The document provides guidance on writing reports, including their typical structure and formatting. It discusses including a cover page, table of contents, introduction, literature review, chapters, conclusion, and references. Specific guidance is given for formatting aspects like margins, font, headings, and spacing. The introduction should provide context and an overview of the report's structure and contents. Mechanics of writing are also covered, such as numbering tables and figures and avoiding uncommon abbreviations. Guidelines recommend proofreading for consistent spacing and pagination. The document notes that reports published as journal articles require reformatting to the specific publication's style. An example format for the IIMB Management Review journal is outlined. Finally, the document discusses properly citing references, avoiding plagiar

1. REPORT WRITING
Rajnish Kumar
Professor IT
National Academy of Indian Railways

2. Structure of Presentation
Format of a
Report
About
Plagiarism
How to cite
references
Use of Latin
terms
Common
spelling
errors
Common
language
errors

3. Format of Report/Paper
What should a report contain?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Cover page
Inner cover page
Acknowledgments
Contents
List of symbols, figures and tables, if any
Preface
Introduction
Literature review
Chapters covering the work
Conclusion
References
Appendices

4. Preface
The preface should contain information
about:
• The purpose of the report
• The history of the project
• Major contents of the report
in about 500-1000 words

5. Introduction
The introduction should comprise:
• A short historical review
• A brief description of the methods
• The limitations of the report
• Information on accuracy of the given data
• Structure of the report.

6. Mechanics of Report
only a guide
Paper –
Margins –
A4 size
1.5 inch left
1 inch right, top and bottom
Font
Times New Roman 12 size
Heading Font
Arial 14
Second heading
Times New Roman or Arial 12 Bold
Third heading
Times New Roman or Arial 12 Italics
Spacing
1.5
Best is to use standard word DEFAULT Style set

7. General Guidelines
1. All tables and figures must be numbered
2. If abbreviations which are uncommon are used, list of
abbreviations should be prepared and placed after list
of table/figures
3. Pages should be numbered starting from Introduction,
not before that.
4. Consistent spacing must be given throughout the report.

8. Reformatting Report for publishing
in Journals
If the report is to be published in a journal, some
reformatting is required. Most of it is common, except
that some journals prefer their style.
Example of IIMB Management Review is taken which is
published by world‘s leading publisher, ELSEVEIR

9. Example of formatting for
IIMB Management Review
Format
• Cover page
The manuscript should be accompanied by a cover page
containing the article title, the short title (not more than 5
words and which may be used in all correspondence), the
names and affiliations of all the authors (specify order), along
with their postal address, phone and fax numbers, and email
address.
• Details of the authors' name and affiliation should not appear
elsewhere in the manuscript. In the case of multiple authors,
the cover page should indicate the designated corresponding
author.

10. Example of formatting for
IIMB Management Review
Second page
The second page should contain the article title, the short title, the abstract (not
more than 100 words), keywords (a maximum of 8 keywords), and an
extended summary (not exceeding 300 words).
Body of the article: The recommended length of papers is 8000– 10000 words,
inclusive of tables and figures. Material may be formatted in Times New
Roman, font size 12 and double spaced.
All tables and figures are to be serially numbered, sequentially following references
to them in the text.
All tables and figures are also to be presented in a separate WORD document and
file names should clearly specify the paper to which the exhibits belong.
All tables and figures should be in black and white only.
IMR follows British spelling (e.g.: organisation, programme, and colour), except in
the case of direct quotations. Wherever possible, explanatory
theories/concepts and other background material of a historical or collateral
nature, and case illustrations/anecdotal applications should be presented in
text boxes to ensure they do not interfere with the flow of the main text.

11. Example of formatting for
IIMB Management Review
References
Authors must acknowledge all the sources they have drawn upon, including direct
quotations, as well as ideas, concepts, data, and exhibits.
Only those references cited in the main text should be listed in the reference list. Sources
should be stated briefly in the text, following the author-date convention of by the last
name and the date of publication, in parentheses. Citations within the text would read, for
e.g. ‘ According to Pawlak, (1991) … ‘ or ‘… ( awlak, 1991) ‘.
P
These citations should be amplified in a list of references appearing at the end of the
paper.
The reference list should be in alphabetical and chronological order, and should
include complete bibliographical details, as appropriate— the name(s) of the
author(s), year of publication, title of the article/book, name of the journal, details of the
publisher, volume and issue number, and individual page numbers, URL of online
sources (online journals, magazines, or newspapers) with access date.

