How can you make your report accessible to people with different levels of expertise?

1 Know your audience

Before you start writing your report, you need to identify who your audience is and what they expect from your report. Are they experts, decision-makers, generalists, or laypeople? What is their prior knowledge, experience, and perspective on your topic? What are their main questions, concerns, and needs? How will they use your report and what actions will they take based on it? Knowing your audience will help you tailor your report to their level of expertise and interest, and avoid unnecessary jargon, assumptions, or details.

2 Use clear and concise language

One of the most important aspects of making your report accessible is using clear and concise language that conveys your message effectively and efficiently. Avoid using complex, vague, or ambiguous words and phrases that may confuse or mislead your readers. Use simple, direct, and active sentences that are easy to follow and understand. Use transitions, headings, and subheadings to organize your report and guide your readers through your logic and structure. Use consistent and accurate terminology and definitions throughout your report, and explain any acronyms or technical terms that may not be familiar to your readers.

3 Provide context and background

Another way to make your report accessible is to provide enough context and background information to help your readers understand your topic, purpose, and scope. Provide a clear and concise introduction that summarizes your main points, objectives, and findings. Provide relevant and reliable sources and evidence to support your claims and arguments. Provide a brief overview of the existing literature, theories, or frameworks that inform your analysis and recommendations. Provide a clear and logical explanation of your methods, data, and assumptions. Provide a summary and interpretation of your results and implications.

4 Use visual aids and examples

Visual aids and examples can help you make your report more engaging, informative, and persuasive for your readers. Visual aids, such as graphs, charts, tables, diagrams, or images, can help you present your data, findings, or concepts in a more appealing and understandable way. Examples, such as case studies, scenarios, or anecdotes, can help you illustrate your points, demonstrate your applications, or connect with your readers' emotions. However, make sure that your visual aids and examples are relevant, accurate, and consistent with your report's content and tone. Also, make sure that you provide clear and descriptive captions, labels, and references for your visual aids and examples.

5 Include executive summaries and appendices

Executive summaries and appendices are useful features that can help you make your report more accessible and adaptable to different levels of expertise. An executive summary is a short overview of your report that highlights your main points, findings, and recommendations. It can help your readers get a quick and comprehensive overview of your report, especially if they are busy, impatient, or not interested in the details. An appendix is a supplementary section that contains additional or technical information that may not be essential or relevant for your main report. It can help your readers access more information, details, or evidence, especially if they are curious, skeptical, or interested in the specifics. However, make sure that your executive summary and appendices are coherent, consistent, and concise with your main report, and that you refer to them appropriately in your report.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?