BusEco: Report writing
Business reports
The content and structure of a business report will vary according to the report’s purpose and aims. You may be required to follow a predetermined report structure or in some cases you may need to decide on the report structure based on the report’s content and audience. It is important to seek clarification on the most appropriate structure to adopt.
If your report is an academic assignment, start by analysing the task carefully, noting all essential instructions and matching these with the Marking Guide. If necessary, check with your tutor or lecturer. If your report is a professional task (E.g. part of a work-integrated learning project), what style and presentation considerations are important in your organisation? Refer to the organisation’s style guide and any relevant examples to ensure compliance with company requirements.
What makes up a business report
Generally, a formal business report will contain some or all of the following sections, typically presented in this order:
The preliminary section
The Executive Summary
Table of Contents
List of tables and figures
The Introduction
Body of a report
Supplementary information: the reference list and appendices
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