Assignment Toolbox

What is a report?

A report is a presentation of facts on a certain topic. Its purpose is to convey information and ideas and sometimes to make recommendations.

Different departments within Unitec have differing requirements for report layout so it is very important that you know what type of report your lecturer requires and what format the report should be in.

In general, Unitec students are asked to write either a business or scientific report.

A business report  presents information and about  an issue or incident.  It typically includes reference to relevant theory and gives conclusions and, if requested, recommendations. This report structure is also commonly used in subjects outside of business.

A scientific report provides details of an experiment or test: how it was conducted and the results discovered.

The layout of a report will depend on the type of report you are writing.

Reports are one of the most impersonal kinds of writing and this is reflected in the language used.  It is usually best to avoid expressing personal opinions or feelings except perhaps in the conclusions section. The following clickable list provides some examples of language to use for different parts of a report.

Suggestions for language to use:

Introduction

Procedure

The first stage of the research process was to draw up a questionnaire. X was investigated in order to find out…

Reporting a finding

Quoting

Concluding

Commenting

Generalising

Making Recommendations