How to Write a Report

You’ve just been assigned to write a report but don’t know where to start. Don’t worry, wikiHow will help you! Follow these steps to write a basic report in no time.

Table of Contents

Choose a topic

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Understand the assigned work. If a teacher, expert, or supervisor gives you a report writing guide, read it carefully. What does the job require? Do you need to inform readers about the topic? In general, if you are writing reports for elementary and middle school, you will be asked to present your topic without giving any subjective opinions. The rest of the work requires you to convince the reader of how to perceive the topic, or analyze it. Ask the teacher any questions that arise as soon as possible. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Remember, if your purpose is only to inform readers, do not include personal opinions or convincing elements in the report.

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Choose your favorite topic. Feeling passionate about a subject will make you write the best you can. Of course, sometimes you don’t get to choose the subject. If this is the case, try to find something related to the given topic that inspires you. Always make sure your ideas are written down to your teacher’s request to keep the report on track. ^{[2] X Research Source}

If the report asks to write about a specific event of 1965 in Vietnam, and you don’t like history very much, but in return you enjoy music and cinema, focus your report on the music direction. -cinematography of the 1965s and the inclusion of events that occurred at that time. But remember to include as many other details as the topic requires.

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Select the original topic. If you are writing a report to present to the class, choose a topic that is original and engaging. If you are the third person to report on “After Sapa” on that day, it is likely that you will no longer be noticed by everyone. To avoid repetition, ask the teacher which topic has been selected.

If the topic you want has already been picked up by someone else, try to find another side of it to cover. For example, if you want to do a report on “Sapa Climate”, but someone has already chosen that topic, you can focus on the tourism or nature side of Sapa. It can be argued how Sapa’s special climate has contributed to tourism here, the different things you perceive in this place, or any recent changes that have taken place there. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

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Remember you can change the subject. If you start researching your chosen topic and find that you can’t find any information about it, or that the topic is too broad, you can always change the subject, as long as it’s not over. subject submission deadline.

If the topic is too broad, choose a specific section of the topic to focus on. For example, you want to do a report on World Fairs, but then realize that there is too much to talk about, and too much variation to fit into one topic, choose a conference. specific markets, such as the Pacific-Panama International Commodities Show, and focus on it.

Research topics

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Research topic. Make sure you have enough resources for your writing (your tutorial should cover the number of resources that should be available to your teacher). ^{[4] X Research Sources}

If writing a report about a particular character, research that character’s life – what was their childhood like? What important thing did they do? How is their family life?
If writing a report about an event, find out what other events led up to the event, what really happened during the event, and what its consequences were.

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To the library. The library is a very good place to find information. Search the library’s database to see if there are books or materials related to your topic. If you get stuck, ask the librarian for help.

If you find a good book that encapsulates your topic, look at the references section (usually listed at the end of the book). These sources often lead you to more useful information.

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Make sure the sources you get online are well known. If you use the internet to search for information on a topic, always be sure to verify the information you find. Choose from information gathered by renowned experts in your field, government agency websites, and informative newspapers. Avoid forums and untrusted sources. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

If you’re writing a report about a particular person, company, or place, check out their websites.

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Save all the information you find. Write each source on a flashcard. Write down all the information you can find on the source (e.g. author, publication date, publisher/website, place of publication, page number where you found the information, and the like) so that you can easily write the reference section later.

Before writing the report

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Start with the points. The thesis statement is the main idea of your report. The thesis will summarize what you want to prove in the article to the reader. All of the following sentences in the body should link to the thesis, so make sure it’s broad enough to cover your entire essay. If you are simply reporting on a specific topic, write a thesis statement that does not contain opinion-based information. If you are writing a report with the purpose of persuading someone on a topic, or for in-depth analysis of the topic, the thesis statement should include the argument you intend to prove in the report. ^{[6] X Research Source}

Example of a straight-to-the-point report argument (Thesis 1) : The three main halls of the Pacific-Panama International Commodity Show are filled with modern-day works and are representative of the innovation spirit of the Radical era.
Example of a persuasive or analytical thesis (Thesis 2) : The Panama-Pacific International Merchandise Show was originally intended to celebrate the Radical spirit, but in reality it contained discrimination. Deeply racialized and white ruling principles, leaving most visitors choosing to ignore it or celebrate it.

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Make an outline. An outline will help you visualize what your writing will look like. Outlines can be written in the form of a list, grid, or concept map. Start with the thesis statement and then choose three big ideas related to the thesis statement you want to include. Write the details for each of those big ideas.

