How to Write a Good Report

Owned by Nick Patrikeos
Apr 15, 2022
2 min read

Tips and advice for writing a good report.

1. Start Strong with a Cover Page

Include all key details relevant to the project admin and who is in your group.

2. Table of Contents

Don’t just go straight into it - prime your reader with list of headings and subheadings in the report. An index with page numbers is good, or clickable links is even better.

3. Formatting Text

  • Use headings and subheadings, numbering is best to align with your contents page;

  • Use a nice clean and readable font;

  • Indent paragraphs to show breaks in thought/concept;

  • Use bullet points to break up lists of ideas or items. Avoid indenting bullet points too far into the page. The following is an example of probably the maximum you want to indent a list:

4. Visual Elements

  • Diagrams, images, graphs - visuals are good to include to break up text;

  • Position them strategically on the page;

  • Caption Figures beneath the figure and tables above the table;

5. Writing

  • Written expression and control of language is everything in a report - this means:

    • Iron out typos, splling and grammatical errors;

    • Maintaining a formal tone - avoid using idioms (e.g. raining cats and dogs), slang, contractions (e.g. don’t, we’ll);

    • First person point of view is recommended but keep it at the group level (we). Third person is also OK if you want to refer to specific people (e.g. Nick completed the report);

    • Keep your writing clear and concise. Avoid writing in a stream-of-consciousness style or going on long rambles;