report writing v18

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Hogeschool AmsterdamDiemen

version number 17, date 15/03/14, printed 14:38 hrs

REPORT WRITING

Some Guidelines

for IBMS Students

Brian Downey & Keith MedhurstSchool of Economics

Revised 30 th April 2010(Version 18)

Cover/Title Page - IMPORTANT POINTS: Choose a title that truly represents the contents. The cover/title page should include at least: the title and, if necessary, a

subtitle. Furthermore, it should show the name of the author or organisationresponsible for the report.

In addition you should mention: place and date of the publication, and the nameof the lecturer or company for whom you have written the report.

In many business reports you will find that the cover page, containing only thetitle and the name of the author, is a separate page from the title page. Veryoften it will be of a harder, protective material, than the rest of the report. Forstudent reports it is practical (for purposes of marking) to use the combinedformat used here.


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School of Economics - IBMS page i

1 P REFACE :

This handbook has been compiled as an extra tool for IBMS students. To benefitoptimally from the handbook, the student needs to read the appropriate chapters inany book on business communication.

There are many different kinds of reports and various formats, sometimesdependent on a company s house style. This handbook provides IBMS students witha standard which should be used throughout the entire 4-year IBMS course. It canbe seen as the IBMS house style .

The preface should include an explanation of why and for whom you are writing thereport. So you should summarize the assignment that requires you to write thereport and refer to a copy of the assignment in your appendix. This information issometimes referred to as Terms of Reference and can be taken up as a separatesection of the report.

If you wish to thank or acknowledge assistance you have received in putting yourreport together, you can either include this here in the Preface or in a separatesection entitled Acknowledgements. The final paragraph of this section is anexample of this:

Finally, this handbook has been compiled from various sources, which arementioned in the bibliography. We also acknowledge here that the criticalsuggestions and improvements offered by students and colleagues over the past few

years have been invaluable in fine-tuning the handbook to what it is today.

REMEMBER A PREFACE IS NOT THE SAME AS AN INTRODUCTION!

IMPORTANT POINTSA preface should precede the actual discussion or problem.A preface is not directly related to the subject matter, but provides the reader withother relevant information.Some matters that can be dealt with in a preface:1. information on why the report was written (project, research, traineeship).2. background of the author,3. description of the target group - for whom the information has been written4. acknowledgements to people who have been beneficial in your research .


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School of Economics - IBMS page ii

2 T ABLE OF C ONTENTS

1 Preface: ........................................................................................................................................................... i 2 Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................................... ii 3 Executive Summary .......................................................................................................................................1 4 Explanation of terms and/or abbreviations: ................................................................................................2 5 list of charts and tables ..................................................................................................................................3 6 INTRODUCTION ............................................................ ................................................................. .............4 7 BODY OF THE REPORT .......................................................... ................................................................. ..5

7.1 Planning a professional report .......................................................... ........................................................5 7.2 Presentation ..............................................................................................................................................6 7.3 Plagiarism and how to avoid it .................................................................................................................7

7.3.1 How Can Students Avoid Plagiarism? .......................................................... ...................................7 7.3.2 Plagiarism and the World Wide Web ............................................................ ...................................7

7.4 Use of Language ......................................................... ................................................................. .............8 7.5 Letting your Computer work for you .......................................................................................................9

7.5.1 Planning ............................................................. ................................................................. .............9 7.5.2 Producing ........................................................... ................................................................. .............9 7.5.3 Editing ..................................................... ................................................................. ........................9

8 Conclusion: ............................................................ ................................................................. ...................... 10 9 Recommendations ............................................................ ................................................................. ........... 11 10 Bibliography ...................................................... ................................................................. ...................... 12 11 Appendices ......................................................... ................................................................. ........................ I

11.1 Appendix I An overview ............................................................... ....................................................... II 11.2 Appendix II - Types of reports used in business ................................................... ................................. III

11.2.1 Regular and routine reports ................................................................ ........................................... III 11.2.2 Occasional reports ............................................. ................................................................. ........... III 11.2.3 Especially commissioned reports ....................................................... ............................................ III 11.2.4 Format ..................................................... ................................................................. ...................... III 11.2.5 Applications ........................................................ ................................................................. ........... III

11.3 APPENDIX III - The short formal report .............................................................. ................................ IV 11.3.1 Layout ...................................................... ................................................................. ...................... IV 11.3.2 Principle Components .............................................................. ...................................................... IV

