Report
A report or account is any informational work (usually of writing, speech,
television, or film) made with the specific intention of relaying information or
[1]
recounting certain events in a widely presentable form.
Contents
1 Description
2 Usage
3 Attributes
4 Standard Elements
5 Types
6 See also
7 References Example of a front page of a report
7.1 Reports or an explanation about them
7.2 The process of writing reports
8 External links
Description
A report is an informational work made with the specific intention of relaying information or recounting certain events in a way that
is concise, factual and relevant to the audience at hand. Reports may be conveyed through a written medium, speech, television, or
film. In professional spheres, reports are a common and vital communication tool. Additionally, reports may be official or unofficial,
and can be listed publicly or only available privately depending on the specific scenario. The audience for a report can vary
dramatically, from an elementary school classroom to a boardroom onWall Street.
Usage
Reports fill a vast array of informational needs for a spectrum of audiences. Reports may be used to keep track of information,
evaluate a strategy, or make decisions. Written reports are documents which present focused and salient content, generally to a
specific audience. An example of an official report would be a police report, which could have legally binding consequences. Other
types of reports, like Consumer Reports inform the public about the quality of products available on the market. Reports are used in
government, business, education, science, and other fields, often to display the results of an experiment, investigation, or inquiry
.
Attributes
One of the most common formats for presenting reports is IMRAD: Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion. This structure is
standard for the genre because it mirrors the traditional publication of scientific research and summons the ethos and credibility of
that discipline. Reports are not required to follow this pattern, and may use alternative methods like the problem-solution format,
wherein the author first lists an issue and then details what must be done to fix the problem. Transparency and a focus on quality are
key to writing a useful report. Accuracy is also extremely important; faulty numbers in a financial report could lead to disastrous
consequences.
Standard Elements
Reports use features such as tables, graphics, images, voice, or specialized vocabulary in order to persuade a specific audience to
undertake an action or inform the reader of the subject at hand. Some common elements of written reports include headings to
indicate topics and help the reader locate relevant information quickly, and visual elements such as charts, tables and figures, which
are useful for breaking up large sections of text and making complex issues more accessible. Lengthy written reports will almost
always contain a table of contents, appendices, footnotes, and references. A bibliography or list of references will appear at the end of
any credible report and citations are often included within the text itself. Complex terms are explained within the body of the report
or listed as footnotes in order to make the report easier to follow. A short summary of the report's contents, called an abstract, may
appear in the beginning so that the audience knows what the report will cover. Online reports often contain hyperlinks to internal or
external sources as well.
Verbal reports differ from written reports in the minutiae of their format, but they still educate or advocate for a course of action.
Quality reports will be well researched and the speaker will list their sources if at all possible.
Types
Some examples of reports are:
annual reports expense report investigative reports
auditor's reports experience report scientific reports[2]
book reports inspection reports trip reports
bound reports military reports white papers
retail reports police reports appraisal reports
census reports policy reports workplace reports
credit reports progress reports
demographic reports recommendation reports
See also
Customer relationship management
Data quality
Decision support system
Enterprise application integration
Enterprise resource planning
Global Reporting Initiative
Grey Literature International Steering Committee International guidelines for the production of scientific and
technical reports
Management information system
Reporting (disambiguation)
References
1. "Report - definition of report by The Free Dictionary"(http://www.thefreedictionary.com/report).
TheFreeDictionary.com.
2. "Report" (https://wayback.archive.org/web/20140319203959/http://studyboom.net/wiki/Report)
. archive.org.
Reports or an explanation about them
Geopolicity - Publications (Iraq 2013 Health Care Sector Outlook, UAE 2013 Real Estate, New Silk Road)
Link, Morton and Hill, Winfrey (1970). Hill-Link Minority Report of the Presidential Commission on Obscenity and
Pornography. Random House.
United States Immigration Commission (1933). Abstracts Of Reports Of The Immigration Commission, With
Conclusions And Recommendations And Views Of The Minority. Kessinger Publishing.ISBN 1-4366-1613-1.
The process of writing reports
Blicq, Ronald (2003). "Technically-Write!". Prentice Hall. ISBN 0-13-114878-8.
Gerson, Sharon and Gerson, Steven (2005). e Tchnical Writing: Process and Product. Prentice Hall.ISBN 0-13-
119664-2.
Lannon, John (2007). Technical Communication. Longman. ISBN 0-205-55957-3.
External links
Grey Literature International Steering Committee (GLISC) , Guidelines for the production of scientific and technical
reports: how to write and distribute grey literature
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