They asked you to write a report and you really don't know where to start. Don't worry: wikiHow is here to help! Read this article to build a simple relationship in no time.
Steps
Part 1 of 5: Select the Topic
Step 1. Try to understand the assignment that has been assigned to you
If your teacher, professor, or boss has given you guidelines for writing the report, be sure to read (and reread) them. What did he ask of you? Should the text be purely informative? Generally, when you write a report in elementary, middle or high school, you are asked to present a topic without adding your own opinions. Other times, you may need to persuade the audience about how to perceive or analyze the topic. Ask the teacher all the necessary explanations as soon as possible.
Keep in mind that if your goal is just to inform readers, you shouldn't include your opinions in the report, or add persuasive elements
Step 2. Choose a valid topic that interests you
A topic that you are passionate about will motivate you to give your all. Of course, sometimes you won't have a say. If so, try to find aspects of the assigned topic that you find more or less interesting. Always make sure to exchange ideas with the teacher to make sure that your approach to the relationship goes well.
If you have been asked to write a report on a certain event that took place in the sixties in America, and you hate history but you like music, focus the lyrics on the music scene of those years. Tie it to the event in question. Also be sure to include lots of details on other aspects intrinsically related to the topic
Step 3. Choose an original subject
If you need to distribute the report to your classmates, try to choose an interesting and compelling topic. For example, if three other people have written a Disneyland report, you probably won't get anyone's attention. To avoid repetition, ask the teacher what topics others have chosen.
Has the topic you are interested in been chosen by someone else? Try to find a different perspective to present it. For example, if you wanted to talk about Disneyland but your partner has already started working on it, you might want to focus the report on a specific section of the park, such as Adventureland. Talk about what inspired you to create it, the different attractions you tried, and the most important changes that have recently been made to this area
Step 4. Don't forget that you can change the subject
If you start researching a certain topic and realize that you can't find more than a lot of information about it (or it's too extensive), you can always change it, as long as you don't start the project the day before delivery.
If you find that the topic is too broad, try to choose a specific part to focus on. For example, if you wanted to write the report on historical world fairs, you surely realized that there are too many of them and it is difficult to talk about all of them in one text. Pick one in particular to focus on, like the San Francisco International Exposition
Part 2 of 5: Doing a Research on the Topic
Step 1. Research the topic
Make sure you have an adequate number of sources for the essay (the guidelines should tell you how much the teacher expects).
- If you're going to report on a particular person, look for information about their life. What was your childhood like? What did he do that was important? What was his family like?
- If you are going to write a report on an event, find out why it was organized the first time, what really happened during it and what its consequences were.
Step 2. Go to the library:
you will find a lot of information. Search the database to find books or materials related to your article. If you are having trouble, ask a librarian for help.
If you find a good book that covers the subject in depth, take a look at all the sources used by the author (generally, they are listed at the end of the volume). These landmarks often lead to even more useful and detailed information
Step 3. Make sure the sources found online are trustworthy
If you use the internet to find information on the subject, always be sure to check the facts elsewhere. Use those collected by well-known experts in your field of interest, government agencies and industry journals. Try to avoid forums and other untrustworthy sources.
If you need to write a report about a specific person, business or place, try to use the official website primarily. For example, if the report will focus on British anthropologist Jane Goodall, you might want to go to the Jane Goodall Institute website to be on the safe side
Step 4. Write down the information found and related documentation
Write all the sources used on a flashcard. What to pin? Any data concerning the source (such as author, date of publication, publisher / website, city of publication, numbers of the pages on which you have found some information and so on), in order to easily write the bibliography at a later time.
Part 3 of 5: Writing the Draft Report
Step 1. Think about the introductory statement of the thesis
What's this? The backbone of the relationship, the main idea. Summarize what you want to demonstrate to the reader in the report. All subsequent sentences and the content of the middle paragraphs should link to the thesis, so make sure it's a general enough thread to emerge throughout the essay. If all you need to do is inform, come up with a thesis statement that does not contain any opinion. On the other hand, if the thesis is intended to persuade someone or is meant to thoroughly analyze an argument, it should contain an argument, which will then be proven in the text.
- Example of an informative thesis (Thesis 1). "The three main areas of the San Francisco International Exposition teemed with creations that were considered the pinnacle of modernity at the time, and best represented the innovative spirit of progressivism."
- Example of a persuasive or analytical thesis (Thesis 2): “The San Francisco International Exposition was intended to exalt the progressive spirit, but in fact it harbored a deep racism and emphasized the principle of white supremacy. Most of the visitors decided to ignore it, or celebrate it”.
Step 2. Write the summary
It helps you visualize the organization of the essay. You can create it in the form of a list, network diagram or concept map. Start with the thesis statement, then choose three of the main ideas related to the argument you want to present in the text. Write down details about each basic concept.
