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Unit-30: Writing a Research Report

11. Appendices—the original report ends with the suggestions. However there are certain notes
letters, articles, tables, charts, descriptions, etc. that help in proving the correctness of the
study and therefore, it is considered appropriate to put them before readers. such articles
are put at the end of the report. in this, regional maps, bibliography, questionnaires, other
lists, each copy of study tools, some important tables, etc. are included.

Task What is the meaning of the contents of the report? Explain briefly.

30.5 Characteristics of a Good Report

When concerned with the characteristics of a good report, there can be difference of opinion among
great scholars because ‘good-bad’ concept is not same for everyone. still, the task of survey and report
preparation being a technical job, there can be certain baseline characteristics which define a good
report. these characteristics are as follows-
1. attractive—the outer appearance of a good report is pure and attractive. the report can
be printed on good quality of white paper with clear and good fonts. Moreover, to make
it even more attractive, good headings, diagrams, photos, pictures, etc. can also be used as
needed.
2. balanced—the language of report is extremely balanced. technical vocabulary use has to
be certainly made when needed. But in this matter, as Dr. shyamcharan Dubey advises, the
ultimate aim of writer is to clarify the subject and towards achieving that he does not favour
any of the sides of the technical vocabulary-related principle differences. He also minds that
he does not use too much of technical vocabulary to make it difficult and unbearable that
one has to take expert’s help to understand. on the other hand, the report should not feature
very aggressive use of decorative and literature terms so that the originality of facts is lost
and it should not be so much magnified in tone that the truth cannot be reliably expressed.
therefore, the tendency to make the report unbelievable and unoriginal by emphasising too
much on language and style is avoided and it is prepared in a balanced language.
3. Do not repeat—in a good report, similar facts are not repeated because by doing this the
reader tends to become bored of it. facts are always arranged in a reasonable manner i.e.
independently understood terms are introduced first and those terms that require some other
terms for their meaning are mentioned later in the report.
4. Scientific—In a good report, the analysis and description of facts is in a very clear scientific
format so that by reading the report, people will believe that whatever has been written in
the report is not fictitious but factual and experimentally-proved. The sources of information
are mentioned as foot-notes in every chapter of the report.
5. reliable—in a good report, whatever results are produced are reliable, proven and ideal for
scientific development. This means that in a report every result is presented in a factual way
with evidences i.e. those reasons are also mentioned on which the result is based.
6. practicality—in a good report, the element of practicality is also very clear i.e. a high-quality
report is of the type wherein maximum people can benefit from reading it. From this type
of report, we not only increase our knowledge but also we get practical benefit from it. A
good report contributes in the planning of future-policies related to social development and
social-reforms.

loVely professional uniVersity 249