This ppt is about short report writing.

1. SHORT REPORT WRITING
BY: AQDAS NOOR

2. WHAT IS REPORT ?
 A report is a written presentation of factual
information based on an investigation or research.
Reports form the basis for solving problems or
making decisions, often in the subjects of business
and the sciences. The length of reports varies;
there are short memorandum (memo) reports and
long reports. Most often you will be asked to write
a long report.

3. WHY TO WRITE REPORT ??
Reports helps the owners of business, company,
organization or government
• To provide information
• To make recommendation
• Give an analysis effects
• To keep records
• To tell about failure and success

4. WHAT MAKES AN EFFECTIVE REPORT?
• Clear, concise and accurate
• Easy for the audience to understand
• Appropriate for the audience
• Well organized with clear section headings Report structure:
• Reports follow a standardized format. This allows the reader to find the information
easily and focus on specific areas. Most reports follow the following structure, but
please look at your assignment question and marking guide carefully, as the format
and terminology required in your report may vary from this guide. If so, check with
your tutor. Please check your marking guide to determine the word limit and how
marks are allocated to each section.

5. A REPORT MUST HAVE
• Title Page
• Table of Contents
• Abstract or Executive Summary
• Introduction (or Terms of Reference and
Procedure)
• Findings and/or Discussion
• Conclusions
• Recommendations
• References

6. REPORT PRESENTATION
 You will want to present your report in a simple and concise style
that is easy to read and navigate. Readers want to be able to look
through a report and get to the information they need as quickly as
possible. That way the report has a greater impact on the reader.
 There are simple formatting styles that can be used throughout your
report that will make it easy to read and look organized and
presentable. For example:

7. FONT, LISTS, HEADINGS AND SUBHEADINGS
• Font: Use just one font in your report. An easy-to-read font such as Arial or
Times New Roman is best for reports. Section headings can be a different font
from the main text if you prefer.
• Lists: Use lists whenever appropriate to break information into easy-to-
understand points. Lists can either be numbered or bulleted.
• Headings and Subheadings: You can use headings and subheadings
throughout your report to identify the various topics and break the text into
manageable chunks. These will help keep the report organized and can be listed
in the table of contents so they can be found quickly.

8. REPORT WRITING STYLE
 There are also some writing styles to consider:
Keep It Simple:
Don't try to impress; rather try to communicate. Keep sentence short and to the point. Do not go
into a lot of details unless it is needed. Make sure every word needs to be there, that it
contributes to the purpose of the report.
Use the Active Voice:
Active voice makes the writing move smoothly and easily. It also uses fewer words than the
passive voice and gives impact to the writing by emphasizing the person or thing responsible for
an action. For example: "Bad customer service decreases repeat business" is more concise and
direct than "Repeat business is decreased by bad customer service."

9. CONTI….
Mind Your Grammar:
Read the report aloud and have someone proof read it for
you. Remember that the computer cannot catch all the
mistakes, especially with words like "red/read" or
“there/their." You may even want to wait a day after you
write it to come back and look at it with fresh eyes.

10. KINDS OF REPORTS
• Report writing is a formal style of writing elaborately on a
topic. The tone of a report is always formal. The important
section to focus on is the target audience. For example –
report writing about a school event, report writing about a
business case, etc.

11. KINDS OF REPORTS
• Long Report and Short Reports
• Internal and External Reports
• Vertical and Lateral Reports
• Periodic Reports
• Formal and Informal Reports
• Informational and Analytical Reports
• Proposal Reports
• Functional Reports

12. LONG REPORT AND SHORT REPORTS:
• These kinds of reports are quite clear, as the name
suggests. A two-page report or sometimes referred to
as a memorandum is short, and a thirty-page report is
absolutely long. But what makes a clear division of
short reports or long reports? Well, usually, notice that
longer reports are generally written in a formal
manner.

13. INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL REPORTS:
• As the name suggests, an internal report stays within a certain
organization or group of people. In the case of office settings, internal
reports are for within the organization.
• We prepare external reports, such as a news report in the newspaper
about an incident or the annual reports of companies for distribution
outside the organization. We call these as public reports.

14. VERTICAL AND LATERAL REPORTS
• This is about the hierarchy of the reports’ ultimate target. If the report is
for your management or for your mentees, it’s a vertical report. Wherever
a direction of upwards or downwards comes into motion, we call it a
vertical report.
• Lateral reports, on the other hand, assist in coordination in the
organization. A report traveling between units of the same organization
level (for example, a report among the administration and finance
departments) is lateral.