12. Example of formatting
The prescribed style of citation is as follows:
Sample Book References:
Pawlak, Z. (1991). Rough sets: Theoretical aspects of reasoning about data.
Norwell, MA: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., Anderson, R. E., & Tatham, R. L. (2006).
Multivariate data analysis (6th ed.). New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Sample Reference to Chapter in Book:
Ravallion, M. (2007). Transfers and safety nets in poor countries: Revisiting the
trade-offs and policy options. In V. Abhijit, R. B. Banerjee, & D. Mukherjee (Eds.),
Understanding poverty (pp. 203– 230). Oxford University Press.
Sample Journal Reference:
Bose, I. (2006). ‘ Deciding the financial health of dot-coms using rough sets‘.
Information & Management, 43(7), 835– 846.

13. So……
• If you follow one style, there is no effort in
converting a report into a paper ready for
being published.
• We‘ll cover on how to quote references in
the report in the next part,
avoiding plagiarism

14. Avoiding Plagiarism

15. Plagiarism – Definition
• Taking and using the thoughts, writings,
and inventions of another person as one's
own
• Using someone‘s ideas without citing or
quoting; thereby, receiving credit for
someone else‘s intellectual effort
15

16. Forms of plagiarism
• Copying from a single source
• Copying from several sources
• Paraphrasing
• Collusion
16

17. How to avoid plagiarism
• Use quotes for
– Information that comes directly from any
source
– Words, spoken or written, that you use directly
from another person
• Make sure you document the source
17

18. How to avoid plagiarism
• Paraphrase
– Write the information in your own words, but
do not change its meaning or intention
– Because you are using someone else‘s idea,
always mention the source even if you use
your own words
18

19. Common knowledge
• Any information, fact, or statement that is
widespread and known by a variety of people
is considered common knowledge
– John Adams was the second president of USA
– The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on
December 7, 1941
• There is no need to give credit to information
that is of common knowledge
19

20. No need to cite
Common knowledge
Examples of Common Knowledge (Source: http://gethelp.library.upenn.edu/PORT/documentation/commonknowledge.html
Not every fact in the report needs to be documented. Facts that are widely known—common knowledge—can stand by
themselves.
Examples of statements expressing common knowledge:
George Washington was the first president.
Plato spent most of his life in Athens.
Maine has a lower yearly average temperature than Florida.
Any statement that originates from another source and contains information that is not common knowledge
must be cited.
Examples of statements that don't express common knowledge:
Civilizations that were aware of geese usually considered them intermediaries
between heaven and earth (Toussaint-Samat 352).
The Chinese fishing industry produces 800,000 tons of fish annually (ToussaintSamat 328).
The first international coffee syndicate was based in Germany (Toussaint-Samat
590).
These statements aren't surrounded by quotation marks because they aren't the original authors' words
but must be cited because they express information that involves facts that are not commonly known.

21. When should I cite?
Is it your idea?
Yes
No
Is it common knowledge?
No need to cite
No
CITE
21

22. Accidental plagiarism
• Using words from another source without
indicating where they came from.
• Ways to avoid accidental plagiarism:
– Careful note taking
– A clear understanding of the rules for quoting,
paraphrasing, and summarizing sources
22

23. When in doubt, cite.
Read this
https://www.writecheck.com/static/ways_to_avoid_plagiarism.html
23

24. Plagiarism detection software
http://turnitin.com/
24

25. Terminology: Fair Use
• Fair Use is a statute under copyright law that
allows for the use of limited portions of a
work that has copyright without having to
have permission from the original author. It
was created for the purposes of education
and research.
• BIG QUESTION, what qualifies as a "limited
portion"?

26. How to Quote in a Report
Two styles
MLA- Modern Language Association
APA – American Psychological
Association

27. MLA Quotations
• Indirect: Some researchers note that "children are
totally insensitive to their parents' shyness"
(Zimbardo 62).
• Direct: Zimbardo notes that ―children are totally
insensitive to their parents‘ shyness‖ (62).
• Paraphrasing: Some researchers have observed
that children seem unaware that their parents are
considered bashful (Zimbardo 62).

28. APA or Chicago Quotations
• Indirect: Some researchers note that
"children are totally insensitive to their
parents' shyness" (Zimbardo, 1977, p.62).
• Direct: Zimbardo (1977) notes that ―Children
are totally insensitive to their parents‘
shyness‖ (p. 62).
• Paraphrasing: Some researchers have
observed that children seem oblivious to their
parents‘ bashfulness (Zimbardo, 1977).

