3 OUMH1203 TOPIC 7 REPORT WRITING

3 OUMH1203 TOPIC 7 REPORT WRITING. 
1. Describe the process involved in preparing a report;
2. Explain the style for report writing; and
3. Write a report based on the format given. 

INTRODUCTION
Report writing is an important skill for both the technical and non-technical
sectors. It is perhaps even more important for those involved in business.
However, a report is not something that you can create out of thin air. A good
report requires systematic, structured and careful thinking accompanied by
careful planning and preparation. Good report writing skills are relatively easy
to acquire but it takes some practice to achieve perfection. These are extremely
important skills to have when you are at work because no matter how well you
carry out a project, your efforts may go unnoticed unless you can report it to the
people who matter. 

7.1  THE PROCESS OF PREPARING A REPORT
Let us take a look at the process of preparing a report. There are, in total, six
stages.
7.1.1 Stages/Tasks in Report Preparation
Information is valuable but only when it is researched, gathered and presented in
a coherent and easily understood way. Your job may be to primarily execute a
plan and implement a project but it is also your responsibility to show that your
efforts have achieved the intended target. This can only be done with a good
report. The important steps in report writing, presented in the form of tasks, are
shown in Figure 7.1:

Figure 7.1: Important steps/tasks in writing a good report

7.1.2 Gathering the Data
The first thing you need to do when preparing a report is to gather the necessary
data to write the report. In fact, the ability to work with data efficiently may be
more important than the writing skill itself because without good data and good
results, your writing will inevitably fail to shine.
The process of report writing begins when you plan your project. When making
your project plans, take into account how you will report your project because
this will give you an idea of what information you need to collect. You must have
an idea of how you want your project to unfold and how you intend to report
things at the end. This will give you direction as you execute your project plan.
Most importantly, keep accurate and complete notes.
Some tips for basic data gathering are illustrated in Figure 7.2: 



SELF-CHECK 7.1
Why is data gathering important when it comes to writing reports?
How would you go about gathering data for your report? 

7.1.3 Analysing and Sorting the Results
Once you have gathered your data, it needs to be sorted out and analysed. Most
analysis is carried out after ALL the data has been collected. Begin by choosing
which data is relevant in relation to the report you want to write.
To analyse your data, first review the conclusion you are trying to achieve. Try
taking the following steps:
(a) Write down all the results and observations (in your data) in no particular
order.
(b) Note down all the opinions you have gained when gathering data.
(c) Note down new ones you get as you are compiling these opinions.
(d) Choose the ones that you need. Be strict with yourself; always remember
how long your final report is going to be and throw out everything except
the data you really need.
(e) Arrange all data in order of importance. Decide on what is important and
what is not. Some people like to start with the least important point and
lead up to the most important, whilst others prefer the converse. Decide
which format best suits your purpose.
(f) Select the data you want in your conclusion. In the conclusion, points are
often arranged in reverse order, with the most important ones first.
Remember to include only absolutely necessary points because too much
data will obscure your ideas and opinions.
(g) Support your points with illustrations as you present them. This will help
to make your report easily comprehensible and your presentation more
effective.
(h) Outline your final report and draft it. 

7.1.4 Outlining the Report
Outlining is necessary as a report should be logically organised, concise and easy
to read, and outlining helps you achieve this. It is also a natural progression from
the analysis and sorting process.
Remember three key words to bear in mind as you draft the outline of your
report:

(a) Subject:
For example: The OUM Distance Learning Research Centre: Report On The
Effectiveness Of Distance Learning And Its Impact On Students  Families.
(b) Scope:
 For example: Covers the results of a survey done on OUM students and
families from 2003 to 2005.
(c) Purpose:
For example: The study was done to help convince the Malaysian Ministry
of Women, Family and Community Development to increase sponsorship
opportunities and support infrastructure for students  families. 


ACTIVITY 7.1
Suggest a possible topic for a research report, bearing in mind the
subject, scope and purpose. Share your topic with your friends at the
next tutorial session. 