15. PERIODIC REPORTS:
• Periodic reports are sent out on regularly pre-scheduled dates. In
most cases, their direction is upward and serves as management
control. Some, like annual reports, is not vertical but is a
Government mandate to be periodic in nature.
• That is why we have annual or quarterly or half-yearly reports. If
they are this frequent, it only makes sense to pre-set the structure
of these reports and just fill in the data every period. That’s exactly
what happens in most cases too.

16. FORMAL AND INFORMAL REPORTS:
• Formal reports are meticulously structured. They focus on objectivity
and organization, contain deeper detail, and the writer must write
them in a style that eliminates factors like personal pronouns.
• Informal reports are usually short messages with free-flowing, casual
use of language. We generally describe the internal
report/memorandum as an informal report. For example, a report
among your peers, or a report for your small group or team, etc.

17. INFORMATIONAL AND ANALYTICAL REPORTS:
• Informational reports (attendance reports, annual budget
reports, monthly financial reports, and such) carry objective
information from one area of an organization to maybe a
larger system.
• Analytical reports (scientific research, feasibility reports, and
employee appraisals) show attempts to solve actual problems.
These analytical reports usually require suggestions at the
end.

18. PROPOSAL REPORTS:
• These kinds of reports are like an extension to the analytical/problem-
solving reports. A proposal is a document one prepares to describe how
one organization can provide a solution to a problem they are facing.
• There’s usually always a need to prepare a report in a business set-up.
The end goal is usually very solution-oriented. We call such kinds of
reports as proposal reports

19. FUNCTIONAL REPORTS:
• These kinds of reports include marketing reports, financial reports,
accounting reports, and a spectrum of other reports that provide a
function specifically. By and large, we can include almost all reports in
most of these categories. Furthermore, we can include a single report
in several kinds of reports.

20. WHAT IS SHORT REPORTS?
 A short report, also known as an informal or
semiformal report, is an organized presentation of
relevant data on any topic. It may indicate that:
1. Work is being completed
2. Schedules are being met
3. Costs have been contained
4. Sales projections are being met
5. Unexpected problems have been solved

21. WHY SHORT REPORTS ARE IMPORTANT IN
COMMUNICATION?
 Short Reports are very useful in communicating internal operational
information. Management always collects reports from various
departments and divisions to carry out organizational activities.
Performing day to day activities:
Through short reports, an organization provides necessary information,
guidelines, and instructions to the members of the organization. As a result,
they can perform their assigned duties effectively and efficiently.

22. CONTI….
 Keeping the employees aware:
Short reports are also useful to keep the employees aware of
organizational affairs
Enhancing employee satisfaction:
Continuous communication with the employees through short reports
increases their level of job satisfaction.

23. HOW TO WRITE SHORT REPORTS?
Title page
Abstract OR Summary
Introduction
Background
Discussion
Conclusion
Recommendation
Appendices

24. TITLE PAGE
• Name
• Title of the project
• Date
• Any other necessary information

25. ABSTRACT OR SUMMARY
 This section summarizes the report in paragraph of about 100-200
words.
 Emphasize the objective (which states the problem) and the analysis of
the result (including recommendations).
 Avoid the temptation to copy a whole paragraph from elsewhere in your
report and make it do double duty.
 Remember, the abstract should be a precise and specific summary—give
details.
 Support it later

26. INTRODUCTION
 The introduction of a technical reports identifies the subject, the
purpose (for objective), and the plan of development of the report.
• The subject is the “what”,
• The purpose is the “why”
• And the plan is the “how”.
Together these acquaint the reader with the problem you are setting out
to solve.

27. CONTI….
 State the subject and purpose as clearly and concisely as possible,
usually in one sentence called the Thesis or Purpose Statement:
 Use the introduction to provide the reader with any background
information which the reader will need before you can launch into the
body of your paper. You may have to provide background such as
theory or history of the subject. Avoid the tendency to use the
introduction merely to fill space with sweeping statements that are
unrelated to the specific purpose of your report.

28. BACKGROUND
• If the introduction requires a large amount of supporting
information, such as a review of literature or a description
of a process, then the background material should form its
own section. This section may include a review of previous
research, or formulas the reader needs to understand the
problem. In an academic report, it is also the point where
you can show your comprehension of the problem.

29. DISCUSSION
• This section is the most important part of your report. It takes many
forms and may have subheadings of its own. Its basic components are
methods, findings (or results), and evaluation (or analysis). Most academic
assignments should also focus on your evaluation of the subject.
• Before you begin writing, ask the questions: who? when? where? what?
why? how? The last three in particular will help you focus analysis.
Beyond asking these simple questions, you also need to make decisions
such as: How do you interpret the data? Graphically ! Theory !
Calculations ! Examples !....................

