Sample Report

Date: September 1, 2000
To: Center Interns
From: Center Team Leader
Subject: Writing and Designing a Report

This report outlines some of the format considerations for designing business reports. Report formats can be designed in a variety of ways. Often, the organization you are working for may have standard requirements for report formats--be sure to follow these if they exist.

Reports can be as simple as the standard memo format or as complex as a formal report which might include

Note: Remember that you may or may not need to include all of these items, depending on the writing situation you are responding to.

Like a memo, any report should always specify the

date,
recipients,
writer(s),
subject.

The kind of report format you choose should be appropriate for the communication situation. For example, this report is formatted as a memo, which is appropriate for more informal situations or for short reports. Regardless of whether the report is formal or informal, in any report you should begin by stating the purpose of the report. The format, content, and organization of the rest of the report depends on its purpose.

Progress/Status Reports

In any project that extends over a period of time, you will often be asked to provide a progress report. In these reports, you should include the following:

Summarize the progress you have made so far--use specific terms, for example, "I have analyzed 60% of the available data." Relate your progress back to the original goals of the project.
Under a "Work Completed" heading, describe the specific tasks you have completed and describe any difficulties and obstacles that you have encountered.
Under a "Work to be Completed" heading, describe the tasks that remain to be done. If you need to adjust the original schedule, provide a new schedule.
If appropriate, you can also include a section on "Preliminary Findings" if you want feedback from your readers.
Close with a reiteration of the final product that will result from your project. Depending on the situation--if there have been substantial changes in the scope or the project or in the schedule--you might also want to request a meeting to discuss the project.

Other Kinds of Reports

As mentioned earlier in this report, there isn't a "standard format" for reports--the most important thing in designing a report is to clearly outline its purpose, and then answer the following questions:

What did you do?
Why did you choose the particular research methods you used?
What did you learn and what are the implications of what you learned?
If you are writing a recommendation report, what action are you recommending in response to what you learned?

What is most important about report writing is that you have carefully considered the rhetorical situation. When you prepare your report, be sure to analyze the context and determine what information to include, what tone to use, and how to format the document to meet the standards of the organization you are submitting to.