11.4 APPENDIX IV - The short informal report .......................................................................................... IV

11.4.1

Layout ...................................................... ................................................................. ...................... IV

11.4.2 Principal Components .............................................................. ...................................................... IV 11.5 APPENDIX V - Report component check list ........................................... ............................................. V

IMPORTANT POINTSSpread the table of contents equally over the page.Do not type the definite version until the report if finished.Page numbers may vary until then. Start numbering after the table of contents.Use the so called decimal code system for headings and sub headings. Make surethat the numbering really represents the hierarchy of the contents. Do not use morethan three digits behind the decimal point. Check whether the headings in the tableof contents coincide with those in the report itself. If possible, use automatic MS

Word facility Insert Table of Contents Try and use short, informative headings.


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School of Economics - IBMS page 1

3 E XECUTIVE SUMMARY

The relevance of report writing in the business world cannot be exaggerated. Thetechnique of how to write a professional report is a skill that can be learned. Even if

you have a natural talent for writing, only with a systematically organisedpresentation of the information, will your message have optimal impact.

The handbook provides a summary of the essential aspects of professional reportwriting. It emphasizes that the writer should plan a clear and logical structure forthe report, making it as easy and pleasing as possible for the reader to read. This

also means that the way the information is presented and formulated should bereader-friendly. Use of simple, straightforward language is recommended, especiallywhen the content of the report is complex.

Report writers following these guidelines, along with more in-depth study of relevantchapters on any book on business communication will get their message acrossefficiently. Readers are reminded that writing is as much about reading and re-reading as it is about writing. The more people who read and give feedback on earlydrafts of the final report, the more clarity and effect the finished product will have.

IMPORTANT POINTSMany readers (especially Executives!) will stop here, because they only want to beinformed of the main content of the report.Others may decide whether or not to read on, depending on the content of theExecutive Summary.Explain the subject or define the problem, summarize the various chapters andprovide the most important conclusions.Be concise and complete, ensuring all the major points are adequately covered.Start your numeric page numbering from here.


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4 E XPLANATION OF TERMS AND /OR ABBREVIATIONS :

Complex terms used in the report can be explained here. Such terms, should ofcourse be explained once in the text of the report where they first appear.

If terms or proper names are abbreviated, they should first be written out in full inthe text where they first appear in the text. After that, the abbreviation can be used.

HEAO Hoger Economisch Administatief Onderwijs

HI Hogeschool INHOLLAND

IBL International Business and Languages

IBMS International Business and Management Studies

(These examples of abbreviations do NOT appear in the text of this handbook)

IMPORTANT POINTSKeep the lay-out consistent and clearKeep the explanation concise and list things alphabetically.Use simple language.


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5 LIST OF CHARTS AND TABLES

(e.g., lists of symbols, illustrations, diagrams, charts, graphs etc.)

If you include any visual aids in your report, do not assume that they speak forthemselves. They should always illuminate or be linked to something mentioned inthe text. You should also refer to visual aids in your text, pointing the reader towhere they can be found in the report.

In larger and more complex reports, there are many illustrations, so it can beappropriate to include a table of these charts, graphs, pictures and diagrams at thestart of the report.

Using the Insert menu in MS Word can be a professional and accurate way ofintroducing such a feature to your report.

IMPORTANT POINTS:Charts and tables should always be linked to the text and referred to in the text ofthe report.An alphabetical list of symbols or illustrations is essential when a report contains

many recurring of them. The items should also be explained once in the text of thereport, where they first appear.


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6 INTRODUCTION

This guide looks at some of the challenges faced by students in producinginformative and professional written reports. A number of areas are addressed,including planning, writing, and editing reports. In addition, tips are given aboutthe use of technology / IT facilities to gain the best results.

A summary of the essential aspects of professional report writing is provided instages . First it shows you how to draw up a title/cover page, followed by a preface.

Then it demonstrates a clearly structured and numbered Table of Contents, which

precedes the Executive Summary. Next the sections Explanation of Terms andVisual Aids are demonstrated before reaching this section, the Introduction.

The Introduction is the first numbered item in the report, followed by the Body ofthe Report, which contains all the chapters of the actual content and findings of thereport. In this handbook the Body contains 3 main sections, namely the Planning,Presentation and Use of Language phases. Next come the Conclusions andRecommendations. Finally, there is a bibliography and an appendix.

