definition of good report

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Top 11 characteristics of a good report.

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This article throws light upon the top eleven characteristics of a good report. The characteristics are: 1. Simplicity 2. Clarity 3. Brevity 4. Positivity 5. Punctuation 6. Approach 7. Readability 8. Accuracy 9. Logical Sequence 10. Proper Form 11. Presentation.

Characteristic # 1. Simplicity:

The language shall be as simple as possible so that a report is easily understandable. Jargons and technical words should be avoided. Even in a technical report there shall be restricted use of technical terms if it has to be presented to laymen.

Characteristic # 2. Clarity:

The language shall be lucid and straight, clearly expressing what is intended to be expressed. For that the report has to be written in correct form and following correct steps.

Characteristic # 3. Brevity:

A report shall not be unnecessarily long so that the patience of the reader is not lost and there is no confusion of ideas. But, at the same time, a report must be complete. A report is not an essay.

Characteristic # 4. Positivity:

As far as possible positive statements should be made instead of negative ones. For example, it is better to say what should be done and not what should not be done.

Characteristic # 5. Punctuation :

Punctuations have to be carefully and correctly used otherwise the meaning of sentences may be misunder­stood or misrepresented.

Characteristic # 6. Approach:

There are two types of approaches: (a) Per­son—When a report is written based on personal enquiry or obser­vations, the approach shall be personal and the sentences shall be in the first person and in direct speech, (b) Impersonal—When a report is prepared as a source of information and when it is merely factual (e.g. a report on a meeting), the approach shall be impersonal and the sentences shall be in the third person and in indirect speech.

Characteristic # 7. Readability:

The keynote of a report is readability. The style of presentation and the diction (use of words) shall be such that the readers find it attractive and he is compelled to read the report from the beginning to the end.’ Then only a report serves its purpose. A report on the same subject matter can be written differ­ently for different classes of readers.

Characteristic # 8. Accuracy:

A report shall be accurate when facts are stated in it. It shall not be biased with personal feelings of the writer.

Characteristic # 9. Logical Sequence:

The points in a report shall be arranged with a logical sequence, step by step and not in a haphazard manner. A planning is necessary before a report is prepared.

Characteristic # 10. Proper Form:

A report must be in the proper form. Some­times there are statutory forms to follow.

Characteristic # 11. Presentation:

A report needs an attractive presentation. It depends on the quality of typing or printing as well as quality of paper used. Big companies make very attractive and colourful Annual Reports.

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• Principles of a Good Research Report
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Characteristics Of A Good Report

We empower Anti-Financial Crime and Corporate Risk Management Professionals

What are the characteristics of a good report? The report provides factual information depending on which decisions are made. Therefore, everyone should take conscious steps to ensure that a report has all the essential qualities which turn it into a good report. A report is a written document showing organized information using a specific format and presentation. The audience and objective are specific for a report. 

A well-written report “tells a story.” A report must answer the following questions: who, what, when, where, why, how, and how much. Writing a qualitative report may be a hard nut to crack. However, it is the opposite for those who know the essential characteristics of a good report because it helps to judge what qualities are present in their report.

Several characteristics of a good report include:

In a good report, the report writer is very clear about the exact and definite purpose of writing the report. This central purpose directs the investigation, analysis, recommendations, and others. The precision of a report provides unity to the report and makes it a valuable document for best usage.

Accuracy of Facts

Information contained in a report must be based on accurate facts. Since decisions are based on report information, inaccurate information or statistics will lead to a wrong decision. It will hamper ensuring the achievement of the organizational goal.

Relevancy 

The facts presented in a report should be accurate and relevant. Irrelevant facts make a report confusing and likely to be misleading. 

Simple Language

Simplicity is the best for anything. It is just another essential feature of a good report. A good report is written in simple language, avoiding vague and unclear words. The writer’s emotion or goal should not influence the report’s language. The message of a good report should be self-explanatory. A good reporter should use simple sentences instead of complex sentences in the narration of facts.

Conciseness

A good report should be concise, but it does not mean that a report can never belong. Rather it means that a report transmits maximum information with minimum words. It avoids unnecessary detail and includes everything significant and necessary to present proper information.

Grammatical 

A good report is free from errors. Any faulty construction of a sentence may change its meaning in the reader’s mind and potentially make it confusing or ambiguous.

Unbiased Recommendation

Recommendations usually affect the reader’s mind. Therefore, if recommendations are made at the end of a report, they should be impartial and objective and come to a logical conclusion for investigation and analysis. 

Clarity depends on the proper arrangement of facts. A good report is absolutely clear. The reporter should clarify their purpose, define their sources, state their findings, and make a necessary recommendation A report must be clear to understand to ensure effective communication throughout.

Presentation

The presentation of a report is also a factor that should be considered for a good report. The structure, content, language, typing, and presentation style of a good report should be attractive to make a clear impression in the mind of its reader.

Complete Information

A good report shows important information. Most of this information is analyzed as the basis of importance. The report should not contain useless or vague information.

Final Thoughts

A good report should have a summary by which the reader of the report can take a decision or stand on a particular decision. A summary can reflect the whole picture at a glance. Therefore, it has a large impact. The inclusion of the above factor features or characteristics makes a good report effective and fruitful. It also helps to achieve the report goal.

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10 Principles / Qualities of a Good Report

Drafting a report is a complex task, therefore, requires certain principles/qualities of a good report to be followed to write an effective report which is such as:

Qualities of a Good Report

1. Clear objective : The objective of the report must be properly defined.

2. Proper rule-following : Specific rules suitable for specific types of reports should be followed.

3. Easy language : The report should be drafted maintaining the simple and familiar language.

4. Provide accurate information : There should be a presentation of accurate and proper information in the report.

5. Proper planning : Proper planning should be made regarding the structure, system, content, and style of the report.

6. Clear content of the report : The content of the report must be in detail to provide a clear idea. There should be statistical analysis, table presentation, graphs , pictures, and others to be included in a report if necessary.

7. Attract the audience : The report must be neat and clean to make it attractive to the audience.

8. Based on actual facts : The report must be neutral and based on actual facts.

9. Proper starting : There should be a proper heading of the report in compliance with the subject matter stated in the report.

10. Proper place of signature and date : The signature of the reporter and the date of drafting the report should be placed in the right place of the report.

The above principles if followed then there will be a preparation of a good report. And a good report is helpful in making a decision.

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• Six Tips for Making a Quality Report Appealing and Easy To Skim

To attract and hold users' attention, your quality report needs to be designed in a way that: 1

• Looks appealing and approachable at first glance.
• Helps readers notice what information is available and important.
• Makes it easy for them to skim and find topics of personal interest.

The tips below apply to both printed and Web reports. For more guidance related to web design, go to Four Tips for Designing Web-Based Health Care Quality Reports .

Tip 1. Use Design To Make the Report's Purpose Clear

• Format the title so that it stands out and is easy to read.
• Consider adding a tag line or several short sentences so that users know what the report is about, why they should care, and how they can use the information.
• Use design features such as color accents, photos, or other images to draw attention to and emphasize the title and tag line.

Tip 2. Make the Report Look Like It Will Be Easy To Read

You can take advantage of various design strategies to create the perception that your report will be easy to read and understand. These strategies address layout, fonts, and color.

Layout: How You Distribute Content on the Page

• Break up the text into short paragraphs and bulleted points so that it’s easy to skim (no "wall of words" to discourage your readers).
• Keep the layout simple and uncluttered, with plenty of margin and white space (blank areas that give the eyes a chance to rest).
• Left justify the text to make it easier to read. Readers sometimes overlook titles that are centered.

