Getting Set to Write a Report

Megan McLean
Governor Simcoe Secondary School
Mr. Honsberger
Thursday, May 0, !0"#
Ho$ to Write an %ssay
&ntroduction.
There are several $ays in $hich to proceed $ith $riting a report. The circumstances
under $hich a report is to be $ritten dictate to a large e'tent the $ay in $hich the $rite begins.
()lo$*
&+ a report is to be $ritten as a class assignment, there $ill li,ely be at least t$o
constraints on the report $riter. These are- ("* Si.e- /ery o+ten, teachers (or instructors* $ill
assign a report that is to +all $ithin a speci+ied si.e range (+or e'ample, ten to t$elve type $ritten
pages0 and (!* 1ontent- The student report $rite is most o+ten re2uired to either $rite on an
assigned topic or a topic speci+ically related to given +ield o+ study.
Reports $ritten +or business purposes generally do not have si.e restrictions although in
some cases a client may speci+y that progress reports and the li,e are not to e'ceed a given
number o+ pages. The content o+ business reports, o+ course, is dictated by the circumstances.
Thus, the $riter never has to decide $hat to $rite about.
Reports $ritten +or social, +raternal, or similar organi.ations probably have the +e$est
constraints. This type o+ report is not usually evaluated in terms o+ grading or business
communication. 3s a result, the length is seldom speci+ied and the content re+lects the needs o+
the organi.ation.
4+ the three above5mentioned varieties o+ reports, those assigned in school are in many
$ays the most di++icult. The limits that are o+ten set +or the student create an almost arti+icial
situation uni2ue to such reports. The tas, o+ arriving at a suitable scope +or a report, as
discussed belo$, creates a +rustrating situation as the 6ob o+ +inding su++icient $hile not
over$helming re+erence material. Ho$ever, it $ould be un+air to say that such e'ercises are not
$ithout a great deal o+ value. Such demands on research, organi.ation, and $riting s,ills
certainly improve and polish e'isting abilities. (Light*
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Ho$ to Write an %ssay :age !
S2uare 4ne5 Selecting the Topic
This +irst step, obviously, is applicable only to those situations in $hich one many or
must select the sub6ect o+ the report.
There are a number o+ +actors that bear upon this decision. The +ollo$ing paragraphs
e'plain some o+ these +actors.
Scope. &+ the student is to select a topic that relates to material discussed in an 3merican
history class and the report is to be bet$een "; and !0 type$ritten pages long, scope is a
crucial +actor. The $rite $ould not, +or e'ample, attempt to treat the 1ivil War in !0 pages or
less0 such an underta,ing $ould at best result in an outline o+ events. 3 more practical approach
$ould be to select some narro$er, though signi+icant, aspect o+ that $ar that could be
developed to a meaning+ul e'tent $ithin the limited number o+ pages prescribed.
&nterest. The student report $riter may or may not have the lu'ury o+ selecting a sub6ect
o+ interest0 ho$ever, interest in the sub6ect o+ the report $ill ma,e the e'tensive research and
$riting involved more en6oyable. 4ne +airly +ailsa+e $ay to accomplish this is to spend some time
bro$sing through di++erent sources. Li,e $indo$ shopping, this process o+ten ma,es a person
a$are o+ something they li,e.
3vailability o+ re+erence material. There $ould be no point in deciding to report on
Sherman<s March to the sea i+ there $ere not enough resource material $ith $hich to develop
the sub6ect. This is $here the $riter must begin to use research s,ills. 3+ter e'amining the
encyclopedias, history te'ts, and current periodicals (such as =atural History, =ational
Geographic Maga.ine, Smithsonian*, $ith the help o+ the card catalog and the Reader<s Guide
to :eriodical Literature, the $riter can get a +eel +or the amount o+ resource material that is
available as $ell as the e'tent o+ detail $ith $hich the sub6ect is treated.
