Report Writing

UNIT 3 REPORT WRITING

Structure
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Objectives
3.3 Meaning of Report
3.3.1 Objectives of Report writing
3.3.2 Importance of Report writing
3.3.3 Report writing guidelines
3.3.4 Benefits of Report writing
3.4 Types of Reports
3.5 Essentials for preparation of Report writing
3.6 Drafting the Technical Report
3.7 Let Us Sum Up
3.8 Answers to Check Your Progress
3.9 Terminal Questions
3.10 Suggested Readings
3.11 Activities

3.1 INTRODUCTION
In modern office, executives have to take various decisions which are based
on logical thinking. Logical thinking can be derived through factual and
sound data. Management is not based on intuition but on scientific methods
which are derived from facts and figures. It is continuously supplying all
kinds of information to the executives through reports of different kinds.
Such information is required to be communicated in a written form to save
time as well as to provide record. Therefore, Reports- as the source of
communication has become the primary task of modern office today.

The main purpose of a report is to provide information to the executive so

that they may take timely decisions and actions accordingly. The report may
vary in length to meet the outcome. Short reports may be produced in the
form of memo format but longer reports will need to follow definite structure.

3.2 OBJECTIVES
After studying this unit learner will be able to:-

x Define meaning of report.

x State the important of report.

x Explain the type of report.
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Secretarial x Explain the essential for drafting report.
Practice
x Meaning of technical report and its drafting.

3.3 MEANING OF REPORT

Report is a summary of information. It is a communication from someone
who has information to someone who wants to use that information. A report
is a form of narrative or statement which presents facts relating to an event or
state of business affairs which are necessary for an evaluation of progress and
for decisions. It is a presentation of facts and findings about an activity. It is
objective, impartial presentation of facts. It may arise out of available factual
data or through enquiry, investigation, survey, interview, experiment etc. A
mere expression of opinion without supporting factual data is not a report.

Office reports may be regarded as the vehicles of communicating information

to those who need that information and will use it. They also provide
valuable records. They serve as usual means of developing public relation
and goodwill.

George R.Terry defined report as “A written statement on collection of

facts, events, and opinions and usually express as summarized and
interpretative value of this information. It may deal with past
accomplishments, present conditions, or probable future developments.”
According to Johnson “A good report is a communication that contains
factual information organized and presented in clear, correct and coherent
language.” Reports are used by members of management to plan, organize
and control business operations. Each manager in an organization has to
report to his senior for which he has accepted the responsibility.
3.3.1 Objectives of Report Writing
Office report has the following objectives: –

x Objective of office reports is to communicate the information to those

who need it.

x To facilitate planning and co-ordination by presenting factual

information.

x To provide the information to shareholders, creditors, investors,

customers and also general public.
x To facilitate the management to take appropriate course of action.

x To provide valuable records of documents to the office which can be

used as future reference?

x To provide facts and results of an enquiry.

x To give the basis of measuring the performance of executives.

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 Report Writing

The above mentioned objectives of report writing can only be achieved if the
report is written in a simple language, is brief and comprehensive and also if
it is supported by reliable data and factual information.
3.3.2 Importance of Report Writing
Report writing is very challenging, interesting and fun loving. It is not
something separate from real work. It is necessary and integral part of work.
It is quite valuable and useful because:—

x It helps to keep records.

x It is the source of information.

x It tells about future success and failures.

x It keeps on knowing what we are doing.

x It encourages the donors as it keeps them informed what happened to

their donations.
x It helps other people know about the development of their project.

x Other people are encouraged to do their own project.

x Helps researchers to do their work.

x Helps to determine further actions.

x It is also important for evaluation purpose.

x Helpful to the govt. to know their performance to bring different changes
in policies, programs etc.

Check Your Progress I

Fill in the blanks:
a) Bad reports are generally not ____________.
b) ____________ should be given on major points.

c) Brief report means ____________.

d) Reports are the _______________.

e) Report writing talks about failures and ___________.

f) Always write the report in _____________ voice.

g) Reports clarify the relationship between input and ___________.

h) Reports provide information for making ______________.

