Key Takeaways
Key Takeaway
Reports require a clear purpose, solid organization, and adherence to conventions.
The following is a 14-point checklist for helping to ensure that a report fulfills its goals:
◻ 1. Report considers the audience’s needs
◻ 2. Format follows function of report
◻ 3. Format reflects institutional conventions and expectations
◻ 4. Information is accurate, complete, and documented
◻ 5. Information is easy to read
◻ 6. Terms are clearly defined
◻ 7. Figures, tables, and graphic elements support written content
◻ 8. Figures, tables, and graphic elements are clear and correctly labeled
◻ 9. Figures, tables, and graphic elements are easily understood without text support
◻ 10. Words are easy to read (font, arrangement, organization)
◻ 11. Results are clear and concise
◻ 12. Recommendations are reasonable and well-supported
◻ 13. Report represents your best effort
◻ 14. Report speaks for itself without your clarification or explanation
(Business Communication for Success, 2015)
Access the documents below for additional information on report writing
- Reports, Proposals, and Technical Papers. Once this page is accessed, use the side panel to open pages on various aspects of report writing.
- Handbook on Report Formats
- Writing Report Abstracts
References
Business Communication for Success by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.
Purdue University. (2020). Purdue online writing lab. Retrieved from https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/purdue_owl.html
Purdue University. (2020). Handbook of report formats. Purdue online writing lab. Retrieved from https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/purdue_owl.html
University of Wisconsin-Madison. (2020). Writing an abstract for your research paper. The writing center. Retrieved from https://writing.wisc.edu/handbook/assignments/writing-an-abstract-for-your-research-paper/