LE-2503 L2B Report Structure

Summary

This lecture by Datin Rosna delves into the art of report writing, contrasting it with essay writing and emphasizing its structured nature. It outlines the purpose of reports, which include problem-solving and information provision, and covers the essential sections of a report, such as the abstract, introduction, literature review, methods, discussion, conclusion, and appendices. The lecture also provides guidance on structuring each section effectively, ensuring clarity and coherence in presenting research findings and recommendations.

Takeaways

• 📝 A report is a structured document that outlines a problem, provides relevant facts, and recommends a course of action.
• 🔍 Reports are written to show research on a specific problem, propose solutions, or present findings from experiments or projects.
• 🎯 The purpose of a report is to provide information that the audience needs or wants to know, based on their requirements.
• 📚 Different report formats exist for various academic disciplines and professional contexts, such as analytical, business, scientific, and research reports.
• 📑 The main sections of a report include the title page, table of contents, acknowledgements, abstract, introduction, literature review, methods, discussion, conclusion, recommendations, references, and appendices.
• 📖 The abstract or executive summary provides an overview of the report and should be written last, despite being read first.
• 🔑 The introduction should clearly state the purpose of the report, the research question, and the scope of the study.
• 🔬 The methods section must be detailed enough for the research to be replicated, including the techniques and equipment used.
• 📊 The data analysis or results section presents findings clearly, using appropriate formats like graphs and tables without interpretation.
• 💬 The discussion section is crucial, as it explains how the findings relate to the research problem and addresses any issues encountered during the study.
• 🔚 The conclusion summarizes the main findings and may include recommendations or suggestions for further research, adhering to the report's structure and purpose.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of writing a report?

The main purpose of writing a report is to provide information to the readers about something, such as how to solve a problem, a description of a situation or process, to propose recommendations, or to provide information about the outcomes of a project or experiment.

How does report writing differ from essay writing?

Report writing differs from essay writing because a report has a different purpose and is highly structured to make the information easily understandable. Reports use headings and subheadings, diagrams, tables, graphs, and illustrations to enhance structure, whereas essays follow a more narrative structure.

What are some common reasons for writing reports?

Reports are often written to show that a particular problem has been investigated or researched, to provide information on how to solve a problem, to describe a situation or process, to propose recommendations, or to present the outcomes of a laboratory experiment or research project.

What are the main sections of a report?

The main sections of a report typically include the title page, table of contents, acknowledgements, abstract or executive summary, introduction, literature review, methods or methodology, results or findings, discussion, conclusion, recommendations, references, and appendices.

Why is the abstract or executive summary important in a report?

The abstract or executive summary is important because it acts like a shop window for the report, providing an overview of the content, including the problem investigated, methods used, main conclusions, and recommendations. It helps the reader decide whether to read the full report.

What should be included in the introduction of a report?

The introduction should explain the rationale for undertaking the work, what has been asked or chosen to do and the reasons for doing it. It should state what the report is about, who the specific reader is if applicable, describe the background to the subject, and outline the method of inquiry.

How should the literature review in a report be structured?

The literature review should provide an understanding of what has been written about the topic, how the research fits in with existing knowledge, and explain why the research was important to do. It should include studies with direct relevance to the research, grouped according to themes, issues, trends, or patterns.

What is the purpose of the methods or methodology section in a report?

The purpose of the methods or methodology section is to provide enough detail to allow the reader to replicate the research process or experiment at another time. It should include information about the participants, equipment or software used, and a step-by-step description of how the information was collected.

What should be included in the data analysis or results section of a report?

The data analysis or results section should present the findings of the research as simply as possible using text, graphs, tables, diagrams, etc., without repeating the same information in multiple formats. It should clearly label graphs and tables and describe what they demonstrate.

What is the role of the discussion section in a report?

The discussion section brings everything together, showing how the findings respond to the brief or question outlined in the introduction. It explains why the results were obtained, how they impact the processes being examined, and mentions any problems encountered during the research.

What should be included in the conclusion of a report?

The conclusion should sum up the main points of the research, answering the original brief or question. It may include recommendations for action and suggestions for further research, but should not introduce new arguments or evidence.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to Report Writing

This paragraph introduces the lecture on report structure by Datin Rosna, highlighting the purpose of reports compared to essays and emphasizing the structured nature of reports with headings and subheadings. It also addresses why reports are written, such as to show research, provide information, propose recommendations, or detail outcomes of experiments or projects. The paragraph sets the stage for discussing the various types of reports and their formats in academic and professional contexts.

