Types of Reports

To write an effective report, it is essential to plan its contents well. Each report is a tailor-made job that is adapted to the character of the problem, the information contained therein, and to the thought modes and preferences of those who will be utilizing the report.

Progress Reports, are submitted when administrators want intermediate statements on progress of a project under way, but these are mere memoranda. The findings may be reported in any or all of these forms:

• Basic report: This is the first report prepared on the project’s findings, written by the researcher for his or her own use, composed of working papers and preliminary drafts. It provides the basis for the final report and then becomes a record for the files.
• Reports for publication: Often such reports are prepared from research findings for articles in trade and professional journals, popular magazines, bulletins, or monographs. Publications and their audiences vary, so no single description can cover this category of report. Normally, these are relatively condensed reports and only in very technical periodicals or special monographs would much detail on procedures be included.
• Technical reports: These reports are usually intended for scientific or technically trained persons. They would be interested typically in specific descriptions of the entire procedures employed, which usually would follow the introduction of the problem and hypothese researched. These reports may have complicated technical appendices.
• Reports for executives: These are reports intended for decision makers. These are the busy people who want primarily the ‘meat’ of a research project, its major conclusions and recommendations.