Font Size and Type

• For Web reports , experts usually recommend using a sans serif font for easy on-screen reading.
• For printed reports , experts tend to recommend using a serif font for the main text and a sans serif font for headings, subheadings, and labels. Choose serif and sans serif fonts that are both easy to read and contrast well with each other.
• Use boldface type to highlight important words and phrases. But use it sparingly, because large blocks of text in bold are hard to read.

Font Color and Contrast

• Maintain high contrast between the text and background. Black text on a white or very light background is the most readable text.
• Be cautious with colored text. Never put text in light colors such as orange or yellow against a light background.
• Minimize use of “reversed-out” text (light text on a dark background), which is hard to read, especially in printed material. Also, if users will be printing the report themselves, reversed-out text requires too much ink, making printing costly.
• Avoid printing text on colored backgrounds unless the background is very light (such as pale yellow). Shading the background reduces contrast and makes the text harder to read.
• For ease of reading, do not put text on top of photos or patterned backgrounds.

Tip 3. Consider Using Visuals To Enhance Appeal and Reinforce the Content

Photos, illustrations, or other design elements can add warmth and visual interest to your report. Choose visuals that are clear, uncluttered, and culturally appropriate for your intended audience.

Visuals should reflect the subject matter of your report. Use images to reinforce main content or messages, not just to decorate the report. For example, if you are showing performance measures related to surgery, you could show a picture of a surgical team doing an operation.

Tip 4. Make It Easy To Navigate the Report and Pick Up the Main Points

To guide people smoothly through your report, use text and graphics in combination to give clear, consistent navigation signals. These signals help people notice what’s in the report and help them find the parts of personal interest without distracting or misleading them.

• Use plenty of informative headings and subheadings. Make them pop out for easy skimming by creating strong contrast between the text and the headings and leaving enough space around the headings.
• Keep the overall page layout and design features consistent from page to page. Although each page in your report may have different content, the basic design should be consistent.
• Keep the formatting of titles, headings, bulleted lists, labels, and other text the same throughout the report (same font, size, color, and so on).
• In a printed report, keep page numbers and other reference text such as section titles in the same place on every page.
• In a Web report, provide persistent navigation links for the main headings and keep them in the same position on each page.

Tip 5. Format Charts and Graphs To Be Attractive and Easy To Understand

Comparison charts and bar graphs can be intimidating. You can use formatting features to help make these data displays cleaner and more readable.

• Keep the layout clean and uncluttered. Allow enough space so that the display doesn’t look crowded and the type size can stay large enough for easy reading. If you are creating a paper report, don’t squeeze the information into a predetermined length but make it as long as it needs to be.
• Put your legend and other crucial reference material in a prominent place (such as the top left of the chart).
• To clearly define the columns of a rows-and-columns chart, use left justification and maintain strong alignments. Then you can de-clutter the layout by removing vertical lines between the columns (you won’t need them).
• To help readers track across the page within a rows-and-columns chart, consider using soft and subtle lines between the rows (such as gray lines instead of black ones). Or use bands of very soft and subtle shading on alternate rows. Be careful not to use strong shading, which can distort the look of the symbols and make it harder to see any patterns in the chart.
• To make groups of symbols such as stars easier to read at a glance, keep the symbols close together so they create a visual "block." Also, rather than centering the symbols, left-justify them so that it is easy to see which groups are longer than others (similar to reading a bar graph by paying attention to the length of the bar).
• Try to avoid using footnotes on a data display. The need to check on what’s in the footnote puts a greater cognitive burden on the users. Moreover, some footnotes are easy to miss, and some users don’t know what footnotes are or how they are usually signaled for a reader.Use Color in a Consistent and Meaningful Way

Tip 6. Use Color in a Consistent and Meaningful Way

Color is a powerful tool for helping people skim information and pick out important patterns, such as the best and worst performers. But it's easy to overdo it or use color in a way that is confusing rather then enlightening.

• Use color purposefully to help draw readers to the most important points. It shouldn't be a distracting decoration. For best impact, use color sparingly and avoid "color overload."
• Keep in mind that some readers have limited perception of colors. Also, in a web report, colors can vary from one user to the next because of differences in computer equipment.
• Whatever format you are using, a black and white version has to be as informative as the color version. Some readers might see a photocopy of a printed report or print pages from a web report in black and white.
• To avoid confusing readers, use colors consistently. For instance, if you use blue for the symbols that indicate the best performance, do not use blue elsewhere in the report to designate something else.
• If there is a neutral or middle category or a "no rating" category, format it in ways that make it fade into the background. This will make the higher and lower ratings stand out.
• Consider incorporating words as part of your symbols ("word icons") to make them self-explanatory. Many readers tend to overlook or ignore a legend. Learn more about this strategy: Provide self-explanatory symbols .
• To keep costs down, consider limiting the report to two colors (usually black plus another color).
• To increase the mileage you get out of those colors, choose a color that works well in lighter tones and that contrasts well against white. For example, green or blue can work well as the second color.

Learn About Principles of Design and Practical Applications

• The Non-Designers Design Book: Design and Typographic Principles for the Visual Novice, Second edition, by Robin Williams, Berkeley, CA: Peachpit Press, 2004. If graphic design is a new topic for you, this book is a good place to begin. It gives clear explanations of the basic design principles (contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity) and uses many examples to show their impact on written materials of various types.
• Toolkit for Making Written Material Clear and Effective , Part 5, Understanding and Using the "Toolkit Guidelines for Graphic Design." Written by Jeanne McGee for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
• Dynamics in Document Design: Creating Texts for Readers by Karen A. Schriver, John Wiley and Sons, 1997. This book is a very detailed resource on research related to design and its impact. Emphasizing practical applications of research findings, this book gives examples from testing that show how crucial it is to take the readers’ needs seriously. It also discusses subtleties of cross-cultural aspects of document design.
• What Cognitive Science Tells Us About the Design of Reports for Consumers by Vaiana ME, McGlynn EA. Medical Care Research and Review, Vol. 59, No. 1, March 2002, pp. 3–35. This article reviews key findings from research on how people process information and applies it to the challenge of presenting complex information about health care in ways that facilitate its comprehension and use. The authors present general principles for presenting information and demonstrate their utility by assessing three web sites that report performance data.
• Adapted in part from McGee J. Toolkit for Making Written Material Clear and Effective , Part 5, Understanding and using the "Toolkit Guidelines for Graphic Design." Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Also in "Tips on Designing a Quality Report"

• First Design Decision: Web, Paper, or Both
• Four Tips for Designing Web-Based Health Care Quality Reports
• Advice on Using Design Professionals for a Quality Report
• Testing the Design of a Quality Report By Getting User Feedback

Internet Citation: Six Tips for Making a Quality Report Appealing and Easy To Skim. Content last reviewed October 2019. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. https://www.ahrq.gov/talkingquality/resources/design/general-tips/index.html

A Guide To The Top 14 Types Of Reports With Examples Of When To Use Them

Table of Contents

1) What Is The Report Definition?

2) Top 14 Types Of Reports

3) What Does A Report Look Like?

Businesses have been producing reports since, forever. No matter what role or industry you work in, chances are that you have been faced with the task of generating a tedious report to show your progress or performance.

While reporting has been a common practice for many decades, the business world keeps evolving and, with more competitive industries, the need to generate fast and accurate reports becomes critical. This presents a problem for many modern organizations today as building reports can take from hours to days. In fact, a survey about management reports performed by Deloitte says that 50% of managers are unsatisfied with the speed of delivery and the quality of the reports they receive. 

With this issue in mind, several BI tools have been developed to assist businesses in the generation of interactive reports with just a few clicks, enhancing the way companies make critical decisions and service insights from their most valuable data.

But, with so many types of reports used on a daily basis, how can you know when to use them effectively? How can you push yourself ahead of the pack with the power of information? Here, we’re going to explore the 14 most common types of reports in business and provide some examples of when to use them to your brand-boosting advantage. In addition, we will see how online dashboards have overthrown the static nature of classic reports and given way to a much faster, more interactive way of working with data.

