Page 35 - Mini-Module 11

The Main Body

1. Facts and Findings
This is the opportunity to show to the reader precisely what you found
out. Present the unadorned facts. These can be quite revealing. When
some people write reports, they discover things which quite clearly
contradict established thinking, and they take great pleasure in
presenting the facts as they stand.
Present your findings, but do not overdo it. You may have acquired a
vast amount of data but you will swamp the reader if you present it all,
so you may have to do some drastic pruning. Only include relevant
facts. We outlined the problem earlier of getting too close to your
work, so much so that you find it heartbreaking to discard anything.
Unfortunately for you (but fortunately for the reader) you have to be
ruthless and only use what is important. Failing to do that will cloud the
issue.
Whenever possible, use visual aids such as charts, graphs and tables. If
they are simple like pie charts, they are easier to take in than wordy
explanations. If there are many figures, summarise them before putting
them in graphic form. The more comprehensive data can be put in an
appendix. Sometimes you may not be sure whether to include a visual
aid in the main text. Two things you can do:

● Ask yourself whether it is critically relevant.
● Ask someone to look at it for ten seconds and then explain what it
means. If it is simple enough they will be able to do this.
When we state our findings as part of a consultancy, we like to say
something positive first, even if we have seen a very negative picture.
The client likes to feel that you have not merely found the faults but
also observed some good points. This does not mean you avoid the
truth. It simply shows you are able to see both weak and strong
aspects.

2. Discussion
This is the part where you analyse the facts and interpret them. In your
analysis, you wish to draw attention to particularly interesting results,
perhaps unexpected ones. You will highlight discrepancies, the gaps
between what you were expecting to find and what you actually found.
You will identify patterns or trends. You will discuss the results which
are very important and perhaps disregard those which are of no
importance. At the same time, you will discuss possible reasons for
results turning out as they did and give explanations where necessary.
Whilst the summary may be the most important part of the report from
a presentation point of view, you will probably spend a great deal of
time on the discussion. This is really the substance, the meat of your
report. Generally, most people can write a passable report which gives

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