A report is a nonfiction account of facts, a particular event, or an issue. The idea behind writing a report is to familiarise people regarding a particular subject. A good report contains all the information regarding a particular problem, facts, or an issue. The report can contain all the information regarding a particular subject, or it may make it easy to catch up to a speed on a particular issue. The length of the report is an important aspect in this regard. Therefore, report writing is anything but easy. To help you understand how to write a report, Let's first discuss the different types of reports.
Types of Reports
If you are here on this page, you must want to find a guideline on writing an academic report. A coursework report is an academic report which presents the knowledge of a student regarding a subject matter. For instance, if your teacher wants you to write a report about the financial crisis of 2008, it will be an academic report. However, there are other types of reports as well. These reports are called business and scientific reports. As the name suggests, a business report is a professional report involving facts about the business.Examples of business reports can be a business strategy, a marketing report, SWOT analysis. Aside from that, usually, researchers use scientific reports to present their findings after conducting a research study. Scientific reports include research papers, case studies etc. Most of the students prefer to hire coursework writing services. In this article, our focus will be on coursework report writing, i.e., academic report writing.
Structure of a Report
The structure of a report depends on the type of report. Also, the requirements dictate the structure of the Coursework report writing. Therefore, the following is a general guideline for the structure of the report. You can always follow this basic template for your coursework report writing.Executive Summary:
An executive summary is a standalone section. It summarises the findings of your report, letting the reader know what to expect. An executive summary is an essential part of official reports. However, for coursework reports, there is less use of Executive summary. So, you need to follow the instructions of your teacher in this regard.Introduction:
This section of the report introduces the topic that you are about to discuss. This section contains thesis statements and all the necessary background information. The introduction section sets up the tone for the report of the body. As you explain the background information, it will help you build your own findings towards the end.Body:
The body of the report explains all the content. A good report usually presents the content into headings and subheadings. This section of the report will take up the majority of your entire report. Depending on the overall length of your report, the body can go on for pages.Conclusion:
This is the section where you bring all the information together in your report. This section will provide concluding statements or definitive interpretations. Authors usually put their personal opinions for influencers in the conclusion section.Format of the Report
Aside from the structure of the report, the format of the report can be slightly different from other forms of writing. Therefore, it is important to read all the instructions carefully. Your teacher may have provided you with instructions regarding the format. However, if there is no particular format, you can find a journal format of the report here. You can always follow this guideline if your teacher did not provide you with any additional information.Title Page:
The title page is important for both professional and academic writing. The title page keeps things organised. For instance, a teacher usually has multiple assignments at the same time, so it is easier to keep track of each assignment.Table of Contents:
The need for a table of contents is the same as it is for a book for any other piece of writing. It allows the reader to go directly to the sections. It highlights the major headings included in your report. Besides, it is a faster way to browse through your report.Page Numbering:
Some formatting requirements and necessary to access different sections of the report. One such requirement is adding a page number to a report. You can consider it as a common courtesy to avoid any mix-ups or misprints.Headings and Subheadings:
Another tool for browsing faster through your report is to add headings and subheadings. When your table of content suggests a number of headings and subheadings, it is easier for your tutor to browse through your coursework report.Citations:
When you write a report, most of the time, you get information from other sources. It is important that you cite each source. The formatting of your citation depends upon the referencing style. For this purpose, you can always check the referencing style guidelines of your college.References List:
At the end of the report, you can list all the credits. This list contains the sources from where you got the information. It is important that your reference list follow a particular reference in style. Otherwise, you can be in trouble for not citing your sources properly.This report summarises the basic guidelines regarding the structure and formatting of your report. Aside from that, now you understand that there are different types of reports. However, the basic structure and format of a report remain the same. When it comes to academic writing, every college and university has its own particular coursework report writing guidelines. You can find this guideline on your student portal. To write a good report, you must follow the instructions provided in the coursework report writing guidelines.