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Types of Report / Description
1 / Incident Report / a report describing something that has happened /
2 / Accident Report / a report describing how someone was hurt or something was damaged /
3 / Sales Report / a report describing how many goods or services were sold, and the reasons for any differences from the plan /
4 / Progress Report / a report describing how close you are to completing something you planned /
5 / Feasibility Study / Report / a report on how practical a proposal is /
6 / Recommendation Report / a report on what your organisation should do /
7 / Site / a report on what has happened in a place, and how close your organisation is to finishing construction /
8 / Case Study / an academic report on how and why something has changed over time /

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http://www2.elc.polyu.edu.hk/CILL/eiw/typesofreport.htm

Report Stages

1 Introduction - Who requested the report This report was requested by...

2 Introduction - When the report was requested The report was requested on ...

3 Introduction - Why the report was requested, and the Aim The report aims to...

4 Introduction - Overview of the structure of the report The report presents ...

5 Procedure - When the data was collected Data for the report was gathered from ... to ...

6 Procedure - How the data was collected Primary data was collected by surveying...

7 Findings - Description of the information you discovered The survey respondents said that...

8 Conclusion - Summary of what you discovered In conclusion, the results show that...

9 Conclusion - Your ideas about the reasons for the things you discovered

I believe that the reasons for this include...

10 Recommendations - What you think should happen These conclusions lead to a number of possibilities for further action. These are...

http://www2.elc.polyu.edu.hk/CILL/eiw/report_intros.htm

Report Writing: Introductions

Explanation

The Introduction contains 2 types of information:

1. information about the report

2. an introduction to the content of the report.

It is also aimed at two types of readers:

1. the manager who wants solutions to a problem or suggestions for future action

2. readers in the future who want to know what they can learn from the organisation's past experience, such as why a decision was made.

1. Information about the report (called the 'Terms of Reference').

1.1 Who asked for the report (Past tense, passive voice)
Most reports are requested by a manager, but some are commissioned by people or organisation outside the company, and some are written by staff to suggest something.

1.1.1 Their name

1.1.2 Their job title or post
This changes over time as they are promoted.

1.1.3 Their department
This may change over time as they are promoted.

1.2 The date that the report was asked for. (Past tense)

e.g. This report was requested by Ms Amy Chan, Operations Manager in the Production Department, on 10 November 2010.

2. An introduction to the content of the report.

2.1 The background of the report (Past tense or present perfect)
The situation or problem that the report discusses

2.2 The aim of the report (Present tense, as the aim is true all the time)
The report might make suggestions to solve a problem, or to take advantage of a situation

2.2 An overview of the organisation of the report (Present tense, as this is the organisation all the time)
Reports can have a wide variety of organisational structures, so it helps the reader to inform them of the structure of this one.


Figure 1: Example organisational structures.

1.  Introduction
2.  Background
3.  Method
4.  Findings
5.  Conclusion
6.  Recommendations / 1. Introduction
2. Method
3. Findings and Discussion
4. Conclusion
5.Recommendations / 1. Introduction
2. Method
3. Findings
4. Discussion
5.Conclusion
6.Recommendations / 1. Introduction
2. Method
3.FindingsandDiscussion
4.ConclusionandRecommendations
  1. Introduction
  2. Method
  3. Findings and Discussion
  4. Conclusion and Recommendations

e.g. In the past two months our output of products has increased, but a larger number have failed quality control. The aim of this report is to analyse this situation and recommend appropriate action. Firstly the method of investigation is described, followed by the findings. Then conclusions are drawn and a number of recommendations are made.

Grammar note:
In order to show that you are being objective, which means not letting your personal opinions and interests affect the report, you should avoid using personal pronouns such as I and We. You can do this by using the report as the subject of the sentence (e.g. This report shows...) or by using a passive voice (e.g. Conclusions are drawn...).

Example Introduction

1. Introduction
This report was requested by Mr. P Y Fung, Managing Director of Everbright Ltd. on 10 November 2010. The report concerns the recently observed declining morale of our staff. The main aims of the report are to identify the causes of the decline in staff morale and recommend ways to boost it.
In the report the findings describe the decline in staff morale, which can be traced back to the period following the reduction of the company budget. Following these findings, conclusions are drawn and a number of recommendations are made as to how staff morale might be increased.

(1)
(2) (3) (4) Mr K.K. Chan, (5) (6) (7) (8) 29 October 2010. The report (9) staff dissatisfaction with sick pay regulations. The aim of the report is (10) affordable improvements in these regulations that would satisfy both staff and management.

The report (11) the method and findings of a questionnaire survey of staff and results of discussions with management. Then various options are presented and discussed. (12) a conclusion (13) and recommendations (14) . (15) (16) (17) (18) (19) (20)

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(1)That's right, 1. Introduction is the right answer.
(2)Good job, This report is the right answer.
(3)Well done, was requested is the right answer.
(4)Yes, by is the right answer.
(5)Correct, well done, Chairperson is the right answer.
(6)That's right, of is the right answer.
(7)Good job, the Health and Safety Committee is the right answer.
(8)Well done, on is the right answer.
(9)Yes, concerns is the right answer.
(10)Congratulations, to suggest is the right answer.
(11)Correct, well done, contains is the right answer.
(12)That's right, After that is the right answer.
(13)Good job, is drawn is the right answer.
(14)Well done, are made is the right answer.

