Theory: Report Writing

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Theory: Report is an important form of Business Communication generating and analysing. They are a routine task for every
professional, as it is neigh impossible for an organization to functional without reports. For example, if there is a decline in
production or sales, or there are frequent strikes in a company, fire breaks out in the factory; the Authority asks for reports
which are Data related to the problem. Its interpretation is the search for a more intense and broader meaning of the Data
presented. It can be used to study the growth rate of the company, to observe the socio-political/psychological changes
happening around.

In general terms, it is an account of, or a statement about, something which happened in the past. The word report has
originated from the Latin word "Reportare". Etymologically, it means to carry back as "Re" = Back and "Portate" = Carry. In
other words, it is a description of some event or situation that has already happened since the very nature of the report
requires it to be written to talked about, it is a document written to carry back to someone who requires it.

Salient Features:
• It is a formal piece of writing
• It is a factual account of an event
• It is written with a specific purpose
• It is written in an organized manner.
• It is for a specific audience.
• It is written in an objective manner; subjective opinions should be avoided.
• Include only relevant information.

Significance of Report: It makes you plan, acquire, execute, organize, coordinate, manage and evaluate. It ensures flow
of communication in a smooth manner. They serve as a record of facts where information is organized and recorded for the
readers benefit. It enables the authority to take timely decisions and can be used for further analysis. You yourself as
professional is evaluated through the report you prepare.

Business Report: A business report is a formal communication written for a specific purpose conveying authentic
information to a well defined audience in a completely impartial and objective manner written in a conventional or usable
form. It describes the procedures followed in the collection and examination of Data, Analysis of the facts collected and
Derives conclusions from them and gives recommendations if necessary.
Theory: Types of Report
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Types of Report:

1. Oral Reports: These reports are conveyed by way of speech and are presented Face to Face. It is easier for the Speaker to present as
the preparation is already done but conversely, the Listener might encounter difficulties grasping all the different facts discussed. Oral
Reports are also Ephemeral in nature (not permanent) and immediate clarification by the Speaker on some point is possible and thus,
these reports are also less accurate and less reliable while being informal in nature. They are used for problems that can be immediately
fixed.

For example: These is an issue with seating arrangements of the guests in an event and the Director walks into the room and asks you
about the seating arrangement of the guests

2. Written Reports: These reports are conveyed by way of writing. It is easier for the Rader to comprehend as he can take his time
grasping the facts but might be difficult for the Writer to compile and write about said facts. Written reports are also Permanent in
nature and serve as a permanent record and so Immediate clarification is not possible and thus, these reports are also more accurate
and reliable while being more formal than Oral Reports in nature.

a. Informal: Informal Report fulfills any immediate requirement which does not require elaborate analysis or presentation. These are
shorter than formal reports.

For example: If the Managing Director wishes to know the current status of production or performance of employees in a particular
department, the information can be presented in an Informal Report. They are also written using the same format as that of a
Letter.
 i. Letter Reports: The Business Letter format is used. Weather it is the findings of a major R&D project or a list of individuals
recommended for Merit Bonuses or an Explanatory Report for Legal Proceedings, writing a report in the Letter Format is a
regular task and the layout of the Letter Report is the same as a Letter. In the main body you can write "Introduction" followed
by "Analysis" or "Findings" or "Recommendations" and "Conclusions" the Letter Report can far exceed the 2-3 paragraph limit
of the letter and thus contain much more detailed account of the event and is exclusively made on Letterhead Pad and instead
of the Enclosures being written parallel to Thanking You, you can write it directly underneath your signature. You can also
omit "Yours Sincerely" and directly sign the Letter Report underneath "Thanking You" but if you want, you can also avoid
writing "Thanking You" as well. Everything else is the same.

ii. Memorandum Reports: The format for the Memorandum Reports looks something like this:

*Note: All headers in Red are there just for reference Purpose only. You don't have to write those headers in the actual
Memorandum Report and the Memorandum Report must be enclosed within a Box as shown above.

Difference between Letter Reports and Memorandum Reports:

Difference Letter Report Memorandum Report

Size Longer than memo. Comprises of up to 4-5 pages Shorter than Letter Reports, usually 1-2
pages long.
Format Uses Letter Layout. Uses Inter Office Memorandum Format.
Style Less Formal More Formal
Purpose For Internal & External Communication Only for Internal Communication
Content Letter Reports more details, arguments, evidence Memorandum reports are precise and
and possibly one important and relevant illustration specific.

b. Formal:

i. Informational: As the word information is generic to any report whose primary purpose is to convey information, so these
reports develop an understanding of the aims, objectives, organization, policies, regulations, procedures, future outlook. Here,
the data collected is presented in an organized form and the situation is presented as it is and not presented as it should be.
They mainly convey information so as to serve various purposes such as making a discussion, determining a course of action
and coordinating the operation of the organization. In this type of report, neither Data Analysis is done nor recommendations
are provided; it just provides information. The only attention is to prepare and present the material in a proper way.

