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Reports

The purpose of the report is to get students to demonstrate knowledge of key concepts and theories taught on the module or course and apply them critically to a realistic scenario. Reports generally follow a structure with headings and sub-headings. 

A report is a form of communication that will do one or more of the following:

• Describes
• Analyses
• Summarises
• Criticises or praises
• Makes predictions about … a subject and is based on an analysis of current or past events or identifiable phenomena.

Report Structure

Reports are structured documents that are comprised of several sections. Not all sections must be included, this will be dependant upon the type of report you are writing. 

Abstract

This is a clear summary of the entire contents of the report. This contains information about:

• The purpose of the report.
• Any methods used in the report.
• The findings of the report. 
• Any recommendations or conclusions made.

Executive Summary

Business reports often require an Executive Summary instead of an abstract.

They are written to provide the reader with an overview of:

• The problem/ issue
• Findings and conclusions
• Recommendations

Discussion

This is the body of your report. Here you will include subheadings that address the content of the report. The discussion section is the heart of the report – and usually is the most important in terms of the mark you receive! This is where you present your analysis of the issues presented earlier in the report. This is where you interpret, explain and discuss the issues you outlined. In an academic report, this is often done by reference to relevant theories, models, and practices.

Be aware! There are many different types of reports which will determine the structure of your discussion.

These may include:

• Background
• Context
• Literature review
• Research questions 
• Hypothesis
• Descriptions
• History
• Process'
• Methodology
• Results
• Findings
• Case studies
• SWOT Analysis

Report Planning Template

Writing Reports (Health & Education)

Journal Articles

Journal articles can be found by searching the databases through Locate. 

They are articles written by experts in their field and are academic sources that you can reference to support your arguments and ideas when completing your assignments.

Writing Engineering & Science Reports