Plan a report before you write it
Builds an outline with headings, key points and the evidence each one needs.
I need to write a [length] report for [who will read it] about [the topic]. What I want readers to do after reading it: [the decision or action]. The facts and figures I already have: [what you have]. Give me an outline with: a one-paragraph summary to write last; four to six section headings in a logical order; the two or three points each section should make; and the evidence each point needs, marked “I have this” or “I need to find this”. Keep the language plain and the outline short. Don’t invent figures or sources.
Tips and an example: Plan a report before you write it
Tips for a better answer
- Write the summary last, but put it first: busy readers may read nothing else.
- Check every figure in the finished report against its source, even ones the AI only repeated.
An example, filled in
I need to write a four-page report for our charity’s trustees about whether to open our helpline in the evenings. What I want readers to do after reading it: approve a six-month trial of evening opening. The facts and figures I already have: calls after 6pm have doubled this year; two volunteers can do evenings; the phone system can handle it at no extra cost. Give me an outline with: a one-paragraph summary to write last; four to six section headings in a logical order; the two or three points each section should make; and the evidence each point needs, marked “I have this” or “I need to find this”. Keep the language plain and the outline short. Don’t invent figures or sources.