REPORT WRITING

Research report is considered a major component of the research study for the research task
remains incomplete till the report has been presented and/or written. As a matter of fact even the
most brilliant hypothesis, highly well designed and conducted research study, and the most
striking generalizations and findings are of little value unless they are effectively communicated
to others. The purpose of research is not well served unless the findings are made known to
others.

Research results must invariably enter the general store of knowledge. All this explains the
significance of writing research report. There are people who do not consider writing of report as
an integral part of the research process. But the general opinion is in favour of treating the
presentation of research results or the writing of report as part and parcel of the research project.
Writing of report is the last step in a research study and requires a set of skills somewhat different
from those called for in respect of the earlier stages of research. This task should be accomplished
by the researcher with utmost care; he may seek the assistance and guidance of experts for the
purpose.

Reports usually are spread across a vast horizon of topics but are focused on communicating
information about a particular topic and a very niche target market. The primary motive of
research reports is to convey integral details about a study for marketers to consider while
designing new strategies. Certain events, facts and other information based on incidents need to
be relayed on to the people in charge and creating research reports is the most effective
communication tool. Ideal research reports are extremely accurate in the offered information with
a clear objective and conclusion. There should be a clean and structured format for these reports
to be effective in relaying information.

Characteristics of an Effective Research Report

An effective research report has the following four characteristics:

1. Focus: an effective report emphasizes the important information.
2. Accuracy: an effective report does not mislead the reader.
3. Clarity: an effective report does not confuse the reader.
4. Conciseness: an effective report does not waste the reader’s time

TYPES OF REPORTS

Technical Report Research reports may differ in length and form. Generally, business firms prefer reports in the
form of letters. Banks, insurance companies and financial institutions require short balance-sheet type of
tabulation in their annual reports to customers and shareholders. The results of a research investigation can be
presented in a number of ways: as a technical report, a popular report, an article, a monograph or at times even in
the form of an oral presentation.

A technical report is used whenever a full written report of the study is required whether for record-keeping or
for public dissemination. A popular report is used if the research results have policy implications. A technical
report is written for fellow researchers and therefore should be organised on a different footing altogether. In
such a report, the researcher is expected to give a full account of the technical aspects, both in the sampling
methods and the subject matter. A technical report consists of the following aspects.

1. Major findings and contents: A technical report will contain the main findings just in two or three pages.
2. Nature of the research work: This describes the general objectives of the study, formulation of the problem in
operational items, the working hypothesis, the type of analysis, data required, etc .
3. Research methodology: This explains the various methods used in the study and their limitations. For
instance, sample size, sample selection, etc.
4. Data analysis: The report analyses the data and their sources, characteristics and limitations. If secondary
data are used, their suitability to the problem at hand is fully assessed. In case of a survey, the manner in
which data were collected should be fully described.
5. Presentation of findings: The researcher presents his main findings of the study with supporting data in the
form of tables and charts. This part is the main body of the report, usually extending over several chapters.
6. Main conclusion: Here, the main findings of the research are presented and the main body of the report,
usually extending over several chapters.
7. Bibliography: This contains the main sources of secondary data.
8. Technical appendices: These contain all technical matters relating to questionnaires, mathematical
derivations, elaboration on particular techniques of analysis and the like. The above format provides a
general idea of the nature of a technical report; the order of presentation may not necessarily be the same in
all technical reports. Therefore, the presentation may differ; the different sections outlined above will not
always be the same, nor will all these sections appear in any particular report.

SHORT REPORTS

Short reports are both a bane and a blessing. Busy executives dislike the number of short reports
they have to go through, yet the only redeeming fact is that they are short. A short report is
concise, accurate, unbiased, all inferences depending on supporting evidence to help readers
make an informed decision.

Short reports are usually less than five pages and do not need the elaborate outlines and
structuring of the long report. The three basic sub-sections are introduction, investigation/body
and conclusion / summary. Simple headings and sub-headings help the reader to follow the text of
the short report. Avoid using a running text. Instead, break up the text in terms of its thematic
units. This would also help the report from becoming visually tedious.

A good short report will require both clarity and objectivity so that the reader of the report can see
things the way you have mapped the main issues.

A five-step formula may be adopted while preparing the report.

Planning
Research
Drafting
Editing
Concluding/Recommending

A short report generally has three sections to it.

INTRODUCTION

Body (discussion, text)

Terminal section (summary, conclusions, recommendations)

Introduction: It includes the purpose of the report, the individual or organisation which has
authorized it, the scope, background and limits of the report.

Body: It presents all the relevant facts accurately and impartially. There is no scope for personal
bias and prejudice.

Organization of the report should be done logically with emphasis on important ideas. Important
details need to be highlighted either through appropriate headings, capitalization, italics, or
repetition.