Let’s get started with a brief report definition.

What Is The Report Definition?

A report is a document that presents relevant business information in an organized and understandable format. Each report is aimed at a specific audience and business purpose and it summarizes the performance of different activities based on goals and objectives.  

That said, there are various types of reports that can be used for different purposes, rather you want to track the progress of your strategies or stay compliant with financial laws, there is a different report for each task. To help you identify when to use them we will cover the top 14 most common report formats used for businesses today. 

What Are The Different Types Of Reports?

1. Informational Reports 

The first in our list of reporting types is informational reports. As their name suggests, this report type aims to give factual insights about a specific topic. This can include performance reports, expense reports, and justification reports, among others. A differentiating characteristic of these reports is their objectivity, they are only meant to inform but not propose solutions or hypotheses. Common informational reports examples are for performance tracking such as annual, monthly, or weekly reports . 

2. Analytical Reports 

This report type contains a mix of useful information to facilitate the decision-making process through a mix of qualitative and quantitative insights as well as real-time and historical data. Unlike informational reports that purely inform users about a topic, this report type also aims to provide recommendations about the next steps and help with problem-solving. With this information in hand, businesses can build strategies based on analytical evidence and not simple intuition. With the use of the right BI reporting tool businesses can generate various types of analytical reports that include accurate forecasts via predictive analytics technologies. Let's look at it with an analytical report example.

**click to enlarge**

The example above is the perfect representation of how analytical reports can boost a business’s performance. By getting detailed information such as sales opportunities, a probability rate, as well as an accurate pipeline value forecast based on historical data, sales teams can prepare their strategies in advance, tackle any inefficiencies, and make informed decisions for increased efficiency. 

3. Operational Reports 

These reports track every pertinent detail of the company's operational tasks, such as its production processes. They are typically short-term reports as they aim to paint a picture of the present. Businesses use this type of report to spot any issues and define their solutions, or to identify improvement opportunities to optimize their operational efficiency. Operational reports are commonly used in manufacturing, logistics, and retail as they help keep track of inventory, production, and costs, among others. 

4. Product Reports

As its name suggests, this report type is used to monitor several aspects related to product performance and development. Businesses often use them to track which of their products or subscriptions are selling the most within a given time period, calculate inventories, or see what kind of product the client values the most. Another common use case of these reports is to research the implementation of new products or develop existing ones. Let’s see it more in detail with a visual example. 

The image above is a product report that shows valuable insights regarding usage intention, purchase intention, willingness to pay, and more. In this case, the report is based on the answers from a survey that aimed to understand how the target customer would receive a new product. Getting this level of insights through this report type is very useful for businesses as it allows them to make smart investments when it comes to new products as well as set realistic pricing based on their client’s willingness to pay. 

5. Industry Reports 

Next in our list of the most common types of reports we have industry-specific reports. Typically, these reports provide an overview of a particular industry, market, or sector with definitions, key trends, leading companies, and industry size, among others. They are particularly useful for businesses that want to enter a specific industry and want to learn how competitive it is or for companies who are looking to set performance benchmarks based on average industry values. 

6. Department Reports

These reports are specific to each department or business function. They serve as a communication tool between managers and team members that need to stay connected and work together for common goals. Rather is the sales department, customer service, logistics, or finances, this specific report type help track and optimize performance on a deeper level. Let’s look at it with an example of a team performance report. 

The image above is a department report created with an online data analysis tool and it is tracking the performance of a support team. This insightful report displays relevant metrics such as the top-performing agents, net promoter score, and first contact resolution rate, among others. Having this information in hand not only helps each member of the team to keep track of their individual performance but also allows managers to understand who needs more training and who is performing at their best. 

7. Progress Reports

From the brunch of informational reports, progress reports provide critical information about the status of a project. These reports can be produced on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis by employees or managers to track performance and fine-tune tasks for the better development of the project. Progress reports are often used as visual materials to support meetings and discussions. A good example is a KPI scorecard . 

8. Internal Reports

A type of report that encompasses many others on this list, internal reports refer to any type of report that is used internally in a company. They convey information between team members and departments to keep communication flowing regarding goals and business objectives. 

As mentioned above, internal reports serve as useful communication tools to keep every relevant person in the organization informed and engaged. This healthcare report aims to do just that. By providing insights into the performance of different departments and areas of a hospital such as in and outpatients, average waiting times, treatment costs, and more, healthcare managers can allocate resources and plan the schedule accurately as well as monitor any changes or issues in real-time. 

9. External Reports

Although most of the reports types listed here are used for internal purposes, not all reporting is meant to be used behind closed doors. External reports are created with the aim of sharing information with external stakeholders such as clients or investors for budget or progress accountability as well as to governmental bodies to stay compliant with the law requirements.

The image above is the perfect example of an external client report from an IT project. This insightful report provides a visual overview of every relevant aspect regarding the development of the project. From deadlines, budget usage, completion stage, and task breakdown, clients can be fully informed and involved in the project. 

10. Vertical & Lateral Reports 

Next, in our rundown of types of reports, we have vertical and lateral reports. This reporting type refers to the direction in which a report travels. A vertical report is meant to go upward or downward the hierarchy, for example, a management report. While a lateral report assists in organization and communication between groups that are at the same level of the hierarchy, such as the financial and marketing departments.

11. Research Reports

Without a doubt, one of the most vital reporting types for any modern business is centered on research. Being able to collect, collate, and drill down into insights based on key pockets of your customer base or industry will give you the tools to drive innovation while meeting your audience’s needs head-on.

The image above is a market research analytics report example for customer demographics. It serves up a balanced blend of metrics that will empower you to boost engagement as well as retention rates. Here, you can drill down into your audience’s behaviors, interests, gender, educational levels, and tech adoption life cycles with a simple glance.

What’s particularly striking about this dashboard is the fact that you can explore key trends in brand innovation with ease, gaining a working insight into how your audience perceives your business. This invaluable type of report will help you get under the skin of your consumers, driving growth and loyalty in the process.

12. Strategic Reports

Strategy is a vital component of every business, big or small. Strategic analytics tools are perhaps the broadest and most universal of all the different types of business report imaginable.

These particular tools exist to help you understand, meet, and exceed your most pressing company goals consistently by serving up top-level metrics on a variety of initiatives or functions.

By working with strategic-style tools, you will:

• Improve internal motivation and engagement
• Refine your plans and strategies for the best possible return on investment (ROI)
• Enhance internal communication and optimize the way your various departments run
• Create more room for innovation and creative thinking

13. Project Reports

Projects are key to keeping a business moving in the right direction while keeping innovation and evolution at the forefront of every plan, communication, or campaign. But without the right management tools, a potentially groundbreaking project can turn into a resource-sapping disaster.

A project management report serves as a summary of a particular project's status and its various components. It's a visual tool that you can share with partners, colleagues, clients, and stakeholders to showcase your project's progress at multiple stages. Let’s look at our example and dig a little deeper.

To ensure consistent success across the board, the kinds of reports you need to work with are based on project management. 

Our example is a project management dashboard equipped with a melting pot of metrics designed to improve the decision-making process while keeping every facet of your company’s most important initiatives under control. Here, you can spot pivotal trends based on costs, task statuses, margins, costs, and overall project revenue. With this cohesive visual information at your fingertips, not only can you ensure the smooth end-to-end running of any key project, but you can drive increased operational efficiency as you move through every significant milestone.

14. Statutory Reports

It may not seem exciting or glamorous, but keeping your business's statutory affairs in order is vital to your ongoing commercial health and success.

When it comes to submitting such vital financial and non-financial information to official bodies, one small error can result in serious repercussions. As such, working with statutory types of report formats is a water-tight way of keeping track of your affairs and records while significantly reducing the risk of human error.

