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Report planning and Report planning and ResearchResearch

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Business reports are systematic attempts to answer questions and solve problems. They include the following activities.

PlanningPlanning ResearchResearch OrganizationOrganization PresentationPresentation

What Are Business Reports?

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Ten Truths About Business Reports

1. Everyone writes reports.

2. Most reports flow upward.

3. Most reports are informal.

4. Three report formats (memo, letter, and manuscript) are most common.

5. Reports differ from memos and letters.

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6. Today’s reports are written on computers.

7. Some reports are collaborative efforts.8. Ethical report writers interpret facts

fairly.9. Organization is imposed on data.10.The writer is the reader’s servant.

Ten Truths About Business Reports

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Report Functions

• Informational reports

• Analytical reports

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Report Formats

• Letter format (outside the organization)• Memo format (with in the organization)• Manuscript format (longer formal reports)• Printed forms (repititive data ,monthly

etc)

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Writing Style

• Formal

• Informal

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Writing Informational Reports

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Introduction– Identify the report and its purpose.– Present a brief overview of the

report’s organization, especially for longer reports.

– When readers are unfamiliar with the topic, briefly fill in the background details.

Writing Informational Reports

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Body– Group facts or findings into three to five

roughly equal segments that do not overlap.

– Organize by time, component, importance, criteria, convention, or some other method.

Writing Informational Reports

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Body– Supply functional or talking heads (at

least one per page) to describe each section.

– Use an informal, conversational writing style unless a formal tone is expected.

– Use bullets, numbered and lettered lists, headings, underlined items, and white space to enhance readability.

Writing Informational Reports

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Summary/Conclusion– When necessary, briefly review the

main points and discuss what action will follow.

– If relevant, express appreciation or describe your willingness to provide further information.

Writing Informational Reports

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Typical informational business reports– Periodic reports

• Describe production, sales, shipping, service, and other recurring activities.

– Trip, convention, conference reports• Describe an event, summarize three to five

main points, itemize expenses, and estimate the event’s value.

Writing Informational Reports

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Typical informational business reports– Progress and interim reports

• Explain continuing projects, including work completed, work in progress, future activities, and completion date.

– Investigative reports• Examine problems and supply facts; provide little

analysis.

Writing Informational Reports

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Student Progress Report

DATE: ~~~~~~TO: ~~~~~~FROM: ~~~~~~SUBJECT: ~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Background~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Work Completed~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DATE: ~~~~~~TO: ~~~~~~FROM: ~~~~~~SUBJECT: ~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Background~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Work Completed~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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~~~~~~~~~~ Page 2 ~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Work To Be Completed~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~ Page 2 ~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Work To Be Completed~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Student Progress Report

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Writing Analytical Reports

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Introduction– Explain why the report is being written. For

research studies, include the significance, scope, limitations, and methodology of the investigation.

– Preview the report’s organization.

– For receptive audiences, summarize the conclusions and recommendations.

Writing Analytical Reports

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Findings– Discuss the pros and cons of each

alternative. For receptive audiences, consider placing the recommended alternative last.

– Establish criteria to evaluate alternatives. In “yardstick” studies create criteria to use in measuring each alternative consistently.

Writing Analytical Reports

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Findings

– Support the findings with evidence: facts, statistics, expert opinion, survey data, and other proof.

– Use headings, enumerations, lists, tables, and graphics to focus attention.

Writing Analytical Reports

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Conclusions/Recommendations– Develop reasonable conclusions that

answer the research question. Justify the conclusions with highlights from the findings.

– Make recommendations, if asked. Use action verbs. Explain needed action.

Writing Analytical Reports

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Typical analytical business reports– Justification/recommendation reports

• Make recommendations to management; provide data to solve problems and make decisions.

– Feasibility reports• Analyze problems and predict whether alternatives

will be practical or advisable.

– Yardstick reports• Establish criteria and evaluate alternatives by

measuring against the yardstick criteria.

Writing Analytical Reports

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Audience Analysis and Audience Analysis and Report OrganizationReport Organization

Direct PatternDirect Pattern

Report

-----Main Idea ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Report

-----Main Idea ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If readersare informed

If readersare informed

If readersare supportive

If readersare supportive

If readersare eager to

have results first

If readersare eager to

have results first

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Audience Analysis and Audience Analysis and Report OrganizationReport Organization

Indirect PatternIndirect Pattern

If readersneed to beeducated

If readersneed to beeducated

If readersneed to bepersuaded

If readersneed to bepersuaded

If readersmay be hostileor disappointed

If readersmay be hostileor disappointed

Report

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Main Idea ----

Report

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Main Idea ----

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Applying the Writing Processto Reports

Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5

Step 6 Step 7

Analyze the problem and purpose.

