By What is an Academic Report?
A report is a type of document that shows the results of a particular study, Experiment, Survey, or method of research. Reports are the best way to give those a summary of the topic who don’t know anything about it.
If you are a student of college/university than you have to make many different types of assignments and academic reports are one of the most common amongst them. These are one of the most effective methods of helping students to learn and research about a certain topic. Although, it is an effective method, but students find it difficult to make it for many reasons. But is it really hard to make.
No, Absolutely NOT!
In this post I will take you through every step of academic report writing in the easiest way possible. So if you struggle in researching, Writing, Structure, and formatting or in any other aspect this post will help you overcome them easily. So, let’s start.
Different Types of Report Format
There are different types of report format like Academic, Business, and Scientific reports. And all of them plays a pivotal role in their domains. Like if we talk about business reports then these are used to showcase the performance of the business, Growth, Flaws, Profit, Assets, And future goals etc.
Scientific reports are about the results of their experiment, study, And research etc. While academic reports help students get good understanding of the topic in depth. And all of these reports are made as per their requirements. Some sections might be different but the main idea is same.
What is the Ideal Structure of a Report?
The ideal structure of an academic report is based on the requirements and guidelines. But the basic template is below:
Abstract
The abstract is the summary of the findings from the report. Or the key takeaways from it. As, this gives the audience the perfect idea of what to expect from the report. And what type of information would be in it. Usually the abstract is written at the end of writing the whole report.
Introduction
The introduction discusses the aspects that you are going to discuss in the report. And why this report is beneficial for the audience. The introduction of the report should be engaging and attractive. It should also have the ability to make the reader read till the last word. It should be crafted with extensive focus. If it fails to grab the attention, then even if your academic report has plenty of knowledge, nobody will read it. And you don’t want that, Right?
Body Section
After creating a compelling introduction, then comes to the most significant part of the academic report which is the body section. The body section contains all the methods, Research, Surveys and discussion about it in detail with charts, Tables, and Graphs etc. This is the longest part of a report. However, the other sections like Introduction, Conclusion and Abstract can just be of few paragraphs.
The body section has examples and evidence that back the statements made in report. This section where you have to fulfill your promise of providing the information and value that you did in the introduction.
Conclusion Section
The conclusion section is basically the part where you discuss the results of the report. And this is the section where the author can put their own opinions and what they think about the topic.
So, now that you get the basic template about a report, So, let’s jump into the other important sections.
What to Include in an Academic Report?
However, there isn’t a specific list of the requirements that should be in a report. Different requirements can make their own style of the report. But, there are some basic and important things that are usually present in reports. Which are:
Title: The title page is usually present in every report. And it shows the topic and the writer, which might help in getting things organized.
Table of Content: Just like we use table of content in reading books to go on a specific area they are used in a report too.
Page number: Page number helps the readers to keep track of their reading and writer to organize the information in the right manner. And not to misprint or loose important information.
Headings: They help the reader to understand the start of a new aspect of a topic. Subheadings is what help the reader skim or read the area in which they are interested in.
References and Citations: These are very crucial in a report, As, these references and citations showcases the authenticity and credibility of your report. The more citations and references you add in your report and more reliable it would become. And the chances of getting good response increases.
How to Write an Academic Report In Simple Steps?
By following this below steps you would be able to craft amazing academic reports. So, let’s dive into the process.
Step #1: Select a Topic
Mostly, teachers give this opportunity for the students to choose topic on themselves. That is great because it makes it easier for the students to choose the topics that interest them. Firstly, choose a topic in which you have plenty of information or have the curiosity to get knowledge. Secondly, you should choose the topic in which you are interested. Without these, you won’t be able to focus. The process of making the report will exhaust you, and you won’t feel motivated. So, this will let you to low focus, Distraction and poor quality report. Which you don’t want, Right?
Step #2: Research
In any type of assignment, research is among the most crucial aspects. Because without good research, you won’t be able to make an impact on the audience or your teachers.
Your research shows how much value your report has; the stats, Tables, Charts, Graphs, References, and Citations presents that you did a good job in finding the most relevant and credible information for the report. And your grades depend a lot on your research. So, that is why you should do research as per the requirement. The research method would be qualitative, quantitative, or any other. But I will advise you that at this point so, you should take assistance and help from any best academic report writing services provider and professionals because they will solve all your research problems with perfection.