)ac,ground. &+ the report $riter has ample time (and intends to invest it in researching
and $riting the report*, it is a good idea to underta,e a report on a topic on $hich $ith $riter has
limited ,no$ledge. This $ill increase the bene+its o+ having completed such an e'ercise by
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How to Write an Essay :age 9
e'panding the $riter<s store o+ in+ormation. Ho$ever, i+ the time to be spent on the report is
severely limited, the $riter may $ant to select a topic that is +amiliar so that the direction that the
report $ill ta,e and $ays o+ organi.ing the material are not as di++icult to deal $ith.
4rderly Research
1onsiderable time and energy can be saved i+ the $riter ta,es this research part in an
orderly +ashion. The +ollo$ing three steps, i+ +ollo$ed e'actly and completely, $ill yield an
orderly basis +or the $riting step.
1hec, document sources. >sing the card catalog and the Reader<s Guide to :eriodical
Literature, the $riter completes ;? ' 9? inde' cards +or each entry that loo,s as though it might
provide needed material. &ncluded on that card $ill be the +ollo$ing in+ormation-
3uthor, last name +irst
Title
:ublisher
1ity in $hich published
:ublication date
=umber o+ :ages (i+ a boo,*
:ages re+erenced
1ompleting all o+ these cards at once provided- (a* all o+ the in+ormation locating the
needed material0 (b* +reedom +rom having to repeatedly return to the card catalog $hen any
resources +ail to provide need in+ormation0 and (c* all o+ the in+ormation needed +or +ootnotes
and the bibliography. &+
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How to Write an Essay :age #
any o+ the re+erences prove unsatis+actory0 the corresponding inde' card can be thro$n
a$ay. 4+ those cards that remain, assign a number or letter +or identi+ication purposes.
Gather material. While reading through re+erence material, the $riter should
summari.e relevant in+ormation0 4+ course, direct 2uotations should be noted as such. &t
is help+ul to $rite these summaries on ? ' ;? note cards, placing summaries o+ distinct
topics on separate cards. &n this $ay, the cards can be shu++led in to some logical
se2uence $hen the time comes to $rite an outline. 4n each o+ the ;? ' 9? inde' cards
that identi+ies the source o+ the material $ritten on it. This saves having to copy all o+ this
in+ormation again.
4rgani.e material. &+ notes on the reading are separated by topic as suggested
above, ma,ing an outline $ill not be di++icult. )egin by typing to ma,e +our to si' stac,s
o+ cards that relate to each other more than they do to any o+ the others. 3 short phrase
should be $ritten that describes the commonality $ithin each stac,. The short phrases
provide the main headings o+ the outline. Within each o+ these stac,s, the cards are
sorted into +our to si' stac,s that relate to each other0 a short phrase is $ritten to sum up
their content. These short phrases $ill be subtopics +or the outline. The $riter $ill +ind
that some bending may be necessary, but +or the most part this proves a simpli+ied
method o+ organi.ing research material. ()agg*
3s the $riter +ollo$s these steps, the +rustration o+ report $riting $ill be
minimi.ed. With added e'perience, o+ course, the $riter $ill +ind $ays in $hich to
customi.e to process to +it the individual<s $or,ing and $riting style.
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How to Write an Essay :age ;
1ontents
:age
&ntroduction................................................................................................................... "
S2uare 4ne5 Selecting the Topic..................................................................................!
Scope................................................................................................................ !
&nterest.............................................................................................................. !
3vailability o+ re+erence Material.......................................................................!
)ac,ground....................................................................................................... 9
4R@%RLA R%S%3R1H............................................................................................... 9
1hec, @ocument Sources................................................................................9
Gather Material................................................................................................. #
4rgani.e Material.............................................................................................. #
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How to Write an Essay :age B
Works Cited
)agg, Cames. DThe 4verused %ssay.D The Cournal o+ Student Learning !00E- !!5!B.
)lo$, Coseph. %ssays 3re +or %veryone . =e$ Aor,- Honsco :ublishing &nc., "FFF.
Light, )udd. Student Learning :ro6ect. "; =ovember !0"0. GGHttp-77$$$.dsbn.orgHH.
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