How to write a report correctly, in 10 steps
In our day to day, both in the workplace and outside of it, It is not uncommon that on some occasion we should prepare a report to account for any situation or problem .
Whether to file a complaint, make a request or simply document a specific situation, this will be the type of document that we will generally write. But some people may find it complex to make a report. That is why in this article we provide you with a series of steps on how to write a report, at a general level.
What is a report?
A report is a type of document written in prose that is carried out with the purpose that the person doing it can communicate something about a situation or topic to other people. As usual they are usually directed to higher instances (for example to the City Council or to a superior) , although you can also find reports aimed at communicating something to a professional different from us so that you can work with the same data and contrast or expand them.
There is a wide variety of report types, which may have different purposes and differentiated structures. However, this article proposes the production of a report that takes into account the general structure of any of them.
Steps to prepare a report
When preparing a report we must bear in mind that in the first place we are going to have to reflect on how, when and why we are going to do it . Subsequently, the report will be written on the basis of the situation to be reflected and the previous considerations.
Below are a series of useful steps to write a report correctly.
1. What objective do we have?
Before starting to write we must reflect on what we want to achieve with our report. Are we going to request the solution to a problem or simply to store data in order to use them later? Do we want to reflect a scientific investigation or file a complaint? We have to take it into account to select the type of report that is most relevant according to the case.
2. Keep in mind the type of text you are going to use
Not all reports are the same, each one presenting its own distinctive characteristics. For example, an expository report will reflect data without making any kind of interpretation regarding them, there being no possibility of making conclusions , while a demonstration type will require the subject to elaborate hypotheses and put them to the test in order to obtain a series of results and conclusions.
3. Contemplate the target
Not only does it matter what or what, but also you should think about which public has our report as a goal . This will allow us to adapt the level of language to both our needs and those of that audience.
4. Selection and analysis of the info
Based on the previous step, it is essential to gather the information we want to provide and structure it appropriately so that our discourse has a common thread. The type of data to be reflected and who or how the information has been extracted must also be taken into account. .
5. We can use graphic elements
Although it depends on the type of report, it is possible to use visual elements that facilitate the understanding of the data . We are referring for example to the use of bar graphs to analyze frequencies or to perform an analysis of profits and costs.
6. Title
While it may seem silly to mention it, correctly head the report in a clear way, relative to the subject that entails its realization and easily understandable it is something that greatly facilitates its understanding by readers.
7. Write the introduction
In this first section of the report in question we will make a brief summary of the topic to be addressed in the report . In it must appear the objective of the realization of said report and the problem that generates the need for its existence and the context in which it takes place.
8. Expands the ideas and explains what was researched in the development
In the body of the report we will arrange and expand the information about the happened or investigated , leaving clear the methods and actions that show how the situation was produced or performed and how to obtain the data. If it is a report that reflects an investigation, aspects such as theoretical models and exploration of the situation will be incorporated.
9. Make a conclusion
In the last part of the report the final result of what was explored and reflected in the report or the demand or request must be reflected which is done in order to resolve the situation. It must be clear and understandable.
10. Language to be used
It is essential that the language is clear and concise throughout. It must be written formally and objectively, in the third person and in a passive voice. The facts must be separated from the inferences that are made (if there are any) and they have to deal directly with the data they are dealing with when they are being treated.