For Example: In any Institute or College, a report of how many students got registered in various disciplines is Informational
Report. It only becomes Interpretative when the question of "Why" is added, example being "Why these many students got
registered?"
ii. Interpretive: Interpretative Reports are also known as Analytical or Investigative Reports. It helps the reader to analyze, to
interpret, to evaluate facts and ideas. It differs from an Informational Report as it analyzes and interprets the data obtained and
arrives at some conclusions and recommendations and thus leads the reader to some course of action. The major emphasis is
on the Analysis of the results of the investigation or the proposed solution to the problem. The report writer analyzes and
interprets the data in such a way that it leads to natural conclusion. An interpretive report abounds in recommendations. It also
sometimes called the Recommendation/Recommendatory Report. Interpretive Reports owning to their nature are more
expansive and elaborate. They have a wide scope and are always associated with some sort of Business Activity such as
personnel, marketing, sales, accounting, advertising, production, equipment and distribution.

iii. Routine/Periodic: This reports are prepared and submitted on a fixed routine or periodically every so often as prescribed, such
as Weekly Reports, Monthly Reports, Quarterly Reports and so on. They are usually made using a Proforma provided by the
organization wherein you have columns and you fill relevant details in them. They present the collected Data and Facts in their
original form (inventory report being an example) and if required, provide brief recommendations.

Example: Confidential Report on an employee determining if he should be promoted or not. Periodic Reports on progress of a
project which may include a brief recommendation for more funds or extensions of deadline.

1) Progress Report: It informs the reader about the status or the progress of a particular project undertaken by an
organization during a specific period. It gives the account of the various stages of a project in a chronological order with
the details of the work completed till date and the amount of work yet to be completed. If the task is investigative then
simple information of "what you did" is not sufficient, you're also expected to summarize the progress of the project or a
specific problem that might arise during the course of work progress.

2) Lab Report: Lab Reports are those reports which are written by Scientists and Students of Engineering, Science,
Psychology, Biology and those working in labs. It HAS TO BE in Performa. It also has the detailed step-by-step account of
the process which was followed in completing a certain task. Operations of mechanical devices such as Lab Equipment etc
are usually described first before the process is explained. Findings are put in a logical order and it consists of a brief
summery of the findings so that it becomes comprehensible when others read it or wish to carry out further research in
the same field. The Performa should also include the name of the experiment, the apparatus used, the procedure
followed, key finds and the conclusion.

3) Inspection Report: They are made after through investigation of objects, products or services and usually discusses if the
product is functioning properly, if it needs repairs, if the equipment is up to the quality standards. The inspection is not
only limited to material things but can also be about Standards of working condition or services rendered and the
inspections to determine if said standards are being met or not. This kind of report also has a structure as it has Statistical
Details (i.e- What has been checked or inspected, its condition, number of items and amounts etc). It is used to keep in
check any kind of mishappening or mishandling.

4) Inventory Report: Inventory is a record of stock of things which are in holding of the organization and is also maintained by
the organization. This is usually computer generated and has a Performa and a structure which is unique to each
organization.

5) Annual & Confidential: Annual & Confidential Reports of the employees as the name suggests, are submitted annually by
the controlling officers about their subordinates. It evaluates their work performance and their behaviors in respect to
departments. They determine a professionals appraisal so important decisions such as Promotions, Demotions, Transfers,
Termination of a Contract are normally based on the study of such reports. It normally doesn't have Performa because it
contains human attributes but certain organizations also have Performa for them.

For Example: Senior Executives of Produce, Sales, Marketing, Quality Control etc submit the report on the performance of
their subordinates annually and they keep a record of their performances and conduct.
Structure of Formal Repots
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Class Note: So depending upon the length, the structure, the purpose and the style, there are various parts in a
report which needs to be well-signed posted in long form reports but they may not be important in a shorter report.
This classification is under 3 heads, Front Matter, Main Body and Back Matter.