Basically, your outline not only needs to specify the scope of the report but
should also pay attention to the following aspects:
(a) Sections and parts;
(b) Relationship/connection between the various parts discussed;
(c) Amount of space to be given to each part;
(d) Order of treatment;
(e) Places for inclusion of illustrations; and
(f) Conclusions. 
Remember, the more detailed your outline, the more useful it will be to you.
Headings and subheadings should be detailed enough to help you use them in
sentences and paragraphs.
Some typical report headings are:
(a) Abstract.
(b) Introduction.
(c) Symbols.
(d) Theory.
(e) Analysis.
(f) Discussion.
(g) Summary of results.
(h) Conclusions.
(i) Appendix.
(j) References.
If you are writing a technical report, your outline may include:
(a) Apparatus.
(b) Test specimens.
(c) Test procedures.
(d) Sample calculations. 

Note that you do not need to use all these headings in every report; just the ones
that you need and that will help make your report better. You may also replace
these headings with others that you think are more descriptive and reflective of
your content. Be original but remember to be brief and clear.
The final outline should show the exact form and wording of the headings to be
used in the report. Your headings can be your guide to completing the final
report but do not be too rigid in following the outline because you might get
better ideas as you are writing your report. 

Here are some tips when it comes to headings:
1. Be consistent in grammar.
2. Do not use verbs.
3. Should cover the whole report.
4. May need introductory and transition paragraphs to make the report flow
smoothly. 

There is no Ñbestâ way of drawing up an outline. Just start listing what you think
are possible headings. You can always erase, add, re-arrange or edit them later.
For simplicity and clarity, stick to just three levels of headings and subheadings.
Too many levels may confuse your readers:
(a) Main Heading.
(b) Subheading.
(c) Run-in heading: This is indented on the same line as the first line of the
paragraph.
A good outline will make your writing more systematic and helps the report fall
into place logically and smoothly. 

7.1.5 Writing the Draft
With a good outline and illustrations, you are well prepared to write your first
draft. Do not be too ambitious; no one gets a good final version on the first
attempt. Everyone edits. Most people edit extensively. Remember to always keep
in mind who you are writing for.
Start writing as soon as possible, after finishing your outline, while the ideas are
still fresh in your mind. Then, keep writing; let your ideas flow. Do not worry
about minor details as those can be dealt with in the editing stage.
In your second draft, check for style and look at how you want to say things.
Remember your readers; will they be able to understand your draft easily?
Be honest. Be tactful. Be concise and logical. 

7.1.6 Revising the Draft
Next comes the revision stage. This is where you chisel your report out of the
rock that was your draft. This stage is very important; if your final report does
not look and sound good, it will probably not be effective.
Many new writers do not enjoy this stage and try to avoid it. It is important to
remember to maintain the structure as you work on the style and content. Keep
the basic structure intact. Be critical of yourself and your work. Sometimes, it
helps if you leave the draft aside for a short while, and then come back to look at
it again later. You tend to be more critical when you look at the draft again, after
a short lapse of time.
You can use the three stages shown in Table 7.1 below as a guide when you are
revising your draft:
Table 7.1: The Three Stages of Revision 

Stage One <> Check for Material. 
Make sure that you have included all the data, statistics, opinions and
other material that you need to get your thoughts across in the report. 

Stage Two <> Check for Organisation, Mechanics and Conventions. 
Make sure that your objective, subject and methods are clearly stated.
Check for a smooth flow, clear illustrations and proper labelling. Make
sure all the parts are there. 

Stage Three <> Check Your Language. 
Make sure that your spelling, grammar and language mechanics are
correct. There are few things more damaging to a report than bad
language. Try to avoid unnecessarily complicated language. Language
is like a machine; the more parts you add to a machine, the more likely
it is to break down. Get a good grammar book to refer to, like the
Comprehensive Guide to the English Language by David Nunan (1999). 

You can interchange stages one and two but you should keep the third stage for
last because you might still make language mistakes when you edit for other
things. 

ACTIVITY 7.2
In your opinion, what will be the outcome if you miss out on writing
and revising the rough draft in report writing? Will your report be just
as effective? 

7.2  STYLE MATTERS
Style is difficult to define but it is something that determines the success of your
report. If your readers do not like your style, your report will not be read with
enthusiasm and will definitely be less effective. So, how do you create your own
style? There is no simple answer and there are no short cuts. You need to practise.
This course is a good place to start if you have never written reports before.

