Writing a report
What are the differences between essays
and reports?
In a report, it is vital that the
information is clear and easy to find. For that reason, reports can make use of
things not normally found in essays, such as:
· dot
points
· headings
and subheadings
· tables,
graphs and diagrams
In addition, there are other important
differences between reports and essays:
Reports
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Essays
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Reports present facts/information, and the aim is to
explain them as clearly as possible
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Essays discuss perspectives on an issue, and the aim is
usually to construct an argument for a particular point of view
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Reports are written for the person or organisation that
requested them
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Essays are written for a lecturer and other knowledgeable
people in the field
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Reports will be scanned, so the most important information
needs to be easy to find, and summarised where appropriate
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Essays will be read carefully from beginning to end
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Reports use short, concise paragraphs and dot-points where
applicable
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Essays link ideas together into a cohesive series of
paragraphs, rather than breaking ideas down into easy-to-access pieces
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Reports end with a conclusion and recommendations for
actions that will address issues raised in the report
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Essays end with a conclusion and sometimes predictions or
suggestions for further research
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1. Letter of Transmittal
This is a formal business letter
to the person or organisation that commissioned the report “announcing” the
completion and delivery of the report. It usually includes:
· A
salutation (e.g. Dear Ms Watson)
· The
purpose of the letter (e.g. here is the marketing report you commissioned)
· The
main findings of the report
· Any important
considerations
· Acknowledgement
of any particular help
· Thanks
For example:
Dear Mr Landry,
Enclosed is the report you commissioned on 12 May 2009 on
the Tourism Industry on Peacock Island, NSW. The main findings of the
report are:
· that
the growth of the industry has been substantial (35% since 01 January 2009)
due to the increased awareness of and interest in the peacock population of
the island;
· that
the peacocks' nesting habits are beginning to be disrupted by tourism;
· that
tourism on the island needs to be carefully managed so the peacocks are no
longer disturbed by the increase in human activity, and
· that
the government should consider placing some restrictions on tourist numbers
and designating appropriate peacock viewing areas.
It should be considered that the Mayor of Peacock Island,
Ms Annabelle Devereaux, was unavailable for comment throughout the period in
which this report was being researched, so her input should be sought before
any further decisions are made.
I would like to acknowledge the assistance of the Peacock
Island Tourism Board, and particularly its Chief Administrator, Jan
Stevenson, in writing this report.
Finally, I would like to thank you for the opportunity
this report gave me to familiarise myself with the Peacock Island environment
and its inhabitants, and to develop my research skills, which will be
invaluable for future projects.
Regards,
Shyla Graham.
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2. Title Page
This is the ‘cover’ of the report,
which presents the key details in a professional layout. Include:
· The
name of the report (i.e. the topic of the report)
· The
organisation that commissioned it
· Your
name (and student number)
· The
date
For example:
3.Table of Contents
The Table of Contents is important for
allowing readers to quickly find the information they need. It should:
· Show
each of the numbered points and sub-points
· Include
page numbers for each
· Include
a list of figures if necessary
· Include
a list of appendices
· Have
a clear and professional layout
The numbering system used in reports
will be unfamiliar to most students, but it follows a fairly simple pattern.
Each main section has a number (1, 2, 3, etc.), and each sub-section within
those main sections has a sub-number (1.1, 1.2, 1.3....).
See the example below:
1.
Introduction...........................................................................................................1
2. Literature
Review...................................................................................................3
2.1 Impact of tourism on animal
populations in coastal NSW and Victoria.................3
2.2 Tourism management in coastal
NSW and Victoria............................................5
3. Tourism
analysis...................................................................................................7
3.1 Tourism income analysis
2007.........................................................................7
3.2 Tourism income analysis
2008.........................................................................8
3.3 Tourism income analysis
2009.........................................................................9
4. Changing behaviours of peacock population on Peacock
Island................................10
4.1 Peacock Behaviour Report
2007.....................................................................10
4.2 Peacock Behaviour Report
2008.....................................................................11
4.3 Draft Peacock Behaviour
Report 2009.............................................................12
5. Predicted long-term outcomes of no or minimal tourism
management.......................13
6.
Conclusion..........................................................................................................15
7.
Recommendations..............................................................................................16
8.
