Identify the report's topic. Your instructor may give you a prompt or statement to address in your paper, or you may have some leeway to decide about which you what you want to write. Either way, spend some time brainstorming ideas for your topic or your thesis (which concisely explains where you stand on a certain issue). Write down ideas in a notebook that occur to you over a couple of days. Don't discount any ideas; write them all down.
Narrow down your topic and research it thoroughly. The Writing Center at the University of Wisconsin suggests that you "pose your topic as a question to be answered or a problem to be solved."
When you research your paper, having a system to keep your notes and sources organized and another method of organizing notes according to how important they are will help you structure your paper when it comes time to writing your outline.
Create an outline for your report. Use Roman numerals to set off each section, and put capital letters underneath each numeral. Next to the numerals, write a topic sentence for that section, and next to each letter write supporting information. Your outline should include introduction and conclusion sections, and the body should be organized logically. Each section should lead naturally into the next.
Write the body of your report. According to the Writing Center at the University of Wisconsin, you should "build your essay around points you want to make (i.e., don't let your sources organize your paper). . .and summarize, analyze, explain, and evaluate published work rather than merely reporting it." Your focus should move from generalization to detail and back to generalization.
Conclude your report by drawing all of your arguments together into a short summary and analysis of the topic. This is not the place to introduce new supporting information that was not discussed in the report's body. Explain why your findings are important in a broader context, or perhaps recommend steps of action. Your conclusion is where you connect with your readers on a personal level and make them see why your topic is important in their daily lives.
Proofread your paper on three levels: essay, paragraph, and sentence. Make sure the logic of your overall report structure flows easily, that your thesis is apparent, and that you have provided good insight and analysis of your topic. Within each paragraph use effective topic sentences, and place your supporting details in order of importance. Use good transitions between paragraphs. Sentences should be checked for good mechanics, choice of words, spelling, and grammar.