Writing better reports

  • Who is it for?
    Any staff, academic or professional services who have some requirement for report writing whether for internal or external audiences – or both! Although there will be an emphasis on non-academic report writing, the course is relevant for academics wishing to improve their understanding of how to write for different audiences and purposes.

    Overview
    In this session we will examine what makes a report truly effective. You will learn how to critically self-assess your own work and develop skills needed for producing more impactful reports. We will look at examples of reports written for a variety of purposes and from different environments in order to draw out good practices and ideas for your own report writing. The session will be interactive, and you will be encouraged to share your thoughts and ideas with other participants in a relaxed and confidential environment.

    Dates
    Wednesday 21 July 2021, 09.30 – 12.30

    Duration
    3 hours

    Location
    Online

  • Aim: To review the common elements and structures of reports written in a variety of contexts and understand what makes a report truly effective so that delegates can develop the skills needed for more impactful and effective writing.

    Learning Objectives

    By the end of the session you will be able to:

    • Appreciate the fundamental and common elements that feature in most reports.
    • Identify, and learn from, good practice in report writing.
    • Understand how to critically assess your own work and that of others.
    • Deploy tools and techniques to produce more impactful and engaging reports.
    • Avoid pitfalls and remove blocks to your own productivity and effectiveness.

    There is no compulsory pre-work for this course. However, if you are able to do so, you are invited to find up to two examples of reports written in different environments / for different reasons and consider what you think the objectives of the writers were – what were they trying to achieve? Then draw out:

    • Two specific things you liked about the reports.
    • Two things you didn’t like.

    We will use these findings in the workshop.

    Joining Instructions

    Joining instructions: will be sent to you by email 10 days prior to the workshop. 

    Evaluation

    Evaluation: your comments are valuable and you will be asked to complete a form at the end of the workshop.

    Unable to attend

    Please let us know asap (email ocsld@brookes.ac.uk) if you are unable to attend as we can give your space to another participant.

    Susie Howes