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Secretarial 3.3.3 Report Writing (Tips and Guidelines)
Practice
Report writing is an art. It is that skill which can be studied and cultivated. It
is an essential means of communication in the form of recommendation or
information which is placed before the management for taking different
decisions. A report which does not stimulate thought has no useful purpose. It
does not justify the cost and efforts incurred on its preparation. It is necessary
for maintaining transparency.
The tips and guidelines about report - writing are valuable to employees at all
levels. These are as under:—

x Avoid the use of passive voice.

x Prepare the report after knowing your audience and need of readers.

x Write the report concisely (briefly) but comprehensively.

x Write in simple language.

x It should be well planned and well organized.

x It should follow the logical conclusion.

x It may also give recommendation.

After following all above mentioned tips, report should be prepared after
doing the needful work:

1. Collection of relevant facts and figures.

2. The arrangement of data in logical manner.

3. Arriving at conclusion.

Thus a good report is extremely valuable. If the above mentioned tips are
followed, report writing skills can be improved and personnel’s can also the
trained accordingly.
3.3.4 Benefits of Report Writing
x It arranges and organizes the available information.

x It identifies any missing information.

x It makes the author to get more total and neutral view.

x It makes analysis and assessment easier.

x It classifies the relationship between activities and results. (Input and
output).

x It assists the author to make a less biased self assessment.

x It provides the information for making recommendation.

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x It can lead to charges in objectives, strategies and activities in future Report Writing

office.
x It gives proper feedback to bring any changes in future activities.

3.4 TYPES OF REPORTS

Reports can be classified as under for the purpose of office usage.

1) Routine Reports – It contains the statement of facts in a detailed manner

without any recommendations. It conveys the information to the
management on the progress of some matter. These are prepared at
regular intervals and are based on present facts and figures. These may
be a production reports, sales reports, cost report, director’s report etc.

2) Special Report – It is presented to the superior who has been entrusted

with the responsibility of preparation. It usually contains the advice or
recommendation of the reporter on non- routine matters. It may include
research report, turnover report, plant location report etc.

3) Statutory report – The report which are necessary to the prepared as per
the requirement of law. For example, under Company’s act of 2013, a
Joint Stock Company should prepare and file the following reports with
the registrar of companies.

x Directors report to the Annual General Meeting.

x Annual returns.
x Statutory report at the statutory meeting of the company

x An auditor’s report.
x Reports by Inspectors appointed to investigate the affairs of the
company.

4) Technical report – Technical reports are prepared by technocrats and

their contents are generally in the form of figures and statistics. It may be
engineering report, plant maintenance report, project report etc.

Reports may also be classified as: – Formal or Informal

1) Formal report- It consist of several fairly standardized parts. It is
presented to the reader in a rather formal format. These reports are
generally analytical in nature. These reports are either statutory reports or
non- statutory reports. Reports submitted by officials or executives of
companies, societies, local bodies etc. are usually formal reports.

2) Informal reports – This report does not follow any prescribed or official
form or procedure. It may involve verbal reporting in person or over the
telephone. It is like the informal, communication.

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Secretarial These reports may be of following types –
Practice
Short- report brief discussion of facts.

Progress report providing information about the progress of specific

plan.
Staff report presenting facts and giving recommendation on staff
matters.

Justification report justifying a particular course of action.

Check Your Progress II

Fill in the blanks:

a) Reports prepared as per the requirement of law are called
_____________ reports.

b) Director’s report to the annual general meeting is called

________________.
c) Technical reports are prepared by _________________.

d) A formal report is typically _____________ in nature.

e) The report which does not contain any opinion or recommendation is
called ____________ report.

f) The reports which do not follow any official procedure are called
___________ reports.

3.5 ESSENTIALS FOR PREPARATION OF

REPORT WRITING
Reports are necessary to communicate progress, indicate achievements and
make relevant recommendations. They are useful for evaluation purpose and
may assist in making the necessary adjustments on an ongoing project.
Report writing is actually a challenging and exciting activity. Therefore, a
formal report generally has the following essentials:

1) Preparation

Preparation of report involves many activities. It includes selecting an

attractive report title, determining topics to the covered and listing points
of the topics. Under preparation, writer has to acknowledge all those who
offered assistance during the process. The acknowledgement should be
as sincere as possible. After acknowledgment, writer creates a summary
abstract, which communicates the scope of reports. An executive
summary closely follows the summary abstract showing the purpose of
the report background of the report and source of information.

