Types of Reports

Study Notes

A report is a self-explanatory document that provides information and guidance, acts as a permanent record, and is prepared in writing.

Informational Reports: present results to help readers understand a particular problem or situation.
Analytical Reports: present results, analyze those results, and draw conclusions based on those results to describe why or how something happened and what it means.
Recommendation Reports: advocate a particular course of action, presenting results and conclusions that support the recommendations.

Progress Reports: informal reports that explain how much progress is being made on something previously planned, enabling the writer to check on themselves and better estimate what remains to be done.
Status Reports: describe what is being accomplished in the present and with existing conditions in general, emphasizing existing conditions.
Feasibility Reports: detail whether or not a project should be undertaken and the reasons for that decision.
Periodic Reports: allow management to keep track of ongoing operations on a regular basis, can be filed daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly.
Troubleshooting Reports: informal reports used by technicians to convey information regarding the analysis and correction of problems found in industrial products.

Formal Reports:
- Often used in academic papers or to provide a lengthy overview of a major change or development within a business.
- More detailed and structured, with a formal tone and third-person narrative.
- Provide evidence to back up the information, including citations for sources used.
- May include charts, graphs, and statistical information.
Informal Reports:
- Used for shorter documents, such as memos and newsletters.
- Less detailed and structured, with a personal tone and first- or second-person narrative.
- Often very brief and only include the most relevant information.
- Evidence is not included to back up the information.

A report is a self-explanatory document that provides information and guidance, acts as a permanent record, and is prepared in writing.

Informational Reports: present results to help readers understand a particular problem or situation.
Analytical Reports: present results, analyze those results, and draw conclusions based on those results to describe why or how something happened and what it means.
Recommendation Reports: advocate a particular course of action, presenting results and conclusions that support the recommendations.

Progress Reports: informal reports that explain how much progress is being made on something previously planned, enabling the writer to check on themselves and better estimate what remains to be done.
Status Reports: describe what is being accomplished in the present and with existing conditions in general, emphasizing existing conditions.
Feasibility Reports: detail whether or not a project should be undertaken and the reasons for that decision.
Periodic Reports: allow management to keep track of ongoing operations on a regular basis, can be filed daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly.
Troubleshooting Reports: informal reports used by technicians to convey information regarding the analysis and correction of problems found in industrial products.

Often used in academic papers or to provide a lengthy overview of a major change or development within a business.
More detailed and structured, with a formal tone and third-person narrative.
Provide evidence to back up the information, including citations for sources used.
May include charts, graphs, and statistical information.

Used for shorter documents, such as memos and newsletters.
Less detailed and structured, with a personal tone and first- or second-person narrative.
Often very brief and only include the most relevant information.
Evidence is not included to back up the information.