Step #3: Prepare a Thesis Statement
You probably know about thesis statements; even if not, let me tell you that A thesis statement is one or more than one sentences that provides the summary of the writing. Your thesis statement should be engaging enough to grab the reader’s attention. And build a curiosity in their mind to learn more about the topic.
Step #4: Make an Outline
Now, this step doesn’t seem that important, but believe me, it has a big impact on the structure, Flow and consistency of the whole report. Won’t believe me? Let me clarify. Let’s suppose you don’t make an outline, and you agree to go with the flow; you didn’t decide the word count for the sections. Then there is a very big possibility that you will write a section more than others or even miss a section that should be in it. How does it sound? Not good, Right? That’s what I am talking about.
Step #5: Make a Rough Draft
Let the words flow in the first attempt. Don’t stop or try to edit what you are writing. That will help you write the first draft. And the flow will help you craft a good draft to work on. But the first draft is not final. You have to refine it to get the best output. Because it will just give you a basic idea of how it should look at the end, this will give you a solid base on which to work.
Step #6: Pen Down Everything
Now, It is the time to write it down, Fill the flaws, Gather and add the stats, Charts, Tables and everything. And while writing don’t forget to keep in mind the requirements of the report.
You have a first draft in your hand. So this will help you to edit and to format and organise the information.
Step #7: Edit and Proofread
Now that you’ve written everything and put what you think is important for the report. So, it is the time for you to go through each sentence of the report and proofread it.
Check if the grammar, flow, consistency, and spelling of your report are correct. Also, Don’t forget to check the references link, and make sure that the links are working. And the references are clear to follow. Focus on the tone of the content, And also go through the structuring and formatting of the report. After going through the whole report, you are ready to submit your academic report.
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Common Mistakes to Avoid When Writing Academic Reports
Usually, students start making their assignments when the deadlines stand right above their heads. And that’s what makes them hurry. So, they make plenty of mistakes which should be avoided to get the best grades. Some common mistakes and how to avoid them are given below.
1. Less Clear
Adding complex language, Jargons, Big and irrelevant sentences, or details that aren’t necessary in the topic makes a report sound ambiguous, Boring, less clear and hard-to-understand. And it also might confuse the reader. And low readability means that the audience will less likely to read it.
How do you avoid it?
To avoid this mistake all you have to do is keep your writing simple, Natural, and engaging. But keep in mind you don’t have to be too casual to make it engaging because reports are written in a formal tone. Engage means to present the information in such a way that it won’t make the readers feel bored. One thing to make your content engaging is by providing practical examples. Because humans love understanding a concept with examples.
2. Poor Structure and Formatting
Suppose you are reading about the common mistakes in an academic report, And suddenly, a section comes over, but the previous section isn’t completed. Or a section of information that should be before the current section but is after it. See how irritating and unprofessional it sounds; it is unprofessional and irritating for sure. So, you, the students, have to be very careful about structuring and formatting the academic report.
How to avoid it?
To Avoid it, you should take assistance from any senior or teacher and get feedback from them. Or take online academic report writing help to get it done in the most efficient way possible.
3. Less Valuable Research
Students usually, don’t want to research. And some of them just copy past from internet and thinks that they are good to go. But that is one of the most common and silliest mistakes students do. Because, teachers know very well that how to check the credibility and reliability of the reports you submitted. And if you have done lack of research, Or added irrelevant information, Or too much broad research which isn’t required as per the topic. So, It will hurt your grades.
How to avoid it?
Firstly, you should assign pretty good amount of time for research. And do thorough research, and try to gather information from credible and reliable sites, Journals, And blogs etc. After researching, filter out the unnecessary content, or ask anyone to help you out like seniors to choose what to add and what to not.
4. Not Understanding the Audience
Why do you want to write a report? For the audience to read it right? And if you ignore them while making the report, then it won’t perform the way you want. Ignoring or not understanding the audience means that not writing the way audience wanted. You have to think as a reader of the topic. Like what could be in their mind while reading and what should be in there that would be valuable for the audience.
How to avoid it?
To avoid it you should simply have a good idea of the audience requirement and then craft the report as per it.
