Report Writing: A report is a document consisting of data, facts, and statistics about a particular topic. Based on this information, an elaborative piece of writing is presented, which is known as report writing. The main basis of report writing is to use factual information to extract meaning from it. It is used in various ways by schools, organizations, media, companies, etc. Academically, it is used to report an incident, an event, or any school-related matters. Organizations and companies use it for maintaining data about employees, leaves, performance, and more. Media uses it to present information, facts, sting, bring out the wrong in the eyes of the public, report incidents, and much more. There are multiple areas where a report can be used. 

Now that you’re aware of what a report is, let us dive deep into understanding what report writing is all about.

What is Report Writing? 

Report writing stands for formal presentation of available information, in an elaborative and well-understood manner. A report must always be formal in its tone, language, and presentation. It is a reliable piece of information since it is derived from facts and figures. Report writing is important for Class 10th and 12th students, from the exam’s point of view. Not only academically, but report writing also comes in handy for a lifetime. Thus, it is important for students to know how a report is written and it is equally important to stay updated on the formats of report writing.

Elements of report writing

As already mentioned above, a report is an exhaustive piece of information. Or a report to be good in its nature, multiple factors have to be included in it. Thus, it is important to know what goes into making a report.

• Title Page- The title page must be concise, brief, and specific, indicating what the report is all about.
• Table of Contents- This is a list of topics that users can find in the report along with the mention of their respective page numbers.
• Summary- The summary of a report informs the reader about what has constituted the formation of that report and what users can draw from it.
• Introduction- The introduction gives an overview of the report, to the readers. It explains in brief what the report is all about.
• Discussion- It contains the main body of the report. It describes the main title in detail and presents multiple arguments backed by facts and figures.
• Conclusion- The conclusion sums up the entire report in a whole. It presents arguments from every possible angle.
• Recommendations- Recommendations present possible solutions for the problems/issues mentioned in the report.
• Results- It consists of conclusions drawn from the statistics present in your report. It can also lay possible results, that may be a part of future activities.
• References- Since the report is presented on the basis of mere facts, it is important to mention all your sources of information to prove that the report is authentic and not fabricated.

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Types of report writing

Reports are written for various purposes by various sets of people. Each report is different in its kind because of the content, motive, and facts it entails. They can be classified as formal or informal reports on the basis of the occasion of writing. Some of the most common types of reports are as follows:

1. Annual reports
2. Weekly reports
3. Academic reports
4. Research reports
5. Sales and Marketing reports
6. Project reports
7. Newspaper reports
8. Magazine reports

Reports can be laid out for N number of reasons, and occasions, depending on the target audience and motive of its existence. Above mentioned types are the most commonly presented ones. Here, newspaper, academic, and magazine reports are important for us, from a student’s point of view.

Stages of Report Writing

There are mainly five stages of report writing. They are:

• Planning- The foremost and most important step in the process of report writing is Planning. A clearly drafted plan leads to easy execution, cooperation, and timely completion of your work. Planning can tell you what all has to go in a report, in what order, and to what extent.

• Collection of information- This is an important step in the process of report writing. Since, a report has to be backed by factual information, collection from authentic and credible sources is a burdensome task. Students should always be careful about their sources of information. Wrong sources can lead to wrong conclusions and the presentation of wrong information.
• Organization of information- The next step is to organize your information. Whenever a report is in its initial stages, the writer is overloaded with information, credible as well as incredible. The information has to be refined as per the relevance, need, and authenticity. After refining, it has to be presented in an order which is understandable and engaging for readers. 
• First draft- After the information has been gathered, refined, and organized, it is time to present the information. Now, comes the actual part where a report is written by utilizing all the present information. It has to be drafted in a manner that is easy to understand, factual, and formal.
• Proofread- It is important to proofread your report for any grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, writing errors, misplacement of punctuation marks, or wrong information. The report should be made public only after it has been checked thoroughly.

Format for Report Writing

Report writing can use different formats as required by the authorities, teachers, or supervisors. But a generic format is presented here, which can be used in all aspects.

The report has to begin with a  ‘Title Page’. This should consist of the author's name, date of submission, name of the person to whom the submission is to be made, the title of the report, and the subject. It begins on the left side of the page in the following order:

Title:

Authors’ Name: Usually written in the middle of the page.

Date of submission:

Subject:

Table of Content: The next page includes the ‘Table of Contents’. It can also be called an Index, presented in the form of a table. Example:

Summary: Now comes the summary which includes a short paragraph or a few paragraphs on the objectives of the report, findings of the report, the recommendation for the report, and an overview of the entire report.

                                                               Summary 

Introduction Body: Then, the introduction is presented on the next page. It introduces the topic of the report and what readers can expect. This can be summed up in a single paragraph.

                                                               Introduction

Main Body: Now, the report is discussed exhaustively. Different facts, figures, messages, and arguments are presented as a part of the body. It has to be formal in nature and can consist of multiple paragraphs.

Then, a methodology is laid out. Here, the methods used in research, and collection of information are mentioned in detail along with the processes.

After this, findings/results are presented to support the arguments.

Conclusion: Now, the report is concluded with a mention of all the important points touched on in the report.

References Attached: At last, references are attached to show sources of factual information.

This is a general format of the report. In schools, news, and magazines, a report is usually presented on one page with just the important things. The format for the following is also presented below in the article.

Format of Report Writing for Class 10 and 12th

In schools, two types of reports are generally asked. They are newspaper reports and magazine reports. The format for both types is similar in nature to the format presented above, but these reports are less elaborate than the industrial reports or reports presented in an organization.

Format for a newspaper report

Format for a magazine report

The same format is followed for magazine reports. But they are usually the more informal ones and have topics different in nature than news reports. The same format is followed for magazine reports as well.

Examples of report writing

Suppose, in an examination, a student is asked to write a report on an incident that took place in the Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh. Five people lost their lives during a car accident in the city. As per reports, all five were heavily injured and found dead after 1 hour of reaching the hospital. After 20 minutes of the accident, they were rushed to a nearby government hospital. The incident took place at 5 in the morning. The accident led to a traffic jam, following which the car was removed from the road by the police superintendent of Kinnaur Police Station and his team.

Tips for Report Writing

• Plan your report.
• Take quotes from authorities, if necessary.
• Use credible sources for your information.
• Proofread before submission/publication.
• Stick to the objective of the report.
• Use short and simple sentences.
• Stick to the format.
• Use a formal tone and style of writing.
• Research well.
• Use an active voice.

Topics for report writing

Reports can be written on a variety of topics. Here, a few topics have been provided for students.

• Science and Technology
• Education
• Health
• Social issues
• Internet
• Environmental hazards, Climate change, Pollution
• Culture and traditions
• News/Breaking/Trending
• Summits/Conferences
• International and national disputes
• Travel
• Food

Conclusion

To conclude, it is important for everyone to know the art of writing reports since it is going to be useful for every individual in life. Report writing is a tedious and exhaustive task and requires a bunch of skills such as writing, research, designing, presentation, and organization. In the corporate world, reports serve as the basis for new initiatives that bring growth to a company. Nowadays, companies hire agencies to make reports for them on the basis of heavy research. Thus, it is a useful skill to be learned by every individual.

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