Aid to report writing

1

Aid to Report Writing Simply follow the headings 1-8 in sequence. You can use the headings in your report e.g.

1.

2.

3.

4.

Introduction, Aim, Location etc ...

Example used below: You have been asked to write a “Three monthly report on eco-tourism training in the N.E. provinces...”

1. Introduction A brief history or background of the subject of the report and why and /or what events have happened e.g.

• Write a brief explanation and background on the N.E project (what is the N.E project, when was it formed, what are its aims etc) Example “The N.E project was commenced in Jan 2008 with the aim of training....”

• Write a brief explanation of what has been done, what has happened and why.

Example “Training has been conducted in ... and 6 workshops held in…”

2. Aim What is the Aim / Goal of this report. Why are you writing it? This could be taken from any instructions or guidelines you have received.

Example: The aim of this report is to provide up to date information on all of the activities that have taken place in the last three months as part of the N.E Project.

3. Location When and where (dates and location).

Example: The reporting period is the 3 months between Jan 09 and Feb 09 ...Training was conducted in Mondulkiri, XXX village on Jan 10, 2009, Ratnnikiri XXX village...

4. Method (a)What did you do? Describe fully.

Example: Two CCBEN staff travelled to Mondulkiri between Jan 9 and Jan 10 and conducted training on ecotourism standards with the local DOT...Further training was conducted ... (b) How did you do it? Describe fully.

Example: Using a Power Point presentation, printed material and group discussions... (include any relevant items as an attachment) the training staff spoke on eco-tourism standards...

Aid to General Report Writing.

Greg Martin 2010

2 5. Results NOTE: These should be FACTS not your opinion) What information did you collect? What did you find? What are the facts (This is the main part of the report which should include all the information / facts you have collected or information you have. This could be in the form of tables, graphs, dot points and general information).

Example: A total of 35 people were trained in eco-tourism standards, 7 from Mondulkiri....3 from DOT ...

6. Other This can include any other information, ideas etc that you have collected but are not central to the main aims/ goal of the report but may be useful to the reader of the report to understand or get a feeling of the conditions or overall view.

Example: there was very good feedback on the brochures that we distributed...

7. Recommendations / Conclusions These are yours or other people’s OPINIONS or recommendations.

Example: Due to the excellent feedback on the brochures we handed out at the training we recommend a further 1000 be printed to be used for future training days. The presentation on.....was not useful for local people...”and “Training was successfully completed to XXX people but we feel that follow up courses....”

8. Summary This should be written LAST but is often placed at the start of the document. The summary is a brief general view of the whole report that you have just written and is meant to give the reader an overall idea of what the report is about without having to read the full report. It should not contain any new information or ideas. Start at 1.Introduction and work through each of the topics summarising what you have written in a few sentences or paragraphs. In 5. Results, use only the most important facts. When you have finished writing the summary it can be placed either at the start of the report or at the end.

Titles and other tips The report should have a clear title (what it is about), who it was written by, a date and any other relevant information. Pictures can be included but remember they must look good in black and white (if it is likely to be photocopied) and should be instantly recognisable and tell a story. An index is also a good idea especially if the report is long. Try to use dot points or numbering wherever possible. Remember it is a report not a book so keep it short with just the relevant information. **** Note: This is a general guide to report writing and how a report should be set out. There are many different types of reports and organisations and people often differ on the style that they prefer but if you follow these general guidelines from 1. to 8. you will record the important information in an easy to access style.

Aid to General Report Writing.

Greg Martin 2010