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2) Introduction Report Writing

This stage communicates the main objectives of the reports. It covers a

wide area including the background information, literature review, scope
of study and research methodology used. The introduction phase should
be very short and concise. It should, however, set the stage for a clearer
and logical flow of report. A writer should understand the main
objectives of the report before embarking on writing it in the first place.
This will assist in ensuring that you do not go out of topic or experience
writer’s block, a situation where a writer suddenly runs out of ideas.

3) Writing the body

The body is one of the most important parts of report since it holds all
facts and relevant information, as regards of the problem. All
information should be made available in a straight forward way without
beating the bush. Although it is a report, it is advisable to use active
voice as compared to the passive voice, since the former is clearer, more
direct and has a natural role.

It is wise to use heading when writing the body since doing this
maintains the logical flow of the report and it is much easier for the
readers to follow and understand. The titles and subtitles may be bolded
and text may be formatted to ensure clear information. The transition
from one stage to another should be smooth, ensuring that the reader
does not get lost.
4) Conclusion

This indicates the end of the report. It should be the summary of the
whole report covering all aspects of the document and any underlying
themes. Before writing the conclusion, it is advisable to make a draft first
of the whole document and then note the main points to sum up. There
should not be any inclusion of new information in the conclusion.

The conclusion of report also involves listing the recommendations of

the research. After studying the whole report and under standing the
underlying problem, one is able to make recommendations on the
possible solutions.

Some reports also include list of references. A list of references shows

the main sources of information for the writer. The list facilitates easier
verification of the information. Just in case you might need to edit the
report, it would be easier to find the information you are looking for if
you follow the list of references.

Thus on the basis of above mentioned criteria, the report will not be only
valuable to you, advisors, peers, juniors down the line but will also be
readable and useful for the technical community in general.

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Secretarial Check Your Progress III
Practice
Fill in the blanks:
a) Give a ____________ to the report.

b) Keep the report brief but ___________.

c) Make only those reports which have _____________ aims.

d) A mere expression of opinion without supporting factual data is not a
_______.

e) Report should always be written in _____________ when written by an

individual.

Rules for Report-writing

The following are the guiding rules for drafting reports:
x Make reports which has only definite aims. What is expected from it?

x Write always in first person be positive and use positive statements.

x Write in narrative form, stating the facts, finding and recommendations

in a logical manner.

x Keep to the subject- facts not related to the subject should be strictly
excluded.
x Strive for simplicity- use simple words and sentences.

x Carefully observe the rules of punctuation- otherwise sense of report will

be lost.

x Separate facts from opinions.-A mere expression of opinion without

supporting factual data is not a report.

x Give a title to the report -so that at glance it can be noticed what the
report is about?

x The report should be introduced by quoting the terms of reference-it

should be made clear why the report is required and what it contains.

x Make specific recommendations.

x Give the correct and complete data or factual information.

x Keep report brief, but complete and comprehensive.

x Always read everything you have written – So do not regard it as

finished until you are satisfied that it expresses exactly what you wanted
to convey.

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Specimen of report writing Report Writing

General report to the Principal regarding difficulties experienced in the

operation of the time –table during the ensuing semester.

The Principal,
XYZ
Delhi.

Dear Sir,

As I have been given the charge of smooth operation of the time-table but in
the course of performing my duties, I have noticed certain difficulties in
smooth operation of the time-table which I now beg to submit before you:

Lack of Punctuality
I have noticed that punctuality in attendance is not maintained by the
members of the staff in general. Due to which they become late in taking
their class. In my view defective system of recording staff attendance is
mainly responsible for the lack of punctually.

Ineptitude of certain teachers

The smooth operation of time- table is further hampered by the existence of
certain members of the staff who are present in the institute but not taking
their class due to one or the other reason. I would suggest doing counseling to
such teachers, or they may be warned that adverse entry in their C.R. can be
made, if found guilty in future.

Overburdened with extra work

Many staff members have been given too much extra work other than
teaching which consume most of their time. They hardly get any time to
prepare the lesson for their forthcoming class. I would suggest that if routine
type of work is given to the office staff then teachers would be able to take
classes more efficiently and enthusiastically.-These are some of the methods
which may be adopted for bringing good results in the Institute.

Yours faithfully,

X.Y.Z.