Front Matter:

• Cover Page: It’s a binding or a hard paper/cover and for a report it contains:
a. The Title of the Report.
b. Report Number (if any)
c. Name of the Report Writer along with the Designation and the Department the writer belongs to.
d. Date on which it is generated

• Title Page: Title page is the repeat information of the Cover Page along with:
a. Subtitle of the report (if it is there)
b. Name and Designation of authority for whom the report is prepared and presented.
c. Who has approved this report.

• Preface: It introduces the report to its reads broadly telling what the report is all about. Quite a number of reports
put an acknowledgement along with it. "What made you write the report in the first place" is the essence of the
Preface.

• Acknowledgements: (Optional) It is for the expressing gratitude and a formal nod to the people, organizations
or authorities who have aided the author in some way or another for the creation of the report. There is an
unwritten rule that no names shall be mentioned in Acknowledgement if you don't have the permission from that
person to mention his/her contributions as quite a number of people may help you "off-the-record" and might not
want to be officially thanked for it. One must also keep in mind that for professional reports, acknowledgement to
personal family members shall be omitted unless the creation of the report itself had something to do with the said
members.

• Frontispiece: (Optional)- It is a window display of the whole report. It is usually used by Architects as it consists of
artistic drawings, pictures, photographs or maps. The sole purpose of the Frontispiece is to ignite curiosity amongst
the readers about the contents of the report but they are not usually used in technical report.

• Table of Contents: It is prepared after the report is prepared. It contains the name of topics, subtopics and the
page number on which they are located. The counting of the page number omits the Cover Page, Title Page and
Forwarding Letter but instead start from the Preface and also includes Acknowledge in it.

• Copyright Notice: This is mandatory. It is always placed after the title page. It indicates who has the legal right
over the document. It could be publisher of the document or the author. "All Rights Reserved. No part of this
report may be reproduced in any form or republished with any means without the written permission of the author
or the publisher", is an example of Copyright Notice.

• List of Illustrations: It is prepared when more than 12 illustrations (maps, charts, graphs etc) are used in a
report, a List of Illustrations is prepared in similar fashion to Table of Contents and contains the page number on
 which that Illustration is located on.

• Forwarding Letter: The forwarding letter forwards the report to the primary recipient of the report. They can be
called as Covering or Introductory Letter. It should by placed on top of the report, not inside the report. Its primary
purpose is to aid in the transmission of the report. It is not bound with the report and it does not contain any
important information. They normally refer to the specific parts of the report. They may repeat important points
such as scope, limitations, conclusions, recommendations.

• Abstract or Summary/Executive Summary: It is prepared after the report is done but put before the report
starts. It is a brief write up which tells the reader what the report is all about and its accomplishment. It captures
the essence of the entire report based on which the reader decides weather to go ahead with the reading of the
report or not. It is very short in length not generally exceeding 250 words. It should contain the main purpose,
main design points, methodology and some eye catching results. Objective of Report, Major Findings,
Recommendation, Methods of Analysis, Overview of the Subject are all part of Abstract/Executive Summary.
a. Abstract is short in length, generally not more than 250-300 words. It is only relevant when report is meant for
people from same domain knowledge since it only captures the essence of the report. It does not help in
taking any decisions nor it includes any illustrations.
b. Executive Summary is meant for readers other than subject experts and it presents the entire report in a
nutshell. Executive Summary can be used as a help in taking decisions and it can also include illustrations.

Main Body:

• Introduction: Introduction to the report is an effective "curtain-raiser" to its contents, significance, methodology
adopted. It attempts to give the reader a clear picture of the problem and get their attention. Ideally an
introduction should provide the following headers:
a. Background Information: What is the setting of the problem by drawing a historical or technical background
which has given rise to the problem at hand. It throws light on the exact state of affairs and the factors
responsible for the situation in brief.
b. Problem Statement: Specify exactly what the problem is and what you are trying to solve.
c. Reference to the Authorization: It includes the person requesting the report and the reference to the letter,
memo, meeting or telephonic conversation held on a specific date by which the person was asked to submit
the report and he/she thus became the writer of the report. It isn't written with its explicit header mentioned
but rather it’s a part of the introduction itself.
d. Purpose & Scope: The background of the problem logically leads to the purpose for which the report is being
prepared, sometimes in government offices, the author of the report is given certain guidelines which he/she
has to follow verbatim. These are called terms of reference thus when you state the points and the issues that
you've covered, indicate the scope as well as the limitations of the investigation as well.
e. Significance: Since reports are formal in nature, they serve a specific task and one must mention the
significance of the investigation.
f. Methodology: When you writing an introduction; you are required to state the method or the sources that
you have used for collecting the facts and analyzing them for the report.
g. Procedure: The author of the report must include the Procedures used and followed for analysis of the data.
Whenever problems are identified, certain principles or theories are used for finding their solution. These
principles and theories should also be mentioned in the Procedure
h. Summary of Findings: A well written Introduction also includes a brief summary of the major findings of the
report.
i. General Plan of Work: Towards the end of the Introduction, one must provide a General Plan of Work, talking
about the different chapters and varieties of the issues discussed within them.
 • Discussion: The discussion gets divided into various chapters as the case may be and the each chapter may delve
into the different aspects of the problem. The organization of the report here is problem specific. You can use
Illustrations to substantiate your proposal in the discussions, you can use tables and graphs and you need to
explain these tables and graphs completely. While you're describing the table, discuss every row and column and
for graphs, discuss the X and Y axis, or the Log axis. Any statistically relevant data to your report will be a part of
this. One can divide discussion in several sections and sub-sections, topics and sub-topics and under each one can
put a substantial database with detailed analysis/interpretation. DO NOT insert recommendations in the
discussion.

