7.3: Reports
At some point in their education, most students are required to write an essay. In the professional world, workers are more likely to write a report.
Reports organize and communicate information to allow a reader to clearly understand a topic. Reports usually have several paragraphs that are organized into several sections. Reports can be very concise or very elaborate, depending on the writer’s intentions.
There are many different ways to write a report. The style of your report will depend on your message, audience, and purpose. For example, a report written by a police officer as they prepare for a trial will look very different from a marketing report that an advertising executive writes for her CEO. Both of these will look very different from a lab report that a scientist writes to share experimental findings. Whatever style of report you’re writing, you must consider the following elements:
- Message: what kind of information are you communicating?
- Audience: who are you writing for? Do they expect to understand a complex situation quickly? Do they expect to see detailed data? Do they expect a practical recommendation?
- Purpose: are you writing to share neutral facts and information? To summarize key findings? To influence a decision? To document a situation that occurred?
- Style: see Table 7.3.1 below for a list of 20 different report styles.
7.3.1: Types of Reports: Informational and Analytical
An informational report presents details of events, activities, individuals, or conditions without analysis. One example of this type is a police accident report. The purpose of that report is to inform its audience so that the audience can independently reach an appropriate conclusion. Such a report would note the time, date, place, weather, road conditions, and driver information. It would not include judgments or personal analysis. For example, a police accident report would never include writing like “The driver was definitely very drunk, maybe from beer, but possibly from whiskey, too!” Instead, it might say: “Field sobriety tests were conducted. The driver did not demonstrate basic physical coordination. A Breathalyzer test was administered at the scene. Results indicated a blood alcohol level of 0.09%. The driver was arrested under suspicion of driving while intoxicated and transported to the station.” The officer writing this kind of informational report must document relevant facts. This allows the facts to become evidence in a longer legal process. If the report were to draw unwarranted conclusions, it could jeopardize the outcome of a case.
By contrast, an analytical report presents information with a comprehensive analysis to solve problems, connect causes and effects, or make recommendations. For instance, a field report by a Public Health Agency of Canada physician from the site of an outbreak will note symptoms, disease progression, and steps taken to inhibit the spread of the disease. This kind of report will ultimately make recommendations on the treatment and quarantine of subjects. Table 7.3 below includes common reports that, depending on the audience needs, may be informational or analytical (Business Communication for Success, 2015, 9.4).
Table 7.3.1: Report Style and Their Functions
| Report Style | Function |
|---|---|
| 1. Lab | Communicates the procedures and results of laboratory activities |
| 2. Research | Studies problems scientifically by developing hypotheses, collecting data, analyzing data, and indicating findings or conclusions |
| 3. Field Study | Describes one-time events, such as trips, conferences, seminars, as well as reports from branch offices, industrial and manufacturing plants |
| 4. Incident or accident | Describes events such as accidents or altercations in the workplace to officially document them for legal and insurance purposes |
| 5. Progress | Monitors and controls production, sales, shipping, service, or related business processes |
| 6. Technical | Explains processes and products from a technical perspective |
| 7. Financial | Analyzes status and trends from a finance perspective |
| 8. Case Study | Represents, analyzes, and presents lessons learned from a specific case or example |
| 9. Needs Assessment | Assesses the need for a service, product, project, program, or initiative |
| 10. Comparative Advantage | Discusses competing products or services with an analysis of relative advantages and disadvantages |
| 11. Feasibility | Analyzes problems and predicts whether current solutions or alternatives will be practical, advisable, or produce the desired outcome(s) |
| 12. Instructional | Explains step-by-step instructions on the use of a product or service |
| 13. Compliance | Documents and indicates the extent to which a product or service is within established compliance parameters or standards |
| 14. Cost-benefit Analysis | Analyzes the costs and benefits of products or services, including return-on-investment considerations |
| 15. Recommendation | Makes recommendations to management and serves as a tool to solve problems and make executive decisions |
| 16. Benchmark | Establishes criteria and evaluates alternatives by measuring against the establish benchmark criteria |
| 17. Examination | Reports or records data obtained from an examination of an item or conditions, including accidents and natural disasters |
| 18. Physical Description | Describes the physical characteristics of a machine, a device, or object |
| 19. Literature | Summarizes information available on a given topic |
| 20. Book | Summarizes a novel or other type of book, usually as an academic exercise in secondary school or college arts program |
(“Business Communication for Success,” 2015, 9.4)
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7.3.2: Report Organization
Because reports vary by size, format, and function, writing them involves adjusting to the needs of the audience while respecting conventions and guidelines. Reports are typically organized around six key elements, the 5Ws + H:
- Who? (who am I writing for? Who am I writing about?)
- What? (is there a single focus?)
- When? (is there a history or a timeline that I should document?)
- Where? (is there a specific location that matters for the context?)
- Why? (is the purpose to inform? Analyze? Recommend?)
- How? (is this part of a larger process? Will the way I write support that process?)
