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Chapter 13Chapter 13
Organizing and Writing Organizing and Writing Typical Business Typical Business
ReportsReports
David Gadish, Ph.D.
Ch. 13, Slide 2
Interpreting DataInterpreting DataYou’re looking for
• Meanings
• Relationships
• Answers!
Ch. 13, Slide 3
Devices for Tabulating Devices for Tabulating and Analyzing Dataand Analyzing Data
• Tables – systematic columns and rows
• The Three Ms Mean – arithmetic average value Median – middle point in a range of values Mode – most frequently appearing value
• Correlations – relationships between variables
• Grids – intersecting rows and columns
Ch. 13, Slide 4
A Statistical ProblemA Statistical Problem 14
12
12
12 What is the mean?
12
12 What is the median?
12
11 What is the mode?
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200
The athletic department is collecting data on shoe sizes for players and assistants (some female). Here are the tennis shoe sizes for 20 people.
Ch. 13, Slide 5
A Statistical ProblemA Statistical Problem 14
12
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12 Mean=10
12
12 What is the median?
12
11 What is the mode?
11
11
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----
200
The athletic department is collecting data on shoe sizes for players and assistants (some female). Here are the tennis shoe sizes for 20 people.
Ch. 13, Slide 6
A Statistical ProblemA Statistical Problem 14
12
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12 Mean=10
12
12 Median=11
12
11 What is the mode?
11
11
11
10
10
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----
200
The athletic department is collecting data on shoe sizes for players and assistants (some female). Here are the tennis shoe sizes for 20 people.
Ch. 13, Slide 7
A Statistical ProblemA Statistical Problem 14
12
12
12 Mean=10
12
12 Median=11
12
11 Mode=12
11
11
11
10
10
9
8
8
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6
----
200
The athletic department is collecting data on shoe sizes for players and assistants (some female). Here are the tennis shoe sizes for 20 people.
Ch. 13, Slide 8
A Statistical ProblemA Statistical Problem 14
12
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12 Mean=10
12
12 Median=11
12
11 Mode=12
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10 How can such statistical
9 values be important to
8 report writers?
8
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----
200
The athletic department is collecting data on shoe sizes for players and assistants (some female). Here are the tennis shoe sizes for 20 people.
Ch. 13, Slide 9
Drawing Conclusions Drawing Conclusions and Making and Making
RecommendationsRecommendations
Ch. 13, Slide 11
Tips for Writing Report Tips for Writing Report ConclusionsConclusions
• Interpret and summarize the findings. Tell what your findings (collected data) mean.
• Relate the conclusions to the report problem.
Focus only on conclusions that help solve the original problem.
• Limit the conclusions to the data presented.
Do not introduce new material.
Ch. 13, Slide 12
• Be objective. Avoid exaggerating or manipulating the data to
prove a point.
• Use consistent criteria. In evaluating options, use the same criteria for
each alternative.
• Enumerate each conclusion. Number and list each item. Present items in
parallel form.
Tips for Writing Report Tips for Writing Report ConclusionsConclusions
Ch. 13, Slide 14
• Suggest actions.Indicate specific procedures that can help solve the report problem.
• Focus on recommendations that are practical and agreeable.Suggest feasible actions that would be acceptable to this audience.
Tips for Writing Tips for Writing Report Report
RecommendationsRecommendations
Ch. 13, Slide 15
• Present recommendations separately. Enumerate each in a statement beginning with a verb.
• If requested, indicate how the recommendations may be implemented. Some writers present detailed plans for executing the recommendations.
Tips for Writing Tips for Writing Report Report
RecommendationsRecommendations
Ch. 13, Slide 16
Conclusion: Survey results show that the biggest student complaint
centered on long registration lines.
Recommendation: Implement a registration reservation system in which
students sign up for specific registration time slots.
Tips for Writing Tips for Writing Report Report
RecommendationsRecommendations
Ch. 13, Slide 17
Organizing InformationOrganizing Information Reader comprehension, not writer
convenience, should govern report organization.
Ch. 13, Slide 18
Possible Methods of Possible Methods of OrganizationOrganization
• TimeArrange data by chronology: e.g., 2000, 2001, 2002.
• ComponentArrange data by classifications: location, geography, division, product, or part. A report discussing company profits could be organized by each product.
• ImportanceOrder data from most important to least important, or vice versa.
Ch. 13, Slide 19
• CriteriaArrange data by evaluative categories. In a report comparing fax equipment, organize by such areas as price, warranty, speed, print quality, etc.