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Secretarial
Practice 3.6 DRAFTING THE TECHNICAL REPORT
There was a time when engineers joked about not being great of English or
spelling. But those days have gone. These days’ technical people are in high
demand. There are people who have very good technical skills and can write
and communicate as well too. For example: our ex President Dr. A P J Abdul
Kalam.

How will you increase your writing skill, if you feel a bit of it is lacking?

Build up your confidence - As an engineer, one has a logical mind and with
technical writing, it becomes exactly what you need actually. You are a better
writer than you think you are.

Don’t over complicate things - you are not expected to produce a rocket. All
you have to do is to put down in writing what you would otherwise say
verbally. So think you are writing a set of explanatory notes to a friend. It
becomes less difficult.

Tape it and then listen back to it- And transcribe it when you are listening the
tape, you will come to know your weaknesses then again re-write it including
those weaknesses. Then you will come to realize that you are really more
than technocrat.

A word about editing – you have to do a bit of editing. Even good writers,
need editing of their work. You just get better & better by practice.

Check Your Progress IV

Fill in the blanks:
i) Engineer has a __________ mind.

ii) Reports makes of __________ & ____________ easier.

iii) Mention two main points to increase the writing skill by a technocrat.
iv) Reports clarify the relationship between __________ & ________.

v) Reports are helpful in implementing the ___________.

3.7 LET US SUM UP

A report is a summary of information. It is the organized statement of facts
relating to a particular subject prepared by the PS/PA/Sec. after an
independent inquiry presented to the interested person with or without
recommendations. In an office, reports are prepared to see the progress of
activities so that definite decisions can be taken by the management. An
office reports is quite important as:

1) It provides the means of communication.

2) It provides the valuable records of business documents for future use.
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3) Provides the results of investigations. Report Writing

4) Provides the basis for the measurement of performance.

Reports may be ordinary reports & special reports.

Ordinary reports are also called routine reports. They contain the mere
statement of facts in summarized form without any recommendations. But
special reports are prepared by the individuals or body & presented to the
superior with recommendations supported by the facts & arguments upon
which the recommendations are based.

Report writing is an art. No formal rules can be laid down with regard to style
& language to be adopted. Any style can be adopted so long as it serves the
purpose for which the report is being written. However, general guidelines
may be followed to produce a clear, concise & logical statement of
information:

Report should be simple, clear & unambiguous. It should be non-technical.

Negative Statement should be avoided. It should be written in first person.
Narrative form of writing may be used. Conclusion & recommendations
should be based on factual data. It should be written as briefly as possible to
keep to the basic purpose.
Keeping in view of the above mentioned guidelines, the report writer will
produce clear, concise, logical & forceful report. He has to proceed
methodically i.e. he has to collect the material needed for the report. Data
should be collected from all valuable sources. Data collected should be
accurate & reliable. He has to classify, tabulate & analyze the data so that he
may be able to give a concrete picture of the problem and then the report
writer has to arrive at conclusion and formulate the recommendations. He
will prepare the draft report & may seek the opinion of some experts before it
is finally printed. The report is finally printed or typed after incorporating the
suitable alterations & corrections. It is submitted to the proper authority after
signing with date.

3.8 ANSWER TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Check your Progress I
a) Readable
b) Emphasis
c) Brevity
d) Communication/source
e) Successes
f) Active
g) Output
h) Recommendations
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Secretarial Check Your Progress II
Practice
a) Statutory

b) Annual

c) Technocrats

d) Analytical
e) Routine

f) Informal

Check Your Progress III

a) Title
b) Comprehensive

c) Definite

d) Report

e) First person

Check Your Progress IV

i) logical
ii) analysis, assessment

iii) Transparency, Concise

iv) input & output

v) decisions

3.9 TERMINAL QUESTIONS

1. What is an office report? State the main points to be considered in
drafting an office report.

2. What forms a good report? What are its different types?
3. Write short notes on

A)Formal & Informal report

B)Statutory & Non-Statutory report

4 Draft a report for submission to the principal of the Institute on the

agitation of students for changing the subject teacher.

5 State some general principles which may help to produce a clear &
accurate report.

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6 Draft a report submission to the chairman of the company on a proposal Report Writing

for mechanization of the office.

