A report is written for a clear purpose and to a particular audience. In other words, reports are designed to record and convey information to the readers. Reports serve to document new information. Specific information and evidence are presented, analysed and applied to a particular problem or issue for specific audiences, goals, or functions. The type of report is often identified by its primary purpose, as in an accident report, a laboratory report, or a sales report.
Reports are often analytical or involve the rational analysis of information. Sometimes, they report the facts with no analysis at all. Other reports summarize past events, present current data, and forecast future trends. The information is presented in a structured format making use of sections and headings so that the information is easy to understand and follow.
An effective report presents and analyses facts and evidence that are relevant to the specific problem or issue of the report in brief. All sources used should be acknowledged and referenced throughout, under the preferred method of referencing.
Many business professionals need to write a formal report at some point during their career, and some professionals write them regularly. Key decision-makers in business, education, and government use formal reports to make their important decisions. Several different organizational patterns may be used for formal report writing. However, all formal reports contain Title of the report, introductory material, and a body, supplementary items (discussions and recommendations). The introductory material is therefore critical to providing the audience with an overview and roadmap of the report. In contrast, the body of a formal report discusses the findings that lead to the recommendations. Above, is the sample process of formal report writing.