The IMPORTANT NOTES boxes on each page summarize the main points youshould bear in mind for each section of the report.

IMPORTANT POINTS: The Introduction should be written after you have written the report and itsconclusions and recommendations.An introduction deals with what (subject or problem), why (purpose or importanceof subject or statement of problem) and how (method, approach or structure) of thereport.Often, as in this report, the order is why, what and how.See to it that your problem or subject is clearly defined. Furthermore, take care thatthe reader is presented with an image of the basic structure of the report.


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7 BODY OF THE REPORT

7.1 Planning a professional report

It cannot be stressed enough that the planning phase is of crucial importance to thesuccess of your report. Before you start writing any text, sit down and brainstormall the ideas and areas that need to go into your report. Decide which points aremajor points and which ones are minor points or examples to illustrate main points.Decide which items will go together in a certain chapter and devise a logical orderfor the chapters.

What you are doing here is building a framework, into which you will fit thedifferent components of the report. It is just as if you are building a cupboard withvarious compartments to put your information in. A carpenter building a realcupboard would first draw a diagram of the structure, making sure that everythingfits in a logical way.

Think also at this stage how you will link each chapter to the previous one or to thenext one. In the first paragraph of a new chapter, it is often a great help to thereader if you briefly refer back to what has been said in the previous chapter. In thelast paragraph of a chapter it is helpful if you give the reader an idea of what is

coming in the next chapter.It is also good at this point to think about the (required) length of the report. If yourreport has say 4 chapters in the body, it is advisable, though not always possible, tomake the length of each chapter approximately the same.

IMPORTANT POINTSFormulate the subject or problem accurately.Determine the purpose or scope of the subject.Familiarize yourself with your prospective audience. In other words who are youwriting for and how much knowledge of the subject can you assume your readerhas?Focus on the reader and give the report a reader-friendly structure.Order the chapters logically and separate major and minor issues.Anticipate questions your reader is likely to have and provide answers.In your conclusion you should link up again with the subject or problem defined in

the introduction.


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7.3 Plagiarism and how to avoid it

At Hogeschool INHOLLAND, we are continually coming into contact with otherpeople's ideas: we read them in texts, hear them in lectures, discuss them in class,and incorporate them into our own writing. As a result, it is very important that wegive credit where it is due. Plagiarism is using others' ideas and words withoutclearly acknowledging the source of that information.

7.3.1 How Can Students Avoid Plagiarism? To avoid plagiarism, you must give credit whenever you use:

another person's idea, opinion, or theory;

any facts, statistics, graphs, drawings--any pieces of information--that arenot common knowledge;

quotations of another person's actual spoken or written words; or paraphrasing of another person's spoken or written words.

Strategies for Avoiding Plagiarism1. Put in quotations everything that comes directly from the text especially

when taking notes.2. Paraphrase, but do not just rearrange or replace a few words.3. Check your paraphrased section against the original text. Have you

accidentally used the same phrases or words? Is the information accurate?

7.3.2 Plagiarism and the World Wide Web The World Wide Web has become a more popular source of information for studentpapers, and many questions have arisen about how to avoid plagiarizing thesesources. In most cases, the same rules apply as to a printed source: when a writermust refer to ideas or quote from a WWW site, she must cite that source.

These guidelines are adapted from a web site of Indiana University, Bloomington,http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/wts/plagiarism.html

Terms you need to know:Common knowledge : facts that can be found in numerous places and are likely tobe known by a lot of people.Quotation : using someone's words. When you quote, place the passage you areusing in quotation marks, and document the source according to a standarddocumentation style.Paraphrase : using someone's ideas, but putting them in your own words. This is

probably the skill you will use most when using sources in your writing. Although you use your own words to paraphrase, you must still acknowledge the source.
http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/wts/plagiarism.htmlhttp://www.indiana.edu/~wts/wts/plagiarism.htmlhttp://www.indiana.edu/~wts/wts/plagiarism.html


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7.4 Use of Language

As the creator of your text, you will obviously know what you are trying to say. DoNOT assume that your reader can always follow your train of thought. Again, use

your fellow students (and you can do the same for them) to read and give youfeedback on your texts. Ask anybody in your network, parents, friends, colleagues anyone s feedback is usef ul and incorporating their comments into an improvedversion of your text will always make it a better report.

