Report

2 Definition - Report A report is a form of technical communication. The word report has been derived from Latin word reportāre which means to bring back. A report is usually a piece of factual writing, based on evidence, containing organized information on a particular topic. It is formal in nature and is written for a specific purpose and audience. It discusses a topic in depth and contains conclusions and recommendations, if required

3 Types of reports Informative, Analytical Periodic, Special Oral, Written

4 Informative or Analytical Report Informative report – An informative report, as the name suggests, entails provision of all details and facts pertaining to the problem. Analytical report – It is also known as interpretative or investigative report. It a report merely presents facts pertinent to an issue or a situation, it is informative report on the other hand, if it analyses the facts, draws conclusions and makes recommendations it is described as analytical report.

5 Periodic or Special Report Periodic Report – Periodic or routine reports are either informational or analytical in their purpose. As they are prepared and presented at regular prescribed intervals in the usual routine of business they are called periodic or routine reports. Special reports – They are related to a single occasion or situation. Special reports deal with non-recurrent problems. They can be either informational or analytical in their purpose.

6 Oral or written reports Reports can be oral or written depending upon the mode of presentation

7 Oral Reports Written Reports 1. Immediate feedback is not possible. Immediate feedback is not possible. 2. Do not add to the permanent record Contribute to the permanent record 3. Audience needs to comprehend quickly as and when these are presented Audience can ponder over these reports and understand them at their own pace. 4. May have irrelevant facts and overlook important ones. Written reports are more accurate and precise. 5. Cannot be referred to again and again Can be edited, reviewed, stored and retrieved. 6. Have less professional value.Have more professional value

8 Characteristics of a report The narrative of the report should be based on facts. It should be objective in approach. A report does not allow free play of imagination Language of a report should be simple and not figurative. All facts of a report should be objectively analysed. Important facts should be given at the very beginning. Report must be complete in all aspects.

9 Significance of Reports 1.Reports provide information in a scientific way. 2.Reports help in planning new ventures. 3.Reports enable decision making and problem solving in organizations. Based on the information presented administrators can take important decisions. 4.Reports help in keeping records which provide necessary feedback. 5.Reports are an important means of information dissemination within and outside the organization. Many of routine reports such as inspection reports, inventory reports or annual reports transmit information across and outside the organization.

10 6.Reports serve as a valuable repository of information. Organizations of various kinds preserve reports for a long time so that they can refer to these reports whenever needed. 7.On the basis of reports, the officials evaluate the performance of their employees and promote them accordingly. 8.Sometimes, reports persuade and motivate the readers. They serve as stimuli to action.

11 Structure of a report A report has following parts – 1. Prefatory parts 2. Main text 3. Supplementary Parts 4. Optional Elements

12 Prefatory parts a)Cover b)Title page c)Certificate d)Acknowledgement e)Contents f)List of illustrations g)Abstract

13 Main text a)Introduction b)Discussion c)Conclusion d)Recommendation

14 Supplementary Parts a)Appendix / Appendices b)References / Bibliography c)Glossary

15 Optional Elements a)Letter of transmittal b)Copyright notice c)Preface d)Summary e)Index

16 Prefatory parts Cover – The cover of a report not only gives it an elegant appearance but also protects it from damage. Further it serves as a quick reference to the reader to know the topic and the author of the report. It must be designed keeping in mind the environment in which a man is working. Title Page – Title page is the first page of a report. Apart from the details on the cover page this page contains the following additional information – – Name and designation of the intended audience – Name and designation of the approving authority.

17 Certificate – Certain reports such as project reports, research reports etc. require a certificate vouching the original contribution of the report writer. The certificate contains the statement testifying the original work, place, date and signature of the project supervisor or guide. Acknowledgement – It s a list of persons whom we like to thank for their advice, support or assistance of any kind. Table of contents – It helps the reader to locate a specific topic easily and quickly. It contains list of all the three parts namely Prefatory, main and supplementary along with their page number.

18 List of illustrations – It serves as the content page for all the illustrations which appears in a report. Abstract – An abstract gives the essence of a report. In business report it is known as synopsis. The length of an abstract is generally 2 – 5 percent of the report. The length and readership of a report decides whether an abstract is to be included.

19 Main Body Introduction- It is that part of report which introduces the report to the person who would be reading it. Discussion/Description - Here the writer of report describes the work that has been performed and discusses the problem in detail. Conclusion – It concludes a discussion. In a report, conclusion states the result of all the discussions. Recommendations – Recommendations pertain to the action that is to be taken as a result of the report. They are supported by the conclusion and should be made when the writer of the report has been asked to do so.

20 Supplementary parts Appendix – Appendix contains the information which is not an integral part of the report but has some relevance to the report and so cannot be easily fitted into the text. Generally an appendix contains materials such as sample documents, detailed calculations, tables, graphs, charts etc. References – References are the sources that help in accomplishment of a report. When the reference is quoted the page number, writer’s name, publications details etc. are mentioned.

21 Bibliography – A bibliography is an alphabetical list of the sources, books, magazines, newspapers, interviews that you have consulted in preparing an interview. Glossary – A glossary is a list of the words which might be unfamiliar to the reader and hence need explanation.

22 Optional Elements Letter of transmittal – It conveys the report to the audience. It serves the same purpose as that of a preface in a published document. Its contents are – – Objectives / terms of reference – Scope – Methodology adopted – Highlights of your analysis – Important results – Significance of your study – Suggestions Any other detail which may enable the audience to understand the report.

23 Copyright notice – It is form of protection that covers published and unpublished literary scientific and artistic works. Copyright laws grant the creator the exclusive right to reproduce, prepare derivative words, and display the work publicly. Preface – Preface is the preliminary message from the writer to the reader. It is quite similar to the letter of transmittal, except that it does not formally transmit the report. Summary – Summary presents an entire report in nutshell. Summaries may even contain headings, adequately developed text, and even audio visual aids.

24 Abstract Summary Essence of a reportEntire report in nutshell Contains 2%-5% of the reportContains 5 -10% of the report More relevant in specialist to specialist conversation Meant for all the readers Information is qualitativeInformation is both qualitative and quantitative Does not include illustrationsMay include certain illustrations

25 Index – the index is intended to serve as a quick guide to locate the material in your report. Through index, readers can locate a topic, sub-topic or any other important aspect of the report quickly and easily. In bulky report an index is very helpful in cross-referencing.