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http://www2.elc.polyu.edu.hk/CILL/eiw/report_introduction_reconstruction.htm

Report Introductions

This report presents the findings of a survey of graduate employment carried out in 2010 . The main aim of the survey is to gather information on the experiences of graduates in their first year of full - time employment . The report writing task has involved analysing the gathered data , drawing conclusions and making recommendations . It is hoped that the recommendations will be helpful to new graduates as they prepare to join the labour market . The findings of this report are presented with the aid of graphics and are followed by conclusions and recommendations .

http://www2.elc.polyu.edu.hk/CILL/eiw/report_method.htm

Report Writing: Method / Methodology / Procedure

Explanation
This section of the report tells your reader how, when and from whom you collected the data for your report. The results of this investigation are given in the next section: the Findings.

Content

·  The section should convince the reader that the data is accurate, and is therefore suitable for making recommendations.

·  The data collection should be valid, which means that it should really measure what it is trying to measure. For example, the data should not be only from one group of people who do not represent everybody.

·  The data collection should be reliable: that is, if the same data was collected by another person, the result should be the same.

Organisation

  1. When the data was collected:
    e.g. Data for this report were gathered from 15 - 29 October 2010.
  2. How the data was collected
    e.g. By observation, survey (a written questionnaire, or a researcher asking the same questions to everybody), a vote, or research online or in a library.
  3. From surveys, interviews and focus groups:

o  Who the data was collected from: e.g. a random sample, or a specially-selected group of people, or all the people involved.

o  How many people were involved; e.g. how many questionnaires did you send out, how many were completed and used for analysis. Sometimes the return rate can be low: you might send out 100 questionnaires, and get back only 20. The return rate would therefore be 20%. This should be mentioned in the report, as it affects its reliability.

Grammar

·  Generally uses passive voice:
This is to show that the results are objective
e.g. The questionnaires were distributed to a total of 180 staff

·  Generally uses past tense.
This is because the data was collected in the past, before the report was written.

·  Data - singular or plural?
Data can be singular or plural: both 'The data was collected...' and 'The date were collected...' are acceptable. For more information, see the etymology at Yahoo Education.

Vocabulary

·  Matching Nouns and Verbs for Reports - an exercise in choosing the right vocabulary for reports.

·  People who reply to a written questionnaire are called respondents

·  People who take part in an experiment, and are experimented on, are called subjects

·  Business reports are often about staff. More information about how to use the word staff correctly is available.

Style and Tone

·  This section should be formal.

·  Like most formal business writing, it should be clear, concise, and correct.

Conventions

·  This section usually comes after the Introduction and before the Findings, although sometimes it is part of the Introduction.

·  The section should not give the results, unless the results of the first data collection affected the method in which later data was collected; e.g. The first data collection was a questionnaire, but you decided to investigate why the people gave the answers they did, and therefore you did some interviews to collect more data.

Example Procedure

2. Procedure
Data for this report were gathered from 15 - 29 October 2010. A questionnaire survey was carried out from 19 - 26 October. The questionnaires were distributed to a total of 180 staff, consisting of 60 staff at senior level and 120 staff of junior level. Staff representatives from both senior and junior levels were interviewed from 29 October - 29 October.

Findings and Discussion

Report Writing: Conclusion

Explanation
This section of the report has two parts:

  1. It reviews the main findings and results, and expresses them in general terms.
  2. It draws a main conclusion and links to the recommendations by showing a need for action.

1.  It reviews the main findings and results, and expresses them in general terms.
This part is also for busy readers who don't have time to read all of your findings, and for readers who want to read an overview of the findings before deciding whether to read the findings in detail.
Example from a report on developing tourism in Hong Kong:

The findings indicate that tourists are now looking for more than just a shopping trip; they are seeking a complete experience with plenty of attractions to visit, good service and a pleasant environment. Our market research has shown, however, that Hong Kong simply does not have enough attractions. The average visitor to Hong Kong stays here for just 3.5 days and a shopping trip to Stanley market and a visit to Ocean Park are still the main attractions for them.


Although findings are usually discussed in the Findings section, or in a Discussion section after the findings, in some reports the conclusion also contains some discussion of the main findings, in which the writer discusses possible reasons for them. For example:

This may be because Hong Kong is seen as a small place, that people can see in only a few days. Also, tourists may only be interested in a few of the attractions offered in brochures. In addition Hong Kong is expensive compared to other south-east Asian destinations, and so is not suitable for an extended holiday.

2.  It draws a main conclusion and links to the recommendations by showing a need for action.
Example:

It can be concluded that to encourage visitors to stay longer (and hence spend more money) and to get greater numbers to come here, Hong Kong must develop a new and less polluted tourist-friendly infrastructure with new and exciting attractions.


It is important not to give detailed recommendations in the conclusion section. In the above example, the sentence 'Hong Kong must develop a new and less polluted tourist-friendly infrastructure with new and exciting attractions' is a general recommendation that leads into more detailed ones which will be written in the Recommendations section.

Content

·  The Conclusion should give the main cause(s) of the problem or opportunity that is the topic of the report.

·  The section should summarise the main findings and link to the Recommendations.

·  It should not include findings that are not related to the Recommendations.