Armed with interactive insights and dynamic visuals, you will keep your records clean and compliant while gaining the ability to nip any potential errors or issues in the bud.

What Does A Report Look Like?

Now that we’ve covered the most relevant types of reports, we will answer the question: what does a report look like? 

As mentioned at the beginning of this insightful guide, static reporting is a thing of the past. With the rise of modern technologies like self service BI tools , the use of interactive reports in the shape of business dashboards has become more and more popular among companies.

Unlike static reports that take time to be generated and are difficult to understand, modern reporting tools are intuitive. Their visual nature makes them easy to understand for any type of user, and they provide businesses with a central view of their most important performance indicators for an improved decision-making process. Here we will cover 15 useful dashboard examples from different industries and functions to put the value of dashboard reporting into perspective. 

1. Financial Report

Keeping finances in check is critical for success. This financial report offers an overview of the most important financial metrics that a company needs to monitor its economic activities and answer vital questions to ensure healthy finances. 

With insights about liquidity, invoicing, budgeting, and general financial stability, managers can extract long and short-term conclusions to reduce inefficiencies, make accurate forecasts about future performance, and keep the overall financial efficiency of the business flowing. For instance, getting a detailed calculation of the business working capital can allow you to understand how liquid is your company. If it's higher than expected it means you have the potential to invest and grow. Definitely, one of the most valuable types of finance reports.

2. Marketing Report 

Our next example is a marketing report that ensures a healthy return on investment from your marketing efforts. This type of report offers a detailed overview of campaign performance over the last 12 weeks. Having access to this information enables you to maximize the value of your promotional actions keeping your audience engaged by providing a targeted experience. 

For instance, you can implement different campaign formats as a test and then compare which one is most successful for your business. This is possible thanks to the monitoring of important marketing metrics such as the click-through rate (CTR), cost per click (CPC), cost per acquisition (CPA), and more. 

The visual nature of this report makes it easy to understand important insights at a glance. For example, the four gauge charts at the top show the total spending from all campaigns and how much of the total budget of each campaign has been used. In just seconds you can see if you are on target to meet your marketing budgets for every single campaign. 

3. Sales Report

An intuitive sales dashboard like the one above is the perfect analytical tool to monitor and optimize sales performance. Armed with powerful high-level metrics, this report type is especially interesting for managers, executives, and sales VPs as it provides relevant information to ensure strategic and operational success. 

The value of this sales report lies in the fact that it offers a complete and comprehensive overview of relevant insights needed to make smart sales decisions. For instance, at the top of an analysis tool, you get important metrics such as the number of sales, revenue, profit, and costs, all compared to a set target and to the previous time period. The use of historical data is fundamental when building successful sales strategies as they provide a picture of what could happen in the future. Being able to filter the key metrics all in one screen is a key benefit of modern reporting. 

4. HR Report 

Our next example of a report is about human resources analytics . The HR department needs to track a lot of data such as employee performance and effectiveness. But overall they need to ensure that employees are happy and working in a healthy environment since an unhappy workforce can significantly damage a company. This is all possible with the help of this intuitive dashboard. 

Providing a comprehensive mix of metrics, this employee-centric report drills down into every major element needed to ensure successful workforce management. For example, the top portion of the dashboard covers absenteeism in 3 different ways: yearly average, absenteeism rate with a target of 3.8%, and absenteeism over the last 5 years. Tracking absenteeism rates in detail is helpful as it can tell you if your employees are skipping days of work. If the rate is over the expected target, then you need to dig deeper into the reasons and find sustainable solutions. 

On the other hand, the second part of the dashboard covers the overall labor effectiveness (OLE). This can be tracked based on specific criteria that HR predefined and it helps them understand if workers are achieving their targets or if they need extra training or help. 

5. Management Report

Managers need to monitor big amounts of information to ensure that the business is running smoothly. One of them being investor relationships. This management dashboard focuses on high-level metrics that shareholders need to look at before investing such as the return on assets, return on equity, debt-equity ratio, and share price, among others. 

By getting an overview of these important metrics, investors can easily extract the needed information to make an informed decision regarding an investment in your company. For instance, the return on assets measures how efficiently are the company's assets being used to generate profit. With this information, investors can understand how effectively your company deploys available resources in comparison to others in the market. Another great indicator is the share price, the higher the increase in your share price the more money your shareholders are making from their investment. 

6. IT Report 

Just like all the other departments and sections covered in this list, the IT department is one that can especially benefit from these types of reports. With so many technical issues to solve, the need for a visual tool to help IT specialists stay on track with all their workload becomes critical. 

As seen in the image above, this IT dashboard offers detailed information about different system indicators. For starters, we get a visual overview of the status of each server, followed by a detailed graph displaying the uptime & downtime of each week. This is complemented by the most common downtown issues and some ticket management information. Getting this level of insight helps your IT staff to know what is happening and when it is happening and find proper solutions to avoid these issues from repeating themselves. Keeping constant track of these metrics will ensure robust system performance. 

7. Procurement Report

This next example of a report was built with intuitive procurement analytics software and it gives a general view of various metrics that the procurement department needs to work with on a regular basis. 

With the possibility to filter, drill down, and interact with the data, this intuitive procurement dashboard offers key information to ensure a healthy relationship with suppliers. With metrics such as compliance rate, the number of suppliers, or the purchase order cycle time, the procurement team can classify the different suppliers, define the relationship each of them has with the company, and optimize processes to ensure the company stays profitable.

8. Customer Service Report

Following our list of examples of reports is one from the support area. Armed with powerful customer service KPIs , this dashboard is a useful tool to monitor performance, spot trends, identify strengths and weaknesses, and improve the overall effectiveness of the customer support department. 

Covering aspects such as revenue and costs from customer support as well as customer satisfaction, this complete analysis tool is the perfect tool for managers that need to keep an eye on every little detail from a performance and operational perspective. For example, by monitoring your customer service costs and comparing them to the revenue you can understand if you are investing the right amount into your support processes. This can be directly related to your agent’s average time to solve issues, the longer it takes to solve a support ticket the more money it will cost and the less revenue it will bring. If you see that your agents are taking too long to solve an issue you can think of some training instances to help them reduce this number. 

9. Market Research Report 

This list of report types examples would not be complete without a market research report . Market research agencies deal with a big amount of information coming from surveys and other research sources. Taking all this into account, the need for reports that can be filtered for deeper interaction becomes more necessary for this industry than any other. 

The image above is a brand analytics dashboard that displays the results of a survey about how a brand is perceived by the public. This savvy tool contains different chart types that make it easy to visually understand the information. For instance, the map chart with the different colors lets you quickly understand in which regions each age range is located. The charts can be filtered further to see the detailed answers from each group for a deeper analysis. 

10. Social Media Report 

Last but not least, we have a social media report .  This scorecard format dashboard monitors the performance of 4 main social media channels: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube and it serves as a perfect visual overview to track the performance of different social media efforts and achievements. 

Tracking relevant metrics such as followers, impressions, clicks, engagement rates, and conversions, this report type serves as a perfect progress report to show to managers or clients that need to see the status of their social channels. Each metric is shown in its actual value and compared to a set target. The colors green and red from the fourth column let you quickly understand if a metric is over or under its expected target. 

If you feel inspired by this list then we recommend you to take a look at our dashboard examples library where you will find over 80+ templates from different industries, functions, and platforms for extra inspiration! 

11. Logistics Report

Logistics are the cornerstone of an operationally fluent and progressive business. If you deal with large quantities of goods and tangible items, in particular, maintaining a solid logistical strategy is vital to ensuring you maintain your brand reputation while keeping things flowing in the right direction.