05:02

📝 Main Sections of a Report

The second paragraph delves into the common sections found in reports, including the title page, table of contents, acknowledgements, abstract or executive summary, introduction, literature review, methods or methodology, discussion, conclusion, recommendations, references, and appendices. Each section's purpose and content are briefly explained, providing a foundation for understanding the structure and components essential for a comprehensive report.

10:02

🔍 The Abstract and Executive Summary

This paragraph focuses on the importance of the abstract or executive summary, which serves as a 'shop window' for the report. It should be written last but read first, offering a concise overview of the report's purpose, methods, conclusions, and recommendations. The length is typically less than a page, and it should entice the reader to delve into the full report.

15:07

📖 Writing the Introduction and Literature Review

The fourth paragraph discusses the components of a report's introduction, which should explain the rationale, scope, and background of the research, as well as any hypotheses to be tested. It also touches on the literature review, emphasizing the need to show sufficient background reading and to critically summarize sources relevant to the research topic, grouping them by themes, issues, or trends.

20:10

🔬 Methods and Data Analysis

The paragraph on methods and data analysis instructs how to write the methodology section in a way that allows replication of the research, detailing every step and procedure. It also covers the presentation of findings in the data analysis section, advocating for clarity and simplicity, using appropriate formats like graphs, tables, and diagrams, and reserving interpretation for the discussion section.

25:14

📉 Discussion, Conclusion, and Further Research

This paragraph explains the role of the discussion section in connecting findings to the research purpose, addressing any issues or unexpected results, and the conclusion section in summarizing main points and possibly suggesting recommendations or further research. It also outlines the reference list's purpose and the appendices' role in providing additional, non-essential information to aid understanding.

📘 Structuring the Report and Assignment Follow-up

The final paragraph wraps up the lecture by summarizing the key points discussed about report writing, including the purpose of reports, their main sections, and what each section should contain. It encourages students to complete an exercise from a provided handout and previews the next lecture, which will offer guidelines for report writing and a more in-depth look at report formats.

Keywords

💡Report

A report is a formal document typically used to present findings, data, or research in a structured manner. In the context of the video, a report is distinguished from an essay by its purpose, which is to outline a problem, provide relevant facts, and recommend a course of action. The script emphasizes the structured nature of reports, including the use of headings and subheadings to enhance readability and comprehension.

💡Structure

Structure refers to the organization of content in a report. The video script highlights the importance of structure in facilitating the reader's understanding of the report. It mentions the use of headings, subheadings, diagrams, tables, and graphs as elements that contribute to the enhanced structure of a report.

💡Purpose

The purpose of a report is to convey information about a specific topic or issue. The script explains that reports are written to show investigation or research into a problem, propose recommendations, or provide outcomes of experiments or projects. The purpose is integral to the report's content and dictates the type of information included.

💡Abstract

An abstract is a brief summary of a report, typically placed at the beginning, which provides an overview of the content, methods, conclusions, and recommendations. The video script notes that although the report for the module does not require an abstract, it is an important section that can act as a 'shop window' for the report, influencing the reader's decision to read further.

💡Introduction

The introduction section of a report sets the stage for what the report will cover. It explains the rationale for the work and how it was conducted. The script specifies that the introduction should state what the report is about, the research question, and the scope of the study, as well as any hypotheses to be tested.

💡Literature Review

A literature review is a section of a report that surveys existing research on the topic. It helps to establish the context of the new research and its contribution to existing knowledge. The script mentions that even an informal report should demonstrate sufficient background reading and relevance of previous studies to the current research.

💡Methods

The methods section of a report details the procedures used to conduct the research. It should be thorough enough to allow replication of the study. The script emphasizes the need to describe the research participants, techniques, and equipment used, ensuring clarity and precision.

💡Data Analysis

Data analysis involves the examination and interpretation of data collected during research. The script indicates that the results or findings section of a report should present these data simply and effectively, using appropriate formats like text, graphs, tables, and diagrams, without interpreting the results at this stage.

💡Discussion

The discussion section of a report is where the researcher interprets the results and relates them to the original research question or problem. The script describes this section as crucial for showing how the findings respond to the brief and for addressing any issues encountered during the research process.

💡Conclusion

A conclusion summarizes the main findings of a report and their implications. It may also include recommendations for action or suggestions for further research. The script notes that the conclusion should not introduce new arguments or evidence but rather restate the research's main points and their relevance to the initial query.