Anticipate the audience and issues.

Prepare a work plan.

Implement your research strategy.

Organize, analyze, interpret, illustrate the data.

Compose the first draft.Revise, proofread, and evaluate.

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Work Plan for a Formal Report

• Statement of problem

• Statement of purpose

• Sources and methods of data collection

• Tentative outline

• Work schedule

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Researching Report Data

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• Locating secondary print data• Books – card catalog, online catalog• Periodicals – print indexes, CD-ROM indexes

Researching Report Data

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• Locating secondary electronic data• Electronic databases

• The Internet

• World Wide Web search tools Google MSN search

Ask Jeeves Yahoo!

• Evaluating Web sources How current is the information?

How credible is the author or source?

What is the purpose of the site?

Do the facts seem reliable?

Researching Report Data

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• Tips for searching the Web• Use two or three search tools.• Understand case sensitivity.• Prefer uncommon words.• Omit articles and prepositions.• Use wild cards.• Know your search tool.• Learn basic Boolean search strategies.• Bookmark the best pages.• Be persistent.• Repeat your search a week later.

Researching Report Data

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• Researching primary data• Surveys• Interviews• Observation• Experimentation

Researching Report Data

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Documenting Data

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• Reasons for crediting sources• Strengthens your argument

• Gives you protection

• Instructs readers

Documenting Data

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• Learning what to document• Another person's ideas, opinions, examples, or

theory• Any facts, statistics, graphs, and drawings that are

not common knowledge• Quotations of another person's actual spoken or

written words

• Paraphrases of another person's spoken or written words

Documenting Data

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Don’t Document These

• Your own ideas.• Common knowledge (i.e., what an average

college graduate who hasn’t done this research would know).

• Information you’ve found in multiple sources (e.g., Shakespeare died in 1616), unless it’s controversial (e.g., Shakespeare’s plays were written by Queen Elizabeth).

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• Manual note taking suggestions• Record all major ideas from various sources on

separate note cards.• Include all publication data along with precise

quotations.• Consider using one card color for direct quotes

and a different color for your paraphrases and summaries.

Documenting Data

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• Electronic notetaking suggestions• Begin your research by setting up a folder on your

hard-drive that will contain your data.• Create separate subfolders for major topics, such

as Introduction, Body, and Closing.• When on the Web or in electronic databases you

find information you may be able to use, highlight (i.e., drag with your mouse) the passages you want to save, copy them (using control-c), paste them (using control-v) into documents that you will save in appropriate subfolders.

Documenting Data

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• Be sure to include all publication data.• Consider archiving on a Zip disk the Web pages or

articles used in your research in case the data must later be verified.

Documenting Data

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• Learn to paraphrase• Read the original material carefully so that you can

comprehend its full meaning.• Write your own version without looking at the

original.• Do not repeat the grammatical structure of the

original, and do not merely replace words of the original with synonyms.

• Reread the original to be sure you covered the main points but did not borrow specific language.

Documenting Data

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Three Major Systems

• English, foreign language, and humanities scholars use the Modern Language Association (MLA) citation system.

• Journalists and scholars in history, art, and philosophy follow The Chicago Style Manual.

• Researchers in psychology and other social sciences use the American Psychological Association (APA) style.

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Chicago manual

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• Use superscript (raised number in the text)

• Use foot notes / end notes• Reference contains

author’s name, title of publication, date and page cited

• Number citations through out

• For footnotes leave 1 & half inch line

• Supply the list of references (Bibliography) at the end of report.

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Sample note:

4. Donald N. McCloskey, Enterprise and Trade in Victorian Britain: Essays in Historical Economics (London: George Allen and Unwin, 1981), 54.

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• Make it at the last page• Centre the heading in

capital 2 inch from the top page

• Include all references cited in the report

• Arrange items alphabetically by authors last name or by the first entry of reference

• Single space within and double space between references

• Indent the second and succeeding lines of references.

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Sample bibliographic entry:

  McCloskey, Donald N. Enterprise and Trade in Victorian England: Essays in Historical Economics. London: George Allen and Unwin, 1981.