A prime example of the types of data reporting tool designed to improve logistical management, our warehouse KPI dashboard is equipped with metrics required to maintain strategic movement while eliminating any unnecessary costs or redundant processes. Here, you can dig into your shipping success rates across regions while accessing warehouse costs and perfect order rates in real time. If you spot any potential inefficiencies, you can track them here and take the correct course of action to refine your strategy. This is an essential tool for any business with a busy or scaling warehouse.

12. Manufacturing Report

Next in our essential types of business reports examples, we’re looking at tools made to improve your business’s various manufacturing processes.

Our clean and concise production tool is a sight to behold and serves up key manufacturing KPIs that improve the decision-making process when it comes to costs, volume, and machinery.

Here, you can hone in on historical patterns and trends while connecting with priceless real-time insights that will not only help you make the right calls concerning your manufacturing process at the moment but will also help you formulate predictive strategies that will ultimately save money, boost productivity, and result in top-quality products across the board.

13. Retail Report

As a retailer with so many channels to consider and so many important choices to make, working with the right metrics and visuals is absolutely essential. Fortunately, we live in an age where there are different types of reporting designed for this very reason.

Our sales and order example, generated with retail analytics software , is a dream come true for retailers as it offers the visual insights needed to understand your product range in greater detail while keeping a firm grip on your order volumes, perfect order rates, and reasons for returns.

By gaining access to this invaluable access in one visually presentable space will allow you to track increases or decreases in orders over a set timeframe (and understand whether you’re doing the right things to drive engagement) while plowing your promotional resources into the products that are likely to offer the best returns.

Plus, by gaining an accurate overview of why people are returning your products, you can omit problem items or processes from your retail strategy, improving your brand reputation as well as revenue in the process.

14. Digital Media Report

The content and communications you publish are critical to your ongoing success, regardless of your sector, niche, or specialty. Without putting out communications that speak directly to the right segments of your audience at the right times in their journey, your brand will swiftly fade into the background.

To ensure your brand remains inspiring, engaging, and thought-leading across channels, working with media types of a business report is essential. You have to ensure your communications cut through the noise and scream ‘quality’ from start to finish—no ifs, no buts, no exceptions.

Our content quality control tool is designed with a logical hierarchy that will tell you if your content sparks readership if the language you’re using is inclusive and conversational, and how much engagement-specific communications earn. You can also check your most engaged articles with a quick glance to understand what your users value most. Armed with this information, you can keep creating content that your audience loves and ultimately drives true value to the business.

15. Energy Report

In the age of sustainability and in the face of international fuel hikes, managing the energy your business uses effectively is paramount. Here there is little room for excess or error and as such, working with the right metrics is the only way to ensure successful energy regulation.

If your company has a big HQ or multiple sites that require power, our energy management analytics tool will help you take the stress out of managing your resources. One of the most striking features of this dashboard is the fact that it empowers you to compare your company’s energy usage against those from other sectors and set an accurate benchmark.

Here, you can also get a digestible breakdown of your various production costs in terms of energy consumption as well as the main sources you use to keep your organization running. Regularly consulting these metrics will not only help you save colossal chunks of your budget, but it will also give you the intelligence to become more sustainable as an organization. This, in turn, is good for the planet as well as your brand reputation. A real win-win-win.

Types Of Reporting For Every Business & Purpose 

As we’ve seen throughout our journey, there are different report formats that are used by businesses for diverse purposes in their everyday activities. Whether you’re talking about types of reports in research, types of reports in management, or anything in between, these dynamic tools will get you where you need to be (and beyond).

In this post, we covered the top 14 most common ones and explored key examples of how different report types are changing the way businesses are leveraging their most critical insights for internal efficiency and ultimately, external success.

With modern tools and solutions, reporting doesn’t have to be a tedious task. Anyone in your organization can rely on data for their decision-making process without the need for technical skills. Rather you want to keep your team connected or show progress to investors or clients. There is a report type for the job. To keep your mind fresh, here are the top 14 types of data reports covered in this post: 

• Informational reports 
• Analytical reports 
• Operational reports  
• Product reports 
• Industry reports 
• Department reports 
• Progress reports 
• Internal reports 
• External reports 
• Vertical and lateral reports 
• Strategic reports
• Research reports
• Project reports
• Statutory reports

Now, over to you. Are you ready? If you want to start building your own types of reports and get ahead of the pack today, then you should try our BI reporting software for 14-days for free ! 

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an account or statement describing in detail an event, situation, or the like, usually as the result of observation, inquiry, etc.: a report on the peace conference; a medical report on the patient.

a statement or announcement.

a widely circulated statement or item of news; rumor; gossip.

an account of a speech, debate, meeting, etc., especially as taken down for publication.

a loud noise, as from an explosion: the report of a distant cannon.

a statement of a student's grades, level of achievement, or academic standing for or during a prescribed period of time.

Computers . output, especially printed, containing organized information.

a statement of a judicial opinion or decision, or of a case argued and determined in a court of justice.

reports, Law . a collection of adjudications.

repute; reputation; fame: a man of bad report.

to carry and repeat, as an answer or message; repeat, as what one has heard.

to relate, as what has been learned by observation or investigation.

to give or render a formal account or statement of: to report a deficit.

to send back (a bill, amendment, etc.) to a legislative body with a formal report outlining findings and recommendations (often followed by out ): The committee reported out the bill.

to make a charge against (a person), as to a superior: I intend to report him to the dean for cheating.

to make known the presence, condition, or whereabouts of: to report a ship missing.

to present (oneself) to a person in authority, as in accordance with requirements.

to take down (a speech, lecture, etc.) in writing.

to write an account of (an event, situation, etc.), as for publication in a newspaper.

to relate or tell.

to prepare, make, or submit a report of something observed, investigated, or the like.

to serve or work as a reporter , as for a newspaper.

to make one's condition or whereabouts known, as to a person in authority: to report sick.

to present oneself duly, as at a place: to report to Room 101.

Idioms about report

on report , Military . (of personnel) under restriction pending disciplinary action.

Origin of report

Other words for report, other words from report.

• re·port·a·ble, adjective
• non·re·port·a·ble, adjective
• non·re·port·ed, adjective
• o·ver·re·port, verb
• pre·re·port, noun, verb
• qua·si-re·port·ed, adjective
• sub·re·port, noun
• un·re·port·a·ble, adjective
• un·re·port·ed, adjective
• well-re·port·ed, adjective

Words Nearby report

• répondez s'il vous plaît
• report card
• reported clause
• reported speech

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use report in a sentence

Developing and manufacturing vaccines, which are significant challenges in their own right, “won’t end the pandemic quickly unless we also deliver them equitably,” the report notes.

Separately, Yelp released a new local economic impact report this week.

He based his report on information from NSA leaker Edward Snowden.

More importantly, notice that more than 70% of my impression volume comes from search terms that are not in the search query performance report .

Of the report ’s 11 recommendations, the first highlighted safety.

Then add in all bored people, as well as people whose job it is to report on celebrities.

Despite the strong language, however, the neither the JPO nor Lockheed could dispute a single fact in either Daily Beast report .

Did he go to the authorities to file a report against the Guerreros Unidos drug cartel?

The Amazon biography for an author named Papa Faal mentions both Gambia and lists a military record that matches the FBI report .

Similarly, a recent NPR report covered the challenges many police departments are having recruiting officers of color.

Most of my observations are in keeping with Skutch's detailed report of the species in Central America.

Aguinaldo withheld his decision until Paterno could report to him the definite opinions of his generals.

William has thus been happily able to report to the society the approaching conversion of M'Bongo and his imminent civilization.

At last the report of several rifles from the island of trees gave us a clue to the mystery.

Mrs. Charmington hastened to spread the report that his Royal Highness was seriously smitten.

