How to Write a Report for a College Class

Writing a college report need not be stressful or frustrating, especially if you have a plan. The goal is to produce a well-written report with the content, style and mechanics specified by your instructor. Sometimes it's hard to begin a report. Techniques such as visual or content mapping can help you sort through the details to see the big picture. Carefully preparing your work while keeping the guidelines of your instructor in mind helps to ensure a successful outcome.

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Index cards
Style guide
Daily planner or calendar

Instructions

- 1
  
  Create a schedule to meet your deadline. Use your planner to tweak your memory about when sections of your paper must be completed. Allow extra days for revisions. Divide your work into manageable sections: identifying resources, collecting information for research, organizing your work into a logical progression, writing, citations, references and proofreading.
- 2
  
  Do research using library, online and teacher-supplied resources. Document information on index cards using the writing style guide approved by your instructor. Follow the formatting pattern for citations and references in the writing style guide.
- 3
  
  Organize your report into distinct sections based on content. Write your introduction, the body of the paper and your concluding remarks. Follow your writing style guide for table of contents, pagination, font style and size, margins and headings. Use appendices only as indicated by your instructor.
- 4
  
  Paraphrase, cite and reference all information that is not common knowledge. Do not copy and paste any resources. Failure to cite your references and to use your own words may constitute a violation of academic integrity or plagiarism.
- 5
  
  Proofread your work for clarity, consistency, spelling, grammar and mechanics. Some word processing programs have spelling and grammar utilities to check your work. Use these features and review your report yourself before submitting it.

Tips & Warnings

Some students use concept mapping to visually conceptualize their papers. This technique can help you to get started, if you have difficulty knowing how to begin.
Be sure to properly credit any outside sources according to the guidelines of the style guide.

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American Psychological Association website: The Basics of APA Style tutorial

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How to Write a Report for a College Class

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