk on the Ground Floor of the Library or contact your Academic Liaison Librarian for help.

• Contact your Academic Liaison Librarian

The appendices ...include any additional information that may help the reader but is not essential to the report's main findings. The report should be able to stand alone without the appendices. An appendix can include for instance: interview questions; questionnaires; surveys; raw data; figures; tables; maps; charts; graphs; a glossary of terms used.

• A separate appendix should be used for each distinct topic or set of data.
• Order your appendices in the order in which you refer to the content in the text.
• Start each appendix on a separate page and label sequentially with letters or numbers e.g. Appendix A, Appendix B,…
• Give each Appendix a meaningful title e.g. Appendix A: Turnover of Tesco PLC 2017-2021.
• Refer to the relevant appendix where appropriate in the main text e.g. 'See Appendix A for an example questionnaire'.
• If an appendix contains multiple figures which you will refer to individually then label each one using the Appendix letter and a running number e.g. Table B1, Table B2. Do not continue the numbering of any figures in your text, as your text should be able to stand alone without the appendices.
• If your appendices draw on information from other sources you should include a citation and add the full details into your list of references (follow the rules for the referencing style you are using).

For more guidance see the following site:

• Appendices guidance from University of Southern California Detailed guidance on using appendices. Part of the USC's guide to Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper.
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• URL: https://libguides.reading.ac.uk/reports

Skills for Learning : Report Writing

Report writing is one type of academic writing which is not confined to university. Most employers expect graduates to have report writing skills.

Reports are different from other types of academic writing. They present information, analysis and recommendations, rather than addressing a question or debate. Your report’s format will be determined by module or course requirements. If you are studying a professional course, you might write client reports. Science students will write lab reports. In many cases, the content of a report will be based on earlier work. For example, a report about a group assignment will refer to records of group meetings and tasks completed.

Decide whether your assignment brief is asking for an academic or a business / professional report. This will help you establish the types of material you need to collect and discuss. For example, a professional report doesn’t usually have academic literature as its focus. This type of report will outline a situation and possible courses of action. However, most reports written at university will require citations and references to published material.

One specialised type of report which many students will write is the dissertation . For more information about dissertations, see our topic ‘Dissertations and Literature Reviews’ .

We run interactive workshops to help you develop your report writing skills. Find out more on the Skills for Learning Workshops page.

We have online academic skills modules within MyBeckett for all levels of university study. These modules will help your academic development and support your success at LBU. You can work through the modules at your own pace, revisiting them as required. Find out more from our FAQ What academic skills modules are available?

Report writing structure and content

A report is:

• A structured document with headed sections. 
• Written in formal English and in the third person. 

A longer report requires: numbered headings, a table of contents, and may have appendices.

The typical structure for a report is as follows:

• Table of Contents
• Abstract or Executive Summary
• Introduction
• Main Body of the Report in Sections
• Summary or Conclusions
• Recommendations
• Reference List / Bibliography
• Appendix (singular) or Appendices (plural)

Unless it is a very short report, include a contents page. Use Word to generate this automatically from your headings. The contents page should give a clear overview of your report.

For long reports, provide a summary of the contents, findings, conclusions and recommendations.  Write in the past tense. Aim for about half a page.

If you are asked to write an Executive Summary instead of an abstract, this will contain similar content but more detail. An executive summary is a mini version of a report. An abstract, on the other hand, is a taster of the main report.

Top tip! Try to give the reader a sense of why your project is interesting and valuable.

Introduce the reader to your project.

• Provide context and define key terms.
• Outline your aims and objectives.
• Provide a brief description of the methods used to collect and analyse your information.
• Finally, give an indication of your findings and conclusions.

Top tip! Start with the bigger picture (background information) and get more specific (data and findings).

This is where you explain the work you have done.

Sections here could include for example: Methodology, Findings/Results, Discussion.

A research report or dissertation will contain a Literature Review section. For more information about literature reviews, see our topic Dissertations and Literature Reviews.

For a professional / business report, consider the needs of your proposed readers.  Your main body sections and sub-sections should set out the scenario or issue(s) being investigated. Do this in an appropriate style and tone. For example, a board of directors' report is different from one aimed at consumer groups.

Check your assignment brief for specifics. You will usually start by describing how you have collected your information or data. For example, a Marketing student's focus group, a Construction student's building survey. You need to demonstrate how any information you provide meets the purpose of the report.

The remainder of the main body will present and discuss your data. Consider the most suitable methods for presenting your data. Many reports will contain graphs or tables. Some may also include photographs or other images.

The discussion of your information or data is the most important part of your report. This is where you interpret your findings and draw conclusions. Identify trends, themes or issues arising from your findings and discuss their significance. Structure this section around the themes or trends that emerge.

Provide an overview of your main findings and demonstrate that you have achieved your aims. Pick up themes or issues from your introduction and summarise what has been established. Review your evidence. The conclusions should be based on the evidence considered in the main body of the report. Your reader should be able to understand the major issues, points, and findings from this section alone.

Top tip! Do not introduce any new information in this section.

You may want to add a separate ‘Recommendations’ section or include these in your conclusions. If you do make recommendations, ensure they relate to the content of the report. If you don’t have anything specific to suggest, you might wish to recommend recommend further study on the topic.

Recommendations for further work or research should aim to examine the issues in your report in more detail.

Most reports written as part of your course will refer to published sources. List all sources that you have cited in the text of your report. Your Reference List or Bibliography must follow the specific guidelines for your discipline (e.g. Harvard, APA or OSCOLA).  For advice about reporting verbs to use alongside citations in your text, download our Reporting Verbs Worksheet.

• Reporting Verbs Worksheet

This section presents data or transcripts that are too long for the main report. Usually, extracts from these will be provided in the main body of the report. Appendices are referred to in the text by letter or number; for example, ‘See Appendix B’. Check your assignment brief for any specific guidance.

Top tip! Discuss with your supervisor whether you will need an appendix or appendices and what to include.

Artificial intelligence tools

Before using any generative artificial intelligence or paraphrasing tools in your assessments, you should check if this is permitted on your course.

If their use is permitted on your course, you must  acknowledge any use of generative artificial intelligence tools  such as ChatGPT or paraphrasing tools (e.g., Grammarly, Quillbot, etc.), even if you have only used them to generate ideas for your assignment or for proofreading.

Report writing style and language

Aim for an objective and logical presentation of your material. Your report should inform a reader about the outcomes of your project or research. You may also make recommendations based on what you have found. Think carefully about how best to communicate the information. The style of writing throughout your report should be concise, professional, and direct.

Use the third person . This means avoiding using the first person ‘I’. For example, instead of saying ‘I conducted a survey to...’, you would write ‘A survey was conducted in order to...’.

Your report document should be divided into sections. Headings and sub-headings direct your reader to the relevant information.

This is crucial as, unlike essays, reports won’t necessarily be read all in one go. Charts and tables aid clear communication and understanding. They should be labelled (and numbered if appropriate). Raw data, such as completed questionnaires, can be included as an appendix and summarised in the main part of the report.

Report writers typically use cautious language. This shows that the report is based on a specific set of data. As such, the findings can’t necessarily be generalised.

For example:

• ‘Problem x could be rectified by initiating….’
• ‘Another possibility would be…’

The Manchester Academic Phrasebank contains useful examples of cautious language.

Download the Report Writing Checklist to help you.

