Report Writing REPORT WRITING FEEDBACK i Media BTEC

Report Writing REPORT WRITING FEEDBACK i. Media / BTEC James Culley

Report Writing FRAMEWORK • • • Title Page Contents Page Introduction / Scenario Main Discussion Summary / Conclusion Reference list

Report Writing TITLE PAGE • Keep in mind the vocational context of the report. Are there any requirements within the report that need to be reflected in the title? • Include your full name and unit number in a smaller font under the main title.

Report Writing CONTENTS • A snapshot listing the different sections of the report. Essentially a list of subtitles referencing the page number of where the content is located within the report. • The contents also helps you keep track of what you have covered. Good practice is to take your criteria and turn it into your contents, then add detail to those areas within the report one by one. • A contents also helps the marker (me!) to easily and quickly identify where you have covered the criteria…

Report Writing INTRODUCTION / SCENARIO - VOCATIONAL CONTEXT • A scenario is a fictional situation which ‘sets the scene’ for your work. It provides detail of the work place and your employment role. • A scenario can bring a sense of purpose to your report and offer a valuable ‘work’ experience opportunity. • The report must therefore be written within this context, almost like role play.

Report Writing MAIN DISCUSSION This is your opportunity to start addressing each of the criteria points (items you have been asked to evaluate in the scenario). Point & Example “PS 4 is better than XBOX One (point) as it has a more advanced hardware specification and exclusive support of major game design houses such as Naughty Dog (example)” Evaluate / Argue “It could be argued that the PS 4 has a different target audience than that of XBOX One therefore influencing what titles are released on what platform”

Report Writing SUMMARY / CONCLUSION The scenario will largely explain what form your summary or conclusion will take on. You may have been asked to evaluate a product and present advantages and disadvantages relating to its purpose and features. In this case the conclusion may be an opinion formed by yourself based on factual research and presented as a conclusion to your manager. You may have been asked to identify a number of uses of digital graphics, therefore your summary will include a brief analysis of each with some commentary on how they are used but without placing any focus on a particular one.

Report Writing REFERENCE Throughout your report you will be quoting facts and identifying research. It is important to highlight when you have used source material from the internet. Place these quotes within speech marks “” adding a website link in your reference list. Good practice is to ensure you list is presented in alphabetical order, and you should start to follow formal referencing techniques (Harvard referencing for example).

Report Writing OTHER CONSIDERATIONS Plagiarism All work is check using a number of plagiarism check applications. It is clearly and obviously not acceptable to submit 10 pages of copy and pasted text from the internet. You should identify the research, read it, understand it and then reword it within the vocational context. How can copied text from an internet website relate to the scenario? ? Word count In general word count is an important aspect of report writing. Keeping to a word count ensures your work is focused and does not drift off point.