Beyond and before their structures and languages, reports should be considered as carefully set out accounts of facts and information gathered through investigations. The focus of a report can range from the progress made on a project, the causes of unrest or a feasibility study on the viability of a project. Reports are often requested by an initiator (companies, government establishments, the leadership of a community and whatnot) for vital decision-making. This treatise will, therefore, discuss the types, structures and formats of reports.
There are different types of reports, and one common type is periodic reports. Such reports, which are written at intervals, border on the activities, conditions and prospects of organisations. The intervals of such reports are usually specified: they could be weekly, monthly, quarterly or annually. Another type is progress reports. The foregoing, like periodic reports, are articulated at intervals. However, progress reports mainly account for the progress made on a particular project, and such reports are expected to be comprehensive and up-to-date. The most technical and taxing type is investigative reports. Such reports involve a request to an individual or a group to present their findings about an institution or a situation. The body that calls for this kind of report often gives some terms of reference or guidelines to guide the person or body giving the report. Such reports often request one or all of the causes, effects and/or solutions to an uproar or unrest in an organisation. They can also have as their term of reference, the investigation into embezzlement or any other misconduct.
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In its comprehensive form, a report will have the following sections: title, foreword, acknowledgements, table of contents, abstract or summary, terms of reference, introduction, procedure/methodology, findings, conclusions, recommendations, appendices and bibliography. The title is an obligatory part of a report that presents the subject matter of the report. It bears the name(s) of the writer(s) and the name of the person or organisation that is receiving the report. For example:
A Fieldwork Report on the Feasibility of Adopting Indigenous Languages as the Language of Instruction in Nigerian Schools
Note that like the title of minutes, the initial letters of content words should be capitalised, and a full stop or any other punctuation mark should not be used after the title. The foreword is an optional element in a report. It is a short introduction by someone who understands the term of reference of the report and is equally familiar with the writers. Such a person is not a member of the report committee, but s/he must have carefully perused the report. The section on acknowledgements is usually found in reports, especially investigative reports. Note that whether in report or project writing, or any other form of writing, the word, ‘acknowledgements’, attracts the final ‘s’. The section mentions those whose earlier works have facilitated the writing of the report, and others who have made the effort of the report writing possible. Note, however, that this section may immediately succeed the foreword. Sometimes, it could be at the end of the report, just before the appendices. The table of contents makes a list of sections, subsections and page numbers. The abstract presents a brief account of the essence of the report. It touches briefly on the purpose, methodology, findings, main conclusions and recommendations of the report.
The terms of reference briefly state the purpose and scope of the report. They major on who requested the report, the main issues or problems to be identified, the reason for undertaking the exercise and the due date of the report. The introduction provides the background information to the report. It defines terms and sets limits for the investigation. Finally, it restates the essence of the report. Methodology is concerned with how data is collected for the investigation. Data can be collected through interviews, questionnaires, tests, experiments and careful observations. For the findings, a well written report should not just use the heading, ‘findings’. The segment of the report should be systematically presented in parts, with appropriate headings and subheadings that identify the main issues or problems. Examples:
Heading: The Major Causes of the Unrest on Campus
Subheading 1: The Primary Actors in the Unrest
Subheading 2: The Intervention of the Campus Marshals in the Unrest
In the presentation of findings, only facts should be given. In effect, the writer(s) should, as much as possible, avoid a personal or biased interpretation of data or a situation. Objectivity should be the watchword in the presentation of findings. Findings are followed by a section on the conclusion, which presents the inferences drawn from the findings. Conclusions should be in tandem with findings in good reports. The section on recommendation presents the lines of action to be taken, as suggested on the basis of the conclusions drawn from the findings. Recommendations are expectedly numbered or presented in bullets for clarity. The appendices are additional relevant information, which should help the writers arrive at their findings. These comprise interview questions, surveys, glossaries, et cetera. Afterwards, the references, which are a list of the sources that are used in and referred to in the report, are presented.
Finally, note that a report may have a schematic format or a letter format. This usually depends on the nature, length and depth of the report. The schematic format, which deploys the aforementioned structure, is the more formal method of presenting a report. The letter format embodies the form of a formal memorandum, which is presented in the form of a letter, with limited or no subheadings.
Report writing is as systematic as the processes and procedures in undertaking the investigation that it entails. This treatise will, to an appreciable extent, make this rigorous effort less taxing.