• Report Writing Checklist

If you have previously completed a report type assignment, review the feedback you received. Use the Feedback Action Plan Worksheet to help you.

• Feedback Action Plan Worksheet

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5 tips on writing better university assignments

Lecturer in Student Learning and Communication Development, University of Sydney

Disclosure statement

Alexandra Garcia does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

University of Sydney provides funding as a member of The Conversation AU.

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University life comes with its share of challenges. One of these is writing longer assignments that require higher information, communication and critical thinking skills than what you might have been used to in high school. Here are five tips to help you get ahead.

1. Use all available sources of information

Beyond instructions and deadlines, lecturers make available an increasing number of resources. But students often overlook these.

For example, to understand how your assignment will be graded, you can examine the rubric . This is a chart indicating what you need to do to obtain a high distinction, a credit or a pass, as well as the course objectives – also known as “learning outcomes”.

Other resources include lecture recordings, reading lists, sample assignments and discussion boards. All this information is usually put together in an online platform called a learning management system (LMS). Examples include Blackboard , Moodle , Canvas and iLearn . Research shows students who use their LMS more frequently tend to obtain higher final grades.

If after scrolling through your LMS you still have questions about your assignment, you can check your lecturer’s consultation hours.

2. Take referencing seriously

Plagiarism – using somebody else’s words or ideas without attribution – is a serious offence at university. It is a form of cheating.

In many cases, though, students are unaware they have cheated. They are simply not familiar with referencing styles – such as APA , Harvard , Vancouver , Chicago , etc – or lack the skills to put the information from their sources into their own words.

To avoid making this mistake, you may approach your university’s library, which is likely to offer face-to-face workshops or online resources on referencing. Academic support units may also help with paraphrasing.

You can also use referencing management software, such as EndNote or Mendeley . You can then store your sources, retrieve citations and create reference lists with only a few clicks. For undergraduate students, Zotero has been recommended as it seems to be more user-friendly.

Using this kind of software will certainly save you time searching for and formatting references. However, you still need to become familiar with the citation style in your discipline and revise the formatting accordingly.

3. Plan before you write

If you were to build a house, you wouldn’t start by laying bricks at random. You’d start with a blueprint. Likewise, writing an academic paper requires careful planning: you need to decide the number of sections, their organisation, and the information and sources you will include in each.

Research shows students who prepare detailed outlines produce higher-quality texts. Planning will not only help you get better grades, but will also reduce the time you spend staring blankly at the screen thinking about what to write next.

During the planning stage, using programs like OneNote from Microsoft Office or Outline for Mac can make the task easier as they allow you to organise information in tabs. These bits of information can be easily rearranged for later drafting. Navigating through the tabs is also easier than scrolling through a long Word file.

4. Choose the right words

Which of these sentences is more appropriate for an assignment?

a. “This paper talks about why the planet is getting hotter”, or b. “This paper examines the causes of climate change”.

The written language used at university is more formal and technical than the language you normally use in social media or while chatting with your friends. Academic words tend to be longer and their meaning is also more precise. “Climate change” implies more than just the planet “getting hotter”.

To find the right words, you can use SkELL , which shows you the words that appear more frequently, with your search entry categorised grammatically. For example, if you enter “paper”, it will tell you it is often the subject of verbs such as “present”, “describe”, “examine” and “discuss”.

Another option is the Writefull app, which does a similar job without having to use an online browser.

5. Edit and proofread

If you’re typing the last paragraph of the assignment ten minutes before the deadline, you will be missing a very important step in the writing process: editing and proofreading your text. A 2018 study found a group of university students did significantly better in a test after incorporating the process of planning, drafting and editing in their writing.

You probably already know to check the spelling of a word if it appears underlined in red. You may even use a grammar checker such as Grammarly . However, no software to date can detect every error and it is not uncommon to be given inaccurate suggestions.

So, in addition to your choice of proofreader, you need to improve and expand your grammar knowledge. Check with the academic support services at your university if they offer any relevant courses.

Written communication is a skill that requires effort and dedication. That’s why universities are investing in support services – face-to-face workshops, individual consultations, and online courses – to help students in this process. You can also take advantage of a wide range of web-based resources such as spell checkers, vocabulary tools and referencing software – many of them free.

Improving your written communication will help you succeed at university and beyond.

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How to write a Report for University Assignment

Many university assignments require a ‘report’ instead of an essay, and students are sometimes unclear as to what this entails. The writing tone, the style to choose, the length of the report, and other considerations all cause confusion. Do you need help writing a report for a university assignment? This write-up seeks to clarify all these confusions and provide you with some key features for writing a good report. Don’t worry if you’re not sure how to write a report for a university assignment. Because you can receive university assignment help from Assignment Studio, one of the world’s leading Assignment Writing Services UK.

Table of Contents

What is the definition of a report?

A report is essentially a brief and concise document created for a specific purpose and audience. It usually lays out and analyses a scenario or problem, with ideas for future recommendations frequently included. It’s a fact-based paper that needs to be well-organized and concise.

Reports and essays have some overlap in academics, and the two terms are occasionally used interchangeably. Reports are more commonly used in business, science, and technology, as well as in the workplace. On the other hand, an essay focuses on arguments and reasoning, whereas a report focuses on facts.

What is the Best Way to Write a Report for University Assignment?

You may believe that all you need to write a report is a pen and a piece of paper. To perform this task successfully, you must possess a set of abilities. A report’s format is critical for leading the reader through your thought process to a course of action or decision. It’s worthwhile to spend some time planning ahead of time.

Step 1: Understand your brief

First and foremost, carefully consider your brief, ensuring that you understand who the report is for (who it is supposed to be written for), why you’re writing it, and what you want the reader to do after reading it: perhaps make a decision or agree on a recommendation.

Step 2: Keep your brief in mind while writing a report

All of your thoughts must be concentrated on your brief, which may necessitate critical reading and thinking. Anything that isn’t necessary should be discarded. Try to organize your reading and research into sections by theme, as if you were writing a literature review. Keep track of your references, especially if you’re doing academic work. Although reference is less crucial in the business reports, it is still important to be able to back up any claims you make, so keeping track of your sources of information is beneficial.

A report is a document in which you provide the results of your study and analysis of data or an issue, as well as recommendations and proposals. Always keep the reader in mind when producing a report. Use a recognizable framework and be clear, concise, and accurate.

Writing a Report for a University Assignment: The Basic Structure

A title page, summary, table of contents, introduction, main body, conclusion and recommendations, references, and appendices are all common steps of reports. Read the brief descriptions below to better understand these stages.

• The Title Page

The title of the report should briefly define what it is about. Clear, concise, and content-related.

An excellent report should have a summary that is around a page and a half long. The primary features that should be included in a summary are the report’s core ideas, the analysis methodologies utilized, findings, and conclusions/recommendations. It’s critical to make this section clear from the start of the report so that your teacher understands what you’re doing.

• Table of Contents 

A list of chapters/subsections with headlines and page numbers should be displayed on a page of your report. Make this guide beneficial for your readers by allowing them to quickly discover what they’re looking for, whether it’s the findings or the research methodology chapters.

• An Introduction

The introduction defines the report’s purpose and scope. This section provides important background information to help the reader grasp the report’s context. It concentrates on, and perhaps defines, any essential keywords. It should also describe the report’s structure.

