Language - Writing

Report Writing Criteria

A report is written to inform the reader about a particular subject, in this case, a career. It should contain information gathered from various sources (ie primary - interview, secondary - website, textbook) and is mostly factual rather than being based on opinion.

Reports typically begin with an effective introduction, which serves to provide the reader with an overview of the information contained within the body or development paragraphs. Key information in the report is usually arranged by topic. In this case, each section of the waterfall book should assist in the organization. The conclusion summarizes the key ideas and loops the reader back to the introduction. Finally, a report should be written in the third person.

Although the general format for a report is summarized above, and is reflected in the waterfall format of the project, each section should be organized in the same way. Each section should begin with a brief introductory paragraph summarizing the content of the section. Each paragraph in the section should then emphasize one key point from the research. The section should have a conclusion which ties the reader to the introduction. This is true for every section, including the interview. It is expected that you write a brief introductory paragraph summarizing who you interviewed, where the interview took place, and when the interview happened. (The interview should then be typed up, with different fonts to indicate both the questions and answers.)

It is expected that in-text citation is used in referencing the sources you have used in your research. Every time a fact is used in your paragraph, you must indicate where the information came from with the proper format. This was summarized in the handout provided in class. Each reference must then be listed in the reference section of your waterfall book.