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Writing Reports

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A report is a statement of the results of an investigation or of any matter on which definite information is required.

(Oxford English Dictionary)

Reports are a highly structured form of writing often following conventions that have been laid down to produce a common format. Structure and convention in written reports stress the process by which the information was gathered as much as the information itself.

You may be asked to write different types of reports, depending upon the subject area which you have chosen. These could include laboratory reports, technical reports, reports of a work placement or industrial visit, reports of a field trip or fieldwork.

Reports vary in their purpose, but all of them will require a formal structure and careful planning, presenting the material in a logical manner using clear and concise language.

The following section explores each stage in the development of your report, making recommendations for structure and technique.

The following stages are involved in writing a report:

clarifying your terms of reference planning your work collecting your information organising and structuring your information writing the first draft checking and re-drafting.

Rationale

This is a short paragraph used to define the scope of your investigation. You must be clear from the start what you are going to do. Explain the precise subject and purpose of the report. Why have you chosen to write it?

Knowing your purpose will help you to communicate more clearly and will help you to be more selective when collecting your information.

Careful planning will help you to write a clear, concise and effective report, giving adequate time to each of the developmental stages prior to submission.

Consider the report as a whole Break down the task of writing the report into various parts.

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How much time do you have to write the report? How can this be divided up into the various planning stages? Set yourself deadlines for the various stages.

Draw up an outline structure for your report and set the work within a sensible time scale for completion by the given deadline.

Some of the most time-consuming parts of the process are collecting and selecting your information, and checking and revising your report.

Planning your report There are a number of questions you need to ask yourself at this stage:-

What is the information you need ? Where do you find it ? How much do you need ? How shall you collect it ? In what order will you arrange it ?

You may need to carry out a review of literature, observations, case studies, questionnaires or some interviews to collect all the information you need.

Make a list of what information you need. Make an action plan stating how you are going to gather this.

One helpful way of organising your information into topics is to brainstorm your ideas into a ‘spider diagram.’

Write the main theme in the centre of a piece of paper. Write down all the ideas and keywords related to your topic

starting from the centre and branching out along lines of connecting ideas.

Organising information

Each idea can be circled or linked by lines as appropriate. When you have finished, highlight any related ideas and then

sort topics. Some ideas will form main headings, and others will be sub-

sections under these headings.

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You should then be able to see a pattern emerging and be able to arrange your main headings in a logical order

Always check to find out precisely what your report should include and how it should be presented. The following common elements can be found in many different reports:

Structuring your report

Title page Acknowledgements Contents Abstract or summary Introduction Methodology Results or findings Discussion Conclusion and recommendations References Appendices

We shall now look at each of these in turn.

Title page

This should include the title of the report (which should give a precise indication of the subject matter), your name, the title of the unit, your course and the date of final submission.

Acknowledgements

You should acknowledge any help you have received in collecting the information for the report. This may be from librarians, people who have offered you specific information or technical help, for example.

Contents

You should list all the main sections of the report in sequence with the page numbers they begin on. If there are charts, diagrams or tables included in your report, these should be listed on a separate page under a title such as ‘List of Illustrations’ together with the page numbers on which they appear.

Abstract or summary

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This should be a short paragraph summarising the main contents of the report. It should include a short statement of the main task, the methods used, conclusions reached and any recommendations to be made. The abstract or summary should be very concise, informative and independent of the report. This section is written last - after you have written the report.

Introduction

This should give the context and scope of the report and includes your Rationale. State your aims and objectives clearly, define the limits of the report, state that you have used both primary and secondary data gathering methods, give a brief general background to the subject of the report and what you propose to find out.

Methodology

In this section you should state the methods used to carry out your enquiry. It is useful to use a series of subheadings to ensure you write about each of these methods as a detailed explanation

Use the framework below to structure this section:

The function of research in Health and Social Care

Explain the function of research in this sector. Make sure you include: identifying needs, highlighting gaps in provision, planning future provision, informing policy or practice or extending knowledge and understanding, monitoring improvements in practice, examining current issues. In each instance make sure you give some recent examples (e.g. the MMR vaccination programme and the outbreak of measles in South Wales) including the impact of research

‘When designing my research project I needed to ensure in so far as possible that I maintained validity and reliability of the data:

I considered the following:’

Ethical considerations

You need to show that you understand the ethical issues about research in health and social care therefore:

Ethical principles

Define this phrase

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Explain contributors human rights (refer to the Human Rights Act) when they participate in research in Health and Social Care,

State and explain your target group The role of the media and the importance of the Data Protection

Act in protecting vulnerable groups when conducting research into Health and Social Care; include the researcher’s responsibility to access of information here too

Please also include the value of sector Codes of Practice and the policies and procedures associated with health and social care

Discuss informed consent and confidentiality Define validity and reliability and explain how ‘triangulation’

helps here. Make sure you discuss the impact and influence of publications about research into Health and Social Care issues

Quantative Research

Define this phrase and explain how it can be applied to research in Health and Social Care

Qualitative Research

Define this phrase and explain how it can be applied to research in Health and Social Care

Primary Research

Then create a short definition of the term

Questionnaires

Explain different types of questionnaire (suggest 3)

Interviews

Explain 2 different types of questionnaire

Observation

Explain 2 different types of observation

Experiment

Explain one method of conducting an experiment

Case Study

Explain one method of conducting a case study

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Secondary Research

Then create a short definition of the term

Literature Review

Explain briefly what information can be obtained and the purpose of using information from each of the following sources: websites, scholarly journals, books, the media