• The Main Body

The main body contains the description and relevant data. The primary body of a report should be split into parts under headings such as Discussion, Methods, Results, Data, and Findings, and should include all related material needed to fulfil the report’s goal. Subheadings are a possibility. Normally, you’ll have to come up with your own headings that are relevant to your report. Evidence and examples should be utilized to back up your claims where possible.

• Conclusions And Recommendations

The conclusion summarizes the report’s main points in a few sentences. The purpose of the report, as indicated in the introduction, should be referenced in the conclusion. At this point, no additional information should be introduced.

• References/Bibliography

Any sources that have influenced your response should be cited. References for an open university (OU) tutor-marked assignments (TMA) must include references to course content as well as any external sources used.

Appendices may be requested to supplement your response. Appendices should be referenced in the main body of the text; otherwise, it will be unclear why they are included.

Some details may vary depending on the type of report you’re writing. It could be a study report, a construction report, or a laboratory report. As a result, double-check your assignment guidelines and learning objectives. If you’re still unsure, get help from Assignment studio’s Assignments Writing Service UK . 

Linguistic Usage in Writing a Report for a University Assignment

Writing style

In a report, the word “I” should be replaced by “we” or “one.” Make sure your sentences aren’t too long. It’s easy to read short sentences. Many clauses and double denials should be avoided because they induce confusion. Make use of punctuation marks correctly.

Avoid spelling, linguistic, and typing problems when preparing the report. Before submitting the report, run it through a spell checker and read it well. Only use official spelling, and if in a doubt, use a dictionary.

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Other assessments: Reports

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“The key to success in report writing lies with the planning: plan thoroughly and you will be in the best position to write well” Lucinda Becker, Writing Successful Reports and Dissertations

A report is a formal, structured piece of writing that usually presents the findings of some research, an enquiry, or an information gathering process. Reports are often thought of as being mainly scientific and technical, but they can be produced in any subject area, for example, to give the results of a survey in the social sciences, or to describe a review of the literature in an arts topic. If you are writing a scientific report, please see our page on Scientific Writing. Think of it like this: "This is what I did, and this is what I found - and this is why it's relevant/useful/important"

Essays vs reports - what's the difference?

Essays are usually continuous pieces of prose; that is, a single argument that develops through a long and continuous piece of formal writing. Reports on the other hand, give you much more flexibility in how you present your information and your arguments. In reports, you can use:

• subheadings
• bullet points
• charts and other graphics

These help you structure your argument and add emphasis to important points. You can present the same information in a number of different ways (textual and graphical for example) to make sure a reader understands the point you are making.

Persuasiveness

A common misconception about reports vs essays is that reports are objective whereas essays are persuasive. Both should be persuasive . The difference is in how and where they are persuasive.

Every paragraph of an essay should have a persuasive element to it which shows how it fits into your overall argument. With a report, the main persuasive part will come in your discussion , conclusion and recommendations . This does not mean that the earlier parts do not play a role in developing your argument - after all you will choose which information to present - but you will be presenting that information in as impartial a way as possible.

Employability skill

Reports are one of the most common forms of writing once you are in employment. You are unlikely to write another essay once you leave university - but the chances are you will need to write reports. It is therefore a key skill to learn.

Planning a report

Identifying the purpose.

Reports are written for several different purposes, or combinations of purposes. These include:

To inform . To help your reader understand something that you have investigated/researched.

To analyse a situation . To investigate a situation, breaking it down to identify issues.

To propose a change . To persuade the reader that following your investigation/research, changes are needed and to make recommendations of what these should be.

To present the findings of a project . You may have been involved in some group work or an individual research project and the report will literally 'report back' on that.

To identify progress . Fieldwork or practice reports will show what you have learned whilst on placement or working in the field.

Identifying which of these purposes (or combination of purposes) is relevant for your assignment will mean you are more able to plan the report as you know what you are trying to achieve.

Identifying your audience

As well as being written for a purpose, reports are aimed at a specific audience. For an assignment, you may have been given a fictitious audience in your assignment brief, otherwise you should assume your audience is your module leader or tutor.

Different audiences require different approaches. For example:

• Specialist readers . You can use subject specific language and present more complex information.
• Informed readers . You can still present reasonably complex information but you should try to explain it more and not use language that only a specialist would understand.
• General public . Simplify both the information you are giving and the language you are using so that more people can understand it. Consider using graphics to inform (infographics) rather than just as evidence from your research. You can also use a more relaxed, less formal tone.
• Your tutor . Although your tutor is clearly a specialist reader, if no particular audience is given, it is usual to treat them as if they are informed rather than specialist. The exception would be for final year project reports when you can treat them as specialist.

As well as the complexity and language that you use. The requirements of your audience should also be considered with your content:

• What would they want to know?
• What do they need to know?
• What would they find interesting ? 
• What would they respond to?
• What type of information would they find most appealing ?
• What type of information would they find most convincing ?

How to structure a report

You are likely to find that different university departments or organisations have their own preferred structure and format for reports. For example, in industry, companies often issue series of reports which all have a common format. It is vital that you check with your tutor to find out how your report should be structured and presented. As general guidance, reports are usually arranged in sections, each with a clear heading. A simple report is likely to include at least the following:

Simple report sections

• Introduction, including aims and objectives

Methodology

Findings/results, conclusions and recommendations.

Each of these is covered in detail further down the page. More complex reports (not covered in detail here) may have these sections:

Preliminaries

• Terms of reference, including scope of report
• List of tables and diagrams
• Acknowledgements, i.e. thanks to those who helped with the report
• Summary, i.e. key points of the report

Introduction

• Discussion       

Supplementaries

• References/bibliography

Writing style

Use formal writing style.

The style of reports should be concise, giving precise detail. Flowery language should  not  be used. Data may be presented as charts, graphs or tables, if appropriate.

Descriptions of methodology should be sufficiently clear and detailed to allow someone else to replicate them exactly.

Using the passive voice

Scientific reports tend to be written in what is called the passive voice, which is more formal. For example, “The experiment would have been better if ….”, rather than “I could have improved the experiment by ….”. Similarly, “It is recommended that….” rather than “I recommend….”. This is because a scientific report is intended to be objective and based on the analysis of data, rather than subjective and based on personal views and opinions.

However, many leading scientists (including the Astronomer Royal, Sir Martin Rees) are encouraging a return to the active voice where appropriate. If you are unsure about this, you should ask your tutor.

Printable guide

Click on the link above or the image to download the PDF.

Numbering sections

The main sections of a report can be numbered, and can have sub-sections with sub-headings, which are also numbered. These correspond roughly to paragraphs in an essay. You will often see reports where the main sections are given single numbers – 1, 2, 3 and so on; and the sub-sections are given a decimal number – 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 and so on. Sub-sections can be further divided into – 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.1.3 and so on.

1. Introduction

1.1. Aims and objectives

1.2. Hypothesis

2. Methodology

2.1. The survey

2.1.1. The questionnaire

2.1.2. The sample

MS Word can help you with this – go to our MS Word SkillsGuide and look for Numbering Headings for help with setting this up so that you use the different styles in your document to help. This also means you can produce an automatic table of contents.

The sections of a simple report

State what your research/project/enquiry is about. What are you writing about, why and for whom? What are your objectives? What are you trying to show or prove (your hypothesis)?

State how you did your research/enquiry and the methods you used. How did you collect your data? For example, if you conducted a survey, say how many people were included and how you selected them. Say whether you used interviews or questionnaires and how you analysed the data.

