Report definitions

Accident Report a report describing how someone was hurt or something was damaged

Sales Report a report describing how many goods or services were sold, and the reasons for any differences from the plan

Progress Report a report describing how close you are to completing something you planned

Feasibility Study / Report a report on how practical a proposal is

Recommendation Report a report on what your organisation should do

Site a report on what has happened in a place, and how close your organisation is to finishing construction

Case Study an academic report on how and why something has changed over time

Incident Report a report describing something that has happened

Points of Diff. Informational Report
The report prepared from, the
information gathered from
investigation is known as
Definition informational report.
Writing Report writing structure is not
structure followed here.
Size It is comparatively, small in size.
Personal Here reporter doesn’t have the
pinion scope to add his opinion.
Analytical Report
The report prepared after analyzing
the investigated information is known-
as analytical report
Report writing structure is
followed here, strictly.
It is comparatively large in size with
quantitative and qualitative analysis.
Here reporter can add his opinion to
the report.
Points of Diff. Informational Report Analytical Report

In such a report, there is no Recommendation is essentially

Recommendation recommendation from the reporter. required here from the reporter.

As there is analysis and

Decision is not helpful recommendation exists in such
Making because there is n report, executives can take
Decision making o recommendation in such report. decision from such report.

Reporter may not require- Reporter must be experienced

Experience vast to prepare such report. and efficient to draft such a report.

Conclusion is a part of such

Conclusion There is no conclusion in such report. report.
 Informational Features Purpose Examples

informational • Usually short • Reports to monitor and control • Sales report

operations
• May be included in a memo or letter or • Reports to implement policy and • Accident report
presented orally procedure • Incident report
• Report to demonstrate
• Simple format not fixed compliance • Staff report
• May use a template • Reports to document progress • Maintenance report
• May be less formal • Trip report
• Reader sees the details of events, activities
or conditions

Analytical or • Written to solve problems • To study a problem • feasibility study

investigative • Information is analyzed • To analyse information and reach • Project proposal
• Conclusions are drawn and some conclusion • Evaluation report
recommendations are made. • To make recommendations about • Market research
future actions • Annual report
 The purpose of a field report in the social sciences is to describe the observation
of people, places, and/or events and to analyze that observation data in order to
identify and categorize common themes in relation to the research problem
underpinning the study. The content represents the researcher's interpretation of
meaning found in data that has been gathered during one or more observational
events.
 Describe of what you did, when you did it, where you went, why you went, who was
with you and how you went there.
 Field trips provide you with an opportunity to learn issues in the real world, so
make the most of them.
 what you should do doing the trip
1. Identify the main issue
2. Take notes in the field
 We are all observers of people, their interactions, places, and events; however, your responsibility
when writing a field report is to create a research study based on data generated by the act of
designing a specific study, deliberate observation, a synthesis of key findings, and an interpretation of
their meaning.
 When writing a field report you need to:
1. Systematically observe and accurately record the varying aspects of a situation. Always approach
your field study with a detailed plan about what you will observe, where you should conduct your
observations, and the method by which you will collect and record your data.
2. Continuously analyze your observations. Always look for the meaning underlying the actions you
observe. Ask yourself: What's going on here? What does this observed activity mean? What else
does this relate to? Note that this is an on-going process of reflection and analysis taking place for
the duration of your field research.
3. Keep the report’s aims in mind while you are observing. Recording what you observe should not be
done randomly or haphazardly; you must be focused and pay attention to details. Enter the
observation site [i.e., "field"] with a clear plan about what you are intending to observe and record
while, at the same time, being prepared to adapt to changing circumstances as they may arise.
4. Consciously observe, record, and analyze what you hear and see in the context of a theoretical
framework. This is what separates data gatherings from simple reporting. The theoretical framework
guiding your field research should determine what, when, and how you observe and act as the
foundation from which you interpret your findings.
 Experimental field work can be written up in the introduction-methods-results-
discussion format. For observational data, the format can be varied to help the
reader find the information and make a logical "story" leading to your conclusions.
 Introduction:- setting out the purpose of the field work and usually containing sub-
sections which give relevant background information (location of area, geology,
topography, vegetation, climate, geological history, recent history etc).
 Body :_ It will also be necessary to review relevant literature on the topic. If
particular methods were used to collect the data, then these will be described next,
followed by presentation of the data and then interpretation and discussion. For
trips involving many locations, it may be easiest to organise the background
information, data, and interpretation by site, but then draw all the sites together in a
general discussion at the end.
 Do whichever involves least repetition of information and makes the report easiest
for the reader to understand and follow. Use descriptive subheadings to make the
information easy to find.
 Introduction
 Include a brief account of where the fieldwork took place, the overall aims of the
fieldwork, and what you were investigating.
 Field Observations
 Include a detailed account of what you observed and, if required, some comment on its
significance. Include photographs and field sketches and refer to other relevant
research that has been done. Do not provide a day by day account but try to arrange the
material to show your understanding of what you’ve studied. To help with this, look out
for any recurring themes.
 Conclusions
 Tie together the report with a concise account; draw together the key issues as a series
of bullet points.
 Notes and diagrams made whilst on the field trip will prove invaluable when you get
home and have to write up the field trip report.
 http://www.wikihow.com/Write-an-Incident-Report
 https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140415203141-5310498-workplace-safety-how-
to-write-a-good-accident-or-incident-report