💡Recommendations

Recommendations are suggestions for action based on the findings of a report. They may be included in the conclusion or as a separate section, depending on the report's objectives. The script mentions that recommendations can indicate how a research project could be extended or improved in the future.

💡References

References are the citations of sources used in a report, following a specific referencing style. The script specifies that the APA style is used for this purpose, and it is important to list full details of all works referred to in the report to maintain academic integrity.

💡Appendices

Appendices are supplementary sections of a report that include additional information relevant to the research but not essential to the main findings. The script mentions that appendices can contain items like interview questions, raw data, or a glossary of terms, and should be clearly labeled and referenced in the main text.

Highlights

Datin Rosna introduces the second lecture on report structure.

Reports are distinct from essays due to their specific purposes and structures.

Reports outline problems, provide facts, and recommend actions.

The structure of a report is enhanced with headings, subheadings, and visual aids.

The purpose of writing reports ranges from problem-solving to research findings.

Different report formats are used across academic disciplines and employment contexts.

Types of reports include analytical, business, scientific, research, and project outcomes.

The main sections of a report include title page, table of contents, and acknowledgements.

The abstract or executive summary provides an overview of the report's content.

The introduction of a report outlines the research's purpose and significance.

The literature review section situates the research within existing knowledge.

The methods section must allow replication of the research process.

The discussion section interprets the research findings and their implications.

The conclusion summarizes the main findings and may include recommendations.

Recommendations may be listed separately if they address organizational change.

The references section follows the required APA style for academic integrity.

Appendices include supplementary material that supports the report's findings.

Handout L2B is provided for exercises to practice report writing structure.

The lecture concludes with a preview of the next session focusing on report writing guidelines.

