Report writing for Data Scientists
Data does not inspire people, stories do. Wrap your insights in reports that inspire emotion and lead to action.
“Telling a compelling story with data helps you get your point across effectively.” — Lisa Morgan, Information Week, May 2016
Have you ever spent countless hours analyzing data, drawing insights, and meticulously crafting a report, only to have business executives breeze through it in a few minutes, seemingly without absorbing a single piece of your hard work? It’s a scenario we are all too familiar with for many data scientists and today I want to discuss why this happens and explore how to structure reports, use visualizations effectively, and inject the right narrative to captivate your audience’s attention and drive action.
“Data storytelling marries data visualization with a guided narrative. It pairs data and graphs with words. It is not only describing what can be seen in the graph but also telling a story to lead the audience through the analysis process.” — LeAnna Kent, Data scientist at Elder Research
Effective communication is at the core of every successful data-driven endeavor. You can’t include every data insight uncovered during your analysis or modeling in your reports. While data exploration and analytics are important, the true value emerges when data scientists can convey their insights.
Why does this happen?
In my opinion, this can attributed to the relentless pace of modern business and technology. Teams and executives are constantly juggling numerous priorities and racing against tight deadlines. Coupled with the pressure of meeting real-time demands from customers and clients, they often find themselves with no time to spare. Faced with data-rich reports filled with numbers and charts, they are compelled to skim rather than dive deep. This raises a crucial question: How can we structure our reports to have real impact? This is precisely where the art of data storytelling comes into play.
Here are the steps I take to ensure my reports lead to action:
Clarity through structured presentation
Structuring your report is paramount. Begin with clear objectives: Who are you communicating to? What do you want your audience to know or do? What message are you conveying? How can you use data to help make your point?
I prefer to begin my reports by providing a summary of my findings. For example, this can be total revenue, total number of customers, average deposits, percentage growth, etc. Creating a concise summary helps provide an overview of your findings. This ensures that readers with limited time can grasp the core insights.
Concise writing and visualization
Effective communication is impactful. Keep paragraphs brief, typically consisting of 2–3 sentences, and ensure that sentences range from 30 to 35 words. Use bullet points to organize information and emphasize key points. Furthermore, use graphs, charts, and tables to encapsulate complex trends, making them easily digestible.
As shown in the image below, this report by McKinsey provides a compelling example of concise writing. This example underscores the importance of using bullet points to organize information and emphasize key points. It’s a powerful illustration of making reports and insights easily digestible.
Telling a story with your data
Present your findings in the context of the business problem. How do your insights relate to the bigger picture? Articulate the implications of your analysis, linking it to potential solutions or strategic decisions. This helps stakeholders comprehend not only what the data shows but also why a story connects the dots.
When we share our insights via storytelling with data, we hope to inspire others to see things they haven’t before. In turn, this makes it easier to motivate people to take actions that are based on data-driven insights.
Know your audience (KYA)
Understanding your audience makes picking interesting data stories for your reports easier. Your audience will fall into one of two broad groups: the technical and the business groups. The technical group consists of peers like data scientists, data analysts, and researchers who often seek the breakdown of your process, methodology, and codebase. The business group, mainly executive management, and decision-makers, will be more focused on the key numbers, tangible business outcomes, the bottom line, and key performance indicators (KPIs). While it’s often straightforward to communicate with the technical audience, mastering the art of addressing the business group is vital.
Business executives might require a concise, high-level overview, while a fellow data professional may welcome more technical intricacies. Flexibility in your approach ensures engagement and comprehension.
Iteration is a way of life
Report writing, much like any creative process, is a process that thrives on refinement. As data professionals, the essence of iteration aligns seamlessly with our analytical mindset. Just as we explore datasets from various angles to extract deeper insights, our reports also benefit from multiple rounds of review and enhancement. After the initial draft, pore over your work — polish the language to make it concise and engaging, fine-tune the visuals to ensure they tell a compelling story, and meticulously ensure the logical flow that guides the reader effortlessly.
Continuously revisiting and enhancing your reports is a sign of your commitment to delivering the most accurate, insightful, and impactful information possible. Just as data evolves, so too does your report.
Final Thoughts
Report writing is an art that bridges the gap between insights and taking action. By crafting reports that are clear, concise, and tailored to the audience, you enable stakeholders to make informed decisions that drive business impact. Remember, the ultimate value of data lies not only in the analysis but in your ability to communicate its significance.
I hope the methods I’ve outlined today will inspire you to improve how you communicate compelling insights through data.
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Connect with Jindu Kwentua?
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