Use simple, straightforward language, especially when the content of the report iscomplex. Bear in mind who you are writing the text for (your audience) and how

much knowledge they are likely to have on your subject how much can you takefor granted?

Edit your writing carefully. Often you will find that a sentence that was say 15words in the first draft can be whittled down to say 10 in a final draft, whereby youlose nothing in content and gain a lot in effectiveness and efficiency.

It goes without saying that if you can get a native speaker of the language you arewriting in to give you some feedback on your text, it will obviously benefit from it.

IMPORTANT POINTS:Be reader-oriented in your writing.Do not pay attention to mistakes in the first version. Get your thoughts on paper inan uninhibited way.You will probably spend more time reading, re-reading and editing than writing.Avoid long sentences and limit the use of sub-clauses.Limit the amount of information in one sentence or paragraph.Very often, you will put the essence of a paragraph in the first (key) sentence.See to it that difficult or unfamiliar terms are explained clearly.Carefully check your spelling.Have others read your report and process their feedback.

Perfect punctuation before you print out your final version of the report.


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7.5 Letting your Computer work for you

It is unusual in the 21 st century not to have access to a personal computer whenwriting reports, and as well as being a glorified type-writer, there are many ways inwhich the capacity of word processing software can be utilised to your advantage.With a little practice in advance, and some forward planning, time can be saved,and a really professional finished result can be produced. Although the technicaladvances of computers and word processing software can be a great help, the reportwriter should maintain a focus on report content, quality and purpose, choosing toenhance the content with the computer s tools, rather than replace it.

The following pointers concerning MS Word features may be of use to anyone who isproducing a report using a personal computer. Further guidance should be soughtfrom your IT lecturer and explanatory documentation in the Outlook Public folder.

7.5.1 Planning Insert Section Break used to ensure that formatting features applied later on

can be limited to particular sections, i.e. Front Cover, Main Body or Appendices. Insert Page Break used to make sure a new subject starts on a new page, even

after text on a previous page has been added or deleted. Page set-up used to determine paper size, margins, header & footer size. Format, Font determine which letter style, size etc is to be used, and be

consistent.7.5.2 Producing Tools, Track changes allows you to monitor editing and can be very valuable for

large documents, or where different versions are in circulation. Format style used to format headings and sub-headings, guaranteeing

consistent style and inclusion in the automatic table of contents. Can be used tonumber headings too.

Edit, Find to locate a text that needs attention. Insert, Symbol to add special signs e.g. Tools, Thesaurus to find other similar words that better convey your meaning.

7.5.3 Editing Insert page numbers use different formats for key sections. Insert Table of Contents automatic feature that copies all text formatted as one

of the Header styles into a table of contents Insert Headers & Footers for a consistent & professional finish. Modify where

necessary for different sections. Format, Font for special effects including colour text. Tools, Spelling & Grammar set language first, then spell check. Format, Bullets and Numbering allows for consistent and clear style in lists. Format painter icon to copy a format from 1 piece of text to another. File, Print preview allows you to see what the printed out version will look like.


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8 C ONCLUSION :

These guidelines do not claim to be anything more than a summary of thetechniques of report writing. The form they are presented in should be seen andadhered to as the IBMS house style. All your reports should follow these guidelines,unless otherwise specified in the assignment.

The reader is advised to study the subject of report writing in more detail in anyreliable work on business communication.

Successful and effective report writing is a reader-friendly combination of form andcontent, tightly contained in a systematically organised structure and lay-out. It is aprocess of planning, presentation and editing. It is the result of many readings bythe author and others, in order to obtain a final text that incorporates valuablefeedback. The more feedback obtained, the better the report.

Report writing is as much about reading, re-reading and editing as it is aboutwriting. It is a skill that can be learned and perfected on an on-going basis byeverybody. The more reports of others that you read and give feedback on, thebetter your own reports will be.

IMPORTANT POINTS:Conclusions should meet three requirements: They should not be a surprise to the reader who has just read the report. In

other words, the reader should be able to find the basis of the conclusions in theprevious chapters. A good conclusion will never contain new elements.

Just like the summary, conclusions should be clear to someone who has notread the entire report.

Good conclusions are concise and compact Conclusions can be followed by recommendations. Do realize that as the writer you have to interpret the findings and draw

conclusions from them. This should not be left to the reader.