Give the results of your research. Do not, at this stage, try to interpret the results – simply report them . This section may include graphs, charts, diagrams etc. (clearly labelled). Be very careful about copyright if you are using published charts, tables, illustrations etc.

Interpret your findings. What do they show? Were they what you expected? Could your research have been done in a better way?

These should follow on logically from the Findings and Discussion sections. Summarise the key points of your findings and show whether they prove or disprove your hypothesis. If you have been asked to, you can make recommendations arising from your research.

List all your sources in alphabetical order, using the appropriate University of Hull style. You might find our  referencing  pages useful.

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8.5 Writing Process: Creating an Analytical Report

Learning outcomes.

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

• Identify the elements of the rhetorical situation for your report.
• Find and focus a topic to write about.
• Gather and analyze information from appropriate sources.
• Distinguish among different kinds of evidence.
• Draft a thesis and create an organizational plan.
• Compose a report that develops ideas and integrates evidence from sources.
• Give and act on productive feedback to works in progress.

You might think that writing comes easily to experienced writers—that they draft stories and college papers all at once, sitting down at the computer and having sentences flow from their fingers like water from a faucet. In reality, most writers engage in a recursive process, pushing forward, stepping back, and repeating steps multiple times as their ideas develop and change. In broad strokes, the steps most writers go through are these:

• Planning and Organization . You will have an easier time drafting if you devote time at the beginning to consider the rhetorical situation for your report, understand your assignment, gather ideas and information, draft a thesis statement, and create an organizational plan.
• Drafting . When you have an idea of what you want to say and the order in which you want to say it, you’re ready to draft. As much as possible, keep going until you have a complete first draft of your report, resisting the urge to go back and rewrite. Save that for after you have completed a first draft.
• Review . Now is the time to get feedback from others, whether from your instructor, your classmates, a tutor in the writing center, your roommate, someone in your family, or someone else you trust to read your writing critically and give you honest feedback.
• Revising . With feedback on your draft, you are ready to revise. You may need to return to an earlier step and make large-scale revisions that involve planning, organizing, and rewriting, or you may need to work mostly on ensuring that your sentences are clear and correct.

Considering the Rhetorical Situation

Like other kinds of writing projects, a report starts with assessing the rhetorical situation —the circumstance in which a writer communicates with an audience of readers about a subject. As the writer of a report, you make choices based on the purpose of your writing, the audience who will read it, the genre of the report, and the expectations of the community and culture in which you are working. A graphic organizer like Table 8.1 can help you begin.

Summary of Assignment

Write an analytical report on a topic that interests you and that you want to know more about. The topic can be contemporary or historical, but it must be one that you can analyze and support with evidence from sources.

The following questions can help you think about a topic suitable for analysis:

• Why or how did ________ happen?
• What are the results or effects of ________?
• Is ________ a problem? If so, why?
• What are examples of ________ or reasons for ________?
• How does ________ compare to or contrast with other issues, concerns, or things?

Consult and cite three to five reliable sources. The sources do not have to be scholarly for this assignment, but they must be credible, trustworthy, and unbiased. Possible sources include academic journals, newspapers, magazines, reputable websites, government publications or agency websites, and visual sources such as TED Talks. You may also use the results of an experiment or survey, and you may want to conduct interviews.

Consider whether visuals and media will enhance your report. Can you present data you collect visually? Would a map, photograph, chart, or other graphic provide interesting and relevant support? Would video or audio allow you to present evidence that you would otherwise need to describe in words?

Another Lens. To gain another analytic view on the topic of your report, consider different people affected by it. Say, for example, that you have decided to report on recent high school graduates and the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the final months of their senior year. If you are a recent high school graduate, you might naturally gravitate toward writing about yourself and your peers. But you might also consider the adults in the lives of recent high school graduates—for example, teachers, parents, or grandparents—and how they view the same period. Or you might consider the same topic from the perspective of a college admissions department looking at their incoming freshman class.

Quick Launch: Finding and Focusing a Topic

Coming up with a topic for a report can be daunting because you can report on nearly anything. The topic can easily get too broad, trapping you in the realm of generalizations. The trick is to find a topic that interests you and focus on an angle you can analyze in order to say something significant about it. You can use a graphic organizer to generate ideas, or you can use a concept map similar to the one featured in Writing Process: Thinking Critically About a “Text.”

Asking the Journalist’s Questions

One way to generate ideas about a topic is to ask the five W (and one H) questions, also called the journalist’s questions : Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? Try answering the following questions to explore a topic:

Who was or is involved in ________?

What happened/is happening with ________? What were/are the results of ________?

When did ________ happen? Is ________ happening now?

Where did ________ happen, or where is ________ happening?

Why did ________ happen, or why is ________ happening now?

How did ________ happen?

For example, imagine that you have decided to write your analytical report on the effect of the COVID-19 shutdown on high-school students by interviewing students on your college campus. Your questions and answers might look something like those in Table 8.2 :

Asking Focused Questions

Another way to find a topic is to ask focused questions about it. For example, you might ask the following questions about the effect of the 2020 pandemic shutdown on recent high school graduates:

• How did the shutdown change students’ feelings about their senior year?
• How did the shutdown affect their decisions about post-graduation plans, such as work or going to college?
• How did the shutdown affect their academic performance in high school or in college?
• How did/do they feel about continuing their education?
• How did the shutdown affect their social relationships?

Any of these questions might be developed into a thesis for an analytical report. Table 8.3 shows more examples of broad topics and focusing questions.

Gathering Information

Because they are based on information and evidence, most analytical reports require you to do at least some research. Depending on your assignment, you may be able to find reliable information online, or you may need to do primary research by conducting an experiment, a survey, or interviews. For example, if you live among students in their late teens and early twenties, consider what they can tell you about their lives that you might be able to analyze. Returning to or graduating from high school, starting college, or returning to college in the midst of a global pandemic has provided them, for better or worse, with educational and social experiences that are shared widely by people their age and very different from the experiences older adults had at the same age.

Some report assignments will require you to do formal research, an activity that involves finding sources and evaluating them for reliability, reading them carefully, taking notes, and citing all words you quote and ideas you borrow. See Research Process: Accessing and Recording Information and Annotated Bibliography: Gathering, Evaluating, and Documenting Sources for detailed instruction on conducting research.

Whether you conduct in-depth research or not, keep track of the ideas that come to you and the information you learn. You can write or dictate notes using an app on your phone or computer, or you can jot notes in a journal if you prefer pen and paper. Then, when you are ready to begin organizing your report, you will have a record of your thoughts and information. Always track the sources of information you gather, whether from printed or digital material or from a person you interviewed, so that you can return to the sources if you need more information. And always credit the sources in your report.

Kinds of Evidence

Depending on your assignment and the topic of your report, certain kinds of evidence may be more effective than others. Other kinds of evidence may even be required. As a general rule, choose evidence that is rooted in verifiable facts and experience. In addition, select the evidence that best supports the topic and your approach to the topic, be sure the evidence meets your instructor’s requirements, and cite any evidence you use that comes from a source. The following list contains different kinds of frequently used evidence and an example of each.

Definition : An explanation of a key word, idea, or concept.

The U.S. Census Bureau refers to a “young adult” as a person between 18 and 34 years old.

Example : An illustration of an idea or concept.

The college experience in the fall of 2020 was starkly different from that of previous years. Students who lived in residence halls were assigned to small pods. On-campus dining services were limited. Classes were small and physically distanced or conducted online. Parties were banned.

