-Reports

Q.A1 1) A report is a systematic, well organized document which defines and analyses a subject or problem, and which may include: -the record of a sequence of events -interpretation of the significance of these events or facts -evaluation of the facts or results of research presented -discussion of the outcomes of a decision or course of action -conclusions -recommendations
 * PART 1: REPORTS**

Reports must always be: -accurate -concise -clear -well structured http://www.ssdd.uce.ac.uk/learner/writingguides/1.02%20Reports.htm#Title 2)  ** Practical Reports **   In the practical world of business or government, a report conveys information and (sometimes) recommendations from a [|researcher] who has investigated a topic in detail.  A report like this will usually be requested by people who need the information for a specific purpose and their request may be written in //terms of reference// or the //brief//. Whatever the report, it is important to look at the //instructions// for what is wanted   A report like this differs from an [|essay] in that it is designed to provide information which will be acted on, rather than to be read by people interested in the [|ideas] for their own sake. Because of this, it has [|a different structure and layout] ** Academic Reports ** A report written for an academic course can be thought of as a simulation. We can imagine that someone wants the report for a practical purpose, although we are really writing the report as an academic exercise for assessment. Theoretical ideas will be more to the front in an academic report than in a practical one Sometimes a report seems to serve academic and practical purposes. Students on placement with organisations often have to produce a report for the organisation and for assessment on the course. Although the background work for both will be related, in practice, the report the student produces for academic assessment will be different from the report produced for the organisation, because the needs of each are different. []

3) A report is a very formal document that is written for a variety of purposes, generally in the sciences, social sciences, engineering and business disciplines. Generally, findings pertaining to a given or specific task are written up into a report. It should be noted that reports are considered to be legal documents in the workplace and, thus, they need to be precise, accurate and difficult to misinterpret.  []  Q.A2  ** PARTS OF A REPORT **  ** Cover Sheet ** This should contain some or all of the following: full title of the report; your name; the name of the unit of which the project is a part; the name of the institution; the date.


 * Title Page** Full title of the report. Your name.


 * Acknowledgements** A thank you to the people who helped you.


 * Contents** or **Table of Contents**

Headings and subheadings used in the report with their page numbers. Remember that each new chapter should begin on a new page.

Use a consistent system in dividing the report into parts. The simplest may be to use chapters for each major part and subdivide these into sections and subsections. 1, 2, 3, etc, can be used as the numbers for each chapter. The sections for chapter 3 (for example) would be 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, and so on. For a further subdivision of a subsection you can use 3.2.1, 3.2.2, and so on. [] Q.A3 Parts of reports:
 * laboratory reports || health and safety reports ||
 * research reports || case study reports ||
 * field study reports || cost-benefit analysis reports ||
 * proposals || comparative advantage reports ||
 * progress reports || feasibility studies ||
 * technical reports || instruction manuals ||
 * financial reports || And on it goes … ||
 * PART 2: ANNUAL REPORTS**