Bibliography.......................................................................................................17
Appendix 1 - Tourism Growth
(2007-2009)..................................................................20
Appendix 2 - Peacock Behaviour Analysis
(2007-2009)................................................21
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4. Summary, Abstract or Executive
Summary
While your lecturers will certainly
read your whole report (in order to mark it and give you feedback) in the
workplace, reports are received differently. Some readers will not wish
to read the entire report, but only the parts relevant to them, so the summary,
abstract, or executive summary presents the entire report in brief -
generally on no more than one page. Include:
· who
requested the report
· the
purpose
· background/context
· brief
description of methodology
· main
findings, and
· recommendations
Use paragraphs for an abstract and
paragraphs/dot points for an executive summary.
Make sure the layout is methodical,
working through each section of the report clearly and in order.
5. Introduction
The introduction should clearly explain
why the report is relevant/important. To do this, explain:
· Who
commissioned the report and why
· The
context / problem that triggered the report, giving any necessary background
information
· The
purpose of the report and its scope (i.e. what it does and does not cover)
· The
types of sources used (i.e. texts, surveys, observation, interviews)
6. Body
The body of a report will be made up of
many different sections, each with its own purpose. The body is where you
will place:
· The
literature review (if applicable)
· Research
methodology – what you did and why, mentioning any possible problems
· Findings
– stating the facts clearly, and including labelled graphs and charts
where appropriate
· Discussion
– your interpretation and explanation of the findings
7. Conclusion
In the conclusion, you should:
· sum
up your main findings and key points of discussion
· make
sure that you do not bring in any new information
· be
brief and to the point – you should already have reported on everything in
sufficient detail
8. Recommendations
After ‘reporting’ on the present state
of your particular topic, you need to make recommendations about what should
now occur in response to your findings. While 'Recommendations' is often a
section that stands alone, each recommendation can be sequenced within the
body, after each relevant finding and discussion topic.
Make sure, however, that
recommendations evolve logically from issues you identify in your findings,
discussion and conclusions. They should be realistic, and achievable.
While lecturers may recommend a range
of structures for the recommendations list, you can use the following sample
structure as a guide:
This report makes the following recommendations:
· that
dot points or numbers are used to set out a recommendations list, so each
recommendation can be seen easily;
· that
each recommendation begins with the word 'that', so as to align grammatically
with the introductory sentence;
· that
each recommendation relates to problems or issues identified clearly in the
report, and
· that
the recommendations are possible to achieve.
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9. Reference List
Like a Reference List for an essay, a
report's Reference List will be an alphabetised list of all the texts cited in
the report. This might include:
· journal
articles
· books
· other
reports
· websites
· newspaper
articles
· interviews
Make sure you use the right referencing style
recommended for your unit.
10. Appendices
Appendices are the place to include any
data too bulky to place in the body of your report. You might include:
· your
survey tool (but not all your responses)
· raw
data
· any
graphs or tables too large for the body
Make sure you:
· number
each appendix clearly (i.e. Appendix 1)
· give
it a title, so the reader can see what it contains at a glance, and
· include
it in the table of contents
In the body of your paper, you can then
refer to this bulky data without having it interrupt the flow of the
report. For example:
In order to understand the impact of tourism on the
peacock population, a two-year study was conducted from January 2007 to
February 2009. Data was collected from the tourism board that measured
tourist numbers and tourist behaviour patterns in and around the peacock
habitat (see Appendix 2), and the peacock population was
extensively monitored, with data collected on peacock numbers
and behaviours, including feeding, nesting and breeding (see
Appendix 3).
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Notice that the appendices are attached
AFTER the reference list.
Presentation and style are important in
reports. First impressions count, so consider these simple tips:
Be professional, not pretty. Fonts and images should only be experimented with
if they help to present information more clearly. Communication is more
important than decoration.
Use plenty of white space. Don't overuse long paragraphs, like those you would
see in an essay. Present information as succinctly as possible.
Use spacing, clear headings and a numbering system to ensure the
separate parts of your report stand out clearly and are easy to locate
Use tables and figures (graphs, illustrations, maps etc)
to clarify information -
sometimes these are needed to supplement text.
Number each page -
and make sure the page numbers are correct on the table of contents
Use consistent
formatting
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What kind of language is used in reports?
Language should be formal language, but
simple and clear. Remember, the main aim of a report is clear
communication.
By and large, sentences should be
short, relieved when appropriate by some complex sentences.
· Use
sub-headings and dot points when appropriate, but also include paragraphs with
topic sentences