How does an essay differ from a report?

Essays and reports differ in terms of layout and focus

Layout

Essays

Essays traditionally, don’t have headings. Instead, writers develop and sustain an extended argument throughout the text, moving from logically connected paragraphs to create a text that makes sense to the reader.

Nowadays it's fairly common to use headings and sub-headings in essays if it makes sense to do so. However, your lecturer may have a layout preference for essays without headings, so if you're not sure check with your lecturer or module handbook.

Reports

These are divided into sections with headings and sub-headings so that the reader can find specific information easily. Business reports often present information visually using graphs, tables and diagrams.

Your module handbook will often give you a structure to follow.

Focus

An essay tends to focus on concepts, issues and/or theory. The focus of a report is more concrete: the report looks at an issue in a real-world context. Essays, especially business essays, often use real-world examples to illustrate a concept or theory but a conceptual, or abstract, idea is the focus.

Business reports often focus on a case study organisation and draw on relevant literature to understand the company.

Similarities

Essays and reports are similar in many ways. They both:

• Require critical reading of relevant literature
• Integrate ideas from the literature into the text
• Demonstrate critical analysis
• Have a clear structure, written in paragraphs
• Are written in an academic style
• Cite and reference sources using Harvard.