1. Librarians for Business and Law (FBL)
Contact Details:
UWE Bristol Library
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FBL Librarians

2. How to Write Reports
Business and Law Librarians
2017/2018

3. Learning outcomes
At the end of the session you will feel more confident about:
Identifying key differences between reports and essays
Recognising the importance of format and structure in report writing
Considering the purpose and audience for your report
How to search effectively
See Michelle Reid, Report Writing (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2012).
Academic skills are real world skills:
Responding to a business briefing
Evaluating and presenting information relating to accounting and finance
Preparing appropriately referenced reports

4. Assignment
Check the assignment brief and marking criteria This is an example of a
Report writing assignment set for Accounting and Finance students:
CRITERIA
Mark Awarded
Maximum mark
The report
An exploration of relationships between working capital management and profitability, risk and firm value.
Recommendations on what should be included in a working capital management policy for Gilbert Co.
Evidence of a reasonable search for sources of information
Presentation
Structure of paper
Clarity and ease of understanding
Clear referencing (UWE Bristol Harvard system) 20 10

5. Assignment planner Group work: Identify roles within your group
There is a link on this slide to the Assignment Planner: NB Route: Library > Study Skills> Reading and writing > Writing > Online advice and tutorials> Assignment Planner
Group work:
Identify roles within your group
Draw up an action plan with tasks clearly and fairly allocated
Take minutes of meetings to keep on track with schedule

6. Reports v Essays What is the difference? Activity 1
[navigate to Projects, Dissertations and Reports > reporting your findings> Page 2.
Graphics of essay and report here
[Creative Commons: Wikivisual]
from: Generic (CC BY 2.0)
Source: Wikivisual (Creative Commons)
Source: Klariti (Creative Commons)

7. Reports v Essays Activity 1: Answers Activity from:
[navigate to Projects, Dissertations and Reports > reporting your findings> Page 2.
Graphics of essay and report here
[Creative Commons: Wikivisual]
from: Generic (CC BY 2.0)

8. Format Title page Executive summary Table of contents Introduction
Title page
Executive summary
Table of contents
Introduction
Discussion
Conclusions
Recommendations
References
Appendices
Format
A clear and succinct description of your topic
Not necessary for this assignment
Helps the reader to navigate the parts of the report
Should generate interest and set out the basis for discussion to follow
Identify and critically evaluate the main points from your research sources
Based on the evidence in your discussion
Highlights suggested actions on the basis of your report
Your reference list must be in UWE Bristol Harvard
Not necessary for this assignment

9. Purpose You will need to write a report for a specific purpose.
Note that your approach should be “strategic rather than operational”.

10. Audience
I’m delighted to present you with my completed report into typewriter repair services in the South-West

11. Writing style
Style: Professional and objective – formal language not creative writing.
Avoid jargon / explain technical terms where necessary.
Third person – he/she/it/they, not I or we. ‘Extensive research was undertaken…’ not ‘We read lots of journal articles’.
No idioms – “The evidence suggests that…” not “it is as clear as the light of day that future trends in accounting…”.
Tense: past for what happened; present for facts
e.g.
South Korea’s ice cream market recorded weak growth during the review period (2012–2016) and will follow a similar trend over the forecast period (2016–2021). Heavy rainfall and rising health awareness is affecting market growth. Moreover, the demand for unpackaged ice cream to be sold in food courts is increasing and fewer people are buying packaged ice cream. This is affecting ice cream’s retail value. “ ”
Marketline (2017) Ice Cream Industry Profile: South Korea [online]. Marketline. [Accessed 29 September 2017].

12. Content Report brief What you did (introduction)
How you did it (introduction)
What you found out (conclusion)
Why your findings are important (recommendations)

13. Content
Demonstrate that you have checked a variety of reliable sources and investigated different options.
Use library databases to access and evaluate high-quality commentary, data and analysis:
academic journal articles
professional articles
case studies

14. Evaluating
results

15. Visual representation
“We need students to include visual information to reports to reinforce message or conclusions and to add value” (James Henry, University of Coventry)
Image from [Creative Commons – no attribution required]
7.1

16. Finally… Recommendations: sets out why your findings are important;
signals options or suggestions for action you have recommended, based on conclusions;
may identify further work for the future.
Manchester Phrasebank:

17. Referencing You must acknowledge ALL of your sources In-text citations
Reference list / bibliography (at the end of your work)
Referencing webpages:
You must use UWE Bristol Harvard
Referencing tools
[creative commons – accessed 21 August 2017]

18. Further help Writing for University workbook
Resources for report writing
Finding Information
Ask a Librarian

19. Library workshops