Reports on historic buildings: English Heritage guidelines
A good final report is one that
- is clear and easy to read, especially by those who most need the information
- is illustrated so that the critical reader is able to understand the basis for the arguments
- contains enough information to question or reinterpret findings
- is open about those areas of research which have not been resolved or where there are problems in interpretation
- facilitates further research by identifying any gaps, asking questions, and clearly referencing sources.
The format of a report will vary, but most will be bound as A4 or A3 documents, illustrated with copies of maps, plans, and photographs, to a quality that makes them easy to read and use. Overlarge (or over-reduced) drawings and poor photographs can hinder understanding. All reports must be well written and clearly organised in a prose style accessible to a wide audience. The analyst will have failed if the report cannot be understood by the general reader. Although reports may be stored or disseminated electronically, paper copies are invaluable on site.
Summaries, introductions, and assessments will draw attention to key facts or interpretations that might otherwise be lost in a welter of information. Graphic devices - bullet points, italic or bold type faces - should be used to highlight key points and conclusions. All pages should be numbered. All sources quoted in reports should be fully referenced using a standard footnote or reference system. Authorship should be clearly stated and the report must carry a date of publication. The brief for the work should be included, as this will make the limitations of the project clear to readers.
A report should always be capable of standing alone; although it may refer to other documents there should be enough information for the reader to understand the context in which the report was prepared.
The content of a report
Most reports undertaken at any stage of the Cobra process will cover the following broad issues, although the structure, length and detail of the report may vary
- List of contents: full contents list and list of illustrations, making it easy to pinpoint specific parts of the report
- Short summary of findings
- Introduction: including a discussion of the nature of the site, a note of any previous work on the site, its designation, the reason for the project, the names of authors, acknowledgements to contributors and anyone else who has assisted, dates when the work took place, and any limitations placed on the work
- History: results of the historical research and the documentary evidence for construction, use and alteration. The wider historical, artistic, architectural, landscape, industrial, technical or other context should be explained. A summary chronology may be useful.
- Description: description of the landscape or building today
- Development: the results of the analysis of the change through time. The phasing should draw on the results of the historical research to create an integrated narrative, illustrated by drawings. Other information - from specialists for example - can be referred to or included here or an an appendix
- Statement of significance: a summary of the importance of the site or findings, both generally and in detail
- Impact assessment: an assessment of the impact of any proposals and any suggestions for mitigating adverse impacts
- Recommendations: suggestions for further research and analysis, further questions to be followed up, new areas of enquiry, issues arising from a particular scheme or sources with high potential
- Bibliography, archive and sources: include a bibliography of maps and illustrations, as well as references to all previous work on the site, and all secondary and primary sources used. A note on the location and nature of the site archive should also be included
- Glossary: unfamiliar technical terms should be explained
- Appendices: other relevant reports, such as specialist reports, fully referenced, and ideally, reproduced in full; detail text (eg room data sheets, typologies); extracts from key relevant historical sources; a copy of the brief for the work.
From Kate Clark, Informed Conservation: Understanding historic buildings and their landscapes for conservation (English Heritage 2001), pp. 98-99.