Expert opinion : A statement by a professional in the field whose opinion is respected.

According to Louise Aronson, MD, geriatrician and author of Elderhood , people over the age of 65 are the happiest of any age group, reporting “less stress, depression, worry, and anger, and more enjoyment, happiness, and satisfaction” (255).

Fact : Information that can be proven correct or accurate.

According to data collected by the NCAA, the academic success of Division I college athletes between 2015 and 2019 was consistently high (Hosick).

Interview : An in-person, phone, or remote conversation that involves an interviewer posing questions to another person or people.

During our interview, I asked Betty about living without a cell phone during the pandemic. She said that before the pandemic, she hadn’t needed a cell phone in her daily activities, but she soon realized that she, and people like her, were increasingly at a disadvantage.

Quotation : The exact words of an author or a speaker.

In response to whether she thought she needed a cell phone, Betty said, “I got along just fine without a cell phone when I could go everywhere in person. The shift to needing a phone came suddenly, and I don’t have extra money in my budget to get one.”

Statistics : A numerical fact or item of data.

The Pew Research Center reported that approximately 25 percent of Hispanic Americans and 17 percent of Black Americans relied on smartphones for online access, compared with 12 percent of White people.

Survey : A structured interview in which respondents (the people who answer the survey questions) are all asked the same questions, either in person or through print or electronic means, and their answers tabulated and interpreted. Surveys discover attitudes, beliefs, or habits of the general public or segments of the population.

A survey of 3,000 mobile phone users in October 2020 showed that 54 percent of respondents used their phones for messaging, while 40 percent used their phones for calls (Steele).

• Visuals : Graphs, figures, tables, photographs and other images, diagrams, charts, maps, videos, and audio recordings, among others.

Thesis and Organization

Drafting a thesis.

When you have a grasp of your topic, move on to the next phase: drafting a thesis. The thesis is the central idea that you will explore and support in your report; all paragraphs in your report should relate to it. In an essay-style analytical report, you will likely express this main idea in a thesis statement of one or two sentences toward the end of the introduction.

For example, if you found that the academic performance of student athletes was higher than that of non-athletes, you might write the following thesis statement:

student sample text Although a common stereotype is that college athletes barely pass their classes, an analysis of athletes’ academic performance indicates that athletes drop fewer classes, earn higher grades, and are more likely to be on track to graduate in four years when compared with their non-athlete peers. end student sample text

The thesis statement often previews the organization of your writing. For example, in his report on the U.S. response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Trevor Garcia wrote the following thesis statement, which detailed the central idea of his report:

student sample text An examination of the U.S. response shows that a reduction of experts in key positions and programs, inaction that led to equipment shortages, and inconsistent policies were three major causes of the spread of the virus and the resulting deaths. end student sample text

After you draft a thesis statement, ask these questions, and examine your thesis as you answer them. Revise your draft as needed.

• Is it interesting? A thesis for a report should answer a question that is worth asking and piques curiosity.
• Is it precise and specific? If you are interested in reducing pollution in a nearby lake, explain how to stop the zebra mussel infestation or reduce the frequent algae blooms.
• Is it manageable? Try to split the difference between having too much information and not having enough.

Organizing Your Ideas

As a next step, organize the points you want to make in your report and the evidence to support them. Use an outline, a diagram, or another organizational tool, such as Table 8.4 .

Drafting an Analytical Report

With a tentative thesis, an organization plan, and evidence, you are ready to begin drafting. For this assignment, you will report information, analyze it, and draw conclusions about the cause of something, the effect of something, or the similarities and differences between two different things.

Introduction

Some students write the introduction first; others save it for last. Whenever you choose to write the introduction, use it to draw readers into your report. Make the topic of your report clear, and be concise and sincere. End the introduction with your thesis statement. Depending on your topic and the type of report, you can write an effective introduction in several ways. Opening a report with an overview is a tried-and-true strategy, as shown in the following example on the U.S. response to COVID-19 by Trevor Garcia. Notice how he opens the introduction with statistics and a comparison and follows it with a question that leads to the thesis statement (underlined).

student sample text With more than 83 million cases and 1.8 million deaths at the end of 2020, COVID-19 has turned the world upside down. By the end of 2020, the United States led the world in the number of cases, at more than 20 million infections and nearly 350,000 deaths. In comparison, the second-highest number of cases was in India, which at the end of 2020 had less than half the number of COVID-19 cases despite having a population four times greater than the U.S. (“COVID-19 Coronavirus Pandemic,” 2021). How did the United States come to have the world’s worst record in this pandemic? underline An examination of the U.S. response shows that a reduction of experts in key positions and programs, inaction that led to equipment shortages, and inconsistent policies were three major causes of the spread of the virus and the resulting deaths end underline . end student sample text

For a less formal report, you might want to open with a question, quotation, or brief story. The following example opens with an anecdote that leads to the thesis statement (underlined).

student sample text Betty stood outside the salon, wondering how to get in. It was June of 2020, and the door was locked. A sign posted on the door provided a phone number for her to call to be let in, but at 81, Betty had lived her life without a cell phone. Betty’s day-to-day life had been hard during the pandemic, but she had planned for this haircut and was looking forward to it; she had a mask on and hand sanitizer in her car. Now she couldn’t get in the door, and she was discouraged. In that moment, Betty realized how much Americans’ dependence on cell phones had grown in the months since the pandemic began. underline Betty and thousands of other senior citizens who could not afford cell phones or did not have the technological skills and support they needed were being left behind in a society that was increasingly reliant on technology end underline . end student sample text

Body Paragraphs: Point, Evidence, Analysis

Use the body paragraphs of your report to present evidence that supports your thesis. A reliable pattern to keep in mind for developing the body paragraphs of a report is point , evidence , and analysis :

• The point is the central idea of the paragraph, usually given in a topic sentence stated in your own words at or toward the beginning of the paragraph. Each topic sentence should relate to the thesis.
• The evidence you provide develops the paragraph and supports the point made in the topic sentence. Include details, examples, quotations, paraphrases, and summaries from sources if you conducted formal research. Synthesize the evidence you include by showing in your sentences the connections between sources.
• The analysis comes at the end of the paragraph. In your own words, draw a conclusion about the evidence you have provided and how it relates to the topic sentence.

The paragraph below illustrates the point, evidence, and analysis pattern. Drawn from a report about concussions among football players, the paragraph opens with a topic sentence about the NCAA and NFL and their responses to studies about concussions. The paragraph is developed with evidence from three sources. It concludes with a statement about helmets and players’ safety.

student sample text The NCAA and NFL have taken steps forward and backward to respond to studies about the danger of concussions among players. Responding to the deaths of athletes, documented brain damage, lawsuits, and public outcry (Buckley et al., 2017), the NCAA instituted protocols to reduce potentially dangerous hits during football games and to diagnose traumatic head injuries more quickly and effectively. Still, it has allowed players to wear more than one style of helmet during a season, raising the risk of injury because of imperfect fit. At the professional level, the NFL developed a helmet-rating system in 2011 in an effort to reduce concussions, but it continued to allow players to wear helmets with a wide range of safety ratings. The NFL’s decision created an opportunity for researchers to look at the relationship between helmet safety ratings and concussions. Cocello et al. (2016) reported that players who wore helmets with a lower safety rating had more concussions than players who wore helmets with a higher safety rating, and they concluded that safer helmets are a key factor in reducing concussions. end student sample text

Developing Paragraph Content

In the body paragraphs of your report, you will likely use examples, draw comparisons, show contrasts, or analyze causes and effects to develop your topic.

