HOW TO FORMAT THE REPORT

Many colleges and educational institutions have developed their own house style when it comes to the format of a report, and you must abide by these. The following are some general guidelines on how to organize your report.

Use Headings

Remember that you may be writing for a mixed audience of experts and the general public. To help your readers find which parts of your report will be relevant for them, use headings and subheadings. Think of these as more signposts to help the readers find the information they need.

Your headings must be helpful and clear and must tell the readers about the information in each section. One-word headings are often vague and misleading so don't be afraid to use headings that are eight or nine words long.

Number Your Headings

The tip below about numbering comes from Middlesex University in London:

Use a consistent system when numbering your headings to help readers follow what you’ve written. The simplest way is to organize your information for each major part of the report and subdivide these into sections and subsections as follows:

Introduction

1. Significance of the Report

1.1 Information Sources

1.2 Scope of the Report

2. Deaths in Surgery

2.1 Pre-Twentieth Century Statistics

2.2 Twentieth Century Statistics

Determine What Goes Where

When it comes to deciding where to place your information, try to ensure that each point fits logically into only one section. This isn’t always possible because you may need to remind your readers of something you said earlier; however, a report does not have to keep summarizing key points for your readers to follow your argument. Repetition should always be deliberate and for a purpose, not the result of poor planning.

Don’t have too many subheadings or too much material in each section. A good rule of thumb is to limit subheadings to around six for each heading.

For every section, write a topic sentence (this contains your main idea or ideas), then develop this with supporting evidence. Express the ideas in your own words and explain how other writers' ideas have influenced your argument or how your argument has incorporated these ideas and why. It’s acceptable to quote other writers directly if you feel the particular quotation makes a strong contribution, but avoid too many, since this often slows the pace of your argument.