1. Know Who's Reading Your Report
Talk to the reader, not at them. A report written for your professor reads differently from one written for a general audience. Before you write a single word, get clear on who's going to read this and what they already know.
Think about their level of expertise. Are they expecting technical language, or do they need terms explained? Will they read every word, or skim for key findings? Your answers should shape everything, the vocabulary you use, the level of detail you go into, even how you structure each section.
"The best reports don't just present information, they present it in a way the reader can immediately use." |
Check out our types of reports guide if you're unsure which format suits your audience and purpose.
2. Understand the Brief Before You Do Anything Else
This is the tip most students skip, and it's the one that causes the most problems.
Read the brief twice. Mark the key requirements. Confirm you understand the purpose of the report before you start researching. What question is this report supposed to answer? Who commissioned it and why? What format is expected? If anything's unclear, ask your lecturer; it'll save you hours of rework later.
A report that's beautifully written but answers the wrong question is still a failed report.
3. Plan Your Structure Before You Write
Don't start writing and figure out the structure later. That's a shortcut that creates more work, not less.
A quick outline, even just your main headings on a sticky note, gives your report direction and makes the actual writing faster. You're not locking yourself in; you're giving yourself a roadmap. When you know where you're going, you waste less time on sections that don't fit and you're less likely to miss something important.
If you want a head start, a report writing template can give you a solid base structure to work from.
4. Get Your Research Done (and Organised) Early
Good reports are built on solid research. Pull from reliable, established sources and note them as you go; chasing down citations at the end is painful and time-consuming.
Use a simple system: one document for your notes, organised by section. That way, when you sit down to write, you're not hunting through browser tabs; you're pulling from a clean, ready resource. Be selective, too. Three strong sources are worth more than ten weak ones.
5. Nail the Introduction, It Sets the Tone
Your introduction should tell the reader exactly what the report is about, why it matters, and what structure it follows. Keep it brief and direct.
Don't bury the purpose in vague language. The first paragraph sets expectations, make sure yours are the right ones. A reader who finishes your introduction should know what they're about to read and why it's worth their time. If they can't answer those two questions, the intro needs another pass.
6. Write the Executive Summary Last
This trips people up. The executive summary goes at the front of the report, but you should write it last, once you know exactly what's in the document.
It should be roughly 10% of the total length, written in plain English, and free of any new information that doesn't appear elsewhere in the report. Think of it as the version someone reads if they only have five minutes. Every sentence has to earn its place.
7. Use Headings and Subheadings Consistently
Headings aren't just for navigation; they signal structure and professionalism. Use them consistently throughout your report, and make sure they actually describe the section content rather than just labelling it (not just "Section 2" or "Analysis").
A reader should be able to skim your headings and understand the shape of your report. If your headings are vague or inconsistent, that's a sign the thinking underneath them might be too.
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8. Write in Active Voice
Passive voice, "it was found that," "it was determined that," sounds formal but actually makes reports harder to read. Active voice is clearer and more direct: "the research found," "the data shows."
Use active voice wherever you can. It'll make your writing tighter immediately and give your sentences more energy. Most word processors will flag passive constructions if you enable grammar checking, use that as a starting point, then decide case by case.
9. Keep Sentences Short and Clear
If a sentence runs more than two lines, it's probably doing too much. Break it up.
Clear writing isn't dumbed-down writing; it's respectful of the reader's time. A good benchmark: if you need to re-read a sentence to understand it, so will your reader. That's a problem. Short sentences aren't a weakness; they're a sign you've thought clearly enough to express your idea simply.
10. Use Visuals Where They Add Value
A table or chart can communicate in seconds what a paragraph struggles to explain. Use visuals when the data or comparison is complex; they're especially useful for showing trends, breakdowns, or side-by-side comparisons.
Don't pad your report with visuals just to fill space. Every visual should earn its place. Label everything clearly, reference each visual in the text, and make sure the key takeaway is obvious without additional explanation.
11. Read It Out Loud Before You Submit
Your ears catch what your eyes miss. If a sentence sounds clunky when you say it, it reads clunky on the page.
Reading aloud reveals run-on sentences, awkward phrasing, and missing transitions faster than any proofreading pass. It also helps you spot places where the logic jumps without enough explanation. This step takes 15 to 20 minutes and consistently catches things that every other review misses.
"If you trip over the words when reading aloud, your reader will trip over them too." |
12. Get a Fresh Set of Eyes
You're the worst person to proofread your own report; you've read it too many times, and your brain autocorrects your mistakes.
Ask a classmate, friend, or family member who hasn't seen it to read through once. Even five minutes from a fresh reader can catch things you'd never spot yourself. You don't need detailed feedback, just ask them to flag anything that confused them or felt off. Those moments of confusion are exactly what you need to fix.
You might also find it useful to look at report writing examples to see what a polished final draft actually looks like before you submit.
Common Report Writing Mistakes to Avoid
Even strong writers fall into these traps. Watch out for:
- Starting to write before understanding the brief: the most expensive mistake in terms of wasted time
- Writing the executive summary first: you can't summarise what you haven't written yet
- Overusing passive voice: it flattens your writing and makes the report harder to follow
- Ignoring word count guidelines: going significantly over or under signals poor planning
- Submitting without reading aloud: you'll always catch something you'd have missed otherwise
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