Paragraphs developed with Example are common in reports. The paragraph below, adapted from a report by student John Zwick on the mental health of soldiers deployed during wartime, draws examples from three sources.

student sample text Throughout the Vietnam War, military leaders claimed that the mental health of soldiers was stable and that men who suffered from combat fatigue, now known as PTSD, were getting the help they needed. For example, the New York Times (1966) quoted military leaders who claimed that mental fatigue among enlisted men had “virtually ceased to be a problem,” occurring at a rate far below that of World War II. Ayres (1969) reported that Brigadier General Spurgeon Neel, chief American medical officer in Vietnam, explained that soldiers experiencing combat fatigue were admitted to the psychiatric ward, sedated for up to 36 hours, and given a counseling session with a doctor who reassured them that the rest was well deserved and that they were ready to return to their units. Although experts outside the military saw profound damage to soldiers’ psyches when they returned home (Halloran, 1970), the military stayed the course, treating acute cases expediently and showing little concern for the cumulative effect of combat stress on individual soldiers. end student sample text

When you analyze causes and effects , you explain the reasons that certain things happened and/or their results. The report by Trevor Garcia on the U.S. response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 is an example: his report examines the reasons the United States failed to control the coronavirus. The paragraph below, adapted from another student’s report written for an environmental policy course, explains the effect of white settlers’ views of forest management on New England.

student sample text The early colonists’ European ideas about forest management dramatically changed the New England landscape. White settlers saw the New World as virgin, unused land, even though indigenous people had been drawing on its resources for generations by using fire subtly to improve hunting, employing construction techniques that left ancient trees intact, and farming small, efficient fields that left the surrounding landscape largely unaltered. White settlers’ desire to develop wood-built and wood-burning homesteads surrounded by large farm fields led to forestry practices and techniques that resulted in the removal of old-growth trees. These practices defined the way the forests look today. end student sample text

Compare and contrast paragraphs are useful when you wish to examine similarities and differences. You can use both comparison and contrast in a single paragraph, or you can use one or the other. The paragraph below, adapted from a student report on the rise of populist politicians, compares the rhetorical styles of populist politicians Huey Long and Donald Trump.

student sample text A key similarity among populist politicians is their rejection of carefully crafted sound bites and erudite vocabulary typically associated with candidates for high office. Huey Long and Donald Trump are two examples. When he ran for president, Long captured attention through his wild gesticulations on almost every word, dramatically varying volume, and heavily accented, folksy expressions, such as “The only way to be able to feed the balance of the people is to make that man come back and bring back some of that grub that he ain’t got no business with!” In addition, Long’s down-home persona made him a credible voice to represent the common people against the country’s rich, and his buffoonish style allowed him to express his radical ideas without sounding anti-communist alarm bells. Similarly, Donald Trump chose to speak informally in his campaign appearances, but the persona he projected was that of a fast-talking, domineering salesman. His frequent use of personal anecdotes, rhetorical questions, brief asides, jokes, personal attacks, and false claims made his speeches disjointed, but they gave the feeling of a running conversation between him and his audience. For example, in a 2015 speech, Trump said, “They just built a hotel in Syria. Can you believe this? They built a hotel. When I have to build a hotel, I pay interest. They don’t have to pay interest, because they took the oil that, when we left Iraq, I said we should’ve taken” (“Our Country Needs” 2020). While very different in substance, Long and Trump adopted similar styles that positioned them as the antithesis of typical politicians and their worldviews. end student sample text

The conclusion should draw the threads of your report together and make its significance clear to readers. You may wish to review the introduction, restate the thesis, recommend a course of action, point to the future, or use some combination of these. Whichever way you approach it, the conclusion should not head in a new direction. The following example is the conclusion from a student’s report on the effect of a book about environmental movements in the United States.

student sample text Since its publication in 1949, environmental activists of various movements have found wisdom and inspiration in Aldo Leopold’s A Sand County Almanac . These audiences included Leopold’s conservationist contemporaries, environmentalists of the 1960s and 1970s, and the environmental justice activists who rose in the 1980s and continue to make their voices heard today. These audiences have read the work differently: conservationists looked to the author as a leader, environmentalists applied his wisdom to their movement, and environmental justice advocates have pointed out the flaws in Leopold’s thinking. Even so, like those before them, environmental justice activists recognize the book’s value as a testament to taking the long view and eliminating biases that may cloud an objective assessment of humanity’s interdependent relationship with the environment. end student sample text

Citing Sources

You must cite the sources of information and data included in your report. Citations must appear in both the text and a bibliography at the end of the report.

The sample paragraphs in the previous section include examples of in-text citation using APA documentation style. Trevor Garcia’s report on the U.S. response to COVID-19 in 2020 also uses APA documentation style for citations in the text of the report and the list of references at the end. Your instructor may require another documentation style, such as MLA or Chicago.

Peer Review: Getting Feedback from Readers

You will likely engage in peer review with other students in your class by sharing drafts and providing feedback to help spot strengths and weaknesses in your reports. For peer review within a class, your instructor may provide assignment-specific questions or a form for you to complete as you work together.

If you have a writing center on your campus, it is well worth your time to make an online or in-person appointment with a tutor. You’ll receive valuable feedback and improve your ability to review not only your report but your overall writing.

Another way to receive feedback on your report is to ask a friend or family member to read your draft. Provide a list of questions or a form such as the one in Table 8.5 for them to complete as they read.

Revising: Using Reviewers’ Responses to Revise your Work

When you receive comments from readers, including your instructor, read each comment carefully to understand what is being asked. Try not to get defensive, even though this response is completely natural. Remember that readers are like coaches who want you to succeed. They are looking at your writing from outside your own head, and they can identify strengths and weaknesses that you may not have noticed. Keep track of the strengths and weaknesses your readers point out. Pay special attention to those that more than one reader identifies, and use this information to improve your report and later assignments.

As you analyze each response, be open to suggestions for improvement, and be willing to make significant revisions to improve your writing. Perhaps you need to revise your thesis statement to better reflect the content of your draft. Maybe you need to return to your sources to better understand a point you’re trying to make in order to develop a paragraph more fully. Perhaps you need to rethink the organization, move paragraphs around, and add transition sentences.

