This document provides guidance on writing academic reports and essays. It explains that reports and essays are two distinct writing formats used in academic work, with each assignment specifying the required format. Reports use a formal structure with sections, headings, numbering, and appendices, while essays have a less rigid structure but still require arguments and objective commentary. Key expectations for academic writing are to follow the assigned task, use proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation, explain jargon, and take an impersonal and objective style. References must be included to cite ideas from other sources. The document provides tips for planning, structuring, and formatting reports and essays to clearly communicate information to the intended audience.

1. Writing for Academic Purposes
In this short presentation we look at
writing reports and essays

2. Writing
• What do you write?
• Why is this different?
• Two distinct approaches;
essays and reports
• Both are acceptable for
academic work, but read
the instructions/brief for
each assignment – this
will tell you what format
is expected
• Needed for all.....
• Introduction
• Context
• Ideas or discussion
• Conclusions
• and for academic work......
• REFERENCES
There are other descriptions for formats– you could be asked to plan a
PowerPoint presentation or develop a briefing paper – you will get
additional briefings and guidance as that happens in your course

3. Writing - expectations
• You do what is asked in the task briefing
– Style and content
• Good grammar and spelling
• Accurate punctuation
• Jargon explained and clarified
• Unless specified use an impersonal and
objective style
• So not ‘I’ or ‘we’ or ‘my’

4. Writing - expectations
• Writing academically involves writing in a
different, impersonal style and being cautious
about claims (hedging)
• Examples:
I discovered....it was discovered
I think ..... it might/could be argued
• Use references to source ideas .... Simmons
(1997) argued that ......

5. Writing - expectations
• The agency or organisation’s name (rather than
‘my organisation’ does…..)
• Avoid abbreviations in text (local authority rather
than LA; housing association rather than HA)
• Where acronyms are in common use – use full
name first with initials in brackets, then can use
acronym – saves words and time
• Example: The Department of Communities and
Local Government (CLG) said ……… According to
the CLG, rent collection is a …….

6. Planning for writing
• You can’t start until you know what
you will be writing about – that blank
sheet of paper or blank screen
• Plan out the structure
• Think about the way you will organise
and order the work – does it have a
logical flow?
• The assignment brief might give some
clues about ordering
• Advantage of using pcs (or Macs) –
you can insert, add, move things
around

7. The Writing Sandwich
Introduction – the base which holds
the substance
The ‘meat’
gives it
meaning:
narrative,
research,
case studies
Conclusions
Completes the report
What it all means
Appendices
Tables and charts
The ‘relishes’

8. Purpose
• To inform a given audience
• Tutor, tenants, colleagues, board members – the
assignment brief will tell you
• Tailor your style and language to suit their needs
• Consider and picture your audience
– Who are they?
– What do they need to know and why?
– How will they need this information?
– What benefits will this information provide for them?

9. For all audiences
• Avoid or explain jargon
• Avoid slang and abbreviations (unless
acronyms)
• Be clear about what goes into your work –
content but leave writing the introduction
fully until you have written the body of the
work

10. A word about conclusions
• Nothing NEW goes here
• If you think of something new to add, insert in
the appropriate place in the report (or essay)
• You cover:
• What was covered or discussed (briefly) and what
was most significant or what the overall impact
has been
• Recommendations are only required if asked for –
don’t be tempted to suggest new ways forward if
you haven’t been asked for them

11. Reports
• Most useful for work, so
try the format
• Signposting
• White space
• Headings and
subheadings
• Numbering of sections
and paragraphs - being
consistent
• Referencing is required
in all ‘academic’ reports
FORMAT OF REPORT
• Header Page
• Contents page or list
• Introduction
• Chapters
• Conclusions
• Summary and
recommendations (if asked
for)
• Appendices

12. Tips
• Be consistent in style and approach
• Use a logical numbering system
• It is useful to use numbered paragraphs – think
about someone wanting to refer to your work
and pinpoint exactly where something is
• BUT….perhaps write first and then number –
both to help the work flow and so things are
logically ordered
• You reference all your work in the course, even
though a work based report wouldn’t usually be
referenced

13. Essays
Less formal structure
than reports but still
needing argument and
objective commentary
è Introduction
è Main arguments -
leading to
è Conclusions
Even here, you might
use headings, but check
this with whoever set
the essay
• no numbering of
headings/sections
• no appendices
• lots of referencing
• TELL THEM WHAT YOU ARE
GOING TO TELL THEM
• TELL THEM
• TELL THEM WHAT YOU TOLD
THEM (and what was most
important)