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What should you consider when preparing simple, information-only reports?

Quick reference

Formatting Simple Reports

Simple reports give information or an update on a particular activity or event.

When to use

Use this section to know what skills are required, and the elements which should and should not be included in simple reports.

Instructions

Simple reports often follow the IMRAD format:

  • Introduction
    • explains the problem or what the report is about
  • Methods
    • tells how the information was gathered 
  • Results 
    • shares the findings, or the answer to the question
  • Discussion
    • explains implication(s) of the results

Hints & tips

  • Simple reports should still have a cover page
  • Simple reports should not have a recommendation section unless recommendations were requested
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  • 00:04 When we talk about simple reports, we mean those that are meant to give an update or
  • 00:09 information on a particular activity.
  • 00:12 They're usually aimed at a targeted audience.
  • 00:15 And quite often they're asked for as an ad hoc or on-the-fly request.
  • 00:20 Skills required when writing a business report include lots of technical skills
  • 00:24 because you will need to be able to extract the data, and
  • 00:27 to present it in a format that makes decision making easier.
  • 00:32 Of course, you'll also need a high level of accuracy, objectivity,
  • 00:36 analytical skills.
  • 00:38 When you understand the business processes,
  • 00:41 this will help you to anticipate not only what and when questions, but
  • 00:45 especially why and how questions.
  • 00:50 If your report is under five pages, it might be considered a simple report,
  • 00:55 but it should still have a cover page.
  • 00:58 Section headings, titles and the legend of charts are used, and
  • 01:03 bullet points to highlight significant trends or to show anomalies.
  • 01:10 The IMRAD format is often useful when preparing simple reports.
  • 01:14 IMRAD stands for introduction, methods, results and discussion.
  • 01:21 Now, even though it's called the IMRAD format,
  • 01:24 the heading names you choose might be different.
  • 01:26 But the general idea, is that the introduction explains the problem,
  • 01:31 or what the report is all about.
  • 01:35 The methods section tells how the information or
  • 01:38 data was gathered, and what materials were used.
  • 01:43 The results section shares the findings or the answer to the question.
  • 01:49 And the discussion talks about the implications of the results.
  • 01:53 What do the results mean for the organization?
  • 01:58 The method and results section will take up most of the report.
  • 02:02 Here's a little tip, especially if you're asked to prepare a simple report.
  • 02:08 Maybe your boss asked you to do a report with a specific question in mind, and
  • 02:12 they never asked for a recommendation.
  • 02:16 So in this type of report, you wouldn't include a recommendation, but
  • 02:21 it is a good idea to have one prepared just in case you are asked.
  • 02:26 And here's another tip, every good report needs a cover page.
  • 02:33 You can download one from the Microsoft Word templates, but for
  • 02:36 simple reports, it really doesn't have to be fancy.
  • 02:40 Just make sure your report cover has a title,
  • 02:43 the name of the author that's you, and the date the report was prepared.
  • 02:49 If the report is about your company or a specific department within the company,
  • 02:54 then the company's name, or the company and department names should be included.

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