Below is an early draft of part of Trevor Garcia’s report with comments from a peer reviewer:

student sample text To truly understand what happened, it’s important first to look back to the years leading up to the pandemic. Epidemiologists and public health officials had long known that a global pandemic was possible. In 2016, the U.S. National Security Council (NSC) published a 69-page document with the intimidating title Playbook for Early Response to High-Consequence Emerging Infectious Disease Threats and Biological Incidents . The document’s two sections address responses to “emerging disease threats that start or are circulating in another country but not yet confirmed within U.S. territorial borders” and to “emerging disease threats within our nation’s borders.” On 13 January 2017, the joint Obama-Trump transition teams performed a pandemic preparedness exercise; however, the playbook was never adopted by the incoming administration. end student sample text

annotated text Peer Review Comment: Do the words in quotation marks need to be a direct quotation? It seems like a paraphrase would work here. end annotated text

annotated text Peer Review Comment: I’m getting lost in the details about the playbook. What’s the Obama-Trump transition team? end annotated text

student sample text In February 2018, the administration began to cut funding for the Prevention and Public Health Fund at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; cuts to other health agencies continued throughout 2018, with funds diverted to unrelated projects such as housing for detained immigrant children. end student sample text

annotated text Peer Review Comment: This paragraph has only one sentence, and it’s more like an example. It needs a topic sentence and more development. end annotated text

student sample text Three months later, Luciana Borio, director of medical and biodefense preparedness at the NSC, spoke at a symposium marking the centennial of the 1918 influenza pandemic. “The threat of pandemic flu is the number one health security concern,” she said. “Are we ready to respond? I fear the answer is no.” end student sample text

annotated text Peer Review Comment: This paragraph is very short and a lot like the previous paragraph in that it’s a single example. It needs a topic sentence. Maybe you can combine them? end annotated text

annotated text Peer Review Comment: Be sure to cite the quotation. end annotated text

Reading these comments and those of others, Trevor decided to combine the three short paragraphs into one paragraph focusing on the fact that the United States knew a pandemic was possible but was unprepared for it. He developed the paragraph, using the short paragraphs as evidence and connecting the sentences and evidence with transitional words and phrases. Finally, he added in-text citations in APA documentation style to credit his sources. The revised paragraph is below:

student sample text Epidemiologists and public health officials in the United States had long known that a global pandemic was possible. In 2016, the National Security Council (NSC) published Playbook for Early Response to High-Consequence Emerging Infectious Disease Threats and Biological Incidents , a 69-page document on responding to diseases spreading within and outside of the United States. On January 13, 2017, the joint transition teams of outgoing president Barack Obama and then president-elect Donald Trump performed a pandemic preparedness exercise based on the playbook; however, it was never adopted by the incoming administration (Goodman & Schulkin, 2020). A year later, in February 2018, the Trump administration began to cut funding for the Prevention and Public Health Fund at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, leaving key positions unfilled. Other individuals who were fired or resigned in 2018 were the homeland security adviser, whose portfolio included global pandemics; the director for medical and biodefense preparedness; and the top official in charge of a pandemic response. None of them were replaced, leaving the White House with no senior person who had experience in public health (Goodman & Schulkin, 2020). Experts voiced concerns, among them Luciana Borio, director of medical and biodefense preparedness at the NSC, who spoke at a symposium marking the centennial of the 1918 influenza pandemic in May 2018: “The threat of pandemic flu is the number one health security concern,” she said. “Are we ready to respond? I fear the answer is no” (Sun, 2018, final para.). end student sample text

A final word on working with reviewers’ comments: as you consider your readers’ suggestions, remember, too, that you remain the author. You are free to disregard suggestions that you think will not improve your writing. If you choose to disregard comments from your instructor, consider submitting a note explaining your reasons with the final draft of your report.

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Report Writing

• Updated on  
• Nov 4, 2023

The term “report” refers to a nonfiction work that presents and/or paraphrases the facts on a specific occasion, subject, or problem. The notion is that a good report will contain all the information that someone who is not familiar with the subject needs to know. Reports make it simple to bring someone up to speed on a subject, but actually writing a report is far from simple. This blog will walk you through the fundamentals of report writing, including the structure and practice themes.

This Blog Includes:

What is a report, reporting formats, newspaper or magazine reports, business reports, technical reports, what is report writing, report writing: things to keep in mind, structure of report writing, magazine vs newspaper report writing format, report writing format for class 10th to 12th, report writing example, report writing for school students: practice questions, report writing slideshare.

• Report Writing in 7 steps

Also Read: Message Writing

A report is a short document written for a particular purpose or audience. It usually sets out and analyses a problem often recommended for future purposes. Requirements for the precise form of the report depend on the department and organization. Technically, a report is defined as “any account, verbal or written, of the matters pertaining to a given topic.” This could be used to describe anything, from a witness’s evidence in court to a student’s book report.

Actually, when people use the word “report,” they usually mean official documents that lay out the details of a subject. These documents are typically written by an authority on the subject or someone who has been tasked with conducting research on it. Although there are other forms of reports, which are discussed in the following section, they primarily fulfil this definition.

What information does reporting contain? All facts are appreciated, but reports, in particular, frequently contain the following kinds of information:

• Information about a circumstance or event
• The aftereffects or ongoing impact of an incident or occurrence
• Analytical or statistical data evaluation
• Interpretations based on the report’s data
• Based on the report’s information, make predictions or suggestions
• Relationships between the information and other reports or events

Although there are some fundamental differences, producing reports and essays share many similarities. Both rely on facts, but essays also include the author’s personal viewpoints and justifications. Reports normally stick to the facts only, however, they could include some of the author’s interpretation in the conclusion.

Reports are also quite well ordered, frequently with tables of contents of headers and subheadings. This makes it simpler for readers to quickly scan reports for the data they need. Essays, on the other hand, should be read from beginning to end rather than being perused for particular information.

Depending on the objective and audience for your report, there are a few distinct types of reports. The most typical report types are listed briefly below:

• Academic report: Examines a student’s knowledge of the subject; examples include book reports, historical event reports, and biographies.
• Identifies data from company reports, such as marketing reports, internal memoranda, SWOT analyses, and feasibility reports, that is useful in corporate planning.
• Shares research findings in the form of case studies and research articles, usually in scientific publications.

Depending on how they are written, reports can be further categorised. A report, for instance, could be professional or casual, brief or lengthy, and internal or external. A lateral report is for persons on the author’s level but in separate departments, whereas a vertical report is for those on the author’s level but with different levels of the hierarchy (i.e., people who work above you and below you).

Report formats can be as varied as writing styles, but in this manual, we’ll concentrate on academic reports, which are often formal and informational.

Also Read: How to Write a Leave Application?

Major Types of Reports

While the most common type of reports corresponds to the ones we read in newspapers and magazines, there are other kinds of reports that are curated for business or research purposes. Here are the major forms of report writing that you must know about:

The main purpose of newspaper or magazine reports is to cover a particular event or happening. They generally elaborate upon the 4Ws and 1H, i.e. What, Where, When, Why, and How. The key elements of newspaper or magazine report writing are as follows:

• Headline (Title)
• Report’s Name, Place, and Date
• Conclusion (Citation of sources)

Here is an example of a news report:

Credit: Pinterest

Business reports aim to analyze a situation or case study by implementing business theories and suggest improvements accordingly. In business report writing, you must adhere to a formal style of writing and these reports are usually lengthier than news reports since they aim to assess a particular issue in detail and provide solutions. The basic structure of business reports includes:

• Table of Contents
• Executive summary
• Findings/Recommendations

The main purpose of the technical report is to provide an empirical explanation of research-based material. Technical report writing is generally carried out by a researcher for scientific journals or product development and presentation, etc. A technical report mainly contains 

• Introduction
• Experimental details
• Results and discussions
• Body (elaborating upon the findings)

Must Read: IELTS Writing Tips

A report is a written record of what you’ve seen, heard, done, or looked into. It is a well-organized and methodical presentation of facts and results from an event that has already occurred. Reports are a sort of written assessment that is used to determine what you have learned through your reading, study, or experience, as well as to provide you with hands-on experience with a crucial skill that is often used in the business.