British Dictionary definitions for report

/ ( rɪˈpɔːt ) /

an account prepared for the benefit of others, esp one that provides information obtained through investigation and published in a newspaper or broadcast

a statement made widely known; rumour : according to report, he is not dead

an account of the deliberations of a committee, body, etc : a report of parliamentary proceedings

British a statement on the progress, academic achievement, etc, of each child in a school, written by teachers and sent to the parents or guardian annually or each term

a written account of a case decided at law, giving the main points of the argument on each side, the court's findings, and the decision reached

comment on a person's character or actions; reputation : he is of good report here

a sharp loud noise, esp one made by a gun

to give an account (of); describe

to give an account of the results of an investigation (into) : to report on housing conditions

(of a committee, legislative body, etc) to make a formal report on (a bill)

(tr) to complain about (a person), esp to a superior : I'll report you to the teacher

(tr) to reveal information about (a fugitive, escaped prisoner, etc) esp concerning his whereabouts

(intr) to present oneself or be present at an appointed place or for a specific purpose : report to the manager's office

(intr) to say or show that one is (in a certain state) : to report fit

( intr foll by to ) to be responsible to and under the authority of : the plant manager reports to the production controller

(intr) to act as a reporter for a newspaper or for radio or television

law to take down in writing details of (the proceedings of a court of law) as a record or for publication

Derived forms of report

• reportable , adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Definition of 'report'

Video: pronunciation of report

report in American English

Report in british english, report in accounting, examples of 'report' in a sentence report, related word partners report, trends of report.

View usage over: Since Exist Last 10 years Last 50 years Last 100 years Last 300 years

In other languages report

• American English : report / rɪˈpɔrt /
• Arabic : تَقْرير
• Brazilian Portuguese : reportagem
• Chinese : 报告
• Croatian : izvješće
• Czech : zpráva zpravodajství
• Danish : rapport
• Dutch : rapport overzicht
• European Spanish : informe
• Finnish : selonteko
• French : rapport dossier
• German : Bericht
• Greek : αναφορά
• Italian : rapporto
• Japanese : 報告
• Korean : 보고
• Norwegian : rapport
• Polish : sprawozdanie
• European Portuguese : reportagem
• Romanian : știre
• Russian : отчет
• Spanish : informe
• Swedish : rapport
• Thai : รายงานข่าว
• Turkish : rapor
• Ukrainian : репортаж
• Vietnamese : bản báo cáo
• Arabic : يُبْلِغُ
• Brazilian Portuguese : relatar
• Chinese : 报导
• Croatian : prijaviti
• Czech : podat zprávu
• Danish : rapportere
• Dutch : rapporteren
• European Spanish : informar
• Finnish : selostaa
• French : rendre compte
• German : berichten
• Greek : αναφέρω
• Italian : riferire
• Japanese : 報告する
• Korean : 보고하다
• Norwegian : rapportere
• Polish : zrelacjonować
• European Portuguese : relatar
• Romanian : a comunica
• Russian : отчитываться
• Spanish : informar
• Swedish : rapportera
• Thai : รายงาน
• Turkish : rapor vermek
• Ukrainian : доповідати
• Vietnamese : báo cáo
• American English : report card / rɪˈpɔrt /
• Arabic : تَقْريرٌ مَدْرَسيّ
• Brazilian Portuguese : boletim escolar
• Chinese : 成绩单
• Czech : vysvědčení
• Danish : karakterbog
• Dutch : rapport van school
• European Spanish : boletín de notas
• Finnish : koulutodistus
• French : bulletin scolaire
• German : Zeugnis
• Greek : σχολικός έλεγχος
• Italian : pagella
• Japanese : 通知表
• Korean : 성적표
• Norwegian : karakterkort
• Polish : świadectwo
• European Portuguese : ficha informativa de aluno
• Romanian : raport
• Russian : табель успеваемости
• Spanish : libreta de calificaciones
• Swedish : betyg
• Turkish : karne
• Ukrainian : звіт
• Vietnamese : báo cáo học tập

Browse alphabetically report

• repopularize
• repopulation
• report a case
• report a claim
• report a crime
• All ENGLISH words that begin with 'R'

Related terms of report

• case report
• live report
• news report
• View more related words

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• Faith Live!

Philippians 4:8 - Thinking Things That Are of a Good Report

- this morning, we're looking at that sixth phrase, and talking about "Whatever Things Are Of Good Report".

I. the Kind of Thinking This Word Emphasizes

- you've noticed that some of the words Paul has used in this list have been very common, others are used less frequently in the Scriptures.

- this particular word that is translated "of good report" in the KJV, "of good repute" in the NASB, and "admirable" in the NIV is only used here in the entire NT (in this form). - there is a related use (cognate noun) in II Cor. 6:8 -- and there it is translated exactly the same.

- so we can't learn anything from other uses in the Scripture, but we can learn some very important things from the way the word breaks down.

- its the word "euphema" - eu - good - phema - report or news.

- a good definition would be -- "thinking that searches for the good rather than the bad in another."

- now I think you can see, just from that, why we would want to spend some time studying this. - we're going to divide our time out over these ideas:

II. The Opposite of This kind of Thinking

III. The Balance

- we can't take this to the extreme of "warm-fuzzyism" - or ignoring issues that need to be addressed.

IV. How Do You Put This Kind of Thinking On? - we want to come up with as many creative ideas as we can to grow in this area.

V. The Relationship Between Thoughts and Actions

- How does a person who thinks this way act? - How does a person who doesn't think this way act?

VI. How This Kind of Thinking Affects Relationships

- so let's move into:

II. The Opposite of This Kind of Thinking (and Resulting Actions)

- there are a couple of major ways where you or I could violate this principle.

A. Pessimism

- some folks, upon hearing any idea, always look at it through the worst possible light. - and while we of course have to evaluate ideas properly, some folks automatically dismiss new ideas out of hand because they search EXCLUSIVELY for the bad. - history is filled with examples: (taken from Wall Street Journal, March 8, 1996)

1) Lord Kelvin (scientist in England - 1824-1907) said:

- "Radio has no future."

- "Heavier than air flying machines are impossible."

- "X-Rays will prove to be a hoax."

2) Sir Richard Van Der Wooley - wrote in "The Astronomer Royal" in 1956:

- "Space travel is utter bilge."

3) Harry M. Warner (Founder of Warner Brothers Studios) said in 1927

- "Who (expletives deleted) wants to hear actors talk?"

4) Dionysius Lardner (scientist in England - 1793-1859) said:

- "Rail travel at high speeds is not possible because passengers, unable to breathe, would die of asphyxia."

5) Lee Forest (inventor in America - 1873-1961) said:

- "While theoretically and technically television may be feasible, commercially and financially I consider it an impossibility."

- John Vandergriff tells of a Munich schoolmaster who told his ten year old student, "You'll never amount to much." - the student? Albert Einstein.

- the point is that pessimism would surely be the opposite of the word we're studying this morning.

B. Evaluation/Appraisal that is overly negative, or purposely negative, or exclusively negative.

- there's surely nothing wrong with helping someone else see ways he needs to change, and we'll mention that under the next point, but some folks violate this characteristic in Phil. 4:8 by being overly negative, or exclusively negative. - so when they think about another person, instead of having a balanced opinion of them...its a very unbalanced (and unfair) opinion.

- John Vandergriff has some interesting charts in his chapter on this word that help explain why this dynamic might be taking place:

- on white board, discuss the charts on page 147 and 149.

- a third way this principle could be violated might be labeled:

C. Purposely digging up the dirt.

- there's an interesting biblical example of this in the book of Daniel. - Daniel 6:1-5 - READ and discuss.

- what we've read about is not far from the world in which we live. - National Enquirer, People Magazine, the TV shows that follow that format are as popular as they are for a reason.

