Combined Report Writing

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Business CommunicationBusiness Communication

Report WritingReport Writing


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Purpose of reportPurpose of report

To present data and record events

To provide the foundation for decisions to

be made and action taken. To describe problems and suggest

solutions


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Classification of ReportsClassification of Reports

1. Formal Reports and Non-formal Reports

Annual Reports, thesis, Project reports

Lab reports, Trip reports

2. Information Reports

Conference, Seminar reports

3. Analytical Reports

Project reports, Feasibility reports, Marketresearch reports

4. Recommendation Reports


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VARIOUS REPORTSVARIOUS REPORTS

Annual Reports

Sales Reports

Feasibility Reports

Inspection Reports

Audit Reports

Progress Reports


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Length of ReportsLength of Reports

ShortShort andand informalinformal SimpleSimple

statementstatement recordingrecording anan event,event,withwith aa notenote ofof actionaction takentaken..

((11oror22pages)pages)


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Length of ReportsLength of Reports

Long and formal Detailedexplanation of facts, conclusions, and

perhaps recommendations for action.(more than 4 or5 pages)

Detailed report needs a lot of research:

Involves interviews, visits, Questionnaires

and investigations


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Report FormatReport Format

1. Print Format

Daily,Weekly, Monthly or Routine

Reports, Trip Reports2. Memo Format

Within the Organisation

3. Letter Format Outside the Organisation

4. Manuscript Format


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5 Steps to Report Writing5 Steps to Report Writing

1. Define the purpose

2. Gather the necessary information

3. Analyze the information

4. Organize the information

5. Write the report


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1. Defining the Purpose

Why you are writing

Who your readers,

What to include and what to omit


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ExamplesExamples of purpose statementof purpose statement

Infinitive phrase:

To determine the causes of

decreasing sales at Store X


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Question:

What are the causes of

decreasing sales at Store X


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Declarative statement:

Store X sales aredecreasing, and

management wants to

know why.


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2. Gathering information2. Gathering information

Person to person

(interviews)

Experiments or surveys (primary data)

Library research

(secondary information)

Internet search


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3. Analyzing Information3. Analyzing Information

Involves two steps:

Evaluating the information objectively

Making a comparative analysis of

different sets of information


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4. Organizing Reports4. Organizing Reports

Comparison/contrast

Problem-solution

Elimination of alternatives General to particular

Geographic or spatial

Functional Chronological


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C

onventional systems Decimal systems

Types of outlines


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Conventional systemsConventional systems

I.

A.

B.

1.

2.

(1)

a.

II.


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Decimal systemDecimal system

1.0

1.1

1.2

1.2.1

1.2.2

1.2.2.1

1.2.2.1.1.

1.2.2.1.1.1.

2.0


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5. Writing the report5. Writing the report

First draft

Clear, concise,

Edit-revise-proofread


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Anatomy of a ReportAnatomy of a Report

CoverPage

Title Page

Letter of Transmittal Table of Contents

List of Illustrations

Executive Summary Report Body


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CoverPageCoverPage

Title

Submitted ToReaders name

Submitted By

Author's name

Date of Submission


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Letter of TransmittalLetter of Transmittal

Background

Summarize conclusions and

recommendations Minor problems. Thank those who helped.

Additional research necessary

Thank the reader. Offer to answerquestions.


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Table of contentsTable of contents

Your report should include a table of

contents if longer than about 5-10 pages.

This allows the reader to quickly find the

relevant section.


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Table of ContentsTable of Contents

Abstract/ Executive Summary

Table of Contents

1. Introduction 12. Discussion 2

3. Conclusion 3

4. Recommendations 4

5. References 5

Table ofContents


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Report BodyReport Body

Introduction Purpose and Scope;Limitations, Assumptions, and

Methods

Background/History of the Problem

Body Presents and interprets data

Conclusions and Recommendations

References or Works Cited

Appendices Interview transcripts, questionnaires, question tallies,

printouts, and previous reports


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INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION

This describes the background to the

report, the reasons for doing the work andthe aims of the work. It should set up the

rest of the report in such a way as to leave

the reader in no doubt as to why they are

reading the report and what they are goingto get out of it.


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Main BodyMain Body

The main body of the report needs to beclear, concise and follow a logical order.

Figures and tables must be referred to inthe body of the text and need to have clearcaptions.

Label figures at the bottom and tables at

the top in numerical order. Each figureshould be capable of being understood onits own using the caption as the onlyreference.


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ConclusionsConclusions

No new material introduced

Follows logically from the Discussion Conclusions section should give:

Key points

NOT just another Executive

Summary


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RecommendationsRecommendations

Consult the assessment criteria

as to whether recommendations

are required

Are suggestions for possible

actions based on the discussion

section of the report


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References or BibliographyReferences or Bibliography

It is essential that any research material

used in the report is cited in the body of

the text and the reference included in the

reference section.

Also material included in the reference

section must be cited in the text.


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ReferencesReferences

1. Business Communication, Kity O Locker

and Stephen Kyo Kaczmarek, 2004

2. A Decent

Proposal by John Fellows,www.sellingpower.com, 2002

3. Better Business Writing, The Sunday

Times


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AppendicesAppendices

Any material that is not essential to the

understanding of the document but is

useful for the reader to have available

should be put in the appendices.

Examples include raw data, extended

calculations, computer code, equipment

design calculations, detailed proceduresfor equipment operation and calibration

curves.


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Document DesignDocument Design

Use nomore than 5 fonts.

Use no more than 5colors.

Use glossy paper. Use white space.

Use templates.

Use parallelism. Avoid double emphasis.


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Effective White Space

Blank line between paragraphs

Left-justified or blocked

Writing StyleWriting Style

Points to Remember


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Writing StyleWriting Style

Brief writing style Omit needless words

Combine sentences

Rewrite

Campus Jewelers main objective is to increase

sales. Specifically, the objective is to double sales

in the next five years by becoming a more

successful business. Campus Jewelers objective is to double sales in

the next five years.


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Words, Words, WordsWords, Words, Words

UK English and US English International English and Indian English

Denotation and Connotation

Let me know when youre free next week for ameeting.

Could you let me know what times you have free?

Tone

Terry is hung up on trivial details.

Terry is meticulous and takes care of details thatothers sometimes ignore.


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Easy to ReadEasy to Read

Clear, concise language

Short sentences Use examples where appropriate to

illustrate argument


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Effective ParagraphsEffective Paragraphs

Place information where it will be seen:

First and last paragraphs

The start of the paragraph

Keep paragraphs simple:

Short paragraphs

Each paragraph should contain one

main point


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Time to ReflectTime to Reflect

You should initially spend time noting key ideas/theory and their linkages

Leave enough time so as to enable you to set the

draft aside

When coming back to this work:

You should find that your ideas have fallen into

place and that you can see the way ahead more

clearly One draft is not enough. You should redraft your

work to further organise your argument


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The endThe end

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Combined Report Writing