29. MLA Citations
Book
Zimbardo, Philip G. Shyness: What It Is, What To Do
About It. Cambridge, Mass.: Perseus Books, 1977.
Print.
Essay/Chapter in a Book
Swanson, Gunnar. "Graphic Design Education as a
Liberal Art: Design and Knowledge in the University
and The 'Real World.'" The Education of a Graphic
Designer. Ed. Steven Heller. New York: Allworth Press,
1998. 13-24. Print.
** Many of these examples came from the OWL at Purdue **

30. MLA Citations
Article
Bagchi, Alaknanda. "Conflicting Nationalisms: The Voice
of the Subaltern in Mahasweta Devi's Bashai Tudu."
Tulsa Studies in Women's Literature 15.1 (1996): 4150. Print.
Article from a Database
Langhamer, Claire. ―Love and Courtship in MidTwentieth-Century England.‖ Historical Journal 50.1
(2007): 173-96. ProQuest. Web. 27 May 2009.
** Many of these examples came from the OWL at Purdue **

31. MLA Citations
Entire Website
The Purdue OWL Family of Sites. The
Writing Lab and OWL at Purdue and Purdue
U, 2008. Web. 6 September 2012.
Page on a Website
"How to Make Vegetarian Chili." eHow.com.
eHow, n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2012.
** Many of these examples came from the OWL at Purdue **

32. APA Citations
Book
Zimbardo, P.G. (1977). Shyness: What it is,
what to do about it. Cambridge, Mass.:
Perseus Books.
Essay/Chapter in a Book
O'Neil, J. M., & Egan, J. (1992). Men's and
women's gender role journeys: Metaphor for
healing, transition, and transformation. In B.
R. Wainrib (Ed.), Gender issues across the
life cycle (pp. 107-123). New York: Springer.
** Many of these examples came from the OWL at Purdue **

33. APA Citations
Article
Scruton, R. (1996). The eclipse of listening. The New
Criterion, 15(30), 5-13.
Article from a Database
APA does not require that a citation for an article
in a database document that fact. You can cite an
article you find in a database the same way you‘d
cite a regular print article, as in the example
above.
** Many of these examples came from the OWL at Purdue **

34. APA Citations
Website
Lowe, M. (2012). Megan Lowe @ ULM.
January 29, 2012, from
http://www.ulm./edu/~lowe.
Item Without Author
Merriam-Webster's collegiate dictionary (10th
ed.).(1993). Springfield, MA: MerriamWebster.
** Many of these examples came from the OWL at Purdue **

35. Presentation Resources
The Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL)
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/
Harvard Guide to Using Sources
http://isites.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k70847&pageid=icb.page3
42054
https://www.writecheck.com/static/common_grammar_mistakes.html
http://www.apastyle.org/
http://www.mla.org/

36. !
?
;
:
“
‘
,
.
_
{}
()
/
Tips on Punctuation
Adapted from The Craft of Editing (Springer-Verlag, 2000) and The Craft of Scientific Writing, 3rd edition (Springer-Verlag, 1996).

37. Punctuation rules are designed to have
sentences be read one way
Colon: a colon introduces a formal list, long quotation,
equation, or definition.
Semi-Colon: a semi-colon either joins two
independent clauses (closely linked in thought) or
separates complex items in a list.
Dash: a dash acts as a parenthesis to separate items
that cannot be separated by commas.
Comma: a comma separates details in a sentence.

38. A colon introduces a formal list,
long quotation, equation, or
definition
We studied five types of marsupials: opossums,
bandicoots, koalas, wombats, and kangaroos.
The laboratory growth of this crystal made possible a new
astronomical tool: a gamma-ray detector with high-energy
resolution.
In formal writing, what is on the left side of the colon should stand alone
as a separate sentence.
Once the list ends, the sentence ends.

39. Although equations are separated by white space,
they should be treated as part of the sentence
To calculate the strain, , we used equation 1:
=
,
(1)
E
where
is the stress estimated by FEPC and E is the modulus of
elasticity of aluminum.

