■ Use plain words to convey your meaning.
■ Remember the importance of good, clear presentation of
material.
STRUCTURE
A report should have a beginning, a middle and an end. If the
report is lengthy or complex it will also need a summary of
conclusions and recommendations. There may also be appen-
dices containing detailed data and statistics.
Beginning
Your introduction should explain: why the report has been
written, its aims, its terms of reference, and why it should be
read. It should then state the sources of information upon which
the report was based. Finally, if the report is divided into various
sections, the arrangement and labelling of these sections should
be explained.
Middle
The middle of the report should contain the facts you have
assembled and your analysis of those facts. The analysis should
lead logically to a diagnosis of the causes of the problem. The
conclusions and recommendations included in the final section
should flow from the analysis and diagnosis. One of the most
common weaknesses in reports is for the facts not to lead on
naturally to the conclusions; the other is for the conclusions not
to be supported by the facts.
Summarize the facts and your observations. If you have iden-
tified alternative courses of action, set out the pros and cons of
each one, but make it quite clear which one you favour. Don’t
leave your readers in mid-air.
A typical troubleshooting report would start by analysing the
present situation; it would then diagnose any problems or weak-
nesses in that situation, explaining why these have occurred
before making proposals on ways of dealing with the problem.
How to Write Reports 317