Pay attention to these essential elements when you consider your stakeholders, or those who have an interest in the report. That may include the person(s) the report is about, whom it is for, and the larger audience of the business, organization, or industry. Ask yourself who are the key decision makers reading the report, who the experts or technicians will be, and how executives and workers may interpret your words and images. While there is no universal format for a report, there is a common order to the information. Each element supports the main purpose or function in its own way, playing an important role in the representation and transmission of information (Business Communication for Success, 2015, 9.4). For an excellent overview of report elements, see Purdue OWL’s Reports, proposals, and technical papers (Pickert, n.d.).
Table 7.3.3: Common Report Elements
| Page | Element | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Outside | Letter of Transmittal | Optional cover letter that addresses the report’s intended recipients and introduces it | For a sample letter of transmittal, see the first page of this PDF Interactive Qualifying Project Report (Brooks, Grillon & Lewis, 2006) |
| 2. Cover | Title and image | Gives the reader and immediate sense of what the report is all about | See Papers and Reports templates (Microsoft Office, n.d.) |
| 3. Title fly | Title only | Optional | Feasibility Study of Oil Recovery from the X Tarpit Sands Location |
| 4. Title page | Label, report, features title, author, affiliation, date, and sometimes for whom the report was prepared | Feasibility Study of Oil Recovery from the X Tarpit Sands Location Peak Oilman, X Energy Corporation Prepared for X | |
| 5. Table of Contents | A list of the main parts of the report and their respective page numbers | Orients the reader around the scope of the report and helps them find specific information | Abstract…………….1 Introduction…………2 Background…………3 |
| 6. Abstract or Executive Summary |
|
Enables the reader to get a sense of the entire report at a glance to make quick decisions based on the findings | This report presents the current status of the X tarpit sands, the study of oil recoverability, and the findings of the study with specific recommendations. |
| 7. Introduction | Introduces the topic of the report | Establishes the context in which the report topic makes sense | Oil sands recovery processes include ways to extract and separate the bitumen from the clay, sand, and water that make up the tar sands. This study analyzes the feasibility of extraction and separation, including a comprehensive cost/benefits analysis, with specific recommendations. |
| 8. Body | Key elements of body include:
|
Provides a detailed presentation of evidence |
|
| 9. Conclusion | Concise presentation of findings | Presents the main results and their relation to recommended actions or outcomes | |
| 10. References | Bibliography or Works Cited | List of source references cited throughout | |
| 11. Appendix | Related supporting materials | May include maps, analysis of soil samples, and field reports |
The following is a checklist for helping to ensure that a report fulfills its goals:
◻ 1. Messaging throughout is complete, accurate, and evidence-based
◻ 2. Audience’s wants, needs, and abilities influence the research and writing of the report
◻ 3. Purpose and goals are clear
◻ 4. Style reflects the organizations’ conventions and expectations
◻ 5. Key terms are clearly defined
◻ 6. Figures, tables, and graphic elements are correctly labeled and consistent with the writing
◻ 7. Figures, tables, and graphic elements are easily understood without text support
◻ 8. Typeface and images are accessible (AODA-compliant: font choice, alt text for images, etc.)
◻ 9. Results are clear and concise
◻ 10. Recommendations are clear, reasonable, and well-supported
(“Business Communication for Success,” 2015, 9.4)
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For more on reports, visit the Purdue Online Writing Lab using any of the links below. Each of these links takes you to the main OWL Purdue landing page. Once there, search the site using the following page titles as search terms:
- Handbook on Report Formats (Purdue OWL, n.d.a)
- Writing Report Abstracts (Purdue OWL, n.d.b)
Exercises
1. Find an annual report for a business you would like to learn more about. Write a review for it and share it with classmates.
2. Write a report on a trend in business that you’ve observed. For example, write a report recommending open textbooks as a solution to the rising cost of traditional textbooks being a significant issue for students.
References
Brooks, W., Grillon, L., & Lewis, M. (2006, December 13). improving commercialization of environmental technologies through EPA’s small business innovation research (SBIR) program [Report for Bachelor of Science]. Worcester Polytechnic Institute. https://digital.wpi.edu/downloads/5712m700k
Business Communication for Success. (2015). https://open.lib.umn.edu/businesscommunication/
Pickert, L.A. (n.d.). Reports, proposals, and technical papers [PowerPoint slides]. Purdue OWL. https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/professional_technical_writing/technical_reports_and_report_abstracts/reports_proposals_and_technical_papers.html
Microsoft Office. (n.d.). Papers and Reports. https://templates.office.com/en-us/Papers-and-Reports
Purdue OWL. (n.d.a). Handbook on report formats. Purdue OWL. Retrieved from https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/writing_in_engineering/handbook_on_report_formats/index.html
Purdue OWL. (n.d.b). Writing report abstracts. https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/professional_technical_writing/technical_reports_and_report_abstracts/index.html
