Effective Information Management Strategies for Reports

1. Chapter Nine Creating and Managing Text

2. Process for Collecting and Grouping Information • Know the topic. • Group material and notes into categories. • Label the categories. • Open and name file, then begin. • Initially insert information into each category