7 Draft an Annual report to be read at the Annual function of the institute.

8 Why report writing is considered a useful activity?

3.10 SUGGESTED READINGS

Report Writing by Graham Greaves & Hoftman

Administrative Office Management by Johnson & Savage

Modern Office Management by Littlefield & Peterson

Successful Technical Writing by Tyler G. Hicks

Text Books:
Office Management by R.K. Chopra

Office Management by P.K. Ghosh

Creative report writing by L. Brown

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Secretarial
Practice 3.11 ACTIVITIES
Crossword Puzzle
(Teachers may use such puzzles to make the lessons more interesting.)

1 2 3

4 5

7 8

10 11

12

13

14

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Across: 1. Standardised type of report. (6) Report Writing

8. Periodic report. (7)

9. Writing initial report. (8)
12. Record of decisions. (7)
13. Summary of information. (6)
14. Name. (5)

Down: 2. Internal letter. (10)

3. Indicates contents. (7)
4. Not a routine report. (7)
5. Concise. (5)
6. Report required by law. (9)
7. Prepare audit report. (8)
10. Statutory report. (6)
11. Summary. (6)
Answer to Crossword Puzzle (Solved)

1 2 3
F O R M A L H
4 5
S E E B

P M A R
6
E S O D I
7 8
A C T R O U T I N E

U I A A N F
9
D R A F T I N G G
10 11
I L U D A P

T T U N R
12
O O M I N U T E S
13
R E P O R T U C

S Y A I
14
T I T L E S

101
The Report Preparation and

Presentation Process
The Report Preparation and Presentation Process
Problem Definition, Approach, Research
Design, and Fieldwork

Data Analysis

Interpretations, Conclusions, and

Recommendations

Report Preparation

Oral Presentation

Reading of the Report by the Client

Research Follow-Up
 Report Format

I. Title page

II. Letter of transmittal

III. Letter of authorization

IV. Table of contents

V. List of tables

VI. List of graphs

 Report Format
VII. List of appendices
VIII. List of exhibits
IX. Executive summary
a. Major findings
b. Conclusions
c. Recommendations
X. Problem definition
a. Background to the problem
b. Statement of the problem
XI. Approach to the problem
 Report Format
XII. Research design
a. Type of research design
b. Information needs
c. Data collection from secondary sources
d. Data collection from primary sources
e. Scaling techniques
f. Questionnaire development and pretesting
g. Sampling techniques
h. Fieldwork
 Report Format
XIII. Data analysis
a. Methodology
b. Plan of data analysis
XIV. Results
XV. Limitations and caveats
XVI. Conclusions and recommendations
XVII. Exhibits
a. Questionnaires and forms
b. Statistical output
c. Lists
Guidelines For Producing Effective
Documentation
This article is intended for subject matter experts (engineers,
researchers, product managers and project managers) who
need to work on documentation projects with a technical or
marketing writer. The following guidelines are intended to
help both you and the writer assigned to the project in
producing clear and easy to read documentation.

Rule 1 Never consider the time you invest in writing

or planning documentation as wasted time
Like any well-designed project, the production of good
documentation requires clear planning and a considerable investment of time and
resources. This may seem like a pain to you, especially when you are overloaded with
other work. Rather than viewing documentation and the lengthy meetings with the "non-
specialised" technical writer who needs to be explained step by step the simplest things,
as a necessary evil, you should see it as a tool for helping you clarify your product to
yourself as well as to others.
One of the problems of design is that when you become bogged down in the gritty
details and mechanics you may loose site of the forest, for all the trees. Documentation
not only provides you with a roadmap of the forest, it also presents an overall
perspective, an opportunity to step out of the logger’s mindset and see the larger plan or
goal. Where are you going? Are you missing anything? Have you included everything
that needs to be included?
Your discussions with your writers may help identify problems that you were not aware.
The documentation process helps you to place what you are doing in perspective and
keep in focus the ultimate purpose or use of the product being designed.
Preferably an outline should be produced that covers the major sections of the
documentation. The outline is designed to lead the reader in a logical manner through
the task, procedure or description being described.
Make sure your time allotment for a project takes into consideration time devoted to
documentation.

