There must have been many writing projects upcoming every week if you’re in your senior-secondary college or undergrad years. You get to write reports that substantiate the main document along with many thesis, dissertations, and essays. But, if you’re new to this, you must be wondering how to write a report as per the university guidelines. Terms like APA and MLA style must be new to your and sound unfamiliar to start with. So, to help you with your report writing assignments, this blog will be your perfect guide.
Also, need a guide on writing a research paper?
What is a Report?
Before getting ahead with the steps to write a report, you must first know what it is and why a student has to write it. Reports are written documents that present an investigation, analyze information, recommend actions for the same, and make proposals. There are several types of reports, including business, scientific, and research. But, the basic pattern to write any of them remains the same. So, here are the steps that you need to follow for writing an academic report.
Steps to Write a Report Like a Pro
While writing a report, there is a certain technique that you must follow as a student. Since it is in your hand to make any process simple or complex, following the right pattern will not only impress your reader but ace your grades as well. Set the right tune to write a report by paying close attention to your report prompt. The process of report writing must involve four main steps.
Step 1:- Selection of the Report Topic
Step 2:- Research On the Selected Topic
Step 3:- Writing the First Draft of the Report
Step 4:- Proofread the Final Draft
So, after researching from varied sources and outlining it, fill in the gaps of the report with the collected information, and proofread it before final submission. There are further points to keep in mind while following these steps to write a report. Let’s take up each step and instigate it further.
Step 1# Selection of the Report Topic
To simplify your guide on how to write a report, here are different sections to look into. The first process is to select a report topic. Under this section, there are three main points to remember:-
- Read the Report Prompt and Guidelines
To understand the purpose of your assignment, you must read the report prompt and university guidelines properly. In the prompt of the report writing, you’ll find basic guidelines such as whether the report is persuasive or informative, about the audience, and what the report must address. Also, reading the report prompt will give you a clear view of the structure and format to follow while writing your report.
2. Choose the Topic of Interest
As per the guidelines, you’ll have particular criteria to choose your topic. The thumb rule is that if you choose an interesting topic, you’ll get more engaged in researching and drafting your report; just seek approval from the concerned authorities. Your enthusiasm while writing the report will reflect on the paper, and the reader will have a better impression, resulting in good grades.
3. Be Specific
Your writing will be quite disorganized if you choose a broad topic for your report and won’t appeal to the reader much. So, choose a more specific topic and, at the same time, not too narrow to find relevant information.
Step 2# research On the Selected Topic
The second section in learning how to write a report is researching. To have more presentable and organized writing, you must do the research properly. While researching, there are some significant points to remember.
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Break the Research Sources
The information is floating far and wide, and it is in our hands to choose the right source. The three main sources that you can categorize further are:-
Primary Sources
- Original written works
- Court records
- Interviews
Secondary Sources
- Reference books
- Reviews
Tertiary Sources
- Databases
- Abstracts
- Indexes
2. Keep a Record of the Sources and Citation Information
While researching, keep thorough notes of the source like the book, article, or any other source that you’ll need while writing the bibliography. Make tabs for other information like the author’s name, the date of the publication, the page number, and the publisher.
- Prepare a Thesis Statement
- Outline the Researched Information
By outlining the researched information, you build a structure for your main body. By doing this, you can visualize the entire structure of your report and follow an organized pattern.
Step 3:# Writing the First Draft of the Report
Now that you have a topic and the entire outline with relevant information, you can get along with the drafting part. The basic guidelines to follow while writing the report include:-
- Using a readable font like 12-point Times New Roman or Arial font, double-spaced lines, and 1 in (2.5 cm) margins all around
- On the first page, include the title of the report, your name, date, and the person you’ll submit to
- Make a table of contents, an abstract, or a summary for the introduction of the report
Want a guide on how to write an abstract?
- Support your topic sentences with the researched information that you obtained in the first place
- Like a conclusive paragraph by summarizing the entire report and giving an analysis of all your main observations
Step 4# Proofread the Final Draft
The final section in learning how to write a report is to proofread the final draft. Now that you’ve made the final draft of your report make sure to do a thorough check. Follow certain steps to ensure that your report contains all the main points.
- Scan the entire draft of the report and find out all that makes sense
- Check for all the errors by yourself and rectify them
- Make someone else read your report and find out all the errors
Hopefully, this guide will serve its purpose in helping you know how to write a report. If you still face a problem, you can get instant online assignment help from the top-experts at Homework Minutes. We provide 100% top-quality with zero-plagiarism.
