How To Write A Fieldwork Essay Report
The fieldwork is not a research work. The fieldwork report is about the activities done in the field and the skills acquired during the exercise reflecting the academic competency at that level.
There are no set rules for writing a report. Procedures that work well for one person may not work so well for another. However, certain suggestions are given to consider:
- Prepare An Outline
Depending upon the data you have collected, you can draw an outline of reporting prior to actually starting the write up. This will help you in arranging your ideas in a better way. This will also enable you to see broadly which information you want to communicate and how the various points are related to one another. Thus, for effective report writing, it is essential to plan its contents well.
- Plan Your Time
The date of report submission is decided by the campus. Therefore, you may not have enough time to work at ease. As you have to meet the time schedule, it is always better for you to plan your time accordingly. Delays in submission of the fieldwork report may cause problems for you as well as the campus. Time planning may save you from these inconveniences and last minute rush. It is also better to keep margin of time. If some unforeseen problem causes a delay, you can still submit the report on schedule. By getting started early, you can possibly avoid the submission of a substandard report.
- Arrange Data
You may have collected the data from different sources. The raw data need to be processed and tabulated first. After some editing work is done, the data would be somewhat revealing. You then have to arrange the data in some sequential order for meaningful presentation. The better you organize, and arrange the data, the better the data will be revealing.
- Start Writing
When writing, the beginning is often difficult. You may begin with the introduction and proceed through to the conclusion. But it is always better to start writing the sections which appear to be especially easy. This would increase your enthusiasm for the task and enhance your level of confidence.
- Prepare the First Draft
Never expect to produce the excellent report in the first attempt. This may not even be possible for experienced writers. Therefore, prepare the draft first. Then, rewrite where necessary.
- Put the Report aside for a Day or Two
After preparing the first draft, keep the report aside for a day or two can be very beneficial. Then you review the report afresh, almost as objectively as another person. If you find weaknesses, you can remove or correct them.
- Review and Rewrite
In any report, there is always some scope for improvement. You must review your work in terms of the format and style of reporting. Ensure that you have followed the format and style prescribed. You should also review your work to identify any errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, sentence structure etc. Trying to write to perfection in one step would be a mistake for the beginners. Revising may be necessary for better presentation of the report. There is nothing wrong in revising and writing the report. Revision is not merely proof-reading. Proof-reading involves correcting errors. Revision involves pruning out dead woods, finding more precise words, smoothing the flow of the writing, rearranging words, sentences, and even paragraphs. Revising report involves assuming the role of a reader. Not what you meant to say but what you actually said is important.