7.2.1 The Report Style
Reports are written for different purposes and thus have different requirements, but
where style is concerned, four things are crucial in all reports. Good reports are:
(a) Clear;
(b) Concise;
(c) Smooth flowing; and
(d) Written from an objective point of view.
You write reports to convey ideas and support them with strong arguments, so
it is very important that the reader understands what he/she reads. Help the
reader understand your report by using plain, clear andunambiguous language.
Define all symbols adequately and re-read your report from the reader s
perspective when editing. This will make you more critical and help to ensure
that your reader understands what you wish to convey. 

Your readers are usually busy people, so be concise. A good report is not
necessarily long but it must be clear. Reports explain problems. Describe your
plans to handle these problems, justify your plans, describe the implementation
of these plans, convey the findings and finally, defend the significance in as few
words as possible while maintaining clarity. Excessive and unnecessary content
will only obscure your main points. 

A report must be logical, interesting and have good continuity between
sentences, paragraphs, sections and between texts, figures and tables. Use
transitional markers to lead your readers through the story. Use figures and
tables carefully; do not distract the reader from the main argument.

Reports should be objective and honest. Readers are already suspicious that you
are trying to convince them of something. Do not fuel their fears by hiding your
plans or the programme's defects, or by misrepresenting your facts.
Your readers have feelings, so be tactful. You may have strong ideas but tone
down your narrative and rely more on facts to convince your readers. Try to
sound rational, not emotional. 

7.2.2 The Writing Style
Write naturally. Use words and phrases that come naturally to you. Some writers
try to sound formal by using "big" words. This will only complicate your report
and increase the likelihood of things going wrong. The use of complicated
language can prove distracting to your readers because they will be focusing
on understanding the words you use rather than the things you want to say.
Concentrate on using simple words to convey your exact meaning. Your readers
will be more interested in what you have to say than how you say it.
To make your report clear to your readers, arrange your paragraphs and report
in the following manner:
(a) In the introduction, tell them what you are going to tell them in the rest of
the report.
(b) In the body of your report, tell them what you want to tell them.
(c) In the summary or conclusion, tell them what you have told them.
(d) At the end of each section, tie your parts together by telling them what you
want to do next.
Get to your point quickly. You are not writing a mystery novel. Everything you
write must lead to your objective. Do not get sidetracked and lead your readers
down blind alleys. They will lose interest and your report will fail. If you have to
add anything that is not directly related to the report, put it in an appendix. That
way you will not distract your reader from your main points.
Always emphasise your main ideas. They are the reason you are writing the
report in the first place. This is where your outline becomes useful as your
heading will help identify major and supporting ideas. To emphasise major
ideas, state them briefly at the beginning of each section and then summarise
them at the end of the section. 


Keep your facts and opinions separated. Let your readers know which points are
facts and which points are your opinions. Generally, you can use the first person
pronoun to express your opinion:
(a) I conclude from the data that 
(b) The resulting figures lead me to surmise that 
Avoid statements like "Some believe that" or "As it is commonly known" as
your readers will not know whose opinion this really is and this may confuse
them. 

The way you present your data is an important element of your writing style. It
will also be an indicator of your judgment. Only use figures and tables that are
essential to your reports; minor and irrelevant ones will distract the reader. You
can explain a table but do NOT repeat yourself unnecessarily. Present your data
in a way that is easiest for your reader to understand.
If you are writing a technical paper for experts, you can use more numbers and
charts but if you are writing for the layman, you might need to use more
narrative. Your data must support your conclusion ∑ that is the objective. The
only data you can use are data that support your conclusions.
Quality is important, not quantity. Whether you tabulate or plot your data, or
use graphs, tables or simple listing, what is important is that you make your
illustrations as self-explanatory as possible. Do not make your reader go back
and forth between the illustrations and the main text.
In a technical report, three types of figures are commonly used; namely graphs,
drawings and pictures. Mark your figures in sequence consecutively with Arabic
numerals (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ) or with letters (a, b, c, d, e, ) or Roman numerals (i, ii,
iii, ). You can also group the figures on one page in sequence from top to
bottom to reduce the number of printed pages. If you are using graphs, try not to
use too many lines.
Tables are excellent for relaying exact and concentrated data but they can be
difficult to understand; so if you can put the information into words, do this first. 