NB Important

Compare the data gathering methods you have discussed above explaining the advantages of one method over the others and justifying why you have chosen your particular three methods; make sure you state implications for bias/ unreliable results and the limitations that you face with your research and the methods you have selected

Results or findings

Present your findings in as simple a way as possible. The more complicated the information looks, the more difficult it will be to interpret. There are a number of ways in which results can be presented. Here are a few:

Tables Graphs Pie charts Bar charts Diagrams

If you are using the illustrations listed above (whether they are from primary or secondary sources make sure you have checked the following – and that you have included them on your illustrations index at beginning of your project

All your diagrams / illustrations are clearly labelled They all have titles There is a Key or Legend where required There are clear links between the text and the diagram The headings are precise The axes are clearly labelled The tables can be easily interpreted You have used Harvard referencing when including

illustrations/tables from published documents

Discussion

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This is the section where you can analyse and interpret your results drawing from the Secondary data, including your literature review and other Primary information that you have collected. Use this to explain and answer your research question and refer back to your objectives. Compare your results to current research and understanding. Discuss similarities and differences. Identify important issues and suggest explanations for your findings (including any potential bias). Outline problems encountered and changes or modifications in your original plans. Try and present a balanced viewpoint.

Conclusions and recommendations

Here you draw together the main issues from previous sections of your report. Be clear in your conclusions and do not present any new information at this point. Remember to refer back to your research question and your objectives and assess the success of the project in comparison to the original objectives. You can discuss your recommendations in separate section or include them in this section.

Evaluations

Here you assess and evaluate the success of your project, including your own research skills. Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the project and how it could be improved. Discuss what you would do differently if you were to start again. Assess the methods used and the extent to which they provided valid results.

References

It is important that you use Harvard referencing both in the text and at the end. Give precise details of all the work by authors that you have referred to within the report. Details should include:

author’s name and initials date of publication title of the book, paper or journal publisher place of publication page numbers details of the journal volume in which the article has

appeared. Full URL and date accessed if it is web based material

References should be listed in alphabetical order of the authors' names. Make sure that your references are accurate and

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comprehensive. Refer to your assignment brief for the specific requirements for the format of your references

Appendices

An appendix contains additional information related to the report but which is not essential to the main findings. This can be consulted if the reader wishes but the report should not depend on this. Include details of interview questions, questionnaire, observation and experiments that you have generated, a glossary of terms, web based articles, other relevant information that may be useful for the reader.

Style of writing There are several points that you will need to consider when you are writing your report:

Active or passive?

Use the active voice; for example: ‘I recommend ...’

(The passive voice reads: ‘It is recommended that ...’ )

The active voice allows you to write short, punchy sentences.

The passive appears more formal and considered.

Be aware of these differences and avoid mixing the two.

Simplicity

Keep it simple. Most written reports should avoid using overly complicated language. Its message must be clear and not swamped by sophisticated, lengthy sentences. Avoid using ‘slang’ or ‘jargon’ terms. Ensure that your abbreviations are standardised; the first time in full with the abbreviation afterwards in brackets e.g. Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) after which you can use the abbreviation on its own e.g. RNIB. Be cautious of confusing your reader.

Use of language

Most reports should avoid the use of subjective language unless you are making a judgement or opinion. Make it clear it is your opinion or your experience.

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Layout The following suggestions will help you to produce an easily read report:

Leave wide margins for binding and feedback comments from your tutor.

Paragraphs should be short and concise. Headings should be clear - highlighted in bold or underlined. All diagrams and illustrations should be labelled and

numbered. All standard units, measurements and technical terminology

should be listed in a glossary of terms at the back of your report.

Redrafting and checking Once you have written the first draft of your report you will need to check it through. It is probably sensible to leave it on your desk for a day or so if you have the time. This will make a clear break from the intensive writing period, allowing you to view your work more objectively.

Assess your work in the following areas:

Structure Content Style

Look at the clarity and precision of your work.

Use the report writing checklist to check your report.

Checklist

Title pageDoes this include the : Title?Author’s name? unit/course details?

AcknowledgementsHave you acknowledged all sources of help?

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ContentsHave you listed all the main sections in sequence?Have you included a list of illustrations?

Abstract or summary Does this state:

The main task?The methods used?The conclusions reached? The recommendations made?

Introduction Does this include:

Your rationale?your aims and objectives?An outline of the method?A brief background to the subject matter?

Methodology Does this include:

The form your enquiry took?The way you collected your data?

Reports and findingsAre your diagrams clear and simple? Are they clearly labelled?Do they relate closely to the text?

DiscussionHave you identified key issues?Have you suggested explanations for your findings?Have you outlined any problems encountered? Have you presented a balanced view?

Conclusions and recommendationsHave you drawn together all of your main ideas?Have you avoided any new information? Are any recommendations clear and concise?

ReferencesHave you listed all references alphabetically? Have you included all the necessary information?Are your references accurate?

Appendices Have you included supporting information Timeline Action plan?

Have you included supporting information Does the reader need to read these sections? Writing style

Have you used clear and concise language? Are your sentences short and jargon free/

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Are your paragraphs tightly focused?Have you used the active voice?

LayoutHave you clearly labelled each section?Is your labelling consistent throughout the report?

PresentationHave you left sufficient margin space for binding/feedback?Are your headings clear?Have you checked your spelling and grammar?

Overall:

What are the main points? What have you done well? What needs fine-tuning?

With acknowledgement to

The Higher Education Academy (2014) Writing Reports http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/hlst/documents/heinfe_exchange/blended_learning_pdp_materials/5_reportwriting.pdf (last accessed 23/2/2014)

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