40. Em-dashes act as parentheses to
separate items that commas cannot
Because two isotopes of hydrogen—deuterium and tritium—are
lightweight, can be produced easily, and require little energy, they are
prime candidates to begin the fusion process.
After one year, we measured mirror reflectivity at 96 percent—a high
percentage, but not as high as originally expected.
Because two isotopes of hydrogen (deuterium and tritium) are
lightweight, can be produced easily, and require little energy, they are
prime candidates to begin the fusion process.
After one year, we measured mirror reflectivity at 96 percent (a high
percentage, but not as high as originally expected).

41. Commas separate introductory
phrases and clauses
After cooling the exhaust gases continue to expand.
After cooling, the exhaust gases continue to expand.

42. Commas separate parenthetical details
X-ray backscatter systems, which are relatively inexpensive require the
operator‘s attention.
X-ray backscatter systems, which are relatively inexpensive, require the
operator‘s attention.
Parenthetical: Set off within or as if within parentheses; qualifying or
explanatory

43. An error of ,
Possession
Misplaced modifiers are also very common grammar mistakes:
Incorrect: The girl smiled at the camera holding the basket
of fruit. (The camera was holding the basket of fruit?)
Correct: Holding the basket of fruit, the girl smiled at the
camera.

44. Hyphenation
“We built a high-performance implementation.” ―high-performance‖ is
hyphenated because ―high‖ modifies ―performance‖ not ―implementation‖.
It's not a ―high implementation‖. Here, ―high-performance‖ is an adjective.
But: “Our implementation has high performance.” Here, ―performance‖ is a
noun. No hyphen. Similarly: ―throughput-oriented workloads‖ or ―GPU-based
implementation‖.
For some words, it's not clear if it should be hyphenated or not (e.g. ―e-mail‖ vs.
―email‖). The general trend in English is to move toward non-hyphenation
(e.g. ―to-morrow‖ became ―tomorrow‖).
http://www.ece.ucdavis.edu/~jowens/commonerrors.html

45. Semi Colon ;;;;
Use the semicolon to separate units of a series when one or more of the units
contain commas.
Example:
This conference has people who have come from Boise, Idaho; Los
Angeles, California; and Nashville, Tennessee.
It is preferable to use a semicolon before introductory words such as namely,
however, therefore, that is, i.e., for example, e.g., or for instance when they
introduce a complete sentence. It is also preferable to use a comma after
the introductory word.
Examples:
You will want to bring many backpacking items; for example, sleeping bags,
pans, and warm clothing will make the trip better.
As we discussed, you will bring two items; i.e., a sleeping bag and a tent are
not optional.
http://www.grammarbook.com/

46. Apostrophes‘‘‘‘‘
Apostrophe errors are also common. Apostrophes are used to show
possession, to show that certain words are plural, and to show that letters are
missing.
Apostrophes show possession:
Jim's coat (singular possession)
The children's clothes (possession for plural noun that does not end in s)
The dogs' toys (possession for plural nouns that end in s)
Jim and Ted's apartment (possession shown on the last noun)
Apostrophes are also used in contractions to show missing letters and
numbers:
Can't (cannot)
I'm (I am)
Who's (Who is)
‘70 (1970)
Also, when writing the ‗70s, no apostrophe is present after the number when no
possession is being shown.
https://www.writecheck.com/static/common_grammar_mistakes.html

47. Two common usage errors are possessives
and subject-verb disagreements
The criteria for assessing the environmental effects of acid
rain (are / is) given in the next section.
are
So far, the daily number of engineers applying (has / have)
remained constant.
has
The goggles protect a (persons / person‘s) eyes from any
damaging effects that a laser could cause.
person’s
In accordance with my (boss‘ / boss‘s) schedule, the first
series of computers was replaced.
boss’s

48. The verb tenses of sentences that refer to the
document depend upon position
Introduction
This report presents a design for
connecting light emitting diodes to the
HC11 microcontroller.
Results and Discussion
...Figure 1 shows the circuit that connects the
light emitting diodes to the HC11
microcontroller.
Conclusions
This report has presented a design for
connecting light emitting diodes to the HC11
microcontroller. As was shown in Figure 1, the
circuit...

49. Use numerals when referring to
measurements
When to use numerals
Specific measurements
3 volts, 2 seconds, 1 m/s
Percentages
15 percent
Monetary figures
$3000
Large numerals
5 million
When to write out numbers
Counting (one or two words)
twenty-three gages
Informal measurements
two hours
First word of sentence
Thirty-three...

