Some Common Mistakes to Avoid While Composing a Report

In business schools, one of the most focused skill is report writing. There is a stark difference between a report and an essay. Where the essay portrays the opinion of an author about an issue, the report does not represent the opinion of the author but conveys an evidence-based study of a particular scenario.

The report is an essential part of business communication. Reports help in creating policies as well as aid in the decision-making process. Considering the intended audience of the report, it should be concise and to the point piece of writing engaging its audience n a formal manner without ambiguity and vagueness.

If you are a prospective employee whose boss has entrusted him with creating a report or a university student whose professor is looking for a lab report on a particular topic, you would like to avoid following mistakes.

Types and Sloppy Writing

If you are to compose, then there is a distinct chance you are a part of a professional body (education or business). Typos and writing mistakes are frowned upon in such settings. Organizations consider you to be a professional who is efficient in his role.

The use of slang is not acceptable as the street language has no place in a professional environment and will reflect your incompetence. Grammatical errors are erring. There are many online tools to check for grammatical errors, which can aid you to get rid of silly mistakes in your document.

Ignoring the Audience

Take time to understand for whom you are writing the report, what is their schedule, designation, and priorities? If you are writing and writing without being considerate of your audience, your report can well and truly turn out to be a failure. Write according to the requirement of your reader so that you can influence them with your work.

Complex Sentence Structure

Reports are practical documents and should be treated practically with simple language. A formal tone is always encouraged. Do not try to be philosophical, creating complex sentences that need time to understand. Your boss might be busy and get frustrated.

Ill-conceived Report

Planning is the key to creating a good report. No matter how strict the deadline is, if one doesn’t spend enough time planning, he/she is likely to ruin the report. Plan your document properly; it will always pay off. Hurriedly written reports with half-baked research can turn out to be a disaster.

Bland Introduction

The intro is the core of a report, failure to scribble an enchanting introduction can be disappointing. The introduction should be given the due attention it requires as it is key to grab the reader’s attention.

Report writing samples: Undergraduate business report sample, Masters project management report

Poor Conclusion

The conclusion is another major part where people slack off. It requires an elaborate analysis of the situation that you discussed in the document and then tabulates your findings from the case. A bad concluded report will not be appreciated anywhere, be vigilant here.

Wordiness and Lack of Supportive Material

 Many writers consider that text is the foremost method of conveying ideas; they do not understand the difference between a report and an essay. A wordy document loses the attention of the audience. Do add figures, graphs, tables, and pictures to make your report visually attractive.