Report making checklist

1. Planning work for report writing

• Think over the report as a whole
• Define exact purpose of report
• Identify the readers of your report
• Define report type and subject
• Break down the report writing into various tasks
• Estimate time needed for report writing
• Set deadlines for each task

2. Collecting the information

• Create a list of materials you may need
• Define sources where you can get needed information
• Choose the way of information collecting (notebook, disk, pen stick, etc.)
• Sort and arrange the information you got

3. Structuring the report

• Cover page (it should include: title, author's name, module/course details, etc.)
• Acknowledgements (you should acknowledge all sources involved)
• Contents
• underline all headlines
• number items
• paginate all sheets
• move charts and diagrams to separate sheet (e.g. "List of figures")
• Abstract
• give a brief review of essential point (about 500 words)
• clearly and comprehensively describe content of the report
• make review informative, concise and independent of the report
• Introduction
• state clear objectives
• define limits of report
• brief applied method
• give a short overview of action plan
• Data collection and methodology
• describe how you carried out enquiries
• specify applied methods of data analysis
• refer to relevant literature you used
• be logical and concise
• Results or findings
• tables
• diagrams
• pie charts
• area charts
• bar charts
• Discussion
• Identify important issues and point to suggested solutions
• Point at encountered problems
• Show your collaborative approach to solutions
• Conclusion and recommendations
• conclude all mentioned in the report and give clear evidences
• make a list of recommendations
• describe an action plan to actually link conclusion and recommendations
• References
• author's name and initial's
• publication date and place
• title of the book, paper or journal
• page numbers
• report publisher
• titles of books, journals, magazines used
• Appendices (a glossary of terms, interview questions, data collected, or other)
• Writing style
• use formal style
• paragraphs should be short
• headings should be highlighted in bold or underlined
• all charts and figures should be labeled sequentially
• all terminology and abbreviations should be listed in a glossary at the back of your report

4. Writing the report

• Make a draft at first and check if it corresponds to required report structure
• Try to write simply, do not use complex expressions and sentences
• Write only positively, as negative statements are not so easy to understand
• Use long words only when they are appropriate or unavoidable
• Use short words and expression for clarity
• Use the active voice, as it is easier to understand than the passive
• Include only the information the reader needs to know
• Use footnotes to explain technical terms in glossary

5. Checking and re-drafting the report

• Consider whether the report says what you want it to say
• Check if the report fully covers the terms of reference
• Check all your calculations (formulas, input data, graphs, etc.)
• Analyze readability of the report
• Check spelling, punctuation and grammatical accuracy
• Check the report structure
• Ask your colleague to read the report (if it's permissible)
• Consider all mistakes and redraft the report

6. Printing and submission

• Complete the report before the deadline
• Find out the way to send the report (email, printed copy, fax copy, etc.)
• Find out how many copies you need to send
• Find out recipients and make sure you have their contact information
• Submit the report according to the instructions