Figure 7.3: Microfiche
Source: usacademic.net

Technical films, videotapes, video clips and animation can be very informative
but they cannot be placed into a written text. However, they can be a big help
when you need to do an audio-visual presentation of your report. If your report
is in the form of a multimedia presentation, it is strongly recommended that you
use these.
Microfiche (please refer to Figure 7.3) and CDs are also extremely useful when
you need to present an enormous amount of data to back up your report. They
can be difficult to prepare but they can really help get your point across.
Now, start working on developing your writing style by reading the next section.

ACTIVITY 7.3
1. What is the difference between report style and writing style?
2. How does your personal writing style influence your report writing? 


TIPS AND GUIDELINES
In this section, you will be offered general tips and guidelines that help ensure
your report reads well.
(a) Have a Catchy Title
 The title of your report should catch readers  attention, yet be concise and
precise. As far as possible, mention the main variables involved.
(b) Include an Abstract
 If your report is for academic purposes, for instance, a research report or
dissertation, it needs to have an abstract. An abstract is a concise, singleparagraph
summary of your work. It is usually about 200 words in length,
and informs readers about the rationale for the study, your approach to the
problem, pertinent results, and important conclusions or new questions.
Your abstract should be able to stand on its own, without having to refer to
any other part of the paper, or figure or table. If well written, an abstract
makes the readers want to learn more about your research. Take care that
what you write in the abstract is consistent with what is contained in the
actual report.
(c) Write a Good Introduction
 It is important to spend some time and thought on writing a good
introduction for your report because:
(i) It is the first thing that your readers read;
(ii) It prepares your readers to easily receive what you intend to present
by telling them exactly what you plan to say, and why and how you
will say it;
(iii) It focuses your readers  attention on the subject to be treated, and
enables them to approach the body of the report naturally and
intelligently.
(iv) It sets parameters for dealing with the issue in question, making
clear the subject/problem under discussion, the reasons for
considering the subject for study, the organisation of ideas and the
scope of the report, etc.

7.3 
 
Put in a nutshell, your introduction is important because it guides your
readers and prepares them for what they will encounter in the rest of the
paper. The introduction has parts that have very specific primary functions.
The primary functions of the introduction are elaborated in the following
paragraphs.

(d) State Subject
 Your introduction must clearly identify the subject of your report. It tells
your readers exactly what you will be reporting on, including why it is
necessary for you to report it, and a definition of the subject.

(e) State Purpose
 State your purpose clearly in the introduction. Tell your reader why you
are writing the report. You might need to give some background to
explain your objective. You can state your objective very explicitly, for
example, "The objective of this paper is ..." If you have more than one
objective, you can number them. Try to restrict your objectives to one.
However, if you have more than one, try not to exceed three, at the most.
More than that would be too ambitious.

(f) State Scope and Organisation
 Your introduction should also alert your readers as to the organisation of
ideas in the paper. This is important in case your readers are interested in
finding out specific information about a particular thing and do not have
the time to read your entire report. Your readers need to be told:
(i) How long the report will be;
(ii) How the content will be arranged;
(iii) What the important parts are; and
(iv) Why they are important.
(g) Style and Length
 Report styles vary but all reports must be clear, direct and accurate. Other
than that, you are free to exercise your creativity. Build in the functions
mentioned previously into paragraphs if you can but you can also just stick
to the basic style: The subject is, The purpose is, The organisation and
scope are. 


Are you feeling worried? Well, don't be. All this advice may make writing
seem difficult but it is not. Just bring together everything you need and
start writing. Once you get the flow, it will be plain sailing. Complete the
introduction first and worry about the rest when you are editing the draft.
 The length of your introduction depends on how much background you
want to give it. Try to restrict it to between 200 and 300 words, if it is a
simple report. If you are introducing new ideas, you might have to make
your introduction several pages long. One idea is to include only a brief
background in your introduction and put the rest into a section entitled
"theory" or "research background".
(h) Format
 Earlier sections have already touched on this sub-topic. Basically, the
format of your report has to consider the following aspects:
(i) Arrangement of information;
(ii) References; and
(iii) Content and style.
(i) Arrange Report Systematically 

Basically, the information in your report should be systematically arranged,
with headings and sub-headings, laid out in the following order:
(i) Title;
(ii) Abstract;
(iii) Introduction;
(iv) Methods (and logistics);
(v) Results;
(vi) Discussion; and
(vii) Conclusion.

