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Report

Writing a report

What is a report?

A report is a well-structured and researched document that informs a specific audience on a particular problem or topic. The purpose of a report is to inform, guide or influence decision making and/or the outcome of a course of action.

Writing reports is common in many workplaces. Thus, you often find this form of writing set as an assessment task at university. You may write one on your own or as part of a team.

The purpose and structure of reports can differ between disciplines and audiences. For example, a business report written for a manager will have an introduction which is separate from a literature review, whereas a lab report for your lecturer will often combine the introduction and literature review into one section. What is important is that you pay careful attention to your assessment task instructions and make sure that your key message is clear, well-reasoned and well-supported by relevant research.

Four things you need to know about report writing View

Audience and purpose

You need to continually consider the target audience of your report. For example, ask yourself such questions as - are you writing for a client? a healthcare professional? your manager? do you have more than one audience (e.g. an imaginary client and your lecturer)?

The answers to these questions will guide your decisions about how the report is structured, the amount of background information you include, what type of information is required, and how best to present the report, including the level of technical language you use.

Differences between a report and an essay

Reports and essays both rely on credible evidence, but they differ in purpose, audience and form. The table below sets out the key differences.

	Report	Essay
Topic	Addresses a practical problem, situation or investigation, often drawing on readings, fieldwork, lab or practical work.	Responds to a question or proposition, usually by taking a position on a debatable issue.
Purpose	To investigate and present information that informs a decision or course of action, or to record the outcome of one.	To argue a well-supported response to a question or proposition.
Audience	A specified reader, often a client, manager or other stakeholder, and sometimes your lecturer as well.	An academic reader, usually your lecturer or tutor.
Structure	Divided into headed, often numbered sections, opening with an executive summary or abstract.	Continuous prose, usually without headings.
Presentation	Uses tables, figures and sometimes bullet points to present information efficiently.	Rarely uses bullet points or visuals; ideas are developed in prose.
Style	Direct and concise, in short paragraphs. First or third person, depending on the discipline.	Formal, in longer paragraphs that each develop one main idea. First or third person, depending on the discipline.

Note

The target audience will not always read the sections of a report in the order in which they are presented. For example, a reader may firstly read the abstract, then the conclusion, and then the discussion for more details. This is a reading technique often used in critical reading.

This is why features like a title page, table of contents, bolded headings, numbering, lettering, and bullet points are important in a report.

Check your understanding View

Research reports

Some assessment tasks ask you to write a research report on an investigation you have carried out, such as an experiment, a survey or a fieldwork project.

A research report can be similar to a journal article, however, they differ in purpose and audience. A journal article is written for other researchers and must make an original contribution to knowledge before a journal will publish it. A research report is written for your lecturer or a specified client, and its purpose is to show how you conducted an investigation and what it found, or to inform a decision. For that reason it may include sections an article would not, such as a table of contents, an executive summary, recommendations and appendices.

In structure, however, the two are closely alike. Both usually follow the IMRaD pattern (Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion), opening with an abstract or executive summary and often closing with a conclusion. Section names and order can vary by discipline and task, so always follow your task instructions. Visit our Journal article resource, in particular Structuring the article, if you require some guidance in writing a research report.

Example reports in your discipline

Reports take different forms across faculties. The annotated samples below show what a report looks like in your discipline, with student examples and feedback.

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	1. Know your audience and purpose. Every report has an intended reader, such as a client, a manager, colleagues, the public or your lecturer. Some assessments have two: an imagined client and the lecturer who marks the report. Your audience determines how much background you include, what information they need, how you present it and how technical your language can be.
	2. Follow the structure of a report. A report is not an essay. All reports are made up of structured sections with specific information. Make sure you refer to your assessment task instructions and know what belongs in each section.
	3. Check for discipline-specific requirements. Reports vary in length and format depending on your discipline. A good study habit for you to develop is to always double check the specific requirements for your task.
	4. Present data in tables and figures. Number and title every table and figure, and refer to each one in your text. Titles should tell the reader clearly and concisely what the data shows. Where titles sit depends on your referencing style (APA 7, for example, places them above both tables and figures), so check the style your unit requires.

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