Writing the Report
The assignment brief and assessment criteria for your report will usually require you to demonstrate critical thinking and critical writing skills. You can find more information about these skills here: Critical Thinking and Writing.
Although reports are more factual and informative than essays, they nevertheless should incorporate critical thinking and writing throughout. Depending on the type of report you are writing, here are some ways in which criticality can be demonstrated:
| Section | Critical Thinking and Writing |
|---|---|
| Introduction | Demonstrate a questioning mindset, an ability to appraise current relevant literature within your field and present a clear rationale for your investigation. |
| Methodology/Methods | Demonstrate the ability to evaluate a range of possible methodologies and methods, and to select and justify the most appropriate ones for your task. |
| Findings | Show that you can independently process, analyse and present your findings in an informed manner that demonstrates your understanding. |
| Discussion | This section is usually the key section of your report which carries the greatest weight and offers the best opportunity to demonstrate your criticality. The nature of the discussion will be dependent on the type of report. However generally you should offer a well-reasoned analysis and interpretation of the findings, make connections with other relevant research or literature and demonstrate the significance of the findings in relation to your task. |
| Conclusion and Recommendations | Show that you understand the relevance and application of your findings in the real world. Make robust, realistic recommendations that can be justified through your findings. |
The writing style for reports should follow the conventions of academic writing. You can find more guidance on the characteristics of academic writing here: Academic Writing.
The style of writing for reports should be direct, informative, and concise. Here is some guidance on how to write concisely:
- Use your word count to create targets. You may be given guidance on how to apportion your word count across the different sections by your lecturer, or you may need to create your own plan, but try to stick to this as you write each section to avoid lengthy editing at the end.
- Use simple, clear vocabulary – don’t overcomplicate your writing with long words or overly descriptive language.
- Use specialist terminology appropriate to your specialism – you may need to familiarise yourself with this.
- Be precise – avoid vague phrases, over-generalisation, and ambiguity.
- Remove any unnecessary words or phrases which do not contribute to the meaning of the sentence.
- Consider using bullet points to break down complex text or to present lists.
- Consider presenting information in tables where a consistent, structured format enhances clarity and interpretability. However, check whether tables are included in your word count.
