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Lecture Seven Chapter Six

Lecture Seven Chapter Six. Strategies for Writing Reports. REPORT WRITING PROCESS. DEFINE THE PROBLEM OR OBJECTIVE What does reader want from the report? (Information, Data, Analysis ESTABLISH HYPOTHESES Set up IF - THEN statements SEEK DATA

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Lecture Seven Chapter Six

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  1. Lecture SevenChapter Six Strategies for Writing Reports

  2. REPORT WRITING PROCESS • DEFINE THE PROBLEM OR OBJECTIVE • What does reader want from the report? (Information, Data, Analysis • ESTABLISH HYPOTHESES • Set up IF - THEN statements • SEEK DATA • Primary (Collected through surveys, interviews, experiments. • Secondary ( Historical information) • FORMAT • Informal (Short Memo) - Letter or Memo Report - Formal

  3. STRATEGIC CONSIDERATIONS • FORMAT CONSIDERATIONS • Audience • Effort (Phone Calls to several weeks in the library) • Value (End use) • Original Assignment (Expectations of Reader) • Precedent • Order (What appears first in the report) Direct - Indirect

  4. ORGANIZATION • Time (Is the information chronological) • Place (Is information geographic) • Quantity (Organized by statistical category) • Factors or Other Criteria (What helped you reach your conclusion?) (Optimum characteristics of a job candidate)

  5. INTERNAL STRUCTURE • HEADINGS - Establish the degree of significance of material to follow (Can be used in formal and informal) • Reflect the outline of your report • Use as transition devices (When finish one section introduce the next) • Be descriptive but short ( No more than seven words) • First Degree (Some writers center and make bold) Be consistent • Second Degree (Usually at left margin) indicate a sub category of the section) • Third Degree (Indented, underscore, Capitalize the initial letter only. Follow the heading by a period and start the body of the paragraph

  6. MEMORANDUM AND LETTER REPORTS • Most Informal (Follow style guide for the organization) • Introduction (Purpose and who authorized) • Body (Direct or Indirect Style) • Use Headings • Use Lists Only After Introducing Subject • Tell the Story Don’t Just Develop a List • Ending (Last paragraph should provide conclusions and recommendations)

  7. LETTER REPORTS • ORGANIZATION • DIRECT OR INDIRECT (Mostly Indirect because of uncertainty of reader reaction) • INTRODUCTION • Similar to Memo Report. Use to orient reader • BODY • No set length usually 8 - 10 pages • ENDING • Conclusion and Recommendations

  8. FORMAL REPORT • PREFATORY • TITLE FLY • TITLE PAGE • Title,Presented To, Presented By • LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL • 1st paragraph - Transmits report to recipient, states nature of report, mentions authorization • Body - Synopsis, helpful hits in reading and acknowledgments • Close with goodwill statement • TABLE OF CONTENTS • LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES • SYNOPSIS • If not included in Letter of Transmittal. Sometimes called epitome, review, brief, digest or executive summary

  9. REPORT PROPER • INTRODUCTION • State Purpose of Report • Authorization • Methodology • Plan used to present information (First, second, finally) • Optional Sections • Statement of limitations • Scope of research • Definitions • Background of the report problem

  10. REPORT PROPER CONTINUED • BODY • Well organized with useful of headings • Transitions used to introduce the next section • Smooth flow of information • Appropriate degree of objectivity • Assumptions and inferences are acknowledged • Correct tense (current tense for your data, past tense for historic data) • SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND OR RECOMMENDATIONS • Summary (used to end informational report • Conclusions (List results of writers investigation. Do not introduce new information) • Recommendations can introduce new information resulting from research

  11. VISUAL AIDS • GENERAL RULES • Appropriateness • Must add value not create clutter • Reference and Placement • Refer to visuals in text (Usually before it appears) • Size • Keep it as simple as possible • Content • Relates closely to current discussion • Conventions • Distinguish between figures and tables. Place title of table above and figure below

  12. COMMON VISUALS • PIE CHARTS • Useful for proportions • BAR CHARTS (simple and complex) • Parts of a whole and comparing over a period of time • LINE GRAPHS • Presents trends in a informational and dramatic way • TABLES • Arranging data in a concise manner (see page 143-144 for rules)

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