There are many types of reports – sales reports, marketing reports, school reports, social media reports and more.
But no matter which type of report you have to write, it must follow the correct report writing format. With the right format, your report will be easy to read and understand.
First of all, a report is unlike an essay, blog post or journalistic article. The main idea of a report is to present facts about a specific topic, situation, or event.
You might have to write a report at university (an academic report) or as part of your job (a business or technical report).
There are also different reasons for report writing: to present information (such as a lab report or financial report); to present research findings; or to analyse a problem and then recommend a particular action or strategy.
A report can be long or short, formal or informal. The style and vocabulary choice will depend on who is going to read your report, and their level of understanding or expertise.
Reports should be clear and concise, with the information presented logically in sections, with headings and (if necessary) sub-headings.
Reading literature is a necessary part of a scientific work of several reasons: It will provide information on what has previously been done with the problem one shall work with and thereby clarify on what basis one can build further. In addition, a literature study will prevent than one makes unnecessary work. However, please note that a one easily can be so bound by others' observations and opinions that one only sees what others have done before, and that ones work thus loses its originality. A too extensive literature study in the early stages of your work may cause that both your original idea and research drive gets lost. In the world of chemistry, it is after all the results from the laboratory work that are the most important. The research work is still an important part of the work that cannot be neglected. Some may find it useful to make a bibliography when the literature has been read and reviewed, so that important references will not be lost during the work. The literature list should include full bibliographic information, which is all that is necessary if the book or publication later will be presented in the bibliography in the report.
The basic method is trial and error. That is, to write well you repeatedly create, test and reject. This is how biological evolution works; survival of the fittest. This is the essence of the scientific method, of problem solving, of design, of computer programming, and most things that involve discovery or creation. The only sure way to make good things, including good writing, is to make things (some good and many bad) and keep the good parts and throw out the bad. You repeatedly create, test and reject. If you are willing to try out new things, check if they work, and are willing to toss them out if they don't work, then you can learn, discover, design ... and write. How? You first write something that might be good but is much more likely bad. Then, you rearrange words, phrases, sentences and paragraphs. Are the new groups of words an improvement (that is, do they better get your message across)? If so, keep them. If not, change them or throw them out. Do this many times, and you will have something that is good, or at least good enough.
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