30. CONCLUSION
This is where everything comes together. Keep this
section free of jargon as many people will just read
the summary and conclusion

31. RECOMMENDATION
 What actions does the report call for?
• The recommendations should be clearly connected to the results
of the rest of the report. You may need to make those connections
with your point so your reader should not have to guess at what
you mean.
• This section may also include plans for how further research
should proceed.

32. APPENDICES
• These will include references and may
include appendices (include raw data). Since
the format for references varies across
disciplines

33. TYPES OF SHORT REPORT:
The six most common types of short reports are:
1. Periodic reports. Provide readers with information at regularly scheduled
intervals.
2. Sales reports. Provide businesses with financial and managerial information
3. Progress reports. Inform readers about the status of ongoing projects.
4. Trip/travel reports. Document business trips and how they affect ongoing or
future business.
5. Test reports. Record the results of tests.
6. Incident reports. Outline unexpected events that interfere or threaten normal,
safe business operations.

34. GUIDELINES FOR WRITING SHORT REPORTS:
The following guidelines will help you write any short report successfully:
• Do the necessary research. Take careful notes, record all necessary
background information, collect relevant factual data, and interview key
individuals.
• Anticipate how the audience will use your report. Consider how much your
audience knows about your project and what types of information they most
need.
• Be objective and ethical. Avoid guesswork, do not substitute impressions or
unsupported personal opinions for careful research, avoid
biased/skewed/incomplete data, data, and double check all
facts/figures/specifications

35. CONTI….
• Organize carefully. Include a purpose statement, findings, a conclusion, and
recommendations.
• Write clearly and concisely. Use an informative title/subject that gets to the
point right away, write in plain English, use international English, adopt a
professional yet personal tone, and do not include unnecessary background
information.
• Use appropriate format and visuals. Make your report look professional,
readable, and easy to follow; help readers locate and digest information
quickly; be consistent in your design and format; include only the most
essential visuals; and design, import, and place visuals appropriately.

36. PERIODIC REPORTS AND SALES REPORTS:
Periodic report:
Depending on needs, periodic reports may be daily, weekly,
bimonthly, monthly, or quarterly. They help a company or agency
keep track of the quantity and quality of the services is provides and
the amount and types of work done by employees.
Sales report:
Sales reports fulfill two functions: financial and managerial. As
financial records, they list costs per unit, discounts or special
reductions, and subtotals and totals. As managerial tools, they help
businesses make both short- and long-range plans.

37. PROGRESS REPORTS
Progress reports are intended for people who are not working alongside you but
need to know your activities. They consist of three parts:
• Introduction:
• Indicate why you are writing report, provide any necessary projects titles and
codes with dates, and help readers recall the job you are doing for them.
• Body:
Provide significant details about costs, materials, personnel and times for the
major stages of the project.
• Conclusion:
• Give a timetable for the completion of duties or submission of the next progress
report.

38. TRIP/TRAVEL REPORTS
Trip/Travel reports may be field trip reports, site inspection reports or home
health or social work visits. Writing the travel/trip report will be easier and your
report will be better if :
• Before you leave, you obtain contact information, do background research,
gather necessary documents, bring essential supplies, locate a map/get direction,
organize appointments, and if necessary get permissions.
• During your trip, you meet all contact people, collect important documents and
pay attention to matters you could not have observed beforehand.
• When you return, you write the report promptly, detail where you stayed/how
long, exclude irrelevant details and double check names and figures.

39. TEST REPORTS
Readers will expect test reports to be both objective and accurate. They
want evidence, not feelings and they want precise measurements. In
addition, test reports must supply the following information:
• Why you perform the test. An explanation of the reasons, your goals and
who may have authorized you to perform the test.
• How you perform the test. Under what circumstances and controls you
conducted the test, what procedures and equipment you used.
• What the outcomes were. You conclusions.
• What implications or recommendations follow from your test. What you
learned, discovered, confirmed or even disproved or rejected.

40. INCIDENT REPORTS
Incident reports must contain identification details, the type of incident, the time
and location of the incident, a description of what happened, an indication of
what was done after the incident, an explanation of what caused the incident
and recommendations.
• Because incident reports may be used as official legal record:
• Submit your report promptly.
• Interview eyewitnesses.
• Be accurate, objective and complete.
• Give facts, not opinions.
• Do not exceed your professional responsibilities.