- The main ideas should support the thesis, i.e. provide the evidence to support your argument.
- Examples of main ideas for Thesis 1: areas of the Court of the Universe, Court of the Four Seasons, Court of Abundance.
- Examples of main ideas for Thesis 2: racism in the Joy Zone, the sculpture of The End of the Trail and the lectures of the Race Betterment institution.
Step 3. Establish the report format
The structure of the essay depends on the topic. If the report is about a person, it would make much more sense to structure it chronologically.
For Thesis 1, the report should be structured in the form of a guide to the spaces of the fair. The report should talk about the main exhibits in the larger areas (Court of the Universe, Court of the Four Seasons, Court of Abundance)
Part 4 of 5: Writing the Report
Step 1. Write the introduction
This part should present the topic and state your thesis. It should be engaging, not heavy. The goal is to get the reader's attention, in order to entice him to read the rest of the report. You should present the historical, social and economic background of the topic, and then state the thesis statement. The reader will therefore understand what you are going to talk about. When correcting, read every single sentence well and eliminate all repetitions.
Example of introduction for the Thesis 1. “The San Francisco International Exposition (PPIE) was held in 1915. The goal? Celebrate the construction of the Panama Canal and the technological advances that had profoundly marked the early years of the century. The three main rooms of the exhibition were filled with modern inventions (at least at the time), and were symbolic of the innovative spirit of progressivism
Step 2. Write the middle paragraphs
These sections allow you to demonstrate the ideas behind the thesis. Each central paragraph is made up of a functional key phrase and the evidence that supports it. The main sentence presents the most important idea of the paragraph and connects it to the rest of the thesis statement.
- Example of functional key phrases for the Thesis 1. “The Court of the Universe was the beating heart of the entire exhibition; it represented the greatest achievements of humanity, as well as the encounter between East and West”.
- If the relationship concerns a person, the functional key phrases could be more or less like this: "Gianni Bianchi's childhood was certainly not rosy, but that stage of his life helped to forge his personality". Of course, this is just an example - you should enter more specific information relevant to the subject you're talking about.
Step 3. Support the functional keyword phrase
After writing it in the main paragraph, provide the demonstrations found during the search to support it. The tests can elaborate in detail what is indicated in the functional key phrase, be citations from subject matter experts or further information on the topic in question.
- For example, if we go back to the functional key phrase about the Court of the Universe, the main paragraph should illustrate the different exhibitions in the area, but also demonstrate the way in which the encounter between East and West is represented.
- If it is a relationship about a person, like Gianni Bianchi, you have to talk specifically about the difficult childhood and the experiences that led him to become famous.
Step 4. Write the conclusion
This paragraph summarizes the thesis, but also offers some concluding words on the subject. Its purpose is to repeat the main concepts that should remain etched in the reader's mind.
Step 5. Cite the sources
Your teacher or professor should tell you whether to use the MLA, APA, or Chicago style in your essay. Use the format consistently with all citations and bibliography.
Step 6. Structure the report using the right format
Try to follow the teacher's instructions to the letter. If it hasn't given you directions, opt for a clean, classic format. For school or academic reports, the standard one is Times New Roman or Arial 12 points, with double spacing and margins of 2.5 cm across the sheet.
Part 5 of 5: Concluding the Relationship
Step 1. Read the report from an outside perspective
Is the point you are trying to make clear? Does your evidence support the thesis? Pretending to read it for the first time, does the subject seem understandable to you?
Step 2. Ask someone else to read the report
Talking to another person can help you make sure your thesis is clear and the writing is fluent. You have to ask specific questions to this helper of yours. "Do you understand what I mean?". "Do you think I should remove or add something?". "What would you change?".
Step 3. Correct the report
Check for spelling, grammar and punctuation errors. Have you noticed strange phrases that need to be rewritten?
Step 4. Read the report aloud
This will help you identify sections of the report that may have been unclear (such as disconnected sentences).
Step 5. Set the essay aside for a few days
If you have time to keep it and clear your mind before correcting it, this will allow you to do it without problems. A break from the text will help you spot further mistakes and parts that don't make sense. They might escape you if you don't distance yourself from intercourse for at least one night.
Advice
- Don't put off searching until the last minute. Writing a report takes longer than you think, especially when you start getting lost in colors, photos, margins, headlines, and so on. First, write the content, only later can you refine it.
- Do not copy essays by other authors. Not only will you make a fool of yourself, they may accuse you of plagiarism because it's illegal.
- Focus on the main idea you want to convey. Make sure the concept is well established from the start.
- Choose a topic you know best.
- As you write, assume that the reader knows little or nothing about the subject. Add details and definitions to the topics you talk about in the essay.
- Make sure you use more than one source to find information.
