REPORT WRITING - General Outline
The purpose of a report is to inform the reader.  It is important, therefore, that essential information is included and that it is treated in a logical way.  The standard components of a report are as follows:
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  • Title   .   Summary or Abstract  .   List of Contents   .   Introduction    .   Main body of the report   .  Conclusions   .  Recommendations   .   Appendices    .   References

Plan the report carefully, using the appropriate section headings.  Follow the guidelines.  Write with your readership in mind, and as concisely and as clearly as possible.

Be brief and be clear …
  • Use no more words than are necessary to express what you mean.
  • Use words that have the precise meaning you intend to convey, and when you have the choice, choose words that are most easily understood.  Avoid words with vague meanings. Avoid ambiguities - and do not invent words.
                                                                            http://www.bbc.co.uk/academy/journalism/skills/writing/article/art20130702112133612​
Ideally, use a Sans Serif font.  This is helpful and necessary for those with sight impairments.  The size of the font should be a minimum of 12 pitch.  Beware of choice of font – for instance, Segoe and others may not transport from a Mac to MS Office, or vice versa.
Always put the organisation’s logo at the top of the page and the CIO / Charity number and address at the bottom (or wherever you think it is suitable).
The title of the report should be brief.
The Summary is a brief overview of the report. 
The content of the report guides the reader to specific information quickly.

The Introduction sets the scene for the reader so that they know what to expect, and should cover: 

  • Why is the report being written:
           Sets out a brief for the report – the circumstances which made the report
           necessary and what is hoped to be achieved by writing it.  Give some background
           information, so that there is a framework into which readers can fit the
           information being presented.

  • What kind of information does it contain?
          Give an indication of the subject matter, which is being dealt with – how detailed,
          or technical the information is going to be, and how is the problem being
          approached?

  • For whom is the report being written:
         State whether you are writing for a technical or general reader – or any other
         particular group. 
This is where the real content of the report is presented.  It should be given its own title that describes the subject matter.
This covers what has been done, how it was done and what has been done with it.
The Findings present the evidence.  It should be organised so that conclusions arise naturally from the facts written.  Tables and graphs are best placed in an Appendix and ensure that these are well constructed and labelled so that they make the information easier to understand.
These should arise naturally from the evidence that is presented in the previous sections.  Do not include any new information that does not appear in the main body of the report, and do not make statements that cannot be supported.
Recommendations are not always necessary, but they are included, they should follow on logically from the conclusions.
The Appendix contains the peripheral matter which would otherwise overload your main argument.
If presenting a technical report to people who are not experts in the subject, it is sometimes helpful to provide explanations of the technical terms used. List them alphabetically.
When presenting a large amount of statistical data, it is more convenient to collect it together in an Appendix.  Give informative titles to the tables to ensure that they are presented in the order in which they are referred to in the text.
Present diagrams and illustrations within the main body of the report. ​
If you have consulted other sources (eg books, journals, videos), to help to compile the report, then you MUST give a list of your references.  List them in alphabetically in order of author’s surname in a Bibliography at the end.
Style is a matter of good manners – put yourself in your readers’ place, so that you do not make unnecessary demands on them.  Readers should not have to struggle to understand the meaning of what is written.