Your big ideas must support the point. They should be evidence to support your argument.
Example of gist for Argument 1 : Exhibition at the Court of the Universe, Exhibition at the Court of the Four Seasons, Exhibition at the Court of Abundance.
Examples of gist for Argument 2 : Racism in the ‘Joy Zone’, the statue of ‘The End of the Trail’, and the presence of the ‘Race’ lecture Betterment’ at the fair.

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Decide how you will format the article. The structure of the article depends on the topic you choose. If writing a report about one character, it makes more sense to structure the report in chronological order.

For Thesis 1, the report will be structured as a spatial guide to the fair–the report will discuss the main display of each major building at the fair (Court of the Universe, the Court of the Four Seasons building, and the Court of Abundance building.)

Proceed to write the report

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Write an introduction. The introduction is where you introduce your topic and state your thesis. Your opening statement should be engaging but not too sentimental, its goal is to entice the reader so that they want to read the whole of your report. You should provide some background information for the topic and then state your thesis so that the reader understands what the report is about. When rereading the passage, pay attention to the first words of sentences and try not to repeat them.

Example Opening of Argument 1 : The 1915 Pacific-Panama International Commodities Exposition (PPIE) was created to celebrate the founding of the Panama Canal and the technical improvement achieved at the turning point. of the century. PPIE’s three main halls are filled with today’s modern works and represent the innovative spirit of the Radical era. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

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Write body paragraphs . The body of the essay is where you present the evidence to support your point. Each body part must contain a topic sentence and evidence to support that topic sentence. The topic sentence introduces the main idea of the body as well as links back to the thesis. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

Example for thesis topic sentence 1 : At PPIE, the Court of the Universe building is the focal point of the exhibition and represents the greatest human achievement, as well as cultural convergence. East-West culture
For a report about a certain character, the topic sentence might look like this: “John Doe had a rough childhood and it helped shape his life.” Obviously you need to add specific information related to the character in question.

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Support topic sentences. After you’ve written your topic sentence in the body of your essay, provide evidence found in your research that can support the topic sentence. Evidence can describe what is stated in the topic sentence, quote experts on it, or provide more information about the topics mentioned.

With the topic sentence listed above about the Court of the Universe building, the body should continue to list the exhibits featured at the show, as well as explain how that Building represented the convergence of East and West. any
For a character report, provide evidence that shows John Doe had a difficult childhood and how those experiences led him to become a celebrity.

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Write a conclusion. This section will summarize the thesis again, and provide your final thoughts on the topic. This section should remind the reader of what to take away from your report. ^{[9] X Research Source}

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Citing source. Your teacher or expert will tell you whether to cite the MLA, APA, or Chicago style of writing. Format any citations you use, as well as the bibliography accordingly.

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Report format. Try to follow the article formatting instructions. If there are no instructions, go for the clear and classic. The standard format of academic reports in the US is font size 12, Times New Roman or Arial font, lines spaced twice, and margins 2.54 cm.

Completion report

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Read through the report from an outsider’s perspective. Are the ideas you have written clear throughout? Does the evidence you cite support your argument? If you were someone else reading this for the first time, would you understand the topic after reading the report?

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Have someone else read the report. Having another pair of eyes will be helpful in making sure your ideas are clear and your writing isn’t clumsy. Ask others for help, ask if they understand what you say in the report? Is there anything to add to exclude? Is there anything that needs to be changed?

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Read and review the report. Check for major errors, grammar and punctuation. Are there any awkward sentences that need to be rewritten? ^{[10] X Research Source}

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Read the report aloud. Reading aloud will help you identify areas of confusion (like continuity in sentences.)

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Leave the article aside for a few days. If you have time to put the article aside and clear your mind before re-reading it, this is a good thing to do. Taking a break from writing will help uncover more mistakes and nonsense when rereading.

Advice

As you write, assume that the reader knows little or nothing about your topic. Add topic details and definitions to the article.
Do not copy other people’s work. Not only does this say you’re lazy, it’s also known as plagiarism, which is illegal.
Rely on more than one source of information that you have.
Focus on the main idea you want to convey. Make sure the idea is well established from the start.
Don’t delay your research until the last minute. Writing a report will take longer than you think, especially when you start adding colors, pictures, framing, headings, etc., after the information has been written.
Choose a topic that you know well.

Steps