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School of Economics - IBMS page I

11 APPENDICES

I Guidelines on Report writing

II Types of Reports

III Short formal and informal reports

IV Checklists

Appendix

- The purpose of an appendix is to keep the body of the report clear, concise andreadable.

- An appendix can contain detailed calculations, information about equipment,listings, blue prints or corporate information.

- The report should be clear in itself, even without the appendix. Do not force yourreader to leaf backwards and forwards all the time.

- Refer to each appendix in the text of the report. - Label appendices and name them in the table of contents. If there are quite a

few of them, start the appendix section with a separate table of contents.


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School of Economics - IBMS page II

11.1 Appendix I An overview

The term report is wide in scope. It can be used to describe an official document,such as might be produced by a royal commission set up to investigate and reporton a problem of national concern. Also it is frequently used in the business context.It is the use of a report in a business context that is the concern of the guidelinesset out below. The ability to prepare a report is an essential part of your training,and you are strongly advised to develop this skill.

1. The 3 main component parts of a report are:(a) Introduction (comprising background details, a description of the

current situation, and the reason for the report)(b) The findings (information collected on the subject).(c) The conclusion (recommendations as to what action ought to be

taken).

2. Devise a suitable main title, which indicates clearly the subject of the report.

3. Use sub-headings to sub-divide and describe individual sections of thereport.

4. Use formal language and adopt an objective approach.

5. Order the points you wish to make in the most logical and reader-friendlyway.

6. Use a suitable method of enumeration; decimalised enumeration is anapproach which is highly recommended. E.g. 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 etc.

7. Pay attention to good spelling and good grammatical techniques. Use adictionary.

8. Pay attention to presentation and use the features of your word processing

package to the full.

9. A report is a method of communication, and therefore it should be succinct,containing only the essential detail for the reader.

10. The most important element in the preparation of a report is to understandclearly, at the outset, your terms of reference.


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School of Economics - IBMS page III

11.2 Appendix II - Types of reports used in business

11.2.1 Regular and routine reportsEquipment maintenance reportSales reportProgress reportSafety inspection reportProduction report, etc

11.2.2 Occasional reportsAccident report

Disciplinary reportStatus report

11.2.3 Especially commissioned reportsInvestigative reportMarket research reportStaff report (personnel)Market forecasting reportProduct diversification reportPolicy-changing report

11.2.4

Format The format of reports varies considerably. Some may run to hundreds of pages,such as those produced by Royal commissions, others may be quite short andset-out on an A4 memorandum sheet. Some may be produced as succession ofparagraphs of continuous prose, while others may be displayed under a series ofheadings and sub-headings with lists, tables and diagrams.

11.2.5 ApplicationsMessage in letters or memorandaOral briefings or reporting backMinutes of meetingsRoutine check-list reportsProgress reports architect site meetingsAnnual reports to shareholdersProfiles of candidates for interviewSales reportsNewspaper reports/news releases

Technical reportsBalance sheets for annual auditStatistics in various visual formats.


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School of Economics - IBMS page IV

11.3 APPENDIX III - The short formal report

This format is used in formal reporting situations (mostly internally directed) wheremiddle or senior management reports to senior or top management.

11.3.1 LayoutSectionalised with schematic organisation and referencing.

11.3.2 Principle Components1 Title page or heading2 Terms of reference3 Procedure or identification of task4 Findings5 Conclusions6 Recommendations (where required)7 Appendices (if appropriate)

11.4 APPENDIX IV - The short informal report The short informal format is used when the information is of a lower status and lesscomplete than that of the short formal report . It is frequently used in subordinatereporti ng to departmental head situations.

11.4.1 LayoutUsually three-part and less elaborately schematic in its organisation:

11.4.2 Principal Components1 (variously styled) background

introductionsituation, etc

2 (variously styled) informationfindings, etc

3 (variously styled) conclusionsaction required, etc

Recommendations can be included under the conclusions section, or in a separaterecommendations section.


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School of Economics - IBMS page V

11.5 APPENDIX V - Report component check list

1 Title

2 Author

3 Identity of rep ort s commissioner

4 Date

5 Reference

6 Contents, pagination

7

Status, e.g. confidential, urgent etc.8 Background/history/introduction/terms of reference

9 Method/procedure/modus operandi

10 Information/findings/data input

11 Conclusion/synopsis/synthesis

12 Recommendations/suggestions for action

13 Footnotes

14 Appendices

15 Index


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report writing v18

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