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The purpose of a report
A report is a practical document that describes, details or analyses something so that the reader can make decisions or take specific action concerning it. A report can be written about anything; a business issue, a recent event, a piece of research, however it is likely to be one or more of the following in character:
Informative
Defining or establishing the facts surrounding a current situation
Explanatory
Exploring and explaining a situation and suggesting a range of possible actions
Persuasive
Investigating a problem and recommending a specific course of action
The difference between reports and essays
As a part of the assessment for your course, you may be required to write both reports and essays; this table highlights the main differences between the two:
| Report | Essay | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | - To resolve a problem - To improve a situation - To understand a phenomena It usually involves defining an issue, investigating, presenting and analysing information in order to develop a set of recommendations (actions) |
- To research and answer a question - To establish or test a proposition |
| Title | Statement e.g.: ‘A cost-benefit analysis of workplace training programmes in Zambia’ | Question e.g.: ‘Is cost-benefit analysis an effective approach for decision-making in developing countries?’ |
| Approach |
- A case study |
A discussion exploring a proposition and making an argument for or/and against an idea |
| Format | May include bullet points as well as paragraphs | Series of paragraphs |
| Writing Style | Direct, academic | Discursive, academic |
| Typical Structure |
- Abstract |
- Introduction - Main body (progressive order) - Conclusion |