At some point in their education, most students are required to write an essay. In the professional world, workers are more likely to write a report.

Reports organize and communicate information to allow a reader to clearly understand a topic. Reports usually have several paragraphs that are organized into several sections. Reports can be very concise or very elaborate, depending on the writer’s intentions.

There are many different ways to write a report. The style of your report will depend on your message, audience, and purpose. For example, a report written by a police officer as they prepare for a trial will look very different from a marketing report that an advertising executive writes for her CEO. Both of these will look very different from a lab report that a scientist writes to share experimental findings. Whatever style of report you’re writing, you must consider the following elements:

• Message: what kind of information are you communicating?
• Audience: who are you writing for? Do they expect to understand a complex situation quickly? Do they expect to see detailed data? Do they expect a practical recommendation?
• Purpose: are you writing to share neutral facts and information? To summarize key findings? To influence a decision? To document a situation that occurred?
• Style: see Table 7.3.1 below for a list of 20 different report styles.

7.3.1: Types of Reports: Informational and Analytical

An informational report presents details of events, activities, individuals, or conditions without analysis. One example of this type is a police accident report. The purpose of that report is to inform its audience so that the audience can independently reach an appropriate conclusion. Such a report would note the time, date, place, weather, road conditions, and driver information. It would not include judgments or personal analysis. For example, a police accident report would never include writing like “The driver was definitely very drunk, maybe from beer, but possibly from whiskey, too!” Instead, it might say: “Field sobriety tests were conducted. The driver did not demonstrate basic physical coordination. A Breathalyzer test was administered at the scene. Results indicated a blood alcohol level of 0.09%. The driver was arrested under suspicion of driving while intoxicated and transported to the station.” The officer writing this kind of informational report must document relevant facts. This allows the facts to become evidence in a longer legal process. If the report were to draw unwarranted conclusions, it could jeopardize the outcome of a case.

By contrast, an analytical report presents information with a comprehensive analysis to solve problems, connect causes and effects, or make recommendations. For instance, a field report by a Public Health Agency of Canada physician from the site of an outbreak will note symptoms, disease progression, and steps taken to inhibit the spread of the disease. This kind of report will ultimately make recommendations on the treatment and quarantine of subjects. Table 7.3 below includes common reports that, depending on the audience’s needs, may be informational or analytical (Business Communication for Success, 2015, 9.4).

Table 7.3.1: Report Style and Their Functions

(“Business Communication for Success,” 2015, 9.4)

7.3.2: Report Organization

Because reports vary by size, format, and function, writing them involves adjusting to the needs of the audience while respecting conventions and guidelines. Reports are typically organized around six key elements, the 5Ws + H:

1. Who? (who am I writing for? Who am I writing about?)
2. What? (is there a single focus?)
3. When? (is there a history or a timeline that I should document?)
4. Where? (is there a specific location that matters for the context?)
5. Why? (is the purpose to inform? Analyze? Recommend?)
6. How? (is this part of a larger process? Will the way I write support that process?)

Pay attention to these essential elements when you consider your stakeholders or those who have an interest in the report. That may include the person(s) the report is about, whom it is for, and the larger audience of the business, organization, or industry. Ask yourself who are the key decision makers reading the report, who the experts or technicians will be, and how executives and workers may interpret your words and images. While there is no universal format for a report, there is a common order to the information. Each element supports the main purpose or function in its own way, playing an important role in the representation and transmission of information (Business Communication for Success, 2015, 9.4). For an excellent overview of report elements, see Purdue OWL’s Reports, proposals, and technical papers (Pickert, n.d.).

Table 7.3.3: Common Report Elements

The following is a checklist for helping to ensure that a report fulfills its goals:

◻  1. Messaging throughout is complete, accurate, and evidence-based

◻  2. Audience’s wants, needs, and abilities influence the research and writing of the report

◻  3. Purpose and goals are clear

◻  4. Style reflects the organization’s conventions and expectations

◻  5. Key terms are clearly defined

◻  6. Figures, tables, and graphic elements are correctly labelled and consistent with the writing

◻  7. Figures, tables, and graphic elements are easily understood without text support

◻  8. Typeface and images are accessible (AODA-compliant: font choice, alt text for images, etc.)

◻  9. Results are clear and concise

◻  10. Recommendations are clear, reasonable, and well-supported

(“Business Communication for Success,” 2015, 9.4)