.
Communicator of ideas/information

.
Influence on decision-making

.
Initiator of action

.
Powerful persuader

What is a report?
The word “report” has been used many times already without any attempt to define just what report is. There may be widely differing views on the matter but the most common definition is: “Report is a formal statement of the results of an investigation or of any matter on which definite information is required, made by some person or body instructed or required to do so.”

Planning the work
How do you set about writing your report? As with any other task at work, you must start by planning – the combined organization of time and work.
Method is the practical application of planning to any given situation. Having once adopted a
method, the writer should stick to it and apply it consistently.
Below is an example of a method which breaks the report writing task into three main sections
and each of the section is divided into three separate activities. The sections are:

. Before
a) Writer
b) Reader
c) Material

. Writing
a) Structure
b) Language
c) Presentation

. After
a) Typing
b) Revision
c) Final Check

The method the writer is asked to follow depends on asking the right questions at each stage of the process. The right questions are the key to unlocking the necessary information. They direct the writer’s information to the chief consideration at each stage.

6.2 Preparation
It may seem to the writer that time spent at this stage of the report is wasted. On the contrary, it is the best investment of limited resources that can be made. Its main purpose is to force writers to decide “what” they are writing about and “why”, before deciding “how” to write it. Report writing is a continuous process of decision-making. There are three factors to be considered and each one represents an important component of the report.
. The writer

. The reader

. The material

The writer
Let us begin by asking:

Why me?
Because you are the best person for the job. Either you are the expert in possession of the necessary facts, or, anyhow, you are best qualified to discover them. By the end of the report, you will have become the expert; you are the link between the reader and the material in your report; it will be communicated only through you. Take personal responsibility for your report.

What is my subject?
It is the writer’s business to discover precisely what the report is meant to be about.
.  
Define your terms of reference by discussion with whoever is requiring the report

.  
Make sure that you are both in agreement on these

.  
Write down the agreed terms with a copy for both parties

What is my purpose?
It is important that report writers know why they are writing. In determining your purpose, find out why the report has been called for when discussing the terms of your reference. What is the situation or event that has made it necessary? If you know your purpose, your report will communicate its particular message better.

The reader
Who are my readers? What part do they play in my report? The reader is the other end of the communication. A report that lacks a reader in the writer’s mind is unlikely to be very successful in securing attention.

The writer must:
Identify the reader(s).
.  
Consider the reader at all stages, particularly when arranging material and choosing words

.  
Focus the attention of readers on the report by directing it to their particular needs,
　
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