50. Certain words are commonly misused
We produced a small (amount, number) of autos this
year, even (fewer, less) than last year.
number
fewer
A company‘s success depends on (its / it's)
employees.
its
The new material is (composed / comprised) of plastic
and iodine.
composed
It appears (as if, like) the Department of Energy will
choose the third option.
as if

51. Certain words are commonly misused
Reduced weight was the (principal / principle) reason for
choosing aluminum.
principal
The talk centered (around / on) the (principal / principle) of
virtual work.
on
principle
(Regrettably / Regretfully), the launch was delayed because Regrettably
of thunderstorms.
You need not proceed any (farther / further) on your test.
further
The serum had serious side (affects / effects).
effects

52. Non-words and nonsensical groupings
of words also cause problems
Whichever design you choose is (alright / all right) with me.
all right
(Irregardless / Regardless) of the shipping delay, the work
will stop because of the strike.
Regardless
Applying that set of constraints is a (most unique / unique /
very unique) way to approach the problem.
unique
The serum had (alot / a lot) of side effects.
a lot

53. Spelling mistakes
Spell check is not the solution
affect
effect
a fact
whether
weather
they’re
their
there
your
you’re
yore
two
to
too
it’s
its

54. Common Spelling Mistakes I
Correct
Wrong
Correct
Wrong
supersede
supercede
superceed
pronunciation
pronounciation
accommodation accomodation separate
acommodation
seperate
receive
recieve
necessary
neccesary
necesary
definitely
definately
difinately
address
adress
adres

55. Common Spelling Mistakes II
Correct
Wrong
Correct
Wrong
occurrence
occurence
useful
usefull
independent
independant
beginning
begining
parallel
paralel
paralell
parrallel
questionnaire questionaire
http://www.learnenglish.de/spelling/CommonSpellingMistakes.htm

56. Possible confusion
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
accept/except
affect/effect
assure/ensure/insure
enquire/inquire
Practice (noun) /practise (verb)
recent/resent
Weather/whether
Lose/loose

57. Latin Terms commonly used in Reports
e.g. – for example
i.e. – that is
ibid - Latin word ibidem, which means ―in the same place.‖
et al - stands for et alii which translates as ―and other
people.‖
circa- around: e.g. - c. 3000 B.C.
viz - namely

58. e.g. and i.e
USAGE
Let‘s look at some examples of how to use i.e. and e.g. correctly:
YES The rocky planets (e.g., Mercury) are closest to our sun.
NO The rocky planets (i.e., Mercury) are closest to our sun.
Mercury is not equivalent to the rocky planets-they‘re not the
same thing. Mercury is just one example of a rocky planet,
therefore e.g. is appropriate.
YES The rocky planets (i.e., Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars) are closest to
our sun.
YES Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars (i.e., the rocky planets) are closest to our
sun.
NO The rocky planets (e.g., Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars) are closest to our
sun.
http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/latin-terms-and-abbreviations/

59. e.g. and i.e
USAGE
In some instances, i.e. and e.g. may both be acceptable,
but using one or the other will drastically change the
meaning of the sentence. For example:
1. Farmer Brown sells his produce (e.g., apples, oranges,
carrots) at the market.
2. Farmer Brown sells his produce (i.e., apples, oranges,
carrots) at the market.
??? Spot the difference
http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/latin-terms-and-abbreviations/

60. Ibid.
The abbreviation ibid. stands for the Latin word ibidem, which means
―in the same place.‖
It is used in endnotes or footnotes when you cite the same source and
page number(s) two or more times.
If you cite the same source but a different page number, you can use
ibid. followed by a comma and the page number(s). Also, note that ibid.
is capitalized when it begins a note.
For example:
1. Barsby, 99-101.
2. Ibid.
3. Ibid., 97.
http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/latin-terms-and-abbreviations/

61. et al.
EXAMPLE: Even the recent Gartner report from star analyst Jane
Disbrow et al. shows that 61% of their customers have been
audited by at least one software vendor. [Forbes]
Et al.is an abbreviation of the Latin loanphrase et alii, meaning and
others. It is similar to etc.(short for et cetera, meaning and the rest),
but whereas etc. applies to things, et al. applies to people.
If you cite one author in body text, it should be ―AuthorOne‖. Two
authors: ―AuthorOne and AuthorTwo‖. Three or more authors:
―AuthorOne et al.‖
Name of the first author will be given in full and then followed by et al.
As with etc., there is no need to include ‘and’ before et al.
http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/latin-terms-and-abbreviations/

62. Now you
can do