- unfortunately, that negativism, and cynicism, and hyper- critical spirit can even characterize a person who calls himself a believer.

- so Paul's point is -- in our thinking, and our resultant actions, we are focus our attention on "whatsoever things are of good report."

- now, let's be sure we add some balance to this:

III. Keeping This Principle In Balance

INPUT - How do we know that Paul is not just talking about going around giving each other "warm-fuzzies" all the time without dealing with issues where a person needs to repent and change?

(various answers)

- having said that -- many of us would have to say that we're probably not anywhere near that ditch anyway.

IV. How Do You Put This Kind of Thinking On?

- I'd like us to take a few minutes and work on developing as many creative ideas as possible for how we can work at developing thinking that meets this biblical requirement. - INPUT?

V. The Relationship Between Thinking and Actions

- another step in this discussion is realizing the relationship between the way we think, and the way we act.

- this characteristic makes it easy to see that contrast.

- INPUT - Behavior that results from obeying this principle?

- INPUT - Behavior that results from disobeying this principle?

VI. How This Impacts Relationships

- let's conclude our time by thinking about how obeying this principle affects the relationships with those the Lord has placed around us, and how disobeying it affects them.

1) Marriage?

2) Child-rearing?

3) Extended family?

Dr. Steve Viars

Senior Pastor - Faith Church

Director - Faith Legacy Foundation

B.S.: Pre-Seminary & Bible, Baptist Bible College (Now Clarks Summit University) M.Div.: Grace Theological Seminary D.Min.: Biblical Counseling, Westminster Theological Seminary

Dr. Steve Viars has served at Faith Church in Lafayette, IN since 1987. Pastor Viars leads and equips Faith Church as Senior Pastor with a focus on preaching and teaching God’s Word and using his organizational skills in guiding the implementation of the Faith Church mission and vision. He oversees the staff, deacons, and all Faith Church ministries. Dr. Viars serves on the boards of the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors, Biblical Counseling Coalition, Vision of Hope, and the Faith Community Development Corporation. Steve is the author, co-author, or contributor to six books and numerous booklets. He and his wife, Kris, were married in 1982 and have two married daughters, a son, and five grandchildren.

Read Steve Viars’ Journey to Faith for the full account of how the Lord led Pastor Viars to Faith Church.

View Pastor Viars' Salvation Testimony Video

More from Dr. Steve Viars

• Biblical Counseling in Pre-Engagement Counseling
• Biblical Counseling in Japan
• Jesus is Our Hope – He is Our Sacrifice
• Biblical Counseling in Winter Break Childcare
• The Hope of Avoiding Poisonous Responses to Trials

More from the series Philippians

• Philippians 4:19-23 - Paul's Promise, Praise and Greeting
• Philippians 4:10-18 - A Great Model of Church Giviving
• Philippians 4:10-19 - The Christian's Contentment
• Philippians 4:9 - Think Right, Then Do Right
• Philippians 4:8 - Thinking That Is Praiseworthy

Report Writing And Its Significance In Your Career

You reach the office at around 9.00 AM, switch on your system, and start working. It’s a usual workday for…

You reach the office at around 9.00 AM, switch on your system, and start working. It’s a usual workday for you until your manager comes to your desk and asks you to create a sales report. That’s the first time you’ve got such a task, and find yourself struggling with basic questions such as, “What’s a report?” and “How do I write one?”

What Is Report Writing?

Elements of report writing, importance of report writing.

You must have heard the term ‘report writing’ before.

According to the commonly known definition of report writing, a report is a formal document that elaborates on a topic using facts, charts, and graphs to support its arguments and findings.

Any report—whether it’s about a business event or one that describes the processes of various departments in a company—is meant for a particular type of audience.

But why do you think your manager wants you to create a report?

One simple answer is: an elaborate report prepared with evaluated facts helps solve complex problems. When managers come across certain business situations, they ask for comprehensive and well-thought-out reports that can help them design business plans.

Once you have an idea about what a report is, the next step is to understand how you can write one.

There are different types of reports, and each has a specific structure, usually known as ‘elements of the report’.

While we tell you what the elements of report writing are, if you want detailed guidance, you can go for Harappa Education’s Writing Proficiently course that talks about the popular PREP (Point of starting, Reason, Evidence, and Point of ending) model of report writing.

Every report starts with a title page and a table of contents, after which come the main sections–the executive summary, introduction, discussion, and conclusion.

Executive Summary:

Do you remember summary writing for English class during school days? You were asked to read a story or passage and write a summary, including the important takeaways. ( ambien )

That’s exactly what you are expected to do in a report’s executive summary section. This section presents a brief overview of the report’s contents. You should present the key points of the report in this section.

But why is it important to write an executive summary at the start of the report?

Firstly, the summary will help readers better understand the purpose, key points, and evidence you are going to present in the report. Secondly, readers who are in a hurry can read the summary for a preview of the report.

Here are some specifics that will help you write a clear and concise summary:

Include the purpose of your report and emphasize conclusions or recommendations.

Include only the essential or most significant information to support your theories and conclusions.

Follow the same sequence of information that you have used in the report.

Keep the summary length to 10-15% of the complete report.

Try not to introduce any new information or point in summary that you haven’t covered in the report.

The summary should communicate the message clearly and independently.

Introduction:  

The introduction section should:

Briefly describe the background and context of the research you have done.

Describe the change, problem, or issue related to the topic.

Define the relevant objectives and purpose of the report

Give hints about the overall answer to the problem covered in the report.

Comment on the limitations and any assumptions you have made to get to the conclusion.

Discussion:

This section serves two purposes:

It justifies the recommendations.

It explains the conclusions.

While you are writing the discussion section, make sure you do the following:

Present your analysis logically.

If needed, divide the information under appropriate headings to improving readability and ease of understanding.

Explain your points and back up your claims with strong and evaluated evidence.

Connect your theory with real-life scenarios

Conclusion:

The last key element of report writing is the conclusion section. Present the conclusion as follows:

• The primary conclusion should come first.

Identify and interpret the major problems related to the case your report is based on.

Relate to the objectives that you have mentioned in the introduction.

Keep the conclusion brief and specific.

Before you start writing a report, it’s important to understand the significance of the report. It’s also crucial to research independently instead of relying on data and trends available on the internet, besides structuring the report properly. Here’s why:

Decision-Making Tool

Organizations require a considerable amount of data and information on specific topics, scenarios, and situations. Managers and decision-makers often use business reports and research papers as information sources to make important business decisions and reach solutions.

Another reason that adds to the significance of report writing is that it is a collection of evaluated information.

Different types of activities by different departments define an organization. Think of the departments your organization has–development, sales, distribution, marketing, HR, and more. Each department follows defined processes and protocols that require many small and large activities on a daily basis.

It is impossible for the management to keep an eye on the different activities in each department.

That’s where the reports can help. With every department writing and maintaining periodic reports, keeping a tab of ongoing activities becomes easier for the management.

Professional Improvements

During the annual appraisal cycle, your manager will ask you to write reports to explain your position, level of work, and performance.

If you have ever wondered how your manager decided to promote your colleague and not you, the answer may lie in his well-presented report.

Quick Source For Problem-Solving

There’s no denying that managers require accurate information on various topics to make quick decisions. Often due to urgency, managers only rely on business reports as an authentic source of information. Almost every employee would have witnessed a situation that needed the manager’s attention urgently. Reports come in handy during such situations.

Report writing is a significant exercise in many ways for your professional life. If you are not well-versed with it already, you must start working on your report writing skills now. For more help or guidance to learn this new skill, sign up for Harappa’s Writing Proficiently course.

Make the most of your time at home and master this new skill. Work on many assignments, improve your skills, and become a pro at report writing.

