Report writing

• Have a clear audience in mind. Who are you writing this for? It will affect your tone, content and vocabulary.

• Don’t become too worried about structure. The titles and numbering of each section are less important than ensuring your writing has a logical flow and takes your reader carefully through your argument.

• Look at other reports in the same field/discipline. How have they been organised? How have they represented the information (tables, graphs, diagrams)?

• Be creative. Take advantage of the fact that you can use illustrations, graphs, bullet points.

• Carefully label all diagrams, tables etc.

• Proofread your report to make sure you have been consistent in numbering your sections, labelling everything, etc.

• Always take a critical approach – don’t just present information, explain and discuss it.

Report Writing - Guide

Report Writing - Why Write Reports - activity

Report Writing - PowerPoint slides (transcript below)

Report Writing - Transcript

LearnHigher resources on report writing (opens in a new tab)

This webpage has lots of useful information and activities about report writing. There are sections on identifying the audience, writing style and critically analysing your findings.

Writing Report - Learning Development, Plymouth University   (opens in a new tab)

This is a report on report writing. It covers literature reviews, planning and presenting a report, as well as discussion and analysis.

Report Writing (opens in a new tab) from Monash University 

This is a quick guide to report writing. It also includes a sample case study report and marker comments.