Rule 2. Don’t take what you say or write for granted

What may seem clear and obvious to you may not appear so to someone from outside
the company, who is not familiar with the concepts and jargon that you use daily.
When a writer asks you what you mean by something, the answer may seem obvious,
but it may not be. Language needs to be taken apart, examined for its basic concepts
and then reassembled. Often, drafts need to be rewritten several times, to clarify the
meaning and focus the text to fit the reader's needs.
Information that has been assembled from a technical or development perspective
needs to be presented in a form suitable for the purpose of the document and the
intended reader. Readers of manuals or brochures will probably not need to know any
technical details, other than on a broad, conceptual level. This requires removing
information not relevant to the reader.

© 2006 Warren Singer 1

Guidelines For Producing Effective
Documentation
Rule 3. Provide plenty of feedback and input
The basic formula for documentation is:
Quality of input = quality and clarity of output
Remember this formula the next time you give feedback.
Writers depend on receiving good quality information. You
are responsible for ensuring that the information you provide
is comprehensive and accurate.
Feedback should be concise and to the point. It should:
• Refer to specific items
• Provide clear guidelines for what needs to be changed
• Preferably be presented as a list of to do items or as text to be edited/changed in
the document
You may not be sure of the precise problem with the documentation. Something may
feel wrong or be missing, or a description of a concept or procedure may feel
incomplete. Trust your gut feeling and explore this further. You know the product. Ask
yourself or the writer “What do you mean by this?” Try rephrasing unclear sections in a
way that communicates the way that you see the product.
Use diagrams and examples to explain what you mean.
Finally, if a writer requests information or feedback, don’t procrastinate and delay. This
holds up the entire documentation process, since the writer cannot proceed until your
feedback or information has been received.

Rule 4. Be prepared for several drafts

Clear documentation, like any other activity, requires constant rethinking and reshaping.
Concepts, terminology and processes need to be identified, written about, clarified,
rewritten about, discussed and honed. Writing is a cyclical process. Each round of
feedback produces a document that is clearer to read, more comprehensive and
accurate. The more input received from different perspectives and different readers, the
more reliable and accurate will be the nature of the information you produce.
Unfortunately, the myth of dashing off a draft in one sitting, which contains everything
that needs to be said in a clear way, is unpractical. It would be similar to asking a
software engineer to produce a program in one draft.

© 2006 Warren Singer 2

Guidelines For Producing Effective
Documentation

Rule 5. Be on friendly terms with your writer

The writer assigned to your project is there to help you.
He/she is not an added nuisance that is a drain on your
resources and time. The writer’s purpose is to take the
problems and considerations that go with documentation off
your hands.
The task of documenting a project is both lengthy and time-
consuming – technical writers are employed to take over
responsibility, allowing you to devote your energies where
they are most needed.
Don't cut short or avoid your writer, for fear of wasting your time. Your patience will pay
off.

Rule 6. Make sure all stages of design are well-documented

It pays to invest time and energy at the start of a project in clarifying the concepts of
your design, through white papers, product proposals, presentations, diagrams and
system specification documents. The more complete the documentation, the more
information will be available at a later stage for user-orientated manuals and other
external documents.

Rule 7. Involve your writer in all stages of the product design

Your writer is a valuable resource. Don’t involve him/her at the last stage, in the final
rush to complete the project.
The writer should be involved in all stages of a project. An experienced writer will be
able to provide a bird’s eye view of the entire project and its components. Such a writer
can integrate and synthesise information from different sources, written over different
time periods. A writer who has been involved in all stages of documentation will be able
to fill in gaps and make critical decisions about the contents of a manual, with the
minimum of investment from the product manager and engineers.

Rule 8. Writing is team work

The final documentation product should be the result of the combined input and
feedback from the entire team: engineers, product managers, writers and quality
assurance staff. Each professional member of the team can add something from his or
her own perspective that can contribute to the value of the documentation and the
project. Remember this when you are asked to offer feedback or if it is your task to
coordinate and ensure that other members of the team contribute their feedback.

© 2006 Warren Singer 3

Guidelines For Producing Effective
Documentation

Rule 9. Be Flexible in your expectations and demands

Be prepared to be flexible in your expectations and demands. You may have to share a
writer with several other product managers, each with their own deadlines. A busy
writer, with several projects on hand, may not be in a position to drop everything else
and devote all their time to your project. It is therefore important that you plan your
documentation needs in advance, together with the writer. This will enable him/her to
schedule time for you.

© 2006 Warren Singer 4