3) Stages

1. Defining the purpose

First, the purpose - the major aim - the reason why you are writing the report at all. This will determine what kind of report to write:

a) Factual report: a straightforward statement of the facts - to give people an accurate record.

b) Instructional report; a step-by-step description - to tell people about the new procedures.

c) Leading report; a report, which has to motivate the reader to do something at the end.

2. Identifying the reader

To get a clearer picture it is necessary to answer three questions:

a) What does the reader know?

b) What are the reader's attitudes?

c) What does the reader really want?

3. Setting the objective

What do we want the reader to think and do after reading our report?

4. Selecting material

The two golden rules to follow when deciding what to put into a report are:

a) Simplify, and be ruthless about it. Reject the irrelevant, agonize over the doubtful, and make sure you've got the essential.

b) Justify your conclusions with facts, and state their sources. Build the facts into a logical and consistent case, so as to lead the reader to the same conclusions as your own.

5. Planning the structure

The facts themselves should therefore be a set of directions, which will lead and guide your reader along a route. Example of planning the structure:

a) turn a large sheet of paper sideways, and work across it.

b) work horizontally, so that you can see the whole plan of your report at one time.

c) divide it into major sections. Every subject can be broken down in this way, and the headings will probably become the headings in your report.

d) make a list under each heading of all the points you would like to mention. Note the information that you'll need to support them.

e) mark the most important points, the essential steps in your reasoning.

f) mark the least important ones, points your reader would find irrelevant. g) arrange the points in a final, logical sequence, so as to meet your objective.

A plan like this will show you what information you'll need for the body of the report, and what should go in the appendices. Once written, you draw out your conclusions and add your recommendations. And last of all, you add your title page, summary, contents list, and introduction.

6. Drafting the report

Write the first draft to yourself, just as it comes. Don't evaluate what you are writing: simply break the spell of that blank, white sheet of paper.

Tips

• The font size should be about 12 points and use 1.5 line spacing.

• The titles and headings should be written in bold fonts like 'Ariel'.

• Substitute short, simple words where appropriate, eg, “start” for “commencement”, and “end” for “termination”.

• Choose words familiar to your reader. Technical terms are useful shorthand to use with fellow specialists, but simply cloud the issue for anyone else.

• Use active, rather than passive verbs.

• Use wide margins; space out paragraphs; and indent subheadings.

• Define each term/symbol before you use it, or right after its first use.

• In explaining tables and graphs, explain them as completely as possible.