Culture Shock
Adapted from: Payne E, & Whittaker L,2000, Developing Essential Study Skills,
Prentice Hall, Harlow.
Writing a Report
Report writing is very relevant to many forms of employment as well as your academic life. Unlike essays that are academic and theory based, reports are action based and with a wider scope. Reports use skills of application – applying what has been learned to a particular situation – not merely investigating and theorising.
Reports are commonly used to communicate ideas, facts, findings or actions to be taken.
Above all reports must be – objective, accurate and concise but sufficiently comprehensive for the reader to understand the issues. Reports aim to persuade, obtain agreement or cooperation.
You might use the same skills learned in report writing in writing your dissertation.
There are four logical stages: Preliminary – preparation – writing- review
Preliminary stage:
Why are you writing the report? • To provide information – usually a straight forward statement of facts or explanation of events or findings – report on a conference – summary of new procedures – company’s annual report for the shareholders • To make a request – to persuade or motivate the reader into action – a request to purchase a new piece of equipment – to change a procedure – to ask for a donation to a charity • To influence decision-making – a proposal to launch a new product • To solve a problem – results of an investigation are presented and recommendations offered based on findings Some reports may be a combination of two or more of these.
What are you writing about? As with any introduction, it is important to identify the major subject matter or focus of the report and the themes and issues that will need to be included. This will help you collect the materials needed for the report.
Two different reports for two different organisations – environmentalists v. road construction company – may collect
Prentice Hall, Harlow.
Writing a Report
Report writing is very relevant to many forms of employment as well as your academic life. Unlike essays that are academic and theory based, reports are action based and with a wider scope. Reports use skills of application – applying what has been learned to a particular situation – not merely investigating and theorising.
Reports are commonly used to communicate ideas, facts, findings or actions to be taken.
Above all reports must be – objective, accurate and concise but sufficiently comprehensive for the reader to understand the issues. Reports aim to persuade, obtain agreement or cooperation.
You might use the same skills learned in report writing in writing your dissertation.
There are four logical stages: Preliminary – preparation – writing- review
Preliminary stage:
Why are you writing the report? • To provide information – usually a straight forward statement of facts or explanation of events or findings – report on a conference – summary of new procedures – company’s annual report for the shareholders • To make a request – to persuade or motivate the reader into action – a request to purchase a new piece of equipment – to change a procedure – to ask for a donation to a charity • To influence decision-making – a proposal to launch a new product • To solve a problem – results of an investigation are presented and recommendations offered based on findings Some reports may be a combination of two or more of these.
What are you writing about? As with any introduction, it is important to identify the major subject matter or focus of the report and the themes and issues that will need to be included. This will help you collect the materials needed for the report.
Two different reports for two different organisations – environmentalists v. road construction company – may collect