In our language the concept of report is used to designate either a a report or news. For example, it is a term commonly used in various areas such as business, science, research and in the mass media.
Then, the report is the document that will be used when you want to inform or give news about a certain issue. It can be used internally within a company, for example, between heads of area destined for the general manager to give him a complete idea of the operation of each sector, it can also be used in an educational establishment, by teachers, to give an account of how carried out a certain issue, not to mention its use on radio, television or the graphic press to report on a fact or event that generates public interest because it affects the interests of a large part of the public. That is, with this we want to reaffirm that in many areas the report is usually used to inform about the different matters of interest.
Regarding its characteristics, the report may appear printed, in digital format, or in its absence audiovisual, depending on the medium or area in which it circulates, although, basically and as we mentioned above, its objective will be to inform , It may also have various objectives that are not only to inform about something, since the report may include some persuasive elements, such as recommendations or suggestions and also some conclusions through which the reader is indicated any action or behavior to adopt in the future.
On the other hand, the report can consist of a conclusion about an investigation carried out and then assume the structure of problems-solutions.
When it is decided that the report should be printed, it is usual for it to be accompanied by images, graphs, tables and footnotes, all of which tend to further clarify what is said in words in the report in question.
Due to the information contained in the report, it is a job that will enjoy the appreciation and expectation of the public or people to whom it is directed, in the case that, for example, the report is an order carried out by a third party, such as a boss.
In addition, the report requires exhaustive preparation, that is, its author must gather all the information concerning the subject that occupies it and must provide information and explanations that allow the recipient to understand and learn about it. Always, its person in charge, its signer, must verify the data or information that is exposed in it, and in the appropriate cases must recommend the most pertinent solutions to solve the issue in question.
Regarding the composition, the reports will generally take the format of scientific investigations, that is, introduction, goals, equalities and debate, but they may also follow the problem-solution formula and be based on addressing the concerns or questions of the audience. to which they were previously directed.
Obviously and according to the complication of the subject, the audience to which it is intended and the purposes it has, a report can range from the simplest and simplest, with titles that designate the subject to be addressed or add in addition to that, diagrams, graphs, tables, appendices, footnotes, hyperlinks.
Meanwhile, among the data that must be included are: the title, the date of completion and the name of its author or authors.
Report elements and classification
The report is normally composed of six parts that we will describe below ... Cover (gives essential information about the author and indicates the title), index (lists all the content in an abbreviated way), introduction (the parts of the report and the total of the pages available), body (complete development of the subject discussed), conclusions (brings together the most outstanding results of the same and that facilitate the resolution of the questions) and bibliography (list in alphabetical order and chronologically the literature that was used to prepare it) .
Meanwhile, the reports can be classified into: scientific (they address issues inherent to science and for instance use rigid language), technical (they address issues related to sociology, psychology, anthropology, among others, and have a simple but simple language). without losing scientific rigor), dissemination (they are intended for the general public and therefore have a language accessible to all), expository (describe a topic, provide instructions on something), analytical (argue in favor of decisions or actions) and persuasive (they have the mission of convincing a recipient to align with the idea that is exposed in the report).
