Revision Checklist

Make preplanning decisions: Identify what kind of report you will be writing (internal/external; solicited/unsolicited), and identify the audience type, skill level, needs, and interests.

Use the right format: Often, reports follow a block format but check with your instructor or proposal submission guidelines to insure you are using the format requested. If there are samples provided, use them for visual comparison.

Check submission guidelines: How should the report be submitted? What types of follow-up documents or actions are connected to your proposal if accepted? Who will these document address, and when are they required?

Draft your report: Make decisions about the type of content/sections to include in your report to meet the requirements of the submission, the requirements for the type of report, and the most effective way to present your idea to the reader

Check each section’s purpose: Report sections can seem redundant; however, each section’s content varies due to its purpose (For example, the Results should give data, but the Discussion has data and interpretation. The Submittal letter provides context while the Abstract has a concise summary of the report’s content). Check each section to see that it fully fulfills its purpose.

Style and Design: Ensure that the sections of your report are in a logical, natural order, you include all front and back matter relevant to the report’s message, and that you use sub-headers and bullets (and any other formatting styles) correctly.

Revise, revise, revise: A less than professional, grammatically incorrect report can be rejected. Ensure you have included all content necessary, and revise and edit to ensure clarity and correct style of the audience.