Reports should be Robust & Readable

I can't stress enough the extent to which technical reports and the data on which they are based need to be robust and readable. Bear in mind the fact that the data may form the basis against which to compare future or past data, and that ongoing operations may depend upon the results. The following report components should be checked to provide the developer and their audience with the very best information thereby providing the best chance of securing the requisite consents.

Data

This section of the peer review process may involve running the data through the statistical and GIS packages to identify any possible spreadsheet errors. An elementary process of data "sense checking" is likely to identify potential problems.

Graphics

A picture is worth a thousand words. Both Napoleon and Confucius thought so - in their own ways. Photographs, maps, histograms, graphs, flow charts, dendrograms, pie diagrams & video footage all contribute to a report that is more readable and has a clearer take-home message. These all need to be an accurate visualisation of the data.

Appendices

Appendices .... what can I say? They need to be there and they need to be correct. The ideal presentation of long appendix tables is by means of electronic linking such that the reader is able to click to the relevant table without difficulty.

Interpretation

Accurate interpretation of the data is essential, coupled with the fact that the report has been commissioned in order to answer key questions relating to the environment. The extent to which the aims & objectives of the project have been met will need to be examined. A clear proposal will need to be made to address additional questions arising from the current report in subsequent studies.

Electronic links

All of the electronic links need to be checked. This includes, but is not limited to links from the contents page to the rest of the document, links to the appendices, the graphics, the bibliography and any URLs that have been cited in the report.

Executive Summary

This is often the take-home message and should therefore be a true reflection of the interpreted report.

Bibliography

The extent of the bibliography will depend on the nature of the report. All statements of fact must be corroborated by earlier reports and/or by published material from third parties. All citations within the bibliography need to be verified.

Readability

Readability comes hard on the heels of data accuracy. Failure to communicate the data and interpretation in a succinct & coherent manner is likely to let the project down despite the accuracy of the data.

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