7 simple steps of report writing

Report writing is a tricky thing. We have already touched on this theme in our blog. Let's analyze the main algorithm of actions if you decide to prepare a report. 

1. Choose and think carefully about a report theme based on the assignment

Sometimes it seems to be not important and self-evident. However, if you neglect the quality of this step, you can fail the entire report, as it will be fundamentally wrong. This is especially true for academic reports. Consider two sides of the issue in writing a report:

• Your personal interest. This raises the quality of the presentation of the material.

• Appropriate choice of content. Less vague information, but don't get carried away with excessive detail.

It is also essential to comply with the requirements for the terms of the report, such as the number of characters, formatting rules, etc.

2. Research activity

If you are writing an academic report, then you are engaged in research activities, or you resort to educational materials. You can use studies quoted in other reports. Information can be searched on the Internet or in a tried and tested way, like in a library. It is important to use reputable, trusted sources (official papers, case studies, respected authors, etc.).

3. Construct a thesis statement

Create a thesis statement before moving on to better understand the core idea of your paper. The thesis statement highlights the major idea of your work, in this example, the report, much like the topic sentence of a paragraph.

Once you've gathered enough data, you should start to identify some patterns and trends. Your thesis statement is if these patterns together suggest or build toward a more significant, overarching idea.

Although it's a good idea to include your thesis statement in both the executive summary and introduction of your report, it's still a good idea to come up with one in advance so you'll know what to focus on when creating your outline.

4. Create a report plan

Writing an outline is advised for all types of writing, but reports benefit the most since they place a strong focus on organizing. Because headings and subheadings are frequently used to demarcate sections of reports, a thorough outline ensures that you don't overlook anything when writing.

Actually, it's best to begin planning your outline when you begin to identify patterns and trends throughout the research stage. If you're having trouble, consider compiling a list of all the important information, arguments, and supporting details. Try to group them into broad and more detailed categories so that you may use those as headings and subheadings, accordingly.

5. Prepare the first draft

Usually, the most time-consuming process is actually writing the first draft or rough draft. This is where you put all of the data from your investigation into words. Simply follow your blueprint step by step to make sure you don't forget anything and avoid being overwhelmed.

This is the most important piece of advice when creating a rough draft: don't be scared to make mistakes. There is a lot of pressure when you want your first draft to be flawless. Instead, write naturally and unhurriedly, and worry about the finer points, such as word choice and error correction, afterwards. In any case, that is what the final two stages are for.

6. Edit and modify your report

Once you've completed your rough draft, it's time to go back and begin correcting the errors you missed during the initial writing. But before you do, it helps to sleep on it to start editing fresh, or at least take a brief pause to decompress from writing the rough copy.

Rereading your report is advised before making any significant corrections, such as deleting or rearranging entire words or paragraphs. You may occasionally discover that your data is inconsistent or that you misread a crucial piece of evidence. Now is the moment to correct any "big picture" errors and, if necessary, rework any lengthy parts.

7. Proofread and check for faults

Last but not least, it pays to read through your report one last time to improve the phrasing and check for grammar or spelling errors. You looked for "big picture" errors in the previous stage, but now you're looking for detailed, maybe even nitpicky flaws.

And finally, we remind you that Freelancers on Insolvo are always ready to become mentors for you in writing a report. All you need is to post a Task.