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Note form Bibliographic form

•numbered alphabetized [When alphabetizing, use the author's last name for your entry; if it is not given, simply go on to the next item in order (the title of the book or article, for example) and use that to alphabetize the entry.]

author = first name and then last name author = last name, comma, then first name

location of publication, publisher, and year in parentheses

no parentheses for location, publisher, and year

uses commas to separate items uses periods to separate items

•lists specific pages from which you took information

lists entire books, complete chapters, or journal articles to which you referred

first line indented 5 spaces; subsequent lines are not

first line not indented; subsequent lines are indented 5 spaces

Sample note:4. Donald N. McCloskey, Enterprise and Trade in Victorian Britain: Essays in Historical Economics (London: George Allen and Unwin, 1981), 54. 

Sample bibliographic entry: McCloskey, Donald N. Enterprise and Tradein Victorian England: Essays inHistorical Economics. London: GeorgeAllen and Unwin, 1981. 

Chicago manual of style format

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APA

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• Start the reference list on a new page

• Type the word ‘References’ center top of page

• Double space ALL LINES between and within entries

• Use a hanging indent format

• Arrange alphabetically• If same first author –

arrange by year of publication

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Citation Essentials

• You must give enough information in the parenthetical cite for the reader to locate the entry in the reference list without difficulty.

• Include the last name of author(s), date of publication and page number at an appropriate point in text.

Eg. (Collins, 2000, p. 232)

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Citation Essentials

• If you cannot find an author, cite the first few words of the reference list entry (usually the title and year).

Eg. The homepage of UW-Green Bay’s Professional Program in Nursing (2003) has a PowerPoint presentation about APA format (American Psychological Association Writing, 2003).

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The List of References

• The reference list at the end of the paper provides sufficient information for readers to identify and retrieve each source.

• The reference list includes only sources cited in the text.

• All references cited in the text must appear in the reference list.

Most citations should contain the following basic information:

• Author’s name• Year of publication• Title of work• Publication

information

Works Cited

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Preparing the Reference List

• Arrange entries in alphabetical order by surname of the first author.

• APA guidelines specify additional rules for special cases. (e.g., multiple works by same author).

• Entries are single spaced, double spaced between entries, with the second and subsequent lines indented five spaces.

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Examples of Source Entries(APA)

• A book with one author:Rodriguez, R. (1982). A hunger of memory: The education of Richard Rodriquez. Boston: Godine.

• An article in a magazine:Auletta, K. (2001, January 15). Final offer. The New Yorker, 40-46.

• Part of an online document:Elston, C. (n.d.). Multiple intelligences. Retrieved June 6, 2001, from http://education.com/teachspace/

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Online Document

Elston. C. (n.d.). Multiple intelligences. Retrieved June 6, 2001, from http://education.com/teachspace/

• Provide author, date, title data as for print sources.

• Add information regarding how and when you retrieved the source.

• If source has no publication date, use “n.d.”

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MLA style

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Citation Essentials

• You must give enough information in the parenthetical cite for the reader to locate the entry in the reference list without difficulty.

• Include the last name of author(s) & page number at an appropriate point in text.

• Omit commas More than one author with the same last name

(W. Wordsworth 23); (D. Wordsworth 224)

More than one work by the same author (Joyce, Portrait 121); (Joyce, Ulysses 556)

Different volumes of a multivolume work (1: 336)

Citing indirect sources (Johnson qtd. in Boswell 2:450)

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Citation Essentials

• If the source has no known author, then use an abbreviated version of the title:

Full Title: “California Cigarette Tax Deters Smokers”

Citation: (“California” A14)

• If the source is only one page in length or is a web page with no apparent pagination:

Source: Dave Poland’s “Hot Button” web column

Citation: (Poland)

Most citations should contain the following basic information:

• Author’s name• Title of work• Publication

information

Works Cited

• BookByatt, A. S. Babel Tower. New York: Random House,

1996.

• Article in a MagazineKlein, Joe. “Dizzy Days.” The New Yorker 5 Oct. 1998:

40-45.

• Web pagePoland, Dave. “The Hot Button.” Roughcut. 26 Oct.

1998. Turner Network Television. 28 Oct. 1998 <www.roughcut.com>.

Works Cited: Some Examples

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Dawoud, Khaled. "Control without Bounds?" Al-AhramWeekly Online 4-10 July 2002. 4 Feb. 2003 <http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2002/593/eg6.htm>.

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