Test your knowledge:
According to the kind of report that needs to be prepared, the structure will vary, but usually, a report will contain the following:
Title page, which contains:
– The report’s title, which expressly specifies its subject
– Complete information on that person or people the report was created for
– Complete identity of the individual or people that wrote the report
– Date of report submission, if you are not presenting it; alternatively, date of report presentation.
Abstract or executive summary
One of the most crucial parts of the report is the abstract. If your report is published, it will be read by a far larger audience than those who read the entire document, therefore it must contain enough information to motivate readers to continue reading. Writing your abstract should be the final step, even if the audience will read it first. This will enable you to provide a short and clear summary of the information in your report. An abstract should typically be between 100 and 200 words, or no more than 10% of the report, depending on its length.
An abstract seeks to:
– Provide a brief overview of the whole report
– Give concise, complete, specific and self-sufficient information that can be easily understood
– Offer recommendations for executives and managers to base their decisions on.
Table of contents
The reader can easily browse to the sections that are most relevant to them by using your table of contents, which will also provide them an overview of the report’s layout. Your report can be formatted in either the more popular decimal system or an alphanumeric system. View the two distinct styles in the examples provided below. To make the information easier to read in chronological order, both tables are separated into headings and subheadings.
Example: decimal system vs. alphanumeric system


Introduction
In your introduction you will:
– Give some prior knowledge about the subject.
– Indicate the report’s objective.
– State the extent, taking into account any restrictions.
– Describe the techniques used to obtain information
– define key terms.
– Tell the reader what will be discussed in your report.
– Provide an overview of how the material will be delivered to the reader.
Your literature review of any publications you used for your report will also be included. Literature reviews will be discussed later in this session
Discussion or body – the content
Your report’s purpose will determine what it contains. If at all possible, your report should include primary sources (such as observations and interviews) in addition to secondary materials that explain background information and theories. Guidelines for the usage of primary and/or secondary sources will be provided by your lecturer. You should go into additional depth about the procedures you used for your inquiry, including what you did and why, as well as any problems you ran into. You will clarify the research findings and explore the consequences in the body of the article. To ensure that your report is read by the reader in manageable chunks, make sure to clearly divide your main ideas and concepts into headings and subheadings.
Your report’s body will include the following sections:
– Method (what was done and how?)
– Results and analysis (what happened? Why did it happen?)
– Discussion (what are the implications of this in the broader context of the topic?)
Conclusion
The main ideas you discussed in your discussion will be summed up in your conclusion.
In order to do this, you must:
– Put your observations, conclusions, and analysis in context.
– Remind the reader of the information you provided in the body of the text (i.e., the consequences -or issues this raises, the things you studied and learned, etc.).
– Promote a feeling of accomplishment.
The conclusion is a summary of the points you have already made, so make sure you don’t add any new information.
Recommendations
Consider this a plan of action for resolving or improving the problem. Make your suggestions as realistic as you can, and indicate specific steps that the relevant parties could take to implement them.
Appendix/appendices
You can add more information in this part that relates to your issue but did not fit in the report’s body. This can include raw data gathered during your inquiry as well as graphs, tables, and photos, etc.
References
The sources you used for your report must be properly cited, just as in other academic work. To determine which referencing style is appropriate for your assignment, see your unit outline or consult your lecturer. For information on the various referring styles and examples of their application, see the Library’s citing guidelines.
When drafting a report, read your unit outline for details. Prior to beginning your report, make sure you have thoroughly examined the question that has been posed to you.