The guidelines will also typically tell you the requirements for the structure and format of your report. If you have any questions about the assignment, speak up as soon as possible. That way, you don’t start working on the report, only to find out you have to start over because you misunderstood the report prompt.
For instance, if your report is supposed to be on a historical figure, you might choose someone you find really interesting, like the first woman to be governor of a state in the U. S. , or the man who invented Silly Putty. If your report is about information technology, you could gather information about the use of computers to store, retrieve, transmit, and manipulate data or information. Even if you don’t have the option to choose your topic, you can often find something in your research that you find interesting. If your assignment is to give a report on the historical events of the 1960s in America, for example, you could focus your report on the way popular music reflected the events that occurred during that time.
If you’re not sure what to write about at first, pick a larger topic, then narrow it down as you start researching. For instance, if you wanted to do your report on World Fairs, then you realize that there are way too many of them to talk about, you might choose one specific world fair, such as the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, to focus on. However, you wouldn’t necessarily want to narrow it down to something too specific, like “Food at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition,” since it could be hard to find sources on the subject without just listing a lot of recipes.
If you don’t have guidelines on how many sources to use, try to find 1-2 reputable sources for each page of the report. Sources can be divided into primary sources, like original written works, court records, and interviews, and secondary sources, like reference books and reviews. Databases, abstracts, and indexes are considered tertiary sources, and can be used to help you find primary and secondary sources for your report. [5] X Research source If you’re writing a business report, you may be given some supplementary materials, such as market research or sales reports, or you may need to compile this information yourself. [6] X Research source
Librarians are an excellent resource when you’re working on a report. They can help you find books, articles, and other credible sources. Often, a teacher will limit how many online sources you can use. If you find most of the information you need in the library, you can then use your online sources for details that you couldn’t find anywhere else.
Examples of authoritative online sources include government websites, articles written by known experts, and publications in peer-reviewed journals that have been published online.
If you’re using a book as one of your sources, check the very back few pages. That’s often where an author will list the sources they used for their book.
Remember to number each page of your notes, so you don’t get confused later about what information came from which source! Remember, you’ll need to cite any information that you use in your report; however, exactly how you do this will depend on the format that was assigned to you.
For most reports, your thesis statement should not contain your own opinions. However, if you’re writing a persuasive report, the thesis should contain an argument that you will have to prove in the body of the essay. An example of a straightforward report thesis (Thesis 1) would be: “The three main halls of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition were filled with modern creations of the day and were an excellent representation of the innovative spirit of the Progressive era. ” A thesis for a persuasive report (Thesis 2) might say: “The Panama-Pacific International Exposition was intended as a celebration of the Progressive spirit, but actually harbored a deep racism and principle of white supremacy that most visitors chose to ignore or celebrate. ”
The purpose of an outline is to help you to visualize how your essay will look. You can create a straightforward list or make a concept map, depending on what makes the most sense to you. Try to organize the information from your notes so it flows together logically. For instance, it can be helpful to try to group together related items, like important events from a person’s childhood, education, and career, if you’re writing a biographical report. Example main ideas for Thesis 1: Exhibits at the Court of the Universe, Exhibits at the Court of the Four Seasons, Exhibits at the Court of Abundance.
Try to follow any formatting instructions to the letter. If there aren’t any, opt for something classic, like 12-point Times New Roman or Arial font, double-spaced lines, and 1 in (2. 5 cm) margins all around. [13] X Research source You’ll usually need to include a bibliography at the end of the report that lists any sources you used. You may also need a title page, which should include the title of the report, your name, the date, and the person who requested the report. For some types of reports, you may also need to include a table of contents and an abstract or summary that briefly sums up what you’ve written. It’s typically easier to write these after you’ve finished your first draft. [14] X Research source
Example Intro for Thesis 1: “The Panama-Pacific International Exposition (PPIE) of 1915 was intended to celebrate both the creation of the Panama Canal, and the technological advancements achieved at the turn of the century. The three main halls of the PPIE were filled with modern creations of the day and were an excellent representation of the innovative spirit of the Progressive era. ”
Typically, you should present the most important or compelling information first. Example topic sentence for Thesis 1: At the PPIE, the Court of the Universe was the heart of the exposition and represented the greatest achievements of man, as well as the meeting of the East and the West.
Paraphrasing means restating the original author’s ideas in your own words. On the other hand, a direct quote means using the exact words from the original source in quotation marks, with the author cited. For the topic sentence listed above about the Court of the Universe, the body paragraph should go on to list the different exhibits found at the exhibit, as well as proving how the Court represented the meeting of the East and West. Use your sources to support your topic, but don’t plagiarize. Always restate the information in your own words. In most cases, you’ll get in serious trouble if you just copy from your sources word-for-word. Also, be sure to cite each source as you use it, according to the formatting guidelines you were given. [17] X Research source
Your commentary needs to be at least 1-2 sentences long. For a longer report, you may write more sentences for each piece of commentary.
Avoid presenting any new information in the conclusion. You don’t want this to be a “Gotcha!” moment. Instead, it should be a strong summary of everything you’ve already told the reader.
A good question to ask yourself is, “If I were someone reading this report for the first time, would I feel like I understood the topic after I finished reading?
Try reading the report to yourself out loud. Hearing the words can help you catch awkward language or run-on sentences you might not catch by reading it silently.
This is a great trick to find spelling errors or grammatical mistakes that your eye would otherwise just scan over.
Ask your helper questions like, “Do you understand what I am saying in my report?” “Is there anything you think I should take out or add?” And “Is there anything you would change?”
If you have any questions about the assignment requirements, ask your instructor. It’s important to know how they’ll be grading your assignment.
