A report is a formal communication written for a specific purpose, it describes procedures followed for collection and examination of data, the conclusion drawn from them and recommendations.It has as an intrinsic value which trains the writers in planned and orderly procedures and logical presentations of ideas and knowledge.
Report Writing is considered as an essential part of education either in Bachelor, Masters, Ph.D., or higher secondary levels. Report writing is the evidence of the work we completed comprising the details. To write the proper report, we should know the format, components, writing strategies, and many more. Essentially, a report is a sharp, concise document which is written for a particular purpose and audience. It generally sets outs and analyses a situation or problem, often making recommendations for future action.
Report Writing course helped participants to understand the basic principles of report writing and its general technicalities; overcome the psychological and academic challenges of writing. The course was held for 5 days, and it was such a wonderful session for all the participants who want to enhance their report writing skills and provided a good mentorship. The course was live facilitated by Mr. Kushal Pokharel, Independent Researcher and Social Science Faculty. This course oriented participants about the fundamental principles of report writing and helped them overcome the challenges of producing a quality report for their academic requirements. It also helped participants to analyze, convey understanding, think critically and focus on technique and style of the formal writings.
Report Writing: Introduction
The first day of the session was focused on the concept about Report Writing and research Report. Mr. Pokharel introduced report writing as different from an essay, blog or media article. He explained the training procedures for the entire course days, explaining the training conceptualization.
The reports can be of distinct types- research reports, sales report, project report, internship report and should write for the targeted audience- educational institutions, banks and financial institutions, government and non-governmental agencies among others. The data and information should arrange systematically and should write in a rigorous process. Research Report is combination of collected data and information in a prescribed format. A report is useful for academics, business among other sectors.
Elements of Good Report
He introduced the introduction of Good Topic for a Report and also explained the essentials of good topic in a report. A good topic for a report has to be specific, clear and unambiguous, well defined & phrased and relevant.
Format of Report Writing
Mr. Pokharel listed out the outline format of writing (Title, Table of Contents Abstract, Introduction, Body, Conclusion, Recommendation and, Appendices). He defined writing a good abstract and a good introduction. Also, he highlighted the terms between “Project and Report.” Project is the work conducted with an aim and had an outcome. Report is the medium of communicating the findings of that work to the audiences.Likewise, the instructor also provided glimpse of how to identify a good introduction giving sample examples. The participants were able to learn good abstract and introduction writing skills for report.
Main Section (Introduction, Literature Review, and Methodology)
1. Introduction:
The Introduction tells the reader what the report is about, and focuses on the reader’s attention. It sets the project in its wider context and provides the background information the reader needs to understand the report.
- Introducing the topic in a particular context;
- Discussing the problem and/or motivation for project;
- Mentions the aim of the project;
- Rationale of the project;
- The outline of the report is important but not important for shorter reports;
2. Literature Review:
A literature review is a survey of books, scholarly articles relevant to a particular issue or area of research. It involves collecting, evaluating and analyzing publications. Therefore, summarizes current knowledge, allowing you to identify relevant theories, methods, and gaps in the existing research.
He highlighted major steps in writing a literature review:
- Search for relevant literature;
- Evaluate sources;
- Identify themes, gaps, and debates;
- Outline the structure;
- Write your literature review;
Besides this, the participants also learned about the common errors in the writing of literature review. He also talked about References and Citation process and shared samples.He explained ways to write references and list it at the list of report.
3. Methodology:
He explained various components of writing methodology.In the methodology section of a report includes type of research you did, process of data collection, and data analysis, tools or materials used in research and rationale for choosing these methods.The next important part that was covered was to craft a good discussion and he also provided tips to write a good discussion in report.
He listed out some important points regarding methodology’s process. The methodology is a step-by-step explanation of the research process. We should focus it on research objectives, research questions, and also provide intellectual grounding to the research.
4. Methods and Components:
The participants learned some tips for a good discussion and analyze the findings to conclude. He addressed when writing a report or thesis, the results and discussion sections can be both the most interesting and the most challenging sections to write.
The facilitator provided them the feedback in getting better and suggestions in making and delivering the report writing in a better way. All the participants shared their Report writing progress and they also asked about their queries to the instructor. It was interactive discussion as personal feedbacks were provided to all the participants. The most important part of the course was each and every learning is applicable in both report and research writing. To sum up, they learned about the proper format, components, writing strategy, and many more which is going to be very productive in their coarse of writing report.