1. REPORT WRITING Colin Neville EFFECTIVE LEARNING SERVICE

2. DIFFERENCES BETWEEN A REPORT & AN ESSAY: REPORT Analyses real and current or past events/situations Presentation style different to a traditional essay, e.g. can include bullet points, sub- headings, graphs, charts ESSAY Allows you to pursue hypothetical possibilities and arguments A traditional essay does not have sub-headings, bullet points, graphs, charts etc.

3. A REPORT CAN: Describe Analyse Summarise Criticise or praise Make predictions based on.. PAST EVENTS

4. BEST REPORT WRITING STRUCTURE & STYLE: Language is plain and clear Breaks items up into sections and sub- sections Gives precise detail, backed up with evidence Is not afraid to be critical of the reporting issue Will make clear recommendations, if appropriate

5. REPORT STRUCTURE: Classic 5 Point Structure 1.Introduction 2.Background 3.Development 4.Discussion 5.Conclusion/Summary/Recommendations

6. Example: Call Centre Report 1.Introduction: Tells reader what to expect; sets the parameters (focus on UK, then narrows to give local examples; defines terms

7. Example: Call Centre Report 2.Background: Historical, technological and economic perspectives to explain growth. Geographical perspective: UK, Yorkshire (South & West) then moves to one location: Bradford. Presentation to the reader is still largely descriptive in nature: statistics are presented; facts are presented. The point is established: that call centres in Britain are big players, in terms of numbers employed.

8. Example: Call Centre Report 3.Development: The report moves away from macro overview to start to look at the way work is organised in call centres. Toward the end of the section it becomes more analytical. It distinguishes between different types of call centre and sets the scene for a more analytical discussion on working conditions in call centres.

9. Example: Call Centre Report 4.Discussion Reasons why customer and staff related problems have arisen Future of the call centre industry: offers a a revision to gloomy forecasts in late 1990s. However, it looks at threat to UK employment from outsourcing; presents evidence from USDAW - but encourages caution about findings because of possible bias; concludes that the findings need to be tested by other research Discussion broadened: by trying to understand why problems occur in overseas call centres It moves towards a conclusion with a prediction of what might happen in the future, based on a UK government (DTI) report.

10. Example: Call Centre Report 5.Conclusion The report attempts to summarise some of the key points that were made earlier in the report; finishes on an important point

11. Includes References (Harvard Style) REFERENCES BBC (2004) Brassed Off Britain: Call Centres, [online] http://www.bbc.co.uk/bob/callcentres/ (accessed 09/08/2004). Business Strategies (2000) Tomorrow’s Call Centres: a research study [online] www.business- strategies.co.uk (accessed 02/01/2001). DTI: Department for Trade and Industry (2004) The UK Contact Centre Industry: a study’, London: Department for Trade and Industry. E-Logistics (2003) Call centres - an inexorable flight? [online] at http://www.elogmag.com/magazine/29/call-centres.shtml, accessed 20/6/04. Huws, U (1996) Teleworking: an Overview of the Research. Analytical Social & Economic Research ltd. DS: Income Data Services (1998) [online] ww.incomesdata.co.uk/index.html (accessed 20/06/2004). Management Issues (2005) ‘Call Centres are Modern Day Satanic Mills’ [online] http://www.management-issues.com/display_page.asp?section=research&id=1063 (accessed 20/07/2005) ‘The Observer’ 07/12/2003, Bombay Calling..(p.19) Manchester: Guardian Group Newspapers. PSU: Policy Research Unit (1996) Shaping the Future: an economic & labour market assessment of Yorkshire & Humberside. Leeds Metropolitan University/ Leeds Training & Enterprise Council. ‘Telegraph & Argus’, 21/06/2004, Bradford: Newsquest Media Group. USDAW (2004) [online] at www.publictechnology.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=442, (accessed 20/06/2004).