Module 2b —
Report Writing
| Course Guide | Module 1 | Module 2a | Module 2b |
Editing and proofreading
You are almost at the end of this journey. It's time to take a final critical look at the report you have produced, a good draft of which should be complete at this stage and its various parts reviewed and improved (introduction, conclusion, recommendations, executive summary). The time taken to work on the preceding section has given you the opportunity to distance yourself from your draft. You should now be able to make the shift from a writer view to a reader view in order to edit and proofread well.
Macro-edit
Approach your first draft with the objective of improving its quality. Convince yourself that you are your own most critical reader. You should do the following:
- Search for omissions and errors of fact.
- Eliminate unnecessary and repeated material.
- Be critical of your major findings and conclusions.
- Identify points that need more support or less support. If you lack information, make notes on the draft about the lack and where to find what is required.
- Be ruthless about cutting: your readers will thank you for it.
Remember: it has been said that a writer's best tool is the wastepaper basket.
The following checklist should help you review your overall structure and organization of your report.