Transcripts

assalamu alaykum hello there I'm datin

rosna and this is my second lecture in

the series of lectures focusing on

report

structure in this particular lecture I

will be looking

at what is a report just a quick recap

of the first

lecture why do we write reports or more

specifically why do you have to write

reports then I'll look at the main

sections of a report again is a recap

from the first lecture and finally I

will talk about structuring your

report I.E focusing on what you should

include in the sections of the report

that you will be

writing in my first lecture on report

structure I mentioned that report

writing differs from essay writing

because a report has a different purpose

from an

essay so just to

recap what is a report reports are

written for a particular purpose they

usually outline a problem provide the

relevant facts and ideas to the

situation and then recommend a cause of

action

reports are highly structured so that

information they contain can be easily

understood headings within the report

allow the reader to select the parts

they wish to read and headings also

enable each section of the report to

stand

alone so the structure of a report is

enhanced through the use of subheadings

diagrams tables graphs illustrations

Etc but perhaps the real question is why

do you have to write

reports why do we write

reports you will be asked to write

reports to show that you have

investigated or researched a particular

problem the main purpose of a report is

to provide information to the readers

about something such as how to solve a

problem a description of a situation or

process to propose

recommendations or to provide

information to the readers about the

outcomes of a laboratory

experiment or a research project that

has been

undertaken the assessment of a client's

needs or an investigation of an incident

such as how a workplace accident

occurred and what measures need to be

taken to prevent a similar incident from

happening

again the amount and type of information

that is included in a report should be

based on what the audience will need or

want to know for example the information

required in a report detailing the

outcomes of a scientific experiment will

def from a Business Report detailing

some potential marketing strategies for

a new

product there are many report formats

used in different academic disciplines

and employment

contexts as a university student you may

be required to write the following types

of

report an analytical report a business

report a scientific report a resarch

report or a report on the outcomes of a

specific

project certain disciplines or faculties

will require their students to write

reports for specific purposes for

example nursing or health science

students may need to write reports

identifying patient Health needs in a

hospital

setting science and fit students may be

asked to write reports reporting the

results of a laboratory

experiment and fast and APB students may

have to write reports presenting data

which was collected during a field

trip okay now I want to look at the main

sections of the report something which I

started in my first lecture and which I

want to do in a bit more detail here

in my first lecture I looked at the

basic structure of a formal and informal

reports the components that we looked at

in that lecture represent the most

commonly found sections of a

report so just to recap the main

sections of a report are described in

the slides on your

screen depending on the type and purpose

of the report you are writing you may

not have to include all of the

sections title page the title page in a

report provides a first impression about

the contents of the

report the table of contents in a report

provides important guides which allow

the reader to find the information they

need quickly

acknowledgements an acknowledgement

section is included in a report to

acknowledge or recognize and thank the

efforts of those who contributed to the

research or the writing of the

report then there's the abstract or

executive summary the abstract is

intended to give the reader an overview

of the content they will find in your

report this should include the problem

which was investigated how it was

examined and the main issues and

recommendations raised in the discussion

section this allows the reader to

preview the report and decide if it

provides them with information that will

be useful for them to know more about if

not then they can find a better source

of information somewhere

else then of course there's the intr

uction the introduction in a report is

similar to an introduction in an essay

because it states clearly what you

intend to cover in your

paper and

introduction is different from an

abstract because it outlines what you

intend to present in your

report an introduction does not

summarize what you have achieved in your

research the introduction also explains

why you think your research is important

and it can be used to explain how you

collected and analyze the information

which you will present in your

report however in some reports You may

wish to cover some of this information

in more detail in a separate literature

review or methods

section and another main section of the

report is the literature review a

literature review provides the reader

with an understanding of what else has

been written about the topic of your

report it helps the reader to understand

how your research fits in with and adds

to existing knowledge about the topic of

your

report the literature review also helps

you to explain why your research was

important to

do the next main section of a report is

the methods or methodology

section the method section must provide

enough detail to allow the reader to

undertake the same research process or

experiment ment that you are describing

in your report at another

time this section can include

information about who participated in

the

research or the sample the equipment or

software used for collection of

information or

data the equipment or software used for

the analysis of information or

data and a step-by-step description of

how the information was

collected this section is commonly

included in research or scientific

reports but not in business reports a

large portion of an investigative report

deals with what was done to gather

information but the section is usually

not called

Methods an important section of a report

is a discussion

section this section is used to show how

the information or results of your

research relate to the problem being

addressed in a business situation or the

thesis being tested in scientific

research this is where the report writer

will explain why they got the results

they did and how this has an impact on

the processes they were examining in

their

research this can include the effects of

this information outside the author's

own organization or

discipline then of course you have the

conclusion as in an essay the conclusion

is a summary of the main findings of the

report with a statement about how they

can be used to resolve the main problem

or issue which the report is intended to

address this may include making

recommendations about such

problems the recommendation

section if there obvious actions that

can be taken as a result of the findings

of a report these are included in the

the form of

recommendations the recommendations may

also be included in the conclusion

section of the

report however if one of the objectives

of a business report has been to

identify a process for organizational

change then it may be better to list the

recommendations in a separate

section in a research report the

recommendations often indicate how the

research project could be extended or

improved in the

future in a legal report for example the

recommendations usually identify who is

responsible and what the consequences

are for involvement in an

incident then you have the references

section you should use the required

referencing style when listing

resources and references which

contributed to the outcomes and findings

of your

report at ubd this is the APA

style and finally the last section of a

report is the appendices

section any detailed information such as

sample questionnaires which is not

essential for the reader to understand

the outcomes or conclusions of a report

but which can provide them with a more

complete understanding of how the

information was collected or analyzed

should be included as an

appendix this allows them to refer to

the material if they wish to do

so by now you must be quite familiar

with the sections that make up the basic

structure of a formal

report do remember however that for your

report assignment you will be using the

