How to write an excellent academic report?

Here’s how to write an effective academic report.

What is a Report?

So how does a report differ from other academic work?

A report is written in a formal style and based on your investigation or review of practices prevalent in an organization.

These are written to inform about the issues (root causes) and to offer recommendations. Based on the findings, a Reports will draw conclusions and offer corrective action (or even areas for further research).

A Report should ideally cover these:

• Explain the issue and the activity undertaken to find out the reasons for those issues
• Describe what was done and how it was done
• Present the findings, offer conclusions and recommendations (if any).

Planning, Preparing and Writing

Read the assignment brief thoroughly to understand why the report is required.

The writing style should be formal, with small paragraphs. Charts, diagrams, tables can be added to improve understanding of the issues.

Read more on how to plan for your assignment so that you do not have to rush, considering you will have other academic work as well.

Standard Report Structure

A report consists of several sections and subsections so you need to format and number them properly (can be easily done using a Word processing software).

Here’s a standard Report Structure.

Title page: Title of the report, Student/candidate numbers, Module name and number, Date.

Contents list (TOC)

List all the sections, including the appendices, and mention page numbers.

• a. Full list of sections (including appendices, references or bibliographic lists)
• b. Page number of which each section begins

Executive summary

A brief overview of the report, which can be read independently of the main report.

• a. A one page summary which outlines in short paragraphs the main findings of the report. It can be helpful to structure this in the following way:
  This report considers….this report concludes….this report recommends…
• b. The report should be written in the third person in the present tense

Introduction

There should be a concise explanation of the aims, scope and context of the report. This should include brief details of any information necessary for the reader to understand it. You may also mention any limitations on the contents or coverage of the report.

Main body of the report

This section presents your results to the reader. Certain report types (depending on the instructions provided), you may be required to split this further into subsections such as literature review, methodology, results and discussion.

• a. This is the main account of the organisation you are writing about
• b. It should be based on analysis, not unsupported opinion. Back up each point you make with evidence from your research or by reference to the concepts and models in the course
• c. If you have to make assumptions (which as you know are something that often happens in strategy) then make it clear that you have made an assumption and try to justify it.
• d. Headings for each subsection should be underlined or in bold
• e. Consider presenting material in the form of diagrams, charts or tables wherever appropriate. This can often produce very effective application of models or frameworks and can break up the monotony of the printed word. Try to avoid quoting theory without applying it.

Conclusions and recommendations

Depending on the instructions, you can have the Conclusions and Recommendations under one section or you may separate them into two different sections.

Conclusions summarizes the key points from the main body of the report. No new material should be introduced in this section. Recommendations, based on your conclusions, will include suggested changes and improvements.

• a. Conclusions (where you draw together the threads of the discussion in the preceding part of the report to make some overall points) are distinct from recommendations (where you say what should be done about the conclusions your group have reached)
• b. It can aid clarity to present your conclusions as a bulleted list – though you should ensure that the points you make are developed sufficiently and include some justification.
• c. Recommendations are actions which your conclusions lead you to believe are necessary or would benefit the organisation you are studying.
• d. Recommendations must be based on the analysis, argument and conclusions of the report. They should clearly be linked to the rest of the report.

List of References/Bibliography

List all the sources used in the report.

• a. This is the list of sources you have used in preparing your report. You must give the full details here.
• b. This should use the APA system

Appendices

• a. These should include information and analysis that is not central to the main body of your report, but which explains, amplifies or puts in context the arguments and evidence you have presented
• b. Its main purpose is to allow you to include important information which, if included in the main body of your report, would interrupt the flow of the argument.
• c. The contents of the appendix do not count towards your word count and usually will not attract any marks. Appendices should not be excessively long or used to subvert the word count.

Each Appendix is numbered so that it can be referred to in the report.

How to write an excellent management (business) report

An excellent management (business) report should be well structured and presented with a variety of diagrams, charts and tables as well as narrative text.

There has to be a balance between analysis and evaluation of the organisation and its strategy.

The report should use a range of ideas, theories and models from the module to analyse the organisation’s strategy as well as its environment. Analysis should be used to develop insight and implications of findings will be clearly stated.

Models and frameworks will be modified and combined where it is relevant to do so.

The organisation and its strategy should be evaluated using a coherent framework.

There should be strong, well supported conclusions and well justified recommendations with clear insight into how these will be executed.

It is more difficult to write a short report than a long one, but this is a critical business skill and will stand you in good stead when you enter the workplace. To quote Stefan Stern in Management Today (2009), “When it comes to delivering big corporate ideas, a dash of inspiration is worth more than a thousand impenetrable spreadsheets”.

Because you are writing in report format an academic literature review is not required – but you still need to use the appropriate referencing (APA, Harvard, etc.) for all the research sources, models and theories you use.

However, you should also demonstrate the application of theory in your discussions: you should compare the nature of the problems, use appropriate tools, frameworks and models from the literature to analyse. You should also evaluate how effective the various theories and models are.

Consider how the context affects the way theory and models can be used and if they need to be modified or extended in the light of this. Finally, you should draw conclusions from your analysis and make recommendations.

The management report must be broken down in the following way:

Depth of research into the organisation and its context – including effective use of quantitative and qualitative data from a range of reliable sources

Identification and analysis of the strategy/strategies the organisation is pursuing – naming the practice you observe and using module concepts and frameworks to provide structure for your analysis

Evaluation of the strategy/strategies of the organisation by applying course models and ideas to the organisation’s internal and external environment

Conclusions and recommendations – providing a succinct summary of the main report which links to a set of well-developed recommendations

Overall presentation and style of writing, correct use of report format, and robust use of referencing

Coherence of report – flow of argument from analysis, through evaluation to recommendations and the extent to which this presents a convincing case.

Originality and innovative ideas/approaches – including use of adapted models and frameworks

References

Bowden, J. (2011) Writing a report: how to prepare, write & present really effective reports. Oxford: How To Books.

Cottrell, S. (2014) Dissertations and project reports: a step by step guide. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.