• Conclusion: Briefly revise the problem, the approach you've adopted in a line or two and then put the results
based on the analysis done in the discussion. This could be in the form of points or paragraphs. Don't introduce any
new ideas in the conclusion and the work should be crisp and tidy.

• Recommendations: They are actions that according to the writer are required to be taken on the findings and
the conclusions. Here, you can give solution, ideas and recommendations for the problems discussed in the report.

Back Matter:

• Appendices: This section is for reference and you can add additional charts, graphs, sample questionnaire,
worked out calculations, site plan, experimental data and so on in Appendices. These elements, while relevant to
the main body and closely related to the topic, are not put in the main body keeping in mind that they may impede
the flow of communication or information if they are placed within the text. One has to look at all the material
available and only insert the most relevant few in the main body, the others then can be used as supplementary
data which can then be put into Appendices. The writer of the report should also put in cross-references to the
Appendix in the main body such as "See Appendix A for the questionnaire sent to the respondent" or "See
Appendix B for Detailed Calculations".

• Documentation: This is closely related to Appendices and is an indispensable part of any professional writing
particularly for report, research work/paper. It includes how the various sources such as book, anthologies,
newspapers, journals etc have helped you expand your understanding on the topic. There are 4 major
Documentation Styles: MLA, APA, Chicago, IEEE which can be used.

• Bibliography: It is an alphabetically arranged list of all the sources such as websites, newspapers, books,
magazines, journals, documentaries, manuals, reports, movies or anything else that the author has used while
writing his/her report. It can also includes the sources not visited by the author but are deemed to be useful for
such studies.

• Index: The list of topics, sub-topics and various important aspects which have been discussed in the main text but
could not find a place in the Table of Content are then placed in the Index and thus it serves as a guide to the
reader to locate any specific idea or concept given in the main text somewhere.

• List of References: This section of the report includes the Bibliographical details of the books and sources from
which certain ideas, facts and data has been borrowed as it is. These sources are mentioned so that the readers
may get to know the specific location of the idea or data, if they wish to refer it further. This is done by citing such
sources in the main text and they are always listed in an alphabetical order or as per the order of the citation at the
end of the report. It differs from Bibliography as it also lists the specific location of where the source work is
located while Bibliography merely lists all the sources, but not their specific location. List of References does not
recommend any further source as well while Bibliography can.
 • Footnotes: If the number of refences is small, they are mentioned in the footnotes at the bottom of the page in
the main body, and you can use any sign such as a start or asterisk mark in the main body to draw the readers
attention that there exists a footnote for that specific piece of information.

• Glossary: This is a list of technical words and terms which appear in the report along with their meanings. This is
also arranged alphabetically.

Styles of Report:
Following the Tips should be kept in mind while writing a report

• Provide complete and accurate information.

• Use plain, familiar and concrete words.

• Judiciously use active and passive voice.

• Follow emphatic word order.

• Prefer using verbs to long sentences.

• Carefully use acronyms/abbreviations

○ Abbreviations are just shortened forms of a word or phrase such as Mr. for Mister, Dr. for Doctor.
○ Acronyms are initialisms in which the first letter of the longer word or phrase is used to form a completely new
word which is pronounceable rather than being enunciated. For example, Self-Contained Underwater
Breathing Apparatus turns into SCUBA which in itself can be pronounced as a new word, while VIP also takes
the first letter of the each word but is still not pronounced as an entire word but rather enunciated.

• Avoid Cliches, circumlocution, punctuations and grammatical error.