Identify the focus of the report. Focusing precisely on what question the report should answer, will make it much easier to write the report. Think about who is going to read the report and what their expectations are. Consider the extent of the report. In our example, the report is looking at office expenses, so you would not consider transport costs. Jot down some ideas around the topic. This will help you further narrow down the scope of the report and ensure that you are not including irrelevant details.
Decide what information you need, and how you will find the information. In other words, what research you will do. Your recommendations will hold much more weight if they are backed up by real evidence. If you are doing an academic report, then your research might involve reading texts on the subject and summarizing their findings. In the example of office costs, you would look at office expenses over time.
Gather all your information together. If you are looking at figures, you can display the information in graph or diagram form. Make sure you have all your references and other details of how you gathered your information.
Start by writing your introduction. This should explain why the report was written. For academic reports this might be a definition of terms of reference i.e. an explanation of the limits and scope of your report.
Write about your research and findings. This is where you explain what you investigated and how. Use diagrams and graphs here if they enhance what you are saying, but the bulk of the graphical data should go in the appendices. At the end of the findings section, add the conclusions. These are based on what you have found out; do not add any new information in the conclusions section.
Use the information in the findings and conclusions to inform the report recommendations. Recommendations should be specific and achievable. They should propose ways to solve the problem outlined in the introduction.
Finish by writing your summary, sometimes called the executive summary. This section might be the only part that the 'executive' reads, so it is very important. It should include a summary of all parts of the report, especially the recommendations. The summary appears on the first page of the report.
Organize the sections of the report as follows: Executive Summary; Contents; Introduction; Findings; Conclusion; Recommendations; References; Appendices. Check over your report for coherence, style, layout, grammar and spelling, and your report is finished.