• ConventionOrganize data according to prescribed categories. For example, proposals are organized by staff, budget, schedule, etc.
Possible Methods of Possible Methods of OrganizationOrganization
Ch. 13, Slide 21
Introduction•Discuss the purpose and significance of the
report.•Preview the main points and the order of
development.
Transitionshowever therefore
on the contrary moreover
Structural Cues for Structural Cues for Report ReadersReport Readers
Ch. 13, Slide 22
Headings•Write short but clear headings.
•Experiment with wording that tells who, what, when, where,
and why.
•Include at least one heading per report page.
Structural Cues for Structural Cues for Report ReadersReport Readers
Ch. 13, Slide 23
Headings•Balance headings within levels. All
headings at a given level should be grammatically similar; for example:
Creating Team Motivation Treating Employees Like Customers
(not Employees Should Be Treated Like Customers)
Structural Cues for Structural Cues for Report ReadersReport Readers
Ch. 13, Slide 24
Headings• Integrate headings gracefully. Try to
avoid repeating the exact wording of a heading in the following sentence. Also avoid using a heading as an antecedent to a pronoun.
• Avoid: CUSTOMER SURVEYS
These are . . .
Structural Cues for Structural Cues for Report ReadersReport Readers
Ch. 13, Slide 25
Levels of Report Levels of Report HeadingsHeadings
REPORT, CHAPTER, AND PART TITLES
The title of a report, chapter heading, or major part should be centered in all caps.
REPORT, CHAPTER, AND PART TITLES
The title of a report, chapter heading, or major part should be centered in all caps.
Ch. 13, Slide 26
First-Level Subheading
Headings indicating the first level of division are centered and bolded. Whether a report is single-spaced or double-spaced, most writers triple-space (leaving two blank lines) before and double-space (leaving one blank line) after a first-level heading.
First-Level Subheading
Headings indicating the first level of division are centered and bolded. Whether a report is single-spaced or double-spaced, most writers triple-space (leaving two blank lines) before and double-space (leaving one blank line) after a first-level heading.
Levels of Report Levels of Report HeadingsHeadings
Ch. 13, Slide 27
Second-Level Subheading
Headings that divide topics introduced by first-level subheadings are bolded and begin at the left margin. Most writers double-space (leaving one blank line) after a second-level heading.
Second-Level Subheading
Headings that divide topics introduced by first-level subheadings are bolded and begin at the left margin. Most writers double-space (leaving one blank line) after a second-level heading.
Levels of Report Levels of Report HeadingsHeadings
Ch. 13, Slide 28
Third-Level Subheading. Because it is part of the paragraph that follows, a third-level subheading is also called a paragraph heading. It should appear in boldface print.
[Note: Indent double-spaced paragraphs. Don’t indent single-spaced paragraphs.]
Third-Level Subheading. Because it is part of the paragraph that follows, a third-level subheading is also called a paragraph heading. It should appear in boldface print.
[Note: Indent double-spaced paragraphs. Don’t indent single-spaced paragraphs.]
Levels of Report Levels of Report HeadingsHeadings
Ch. 13, Slide 30
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 Writing Informational ReportsReports
Ch. 13, Slide 31
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 Writing Informational ReportsReports
Ch. 13, Slide 32
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 Writing Informational ReportsReports
Ch. 13, Slide 33
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 Writing Informational ReportsReports
Ch. 13, Slide 34
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 Writing Informational ReportsReports
Ch. 13, Slide 35
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 Writing Informational ReportsReports
Ch. 13, Slide 36
Student Progress Student Progress ReportReport
DATE: ~~~~~~TO: ~~~~~~FROM: ~~~~~~SUBJECT: ~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Background~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Work Completed~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DATE: ~~~~~~TO: ~~~~~~FROM: ~~~~~~SUBJECT: ~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Background~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Work Completed~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ch. 13, Slide 37
~~~~~~~~~~ Page 2 ~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Work To Be Completed~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~ Page 2 ~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Work To Be Completed~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Student Progress Student Progress ReportReport
Ch. 13, Slide 39
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 Writing Analytical ReportsReports
Ch. 13, Slide 40
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 Writing Analytical ReportsReports
Ch. 13, Slide 41
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 Writing Analytical ReportsReports
Ch. 13, Slide 42
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 Writing Analytical ReportsReports
Ch. 13, Slide 43
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 Writing Analytical ReportsReports