Decide on the method that is most appropriate for the report. If you are unsure, consult a professor, boss or editor for details on which method to best use for the report's specific audience and purpose.
Research the report. While many reports are based on research using traditional materials such as books and articles, as technology has developed research often includes or cites diverse sources such as viral advertisements, surveys or unpublished analyst reports. Citation guidelines in many genres are developing ways to specifically account for the multiple ways that people get and use information (see Resources for details).
Note down the specific places in the report that are attributed to a source, including all direct quotations, paraphrased statements, and borrowed concepts or ideas. Follow the citation specific method for listing the page number and year related to the text, using either in-text citations and a bibliography, footnotes or endnotes.
Organize all of the sources into either a bibliography, footnotes or endnotes. Compile all sources alphabetically according to the citation guidelines. For instance, the bibliographic entry for an article cited in APA style will look like this: Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year). Article Title: Article Subtitle. <i>Periodical Title</i>, volume number (issue number), pages.
Review the report before publishing or distributing to ensure that the citations are accurate and consistent throughout.