(j) Cite References
When citing references, you need to be mindful of the following:
(i) Double or 1.5 spacing.
(ii) Font 12 ñ in Malaysia, the font Times New Roman is very popular for
reports.
(iii) "Left justify" is easier to read and the most commonly used
convention. It makes your references look neater. 

(k) Content and Style
With regards to content and style, observe the following points:
(i) Avoid using footnotes. This is not really accepted in Malaysian
academia these days.
(ii) Use the past tense.
(iii) Put in headings for each section.
(iv) Subheadings also make things clearer.
(v) Avoid excessively long and complex sentences.
(vi) Avoid too many commas.
(vii) Avoid too many conjunctions (and, but, or).
(viii) Avoid too many nouns and adjectives.
(ix) Make your sentences positive: "The findings show that" 
(x) Reduce use of jargon or avoid it altogether, if possible.
(xi) Do not be repetitive.
(xii) Be concise and precise ñ if something is irrelevant, keep it out.

(l) Writer's Checklist
- And finally, here is a checklist which may help you. After you have written
your report, ask yourself these questions:
(i) Is my title too long? You should keep your title short and sweet ñ
about 120 characters or less.
(ii) Have I included the Abstract, Summary, Introduction, Results and Conclusion?
(iii) Have I made the significance and limitations clear?
(iv) Have I given the headings roughly equal weight? I should give each
heading about two subheadings respectively. Have I done that?
(v) Have I limited my abstract to 200 words or less? 

(vi) Have I limited my summary to only things I included in the body of
the report? Is my conclusion based only on the things I have in the body of the report?
(vii) Have I numbered my tables, figures, references and appendices in the
order I refer to them in my report? Have I given them all titles where needed?
(viii) Are my references complete?
(ix) Have I defined my symbols, acronyms and abbreviations?
(x) Have I made my conclusions comprehensible?
(xi) Have I made my purpose and scope clear? Have I made my report
sound like it is worth reading?
(xii) Have I tailored my report to my target audience?
(xiii) Have I identified:
- The things I want my readers to learn from my report?
- What I need to know about my report?
- The important/significant parts of my report?
(xiv) Have I ordered my points consistently in:
- A decreasing order of importance in the conclusion?
- An increasing order of importance in the body?
- A chronological order for processes and experiments?
- A logical sequence?

SELF-CHECK 7.2
- How does the writer s checklist help you in writing reports?
 TOPIC 7 REPORT WRITING  107
The sentences below highlight important rules in report writing.
However, they contain grammatical errors. See if you can spot the
errors and correct them. 

Selected Writing Rules:
1. Verbs HAS to agree with their subjects.
2. And don t start a sentence with a conjunction.
3. Be more or less specific.
4. No sentence fragments.
5. Contractions aren t necessary and shouldn t be used.
6. Foreign words and phrases are not apropos.
7. Do not be redundant; do not use more words than necessary; it's highly superfluous.
8. One should NEVER generalise.
9. Comparisons are as bad as cliches.
10. The passive voice is to be ignored.
11. Eliminate commas, that are, not necessary.
12. One-word sentences? Eliminate.
13. Never use a big word when a diminutive one would suffice.
14. Understatement is always the absolute best way to put forth earthshaking ideas.
15. Proof read carefully to see if you any words out.

ACTIVITY 7.4
 
- This topic highlights the processes in report writing.
- The stages are preparation, data collection, analysing data and sorting the
results, going through the first draft, writing it and revising it.
- In addition, the topic describes the writing styles writers should follow and
how the written work relates to the statement of purpose, organisation,
length and style. 


Author's checklist
Data gathering
Format
Outlining
Report style
Report writing
Revision
Rough draft
Writing style 


Ross-Larson, B. (1996). Edit yourself: A manual for everyone who works with
words. New York: WW Norton.
Strunk, Jr. W., & White, E. B. (2000). The elements of style. Reading, MA:
Longman.