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.
The title page should clearly state the following information:
Some published reports may include images or graphics on a report cover or title page. This is not usually required for an academic report.
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 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.
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
Scope
Limitations
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:
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:
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:
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.
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