Writing Good Reports

How many reports have you seen that send you to sleep? For me, it's a lot. If you have something great to say, just say it. Don't spend 30 pages describing methodology, leave the key messgae until the last chapter and cram it so full of jargon and acronyms that I need a translator.

Reports don't need to be long and complicated to show that you know what you are talking about. The research and findings should speak for themselves and be presented in the simplest way to make the content shine.

Here are a few tips for good report writing:

Content
*Decide on the key messages you want to get across
*Make sure these are clearly explained on the opening page
*Keep re-focusing on them throughout the report

Style
*Use everyday language
*Say things in the most concise way possible
*Keep sentences and paragraphs short