Guidelines for Report Writing

Toby Rupert was a librarian living in Toronto.

Blicq presents a good book for a report-writing course, or even for self-starters who want to learn on their own, since most of what one needs to know for on-the-job training is given in this book. Part one covers the “writer’s pyramid” of summary followed by background, facts, and events leading to the outcome results. Blicq goes on to explain about various audiences, focus, and techniques that writers of reports will need. Part two, the bulk of the book, deals with types of reports: short (field trips, inspections, progress), semi-formal (investigative, test, laboratory, evaluation), and formal (proposal, feasibility, major studies). A third part deals with letters of transmittal, bibliographic references and footnotes, illustrations (tables, charts, graphs), spelling, abbreviations, and numbers. The last part of the book is certainly valuable: advice on how to work with other people on the “production” team — that is, the typist or word processor, the illustrator, the printer.

Throughout, the book is illustrated with examples of reports and forms, generally covering every major point that Blicq brings up.