5. Too Much Unnecessary Information
This is the same aspect that we disused in the research section is that you shouldn’t add too much information that isn’t required. And I’m mentioning it because that this makes a report valuable or less valuable for the reader. Reading too much information on a same topic. Or if the student just drags the section just to complete the word count requirement. So, this affects the report badly.
How to avoid it?
Your content should be clear, Concise, And coherent. Remember these 3 C’s and you won’t go out of the track. Try to be very selective when it comes to adding extra headings and subheadings. Use more bullet points, Charts, and tables to cover up some important information easily.
You might also like: 6 Tips to Avoid Plagiarism in your Reports
Tips To Make Your Reports Clear And Simple
Making the report clear and simple is as important as doing research and gathering relevant information. So, by following these tips you can easily make your report clear and simple.
Tip #1: Use the Report Template Elements
Using the report template elements means that you should add your title, A slogan under the title. Or use some bullet points to make the report easy-to-read and visually appealing.
Tip #2: Use Different Design Strategies
There are templates and layouts available that will help you out in creating a perception that your report is easy-to-read. As, there is a big impact of font, Color, And themes. You should distribute the content of reports’ every page in such a manner that it won’t feel overloaded.
Give proper gaps in lines and paragraphs, Choose font that is visually easy and soothing to eye like Calibri etc. And choose color that depicts the theme of the topic. Like if you are making a report on nature then a green colored theme would make it more visually good for the reader and the report will be more engaging.
Tip #3: Focus on Using Visual Elements
Visual elements like images, Charts, Graphs, and Tables enhances the readability of the report. And these provides data an easy form to understand for the audience that is hard to explain without visual explanation. Try to add high-quality images, Story board animation type content (If video content is allowed) and make your report more clear and simple.
Tip #4: Easy Navigation is also very Crucial
When it comes to clarity and simplicity, Navigation play a vital role. Because the easier it would be for the audience to navigate to the section of their interests in reports the more likely they will engage you repot.
How to Organise Your Academic Report for Better Reading?
Although organising your report should be done as per the guidelines and instructions of the teacher. But if there aren’t any specific guidelines mentioned about it. Then, all you have to do is try to write in the clearest manner This means that they can increase the interest of the reader with clear writing. Means that all the headings and subheadings should be clear enough to give audience the best context about the section. And the content should be easy enough to make it more valuable.
How to Use Charts and Graphs in Your Academic Report?
There are plenty of ways to create and use charts to present a table of data, However, Excel is the most common choice. But for scientists and engineers MATLAB is the perfect tool. But it requires the understanding of programming language.
The below tips will help you use the graphs, Charts and table in the best way in your report.
- Making charts, Graphs, and tables manually is a bit difficult and time-consuming. So, students can also use templates of it which are easily available online.
- For manual creation, you should label all the axis of the graph.
- The units for comparison in graphs should be the same.
- Don’t put any undefined or ambiguous data in the graphs.
- The axis formats should be the same
- Time is always displayed on the x-axis.
- Don’t include gridlines.
- The labels should have capital letters
Keep in mind that the table and graphs words are not be counted as word count of the requirement. Secondly, Don’t use default graphs. Lastly, make sure that the tables are clear and easy-to-understand.
How to Edit Your Report for Success?
Editing and proofreading are last but among the most pivotal steps. Students should edit and proofread their reports carefully. Because ignoring this would put all the efforts into vein.
- Go through each sentence and make sure that there aren’t any grammatical, Structural, Formatting, spelling or Referencing mistake present.
- Read the report and make sure that it is written in a constant flow.
- Read the whole report and ensure that its consistency is perfect.
- Go through all the guidelines and requirements of the report and ensure that you followed everything perfectly.
- Read and analyse as if the writing is clear and concise for every kind of audience.
Conclusion
This guide covers all the different aspects of how to create a perfect academic report that will help students in getting good grades. This post covers topics including 1) What is an academic report, 2) Types of different academic reports, 3) What is the ideal structure of a report, 4) What to include in an academic report, 5) How to write a report in simple steps, 6) Common mistakes and how to avoid them, 7) Tips to make reports clear and simple, 8) How to organize your report for better reading, 9) How to use charts and graphs in your academic report.