Explore our Harappa Diaries section to learn more about topics related to the Communicate habit such as the Importance of Writing Skills and the Cycle of Communication .

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Meaning of report in English

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report verb ( TELL )

• tell My friend told me you were looking for me.
• let someone know Let me know if you'd like to come.
• give Can you give the message to Jo?
• communicate A 60-second TV commercial isn't always the best way to communicate a complex medical message.
• inform The relatives of the injured have been informed of the accident.
• notify The school has to notify parents if their children do not arrive at school.
• Witnesses reported seeing a huge orange fireball as the oil refinery exploded .
• Shortly before the crash the pilot had reported a malfunction of the aircraft's navigation system .
• Her disappearance was reported to the police department's Missing Persons Bureau.
• Do you have anything to report?
• Several journalists have been killed or injured by stray bullets while reporting on the civil war .
• dream sequence
• narratively
• omniscient narrator
• paint a picture (of something) idiom
• personalize
• personification
• world-building

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

report verb ( GO )

• be on the scene idiom
• break someone in
• roll up! idiom
• set foot in somewhere idiom

Phrasal verbs

Report noun [c] ( description ).

• The report contains numerous demonstrable errors .
• The prime minister issued a denial of the report that she is about to resign .
• The content of her report is shrouded in secrecy .
• We file these reports under country of origin .
• The newspaper reports of the discussion only roughly approximated to what was actually said.
• construction
• impact assessment
• impact statement
• interpretation
• job evaluation
• prognosticate
• prognostication
• re-evaluation
• value judgment

report noun [C] ( NOISE )

• bang She slammed the door with a bang.
• slam The window closed with a slam.
• clash I can still hear the clash of metal against metal during the car crash.
• clank My mechanic asked me to describe the clanks that my engine makes.
• clang The jail door closed with a resounding clang.
• thump He dropped his suitcase with a loud thump and sprinted up the steps.
• bang around
• tintinnabulation

report | American Dictionary

Report verb ( go somewhere ), report noun [c] ( tell ), report | business english, examples of report, collocations with report.

These are words often used in combination with report .

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Translations of report

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team spirit

a feeling of belonging together that the members of a group have towards others in the group

A flash in the pan (Newspaper idioms)

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• report (TELL)
• be reported to be/do something
• report (GO)
• report (DESCRIPTION)
• report (NOISE)
• report (GO SOMEWHERE)
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Synonyms of report

• as in story
• as in reputation
• as in rumor
• as in to describe
• as in to record
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Thesaurus Definition of report

 (Entry 1 of 2)

Synonyms & Similar Words

• thunderclap
• hue and cry
• commentaries
• documentation
• testimonial
• case history
• procès - verbal

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• scuttlebutt
• disinformation
• urban legend

Thesaurus Definition of report  (Entry 2 of 2)

• particularize
• let on (about)

Articles Related to report

‘Rapport’ vs. ‘Report’

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Thesaurus Entries Near report

Cite this entry.

“Report.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/report. Accessed 30 Aug. 2023.

More from Merriam-Webster on report

Nglish: Translation of report for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of report for Arabic Speakers

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What does of good report mean?

Definitions for of good report of good re·port, this dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word of good report ., wikipedia rate this definition: 0.0 / 0 votes.

Of Good Report

Of Good Report is a 2013 South African thriller film directed by Jahmil X.T. Qubeka. The film had Mothusi Magano and Petronella Tshuma in lead roles. At the 10th Africa Movie Academy Awards, it received the most nominations and awards, and won the AMAA's Award for Best Film. The film was screened at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival.In July 2013, on day it was to open the 34th Durban International Film Festival, it was banned by the National Film and Video Foundation for containing "child pornography". The decision was later overturned after an appeal by the producers of the film. In November 2022, Of Good Report opened the Africa Rising International Film Festival (ARIFF) and given "the premier it never had".

How to pronounce of good report?

Alex US English David US English Mark US English Daniel British Libby British Mia British Karen Australian Hayley Australian Natasha Australian Veena Indian Priya Indian Neerja Indian Zira US English Oliver British Wendy British Fred US English Tessa South African

How to say of good report in sign language?

Chaldean Numerology

The numerical value of of good report in Chaldean Numerology is: 1

Pythagorean Numerology

The numerical value of of good report in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1

Examples of of good report in a Sentence

Gus Faucher :

This is a very good report. And it's not just the headline number but the fact that average hourly earnings are up, if I were a Democrat I would be making a lot of hay out of it.

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• A.   denudate
• B.   abduct
• C.   emanate
• D.   famish

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What is BRICS, which countries want to join and why?

JOHANNESBURG, Aug 21 (Reuters) - The BRICS group of major emerging economies - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - will hold its 15th heads of state and government summit in Johannesburg between Aug. 22 and Aug. 24.

Here are some key facts about the bloc and its members.

WHAT IS BRICS?

The acronym BRIC, which did not initially include South Africa, was coined in 2001 by then Goldman Sachs chief economist Jim O'Neill in a research paper that underlined the growth potential of Brazil, Russia, India and China.

The bloc was founded as an informal club in 2009 to provide a platform for its members to challenge a world order dominated by the United States and its Western allies.

Its creation was initiated by Russia.

The group is not a formal multilateral organisation like the United Nations, World Bank or the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

The heads of state and government of the member nations convene annually with each nation taking up a one-year rotating chairmanship of the group.

WHO ARE THE MEMBERS?

Brazil, Russia, India and China are the founding members.

South Africa, the smallest member in terms of economic clout and population, was the first beneficiary of an expansion of the bloc in 2010 when the grouping became known as BRICS.

Together the countries account for more than 40% of the world population and a quarter of the global economy.

China's Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao gestures as South Africa's Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Ebrahim Patel shows him the Department of Trade, Industry, and Competition's campus, before the start of the South Africa - China Joint Economic and Trade Committee being held ahead of the upcoming BRICS 2023 summit later this Acquire Licensing Rights Read more

Apart from geopolitics, the group's focus includes economic cooperation and increasing multilateral trade and development.

The bloc operates by consensus. All the BRICS countries are part of the Group of 20 (G20) of major economies.

WHICH NATIONS WANT TO JOIN BRICS AND WHY?

Over 40 countries, including Iran, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Algeria, Bolivia, Indonesia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Cuba, Democratic Republic of Congo, Comoros, Gabon, and Kazakhstan have expressed interest in joining the forum, according to 2023 summit chair South Africa.

They view BRICS as an alternative to global bodies viewed as dominated by the traditional Western powers and hope membership will unlock benefits including development finance, and increased trade and investment.

Dissatisfaction with the global order among developing nations was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic when life-saving vaccines were hoarded by the rich countries.

Iran , home to around a quarter of the Middle East's oil reserves, has said it hopes the mechanism for new membership would be decided "at the earliest."

Oil heavyweight Saudi Arabia was among more than a dozen countries that participated in "Friends of BRICS" talks in Cape Town in June. It has received backing from Russia and Brazil to join the BRICS.

Argentina said in July 2022 it had received China's formal support in its bid to join the group.

Ethiopia , one of Africa's fastest-growing economies, said in June it had asked to join the bloc, with a foreign ministry spokesman saying the country will continue to work with international institutions that can protect its interests.

Bolivia 's President Luis Arce has expressed interest in BRICS membership and is expected to attend the summit. Its government said in July it was determined to curb dependence on the U.S. dollar for foreign trade, instead turning to the Chinese yuan, in line with BRICS leaders' stated aim to reduce dependence on the U.S. currency.

Algeria said in July it has applied for BRICS membership and to become a shareholder in the New Development Bank, the so-called BRICS Bank. The North African nation is rich in oil and gas resources and is seeking to diversify its economy and strengthen partnership with China and other countries.

Reporting by Bhargav Acharya; Editing by Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo and Tomasz Janowski

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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