Creating Research Reports

From Research to Report

You've gathered information, verified it, and synthesized insights. Now comes the final step: presenting your research in a format that drives understanding and action.

AI can dramatically accelerate report writing while you maintain quality and voice. The key is knowing what to delegate and what to control.

Report Structures by Purpose

Executive Summary Format

When to use: Leadership audience, time-constrained readers, decision support.

Structure:

1. Bottom line (1-2 sentences): What should the reader know or do?
2. Key findings (3-5 bullets): The essential evidence
3. Recommendation (1-2 sentences): Your suggested action
4. Next steps (if applicable): Immediate actions needed

AI prompt:

Summarize this research into an executive summary:
[Your synthesis]

Format:
- Bottom line (1-2 sentences with the main takeaway)
- 3-5 key findings (bullets, each with supporting data)
- Recommendation (clear action)

Audience: [executive role] who needs to [decision type]
Tone: Direct and confident

Detailed Research Report

When to use: Technical audience, comprehensive documentation, academic purposes.

Structure:

1. Executive summary (0.5-1 page)
2. Introduction/Background (context and objectives)
3. Methodology (how you researched)
4. Findings (organized by theme or question)
5. Analysis (what the findings mean)
6. Recommendations (action items)
7. Appendices (sources, raw data, detailed charts)

AI prompt:

Help me structure a detailed research report on [topic].

My findings:
[List your key findings]

My synthesis:
[Your conclusions]

Please create an outline with:
- Section headers and subheaders
- Key points to cover in each section
- Suggested data visualizations
- Logical flow for the argument

Presentation Deck Structure

When to use: Meetings, stakeholder updates, visual communication.

Structure:

1. Title slide (topic, date, your name)
2. Agenda (what you'll cover)
3. Context/Problem (why this matters)
4. Key findings (1 finding per slide)
5. Implications (so what?)
6. Recommendations (now what?)
7. Next steps/Discussion

AI prompt:

Convert this research into a presentation outline:
[Your synthesis]

I need [X] slides for a [Y]-minute presentation.
Audience: [who]
Goal: [what you want them to know/do]

For each slide, provide:
- Headline (key message)
- 2-3 supporting bullets
- Suggested visual/chart type

Writing with AI Assistance

The Human-AI Writing Partnership

You provide:

• The synthesis and key insights
• The voice and perspective
• Final judgment on accuracy
• Audience knowledge and politics

AI provides:

• Structure and organization
• Clear language and transitions
• Alternative phrasings
• Consistency checking

Drafting Process

Step 1: Structured outline

Create a detailed outline for a [report type] on [topic].
Include placeholders for:
- Data/statistics I should include
- Examples I should find
- Visual elements to consider

Step 2: Section-by-section drafting

Draft the [section name] section of my report.

Key points to include:
- [Point 1]
- [Point 2]
- [Point 3]

Tone: [professional/conversational/academic]
Length: [word count]

Step 3: Revision and polish

Review this section for:
- Clarity and conciseness
- Logical flow
- Strong transitions
- Active voice

[Your draft]

Avoiding AI "Tells"

AI-generated text often has patterns that make it obvious:

• Excessive hedging ("It's important to note that...")
• List-heavy formatting
• Vague corporate language
• Formulaic transitions

Fix with this prompt:

Revise this text to sound more natural and direct:
- Remove unnecessary hedging phrases
- Vary sentence structure
- Use specific examples instead of general statements
- Write as a confident expert, not a cautious assistant

[Your AI draft]

Essential Report Elements

Strong Opening

Your first paragraph determines whether people read further.

Weak: "This report examines various aspects of artificial intelligence in healthcare, which is an important topic in today's business environment."

Strong: "AI diagnostic tools now match or exceed physician accuracy in detecting 14 types of cancer. This report examines how [Organization] can adopt these tools while managing regulatory and implementation risks."

AI prompt:

Write an opening paragraph for a report on [topic].
Hook the reader with: [compelling finding or question]
Establish relevance for: [specific audience]
Preview: [main conclusion or recommendation]
Make it direct and specific, not generic.

Clear Findings Sections

Each finding should follow this pattern:

1. Claim: What you found
2. Evidence: Data or source supporting it
3. Implication: Why it matters

Example:

Finding: Remote workers report 15% higher job satisfaction than in-office peers (Claim). A 2024 Gallup survey of 10,000 workers across 20 industries showed satisfaction scores of 7.2/10 for remote workers versus 6.3/10 for in-office workers (Evidence). This suggests remote work options may be a key factor in retention strategies (Implication).

Actionable Recommendations

Avoid vague recommendations. Each should specify:

• What: Specific action
• Who: Responsible party
• When: Timeline or trigger
• Why: Expected benefit

Weak: "The company should consider implementing AI solutions."

Strong: "The IT team should pilot an AI customer service chatbot in Q2, targeting 30% reduction in Tier 1 support tickets. Estimated investment: $50K. Expected annual savings: $200K."

Visualizing Research Data

AI can help plan (but not create) effective visualizations:

I have this data to present: [describe your data]

What visualization would best show [relationship/trend/comparison]?
Explain why and suggest specific chart type, axes, and annotations.

Visualization Guidelines

Data Type	Best Chart	When to Use
Trends over time	Line chart	Showing change patterns
Part of whole	Pie/Donut	3-5 categories max
Comparisons	Bar chart	Ranking or comparing items
Relationships	Scatter plot	Showing correlations
Process	Flowchart	Explaining sequences

Quality Checklist

Before finalizing any report, verify:

• Executive summary can stand alone
• Key claims are sourced and verified
• Data includes dates and sources
• Recommendations are specific and actionable
• Tone matches audience expectations
• Length respects reader time
• Format aids scanning (headers, bullets, white space)
• Conclusion reinforces main message

Common Report Mistakes

1. Burying the Lead

Put your most important finding first, not at the end.

2. Data Without Context

"Sales increased 15%" means nothing without: compared to what? Over what period? Is that good or bad?

3. Passive Voice Overload

"It was found that..." is weaker than "We found that..." or "The data shows..."

4. Missing "So What?"

Every finding needs an implication. Why should the reader care?

5. Recommendation Without Evidence

Link recommendations directly to your findings. Show your reasoning.

Template: Quick Research Brief

For fast, informal reports:

**Subject**: [Topic] Research Summary
**Date**: [Date]
**For**: [Audience]

**Bottom Line**: [1-2 sentences: what they need to know/do]

**Key Findings**:
1. [Finding + evidence]
2. [Finding + evidence]
3. [Finding + evidence]

**Implications for [Organization/Project]**:
- [Specific implication]
- [Specific implication]

**Recommendation**: [Specific action]

**Sources**: [Brief list or "Full source list available upon request"]

Key Takeaways

1. Match structure to purpose: Executive summary, detailed report, or presentation
2. Use AI for drafting, but add your voice and judgment
3. Every finding needs claim, evidence, implication
4. Recommendations must be specific and actionable
5. Always verify AI-drafted content before publishing

In the final lesson, you'll learn how to adapt these techniques for different research contexts—academic versus business research.