Before writing a report, there are certain things you must know to ensure that you draft a precise and structured report, and these points to remember are listed below:

• Write a concise and clear title of the report.
• Always use the past tense.
• Don’t explain the issue in the first person, i.e. ‘I’ or ‘Me’. Always write in the third person.
• Put the date, name of the place as well as the reporter’s name after the heading.
• Structure the report by dividing it into paragraphs.
• Stick to the facts and keep it descriptive.

Must Read: IELTS Sample Letters

The format of a report is determined by the kind of report it is and the assignment’s requirements. While reports can have their own particular format, the majority use the following general framework:

• Executive summary: A stand-alone section that highlights the findings in your report so that readers will know what to expect, much like an abstract in an academic paper. These are more frequently used for official reports than for academic ones.
• Introduction: Your introduction introduces the main subject you’re going to explore in the report, along with your thesis statement and any previous knowledge that is necessary before you get into your own results.
• Body: Using headings and subheadings, the report’s body discusses all of your significant findings. The majority of the report is made up of the body; in contrast to the introduction and conclusion, which are each only a few paragraphs long, the body can span many pages.
• In the conclusion, you should summarize all the data in your report and offer a clear interpretation or conclusion. Usually, the author inserts their own personal judgments or inferences here.

Report Writing Formats

It is quintessential to follow a proper format in report writing to provide it with a compact structure. Business reports and technical reports don’t have a uniform structure and are generally based on the topic or content they are elaborating on. Let’s have a look at the proper format of report writing generally for news and magazines and the key elements you must add to a news report:

To Read: How to Learn Spoken English?

The report writing structure for students in grades 10 and 12 is as follows.

• Heading :  A title that expresses the contents of the report in a descriptive manner.
• Byline : The name of the person who is responsible for drafting the report. It’s usually included in the query. Remember that you are not allowed to include any personal information in your response.
•  (introduction) : The ‘5 Ws,’ or WHAT, WHY, WHEN, and WHERE, as well as WHO was invited as the main guest, might be included.
• The account of the event in detail : The order in which events occurred, as well as their descriptions. It is the primary paragraph, and if necessary, it can be divided into two smaller paragraphs.
• Conclusion : This will give a summary of the event’s conclusion. It might include quotes from the Chief Guest’s address or a summary of the event’s outcome.

Credit: sampletemplates.com

Credit: SlideShare

Now that you are familiar with all the formats of report writing, here are some questions that you can practice to understand the structure and style of writing a report.

• You are a student of Delhi Public School Srinagar handling a campus magazine in an editorial role. On the increasing level of global warming, write a report on the event for your school magazine. 
• On the Jammu-Srinagar highway, a mishap took place, where a driver lost his control and skidded off into a deep gorge. Write a report on it and include all the necessary details and eyewitness accounts. 
• As a reporter for the Delhi Times, you are assigned to report on the influx of migrants coming from other states of the country. Take an official statement to justify your report.
• There is a cultural program in Central Park Rajiv Chowk New Delhi. The home minister of India is supposed to attend the event apart from other delegates. Report the event within the 150-200 word limit. 
• Write today’s trend of COVID-19 cases in India. As per the official statement. include all the necessary details and factual information. Mention the state with a higher number of cases so far.
• In Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi, a table tennis tournament was held between Delhi Public School New Delhi and DPS Punjab. Report the event in 250-300 words.

Also Read: Formal Letter Format, Types & Samples

Credits: Slideshare

Report Writ ing in 7 steps

• Choose a topic based on the assignment
• Conduct research
• Write a thesis statement
• Prepare an outline
• Write a rough draft
• Revise and edit your report
• Proofread and check for mistakes

Make sure that every piece of information you have supplied is pertinent. Remember to double-check your grammar, spelling, tenses, and the person you are writing in. A final inspection against any structural criteria is also important. You have appropriately and completely referenced academic work. Check to make sure you haven’t unintentionally, purposefully, or both duplicated something without giving credit.

Related Articles

Any business professional’s toolkit must include business reports. Therefore, how can you create a thorough business report? You must first confirm that you are familiar with the responses to the following three questions.

Every company report starts with an issue that needs to be fixed. This could be something straightforward, like figuring out a better way to organise procuring office supplies, or it could be a more challenging issue, like putting in place a brand-new, multimillion-dollar computer system.

You must therefore compile the data you intend to include in your report. How do you do this? If you’ve never conducted in-depth research before, it can be quite a daunting task, so discovering the most efficient techniques is a real plus.

Hopefully, this blog has helped you with a comprehensive understanding of report writing and its essential components. Aiming to pursue a degree in Writing? Sign up for an e-meeting with our study abroad experts and we will help you in selecting the best course and university as well as sorting the admission process to ensure that you get successfully shortlisted.

Ankita Mishra

A writer with more than 10 years of experience, including 5 years in a newsroom, Ankita takes great pleasure in helping students via study abroad news updates about universities and visa policies. When not busy working you can find her creating memes and discussing social issues with her colleagues.

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Assignment and Report Writing: Structure of Assignments

• Assignment Writing

Structure of Assignments

• Laboratory/Scientific Reports
• Citation & Referencing

There are different types of assignments with different writing structures. These include;

Short questions and calculations

• Essay Questions

Mostly these types of assignments, lecturers, etc., typically give short questions/or essay tests to see how well students have grasped course concepts, their meaning and significance. In order to understand the short question, you must not memorize the information and expect to do well in short question. The best thing is to understand course material and concept.

Basic Types of Short-answer Questions

There are six basic types of short-answer questions. Understanding each will improve your performance on short-answer quizzes, tests and exams. When answering short-answer questions, make sure the format and type of answer you provide matches the type of question being asked.

Definition questions

Explanation questions, example questions, relationship questions, calculation questions, graphing questions.

Definition questions require you to define a concept.

Question: "What is a supply curve?"

Answer: "A supply curve shows the relationship between the price of a good or service and the quantity supplied. Typically, the price appears on the left vertical axis and the quality supplied on the horizontal axis."

Explanation questions require you to explain  why  something is true or how something functions.

Question: " Why do males in in the agricultural sector earn more money than their equally qualified female counterparts . ?"

Answer: " Today, women make up nearly half the workforce across all sectors, but their paychecks still lag far behind men's. Women are paid less than men in nearly every occupation agricultural sector inclusive. "

Example questions simply require a specific real-world example of a concept or phenomenon.

Question: "Provide two examples of pairs of goods that are substitutes."

Answer: "Margarine and butter, and tea and coffee are examples of pairs of goods that are substitutes."

Relationship questions require you to state or show how two or more things relate to one another. Are they complimentary? Are they the same? Are they different? Are they opposites? How does the existence of one affect the other? Etc. Relationship questions can be a bit more challenging than other types of short answers but are very doable if you're prepared.

Question: "In a competitive market, what is the relationship between supply and demand?"

Answer: "Demand refers to the quality of a good or service consumers are willing to buy at a given price. Supply represents the quantity of a good supplied by producers at various prices. The price resulting from where supply and demand meet is referred to as the equilibrium price.

As the name suggests, calculations questions require you to calculate or compute a numerical answer or response.

Question: "If the demand for used motorcycle purchases in the United States is represented by P = 1000 - .2Q and the supply of used motorcycles is represented by P = 400 + .2Q what is the market equilibrium price and quantity?"

Answer: "The market equilibrium price (P) is 700. The market equilibrium quantity (Q) is 1,500."

Graphing questions typically require an answer in the form of a graph.

Question: "Draw a diagram of a supply curve that shows the relationship between quantity supplied and price."

        The answer is shown below.

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