How to Write a Good Report Paper

Once in a while, you will get assignments at college or university different from your regular essays or research papers. One of such tasks may be a report paper, which is pretty distinct in terms of writing style, structure, and approach. So, how to deal with this new type of writing, and what rules should it follow for the sake of your academic success?

Here we cover the basic report paper guidelines that can make or break your assignment, showing what to include in every part of this paper to fetch a high grade and impress the supervisor. Read on carefully and apply these pro tips to master the art of report writing.

What Is a Report Paper

A report paper is highly similar to a research paper, but it differs from a smaller and less structured essay in many ways. So, if you’re used to essay writing but haven’t dealt with more in-depth research projects yet, it’s vital to master some advanced skills, especially data analytics and research. Reports may cover a huge number of topics and address numerous goals; your task is to study the prompt carefully and approach the task exactly the way your professor wants you to.

Thus, when you receive the task to write a report, your steps should be as follows:

• Study the prompt and plan the whole process of report writing.
• Data collection.
• Organizing and structuring your findings.
• Draft composition.

Don’t jump into writing at once, as your structure and content may evolve as you conduct research and find new data. So, please keep to the steps we have outlined here to arrive at a well-structured, coherent product at the end of the process.

How to Start a Report Paper

Like any other academic writing piece, a report paper starts with an introduction in which you set the context for your inquiry and explain the problem you’re going to research. It’s wise to include relevant statistics or factual data in this part of the report to show why your topic of interest is significant and urgent.

It’s also necessary to include the research objectives and questions, as they will guide your readers throughout the structure of your further report content. You need to clarify why this report paper is being generally written so that they capture the topic’s significance and get more engaged in reading the paper from the beginning till the end.

How to Structure a Report Paper

As a rule, reports are lengthier and more complex than usual essays. So, be ready to include the following components into your report’s structure:

• Title page
• Table of contents
• Executive summary
• Introduction
• Literature review
• Methodology
• Key findings
• Discussion of findings and analysis
• Conclusion
• Recommendations
• Limitations
• Reflection
• References
• Appendices (optional)

How to End a Report Paper

You’re free to choose the significant elements for inclusion into your final section of the report. As a rule, their number and content depend on the length of your assignment and the details of the professor’s prompt. A simple report typically ends with a concise conclusion that summarizes what you have found out and what recommendations and solutions to the problem you can provide.

A more complex and advanced report paper may feature conclusions, recommendations, a discussion of methodological limitations in your study, and a reflection on your learning process.

Report Paper Outline

For your clarity, we have prepared a universal outline fitting any assignment of this kind:

• Summary – a one-page annotation preceding the main body of your report paper and summarizing everything you did.
• Introduction – the first part of the report that sets the context and explains your research focus to the audience.
• Body – the main section of any report presenting the research approach, significant findings, and discussion of their importance.
• Conclusion – a wrap-up of the whole report’s content that shows what you have achieved and emphasizes your major findings.
• Recommendations – a set of suggestions for further research and evidence-based practice improvement recommendations.

Report Paper Introduction

Let’s deal with the structure of your report in more detail. What information should go to the introductory part? As a rule, you will need to set the report’s context and explain the problem it addresses or the question it answers.

Besides, the introductory part should clearly state your terms of reference, which is the objective and expected research outcome. Larger reports with a more sophisticated structure also include an outline of the research method and the limitations of your report.

Example:

The countries of the third world experience a large set of structural problems, ranging from hunger to poverty, preventing them from full-scale economic development. Even the financial aid of developed states is of limited effect, as these countries are deeply affected by corruption. As a result, only a tiny share of funds allocated to developing states’ growth reach their intended sectors. This report examines the magnitude of the corruption problem in the Southeast Asian states to show its adverse economic consequences.

Report Paper Body

The body of your paper depends on the size of the assignment and the required sections. Typically, you will need to present a brief literature review on the subject to show what reputable academic sources say about your issue or subject.

Next, you will need to present a methodological overview to show how you will examine the subject, what data you will collect, where you will get it, and how you will make sense of it. After the methodology, you need to provide the results of your research, clearly structured in relation to your initially set objectives.

The final part of the body should focus on discussing findings in the light of previously published research. In other words, you need to contextualize your findings and see whether they support or conflict with the results of other researchers.

Example:

The report is a case study of several Southeast Asian economies focusing on the reports of corruption and analyzing the volumes of financial aid from Western countries and more powerful regional neighbors targeting these countries’ economic revival. The researcher compares the figures of officially allocated funds and examines the funded projects to identify the degree of these initiatives’ stagnation because of corruption.

State-by-state corruption analysis on secondary data from open resources. Analysis of successful and failed local projects in the economic, agricultural, and infrastructural sectors meant to improve the current situation in the country. Examination of expert views and opinions on the magnitude of corruption in the chosen states.

Report Paper Conclusion

The conclusions section should tie everything you’ve found together. Don’t give your readers any new information as it may confuse them. Your conclusions should focus only on the content covered in this report. Your paper will also benefit from including recommendations at the end, focusing on further research and practice improvements.

Example:

The presented analysis revealed multiple levels at which corruption thrives in the selected Southeastern Asian states, with funds allocated to sponsor economic development sinking in the pockets of local, state, and governmental officials.

Thus, these states’ lack of political transparency is the primary reason for the economic stagnation and inefficiency of large-scale development projects. Developing states can only achieve a sizable degree of economic revival, empowerment, and active development by targeting corruption.

Based on the findings of this study, the researcher sets forth a couple of recommendations for local governments and foreign aid actors. First, it is vital to set up an independent auditing authority for every internationally financed economic project in corruption-stricken countries.

Next, political officials and populations of those countries should receive primary education on the ills of corruption so that they can curb these practices by stopping to support and fuel them. More publicity, less silent support of the corrupt officials’ rules of the game, and more transparency for all economic activities can make a real difference in the quality of people’s lives in the discussed region.

Get Help with Report Writing – It Is Easy

As you can see now, writing a report is not that hard. The main thing to keep in mind is that you need to focus on the structure and include the necessary components in every section without missing the point or getting off-topic. You also need to conduct thorough, systematic research and analysis of literature to choose only relevant academic sources for your review. It’s also necessary to have knowledge of research methods, thus being able to choose the right approach.

Not sure how to write a report paper in APA format? The task can be pretty overwhelming for inexperienced students, but we usually assign experienced professionals to write these pieces. So, you will never experience any problems with the completion of your report on any topic.

We handle academic assignments of any structure and complexity level, thus closing our clients’ educational gaps and resolving their academic troubles in a matter of hours. Don’t fight with the college misfortunes and challenges on your own; we have a large team of paper writers ready to give you a helping hand and write a report paper instead of you.

Inesse Goulding

About post author

As a former student myself, I appreciate the opportunity to help and guide young learners. I am your fearless partner in any academic emergency. My major is journalism, but I am always willing to help you with other pressing matters. Likes traveling, books, self-education, blogging, and academic writing. A diligent and hard-working writer, Inesse Goulding is an ever-positive personal who is always pleasant to talk to. Inesse is a profound editor and proofreader with a keen eye for impeccable grammar and engaging style. Also, Mrs. Goulding boasts a perfect English language, which makes her one of our most prolific and well-demanded writers. Let’s create something great together!