Read and re-read your teacher's instructions for the report. Ensure that you understand the directions from the very beginning. How you are expected to approach the topic you are writing about may be outlined in the instructions, or you may have free reign to write about whatever you want with just a few guidelines.
Map out ideas for your topic on paper. Write the broadest topic idea in the middle. List more specific ideas around it. Keep writing until you find a very focused idea for your report. For example, you may start with "photosynthesis" in the middle of your page, then write ideas like "how photosynthesis works" in the next ring of ideas, and your last, most outlying ring may have ideas like "how shorter plants in a forest get enough light to conduct photosynthesis." The narrower your topic, the less time you will have to spend researching, and the more focused your report will be.
Devise with a thesis statement. This will go in your introductory paragraph. It states your opinion or hypothesis about your research topic. Write it in one or two sentences, and keep it clear and concise.
Research your topic. Write down notes about what you learn and where you got the information. Note the author, title, publication date, and other publication information of every source so you can use it when you write your bibliography. Avoid writing down research notes that do not specifically pertain to your topic. Your research should match your thesis, not the other way around.
Write a draft of your report. Include an introduction that begs to be read because it is so interesting and that states your hypothesis or thesis. Tell the reader why he should care about your topic.
Support your thesis or hypothesis with multiple evidential arguments in the body of your report. Cite your sources in the body of the essay according to the style (Modern Language Association, Chicago, or American Psychological Association) required by your teacher.
Conclude your report by applying your research to a broader theme, and summarize the points you made in your report. Do not introduce any new information that you did not give in your report's body or introduction.
Write another draft of your report. Proofread it, and then ask a trusted friend or teacher to go over it again. Pay close attention not only to spelling, grammar, and typos, but also to how the report flows. Ask yourself if one topic naturally flows into another and if your transitions are smooth from paragraph to paragraph.
Write your bibliography. Be sure you follow the style required by your teacher. If you are in a literature class, your teacher will likely ask you to use Modern Language Association formatting.