structure of the short informal

report

okay as I'm sure many of you are gearing

up to Begin work on your report what I

want to do now is to examine more

closely the sections that you will need

to write for your

report but before that I just want to

talk a little bit about the abstract or

executive summary even though the report

that you will be writing for this module

does not require you to prepare an

abstract the reason why I want to talk a

little bit about the abstract or the

executive summary is that the abstract

or the ex ative summary acts like a shop

window for your

report it is the first and sometimes the

only section to be read by lots of

people but strangely enough it should be

the last bit of a report to be

written and it should enable the reader

to make an informed decision about

whether he or she wants to read the

report itself

so the length of the abstract or the

executive summary depends on the extent

of the work

reported but usually an abstract is

about a paragraph long or two paragraphs

and always less than a page and the

abstract should briefly explain the

purpose of the

work or the study the methods used for

the

research the main conclusions reached

and any

recommendations so remember to include

the above four elements when you have to

write an abstract for your next

report okay so your first assignment

requires you to prep prepare an

introduction for your

report but what do you need to include

in the

introduction well the introduction

should explain the rationale for

undertaking the work reported on and the

way you decided to do

it it should include what you have been

asked or chosen to do and the reasons

for doing

it you should also state in the

introduction what the report is about

what is a question you're trying to

answer if it is a brief for a specific

reader example a visibility report on a

construction project for a client then

you need to say who they

are in your introduction you can also

describe your starting point and the

background to the

subject for example what research has

already been

done if you have to include a literature

review in your introduction then it will

be a brief

one what are the relevant themes and

issues why are you being asked to

investigated now these are things that

you can also include in your

introduction

you can also in your introduction

explain how you're going to go about

responding to the brief or the

question if you are going to test a

hypothesis in your research include this

at the end of your

introduction then your introduction

should include a brief outline of your

method of

inquiry and finally

you need to State the scope and limits

of your research and reasons for them

for

example this study will focus only on

native English speakers as a proper

consideration of the issues arising from

speaking English as a second language is

beyond the scope of this study so at

once you have establish the parameter of

your

study now you don't have to have all the

above elements in your introduction but

a few of these elements are more or less

compulsory they are essential components

in the introduction of a

report can you figure out which ones

they are work it out with your group

members if you're still in

doubt okay now for the literature

review although your informal report

does not require a full-blown review of

literature you still have to show that

you have done sufficient background

reading especially of print Publications

such as books journals and sometimes

conference papers on work that has

already been done on the topic of your

report it should also include studies

that have direct relevance to your

research in fact it should only include

studies that have direct relevance to

your

research and you need to introduce your

review by giving a critical sum

of each work or source and showing its

relevance to your

research when you're reviewing sources

or when you're reviewing literature you

also need to explain any clear trends

that you have noticed which have emerged

in your research on the topic that you

are working

on you need to group your sources

according to themes or issues or Trends

or

patterns conclude your literature review

with how the review has informed your

research are there still many gaps in

the

area still not much

information can your study then fill the

gaps built on the insufficient

information and so on

okay now what do you write in the method

section when you are writing out the

section on methods or methodology make

sure you write it in such a way that a

reader could replicate the research you

have

done what this means is that you have to

explain every step every procedure as

clearly as possible

State clearly how you carried out your

investigation explain why you chose this

particular method whether it's the

questionnaire method focus group method

interviews experimental procedure

Etc then you must include the techniques

and any equipment that you

used if there were participants in your

research

you need to describe or explain who they

were how many how were they selected and

you need to write this whole section

concisely but

thoroughly go through what you did step

by step including everything that is

relevant you know what you did but could

a reader follow your description

okay from the method section I want to

move on to the data

analysis section where you also present

your results or findings now the data

analysis section or the results or

finding section has only one job which

is to present the findings of your

research as simply as

possible use the format that will

achieve this most

effectively for example you should be

using texts graphs tables diagrams and

so

on however don't repeat the same

information in two visual

formats by using both a graph and a

table then you need to label your graphs

and tables clearly you must give each

figure a title

and describe in words what the figure

demonstrates

however in this section you do not write

out the interpretation of your results

you save your interpretation of the

results or of your findings for the

discussion

section so because of that the

discussion section is a very important

section in a report

and often it is the longest

section this is because the discussion

section brings everything

together it is here that you have to

show how your findings respond to the

brief or the question or the purpose

that you explained in your

introduction this is the section to

mention if there were any problems for

example if your results were different

from expectation or you couldn't find

important data or you had to change your

method or participants and

how they were or could have been

solved then in the conclusion of your

report there should be no new argument

or evidence the conclusion section

should be a short section the conclusion

should sum up the main points of your

research how do they answer the original

brief or question for the work reported

on this section may also include

recommendations for action and may also

include suggestions for further

research however the recommendations

could also come in a separate section

section after the

conclusion then of course the reference

list follows and it should list the full

details for any work you have referred

to in your report for the correct style

of referencing to use check any

instructions you may have been given if

you're uncertain about how or when to

reference see your notes on referencing

we're using the APA style of referencing

and finally the appendices should

include any additional information that

may help the reader but is not essential

to the report's main findings for

instance you can put inde appendices

interview questions raw data a glossery

of terms

used and similar items make sure you

label all appendices and refer to them

where appropriate in the main body of

your report for example C appendix a

foreign example

questionnaire so in this lecture I

started off by looking at what is a

report and then I went on to look at why

do we write reports or more specifically

why do you have to write

reports I also went through the main

sections of a report again and finally I

talked about what goes goes on in each

section of your report in other words

structuring your report or what you

should include in the sections of the

report that you will be

writing as a followup to this lecture I

want you to print out handout

l2b and complete the exercise in this

particular

handout

remember it's the handout labeled

handout

l2b I will stop here but I will see you

in the next lecture when I will take you

through some guidelines for report

writing and we will examine the format

of a report in even greater

detail till then

goodbye for