Inclusion of visuals like charts, maps, pie diagrams graphs etc to focus and clarify important
information.

Use of headings and sub-headings to help the reader go through the report with ease.

Terminal section: It has a summary of the entire text together with conclusions which have been
drawn from the main text. There are recommendations sections which define the course of action.

No new information or material should be included in this section.

A summary should be written in the same order as the topics discussed in the main text.

Short reports could have two kinds of formats: Memo Style and Letter Style. The pattern that
they follow is derived from the letter or memo itself, but their purpose remains different. Given
below is an example of both kinds.

The Memo Style Report: Block Format

TO: Mr. Satish Arora

FROM: A. Ravi
DATE: February 6, 2017

SUBJECT: Report on Staff Overtime for January, 2017

As per your instruction, I have computed the number of overtime hours put in
by the staff members of the different sections and the overtime allowance due
to each one of them.

Staff Hourly No. of Total Total

Wage Occasions Hours Payments

1. Roshan Rs. 50 6 8 Rs. 2400

2. Anant Rs 60 8 10 Rs. 4800

3. Atif Rs. 80 4 6 Rs. 1920

4. James Rs. 80 5 4 Rs. 1600

TOTALS 23 28 Rs. 10720

The total expenditure incurred on overtime is likely to go up further by about

50% in the next three months as we move towards the end of the financial year
and the target deadlines have to be completed.
 The Letter Style Report: Format
MAJORSOFT INDIA
22, KASTURBA
GANDHI MARG
NEW DELHI-110001

4 January, 20XX
Dear Mr. Sena,

Sub: Feasibility of setting up a cold storage unit in Jhansi:

We have conducted a feasibility study for setting up a cold storage unit in

Jhansi. We feel that it is a good proposal since there are no cold storage units
in that area. Farmers from the neighboring villages have to travel at least 200
kms to sell their vegetables at the mandi in Lucknow. Consequently 30% of
their vegetables perish.

The cold storage unit will help farmers to store their vegetables here and their
vegetables will not get spoilt. Consequently, their profits will increase.
We are in the process of locating land to build the cold storage unit.
Do let us know if any further matter needs to be enquired into.

Yours sincerely
Rama Malik
Assistant Sales Manager

In case the report is a little longer, say 9-10 pages, it is advisable to use a letter of transmittal
or prefatory note. These are basically forms of covering letters or covering notes and the report
can come after that.
LONG REPORTS

Formal long reports have the following elements:

1. Cover Page: As the name suggests this is the first page or cover page ofthe report and it has the
title of the report, the report number and the date.
2. Title Page: The title page consists of the following information:
• Title of the report (short and unambiguous)
• The name/names of persons who prepared the report
• The name/names of persons or organization who authorized the report
• Date of submission
3. Letter of transmittal: This is the introduction to the report very similar to the preface to a book.
It can be written in the first person using personal pronouns and the style can be relatively
informal compared to the rest of the report. It discusses the various issues that the report contains
including the scope of the report, the methods used for the findings and drawbacks and
limitations, if any. It also highlights the major findings of the report, the conclusion and the
recommendations. It acknowledges and thanks persons who have helped in the completion of the
report and also thanks the organization or persons who have asked for the report.

4. Table of contents: It is a kind of map or a reference page of the report. It is an outline of the
report, indicating the coverage, sequence and hierarchical importance of the information in the
report. The different topics in the report are identified together with their page numbers for easy
access and reference. One should list the contents with their relevant headings in the same order
as they appear in the report to avoid confusion. The visuals in the report can be listed separately
for convenience but if there are very few visuals, they can be put in the content list. The table of
contents is an important document because it helps people to locate specific information in an
otherwise long report.
5. Executive Summary: This finds place just after the table of contents. It is a summary of the
report and includes all the relevant and significant information that the actual report contains
including the introduction, the findings, the recommendations, the conclusions and relevant
illustrations of charts, graphs and pie diagrams if any.

Busy executives prefer reading the executive summary rather than the long report to get a preview
of the report.

‘A good executive summary opens a window into the body of the report and allows the reader to
quickly see how well you have managed your message’ (Bovee et al., 2003 p 467).
The actual report has three parts to it:
6. Introduction: This tells us the main purpose of the report together with the scope of the report,
its contents and limitations if any. It also talks about the methodology used to collect data (both
from primary andsecondary sources), like sampling and questionnaires and the different statistical
tools used for analysis.

7. Body: This gives a detailed discussion of the results of the findings using the different research
tools. A lot of information in the form of graphs, charts and tables help in understanding the
details of the report. It is recommended to substantiate the findings with visual inputs for better
comprehension. The body of the report is divided into a number of sections which is further
subdivided into sub-sections. All of them will require headings and therefore use the numbering
system of decimals to distinguish the different sections and subsections.

Given below is an e.g.

Section Headings 1 2 3

Sub-section 1.1 2.1 3.1

1.2 2.2 3.2

Sub Sub- 1.1.1 2.1.1 3.1.1

section
 1.1.2 2.1.2 3.1.2

Sub section 1.1.1(a) 2.1.1 3.1.1(a)

of (a)
The sub sub- 1.1.1(b) 2.1.1 3.1.1(b)
section (b)
 This will help the reader to go through the report in a logical manner and avoid
confusion with the various headings and sub-headings.

8. Conclusion: This is a summary of the main points of the report together with
relevant recommendations. Use the SWOT (strength, weakness, opportunities,
threats) analysis for recommendations.

- It also gives a detailed result of the investigation.

- It also answers all the questions raised in the report initially.
- puts forward problems if any in achieving the objectives
- gives clear and definite recommendations
- states briefly the action to be taken
- states how it can help in any future course of action

9. Appendix: This contains all the reference material and documents which have
been used directly or indirectly in the writing of the report. Moreover, some of
the documents and research material may be too long and therefore it would not
be possible to include them as part of the report, hence they are included in the
appendix. Information included in the appendix are sample questionnaires,
statistical data, statistical formulas, copies of important documents used, other
instruments of survey etc. Each of the appendices needs to be numbered and
captioned. The documents need to be arranged in a logical sequence. Avoid
including irrelevant appendices.

10. Glossary: The glossary contains all the technical terms which have been used in
the report. The terms are arranged alphabetically as in a dictionary to facilitate the
reader to locate any particular term/ word. It also explains how the words are used
and gives a brief about the rules followed while abbreviating technical words.

11. Bibliography: It is a list of secondary sources used while preparing the report.
All textual sources whether published or unpublished should be acknowledged. It
is generally written in the following manner:

- the name(s) of the author

- title
- name of publisher, place of publication
- year of publication and edition if any

12. Index: It is a detailed listing of names, places, subjects, together with the page
number where they are mentioned. It is organized in an alphabetical manner. A
reader is able to locate information regarding anytopic with the help of the index.
 WHAT ARE BUSINESS REPORTS?
Written business reports are an integral part of the functioning of any business
concern. They assist companies in problem fixing/solving and arriving at
decisions. They also function as factual, objective documents regarding the
company or business house. Thus, a business report is a solicited document
written for a specific purpose according to the prescribed terms of reference and
designed for a specific audience. The responsibility of communicating facts,
findings, analysis and recommendations rests on the writer of the report.

Reports and proposals are commonly used in organizations for both informational
and analytical purposes. Decision-making, problem solving, performance
monitoring, market surveys, etc. are some of the areas where reports make the
process thorough and well structured.

On the basis of length, there are short reports which are generally of one to nine
pages and are different from long reports which are of ten or more pages. The
former may analyze just one aspect of the problem and not require any formal
research whereas the latter examines a problem in detail and requires more
extensive research and preparation time.

A few important points may be kept in mind while preparing a report:

i) A report is usually a documentation after an event or activity, thus theuse of

past tense

ii) A report is often solicited, that is, someone has asked for the report to be
prepared.

iii) It is usually upward communication within an organization, thus the toneused is

formal

iv) A report should have a conclusion, in the form of suggestions,

recommendations or simply advice, as per the purpose of the report

Whenever a report is required to be written, an individual or a team is assigned to

the task. The scope, purpose, subject and time-limit of the report are prescribed
by the one who needs the report to be prepared. One could follow a useful pattern
like this –

To report on … (subject)…as requested by … (name and designation) on…

(date)…

(Taylor 2005: 131)

 Procedure of Research Report Writing

Researchers can prepare report at their ease as there are no such set rules or
procedure of writing reports. However, following general guidelines can help for
writing research reports:

1. Revising expectation

Before starting report writing, researcher should revisit the purpose of research
and expectation from the researcher. If the researcher is intended to submit
academic reports, minimum steps and format are well designed. But, funded
research expects analytical reports in most of the situations. So, researcher should
identify the answer of some questions as what is the objective of research? Is
there any format of reports? Is there word limit? Who will read the report? What
is the process of report evaluation? etc. Answers of such questions help to make a
good report.

2. Preparing outline

On the basis of nature of data, objective of research, and requirement of the

evaluating agency, researcher need to prepare outline i.e. roadmap to the research
report. This helps to decide in how many chapters, in how many topics, whether
descriptive or analytical report is required to prepare. In simple words, outline
helps to arrange the idea before starting write up. It is the planning phase for the
content of report for making it more effective. During this phase, researcher
should also plan the time frame within which a report is to be completed and
submitted. Remember, academic report i.e. Thesis, GRP or Project work need to
be submitted within specific time period. At the same time, funded research also
demands to submit at the stipulated time.

3. Arranging data

On the basis of objectives, population and sample for the research, researcher
collects the data from different sources. Different types of data are collected for
the purpose. Such different data from different sources need to be processed and
tabulated. Only relevant data are sequentially arranged so that right information
will be obtained at the right time for the right purpose. For this different tables of
data need to be prepared and named properly.

4. Start writing

Now, researcher should start writing the report. Report should started within
introduction and proceed with the content and topic arranged on the outline. Each
topic or section consists of specific feature and way of writing. Thus, instead
writing haphazardly, researcher should follow the sections.
5. Preparing the first draft

The report completed with a single effort may not be excellent. Thus, researcher
should update and upgrade the report with series of revisions. For this purpose,
the first draft is to be prepared and revisit the whole draft carefully. Add or
remove the necessary descriptions, interpretations, and analysis. After completing
the first draft, it is better to keep the report aside for a day or two so that it will be
easy to divert effort to other essential task.

6. Review and rewrite

Every report consists of scope of some improvement. It is true that in each

reading, you can find something to rewrite or rearrange. This makes the report
more interesting and excellent. Thus, researcher must read and reread the draft
again and again. During this course of action, you need to compare the report
with format (if any specific format is required), methodological conformation,
values and data revisit as there may be some misprints, if possible language
expert need to be consulted. After rewriting the drafts, the final draft will be
prepared which can be submitted to the concern authority.

Report Format:

There is no one best format for all reports. Format depends on several relevant
variables. One must employ a suitable format to create desirable impression with
clarity. Report must be attractive. It should be written systematically and bound
carefully. A report must use the format (often called structure) that best fit the
needs and wants of its readers. Normally, following format is suggested as a basic
outline, which has sufficient flexibly to meet the most situations. Research report
is divided into three parts as:

I. First Part (Formality Part):

(i) Cover page

(ii) Title page

(iii) Certificate or statement

(iv) Index (brief contents)

(v) Table of contents (detailed index)

(vi) Acknowledgement

(vii) List of tables and figures used

(viii) Preface/forwarding/introduction

(ix) Summary report

II. Main Report (Central Part of Report):

(i) Statement of objectives

(ii) Methodology and research design

(iii) Types of data and its sources

(iv) Sampling decisions

(v) Data collection methods

(vi) Data collection tools

(vii) Fieldwork

(viii) Analysis and interpretation (including tables, charts, figures, etc.)

(ix) Findings

(x) Limitations

(xi) Conclusions and recommendations

(xii) Any other relevant detail

III. Appendix (Additional Details):

(i) Copies of forms used

(ii) Tables not included in findings

(iii) A copy of questionnaire

(iv) Detail of sampling and rate of response

(v) Statement of expenses

(vi) Bibliography – list of books, magazines, journals, and other reports

(vii) Any other relevant information

Key Considerations/Factors of Research Report

While preparing research report, following issues must be considered:

(i) Objectives

(ii) Type of problem/subject

(iii) Nature and type of research

(iv) Audience or users of research work

(v) Size of report

(vi) Form of writing – handwritten, typed, or computerized.

(vii) Time and cost

(viii) Language

(ix) Contents of report

(x) Order of contents

(xi) Number of copies

(xii) Format – type and size of paper; lengths width, and depth of report; and
pattern of writing including paragraph, indent, numbering, font size and
type, colouring, etc.

(xiii) Binding (for soft, and, particularly, for hard copy) – type, quality of
material, colour, etc., related issues.

Limitations in research report

1. Sample size/sample bias. For example, let’s say 100 hundred people should
participate in your survey. Each person may give you individual results, but it
does not mean that the same results belong to the whole population.

2. Access to data. You will not always be able to go through all the resources.
You can’t gather all the data you want for your research since it will take a lot of
time. Because of it, your work might not cover each aspect.

3. Lack of time. Often deadlines are the reason why your study and research
might not be complete. When we get a task, we have a limited amount of time to
do it. To get a good grade, we need to submit the assignment prior to the
deadline.

4. Financial resources. Sometimes we need some equipment or additional

software to conduct the research. This might be a problem since we don’t always
have the sum we need.

5. Data collection. There are different ways to collect data: interviews, surveys,
questionnaire, etc. The way you collect data might be a real limitation since the
answers and the results vary.

6. Method. When you are finding new information, you use a specific research
method. Different methods give you various opportunities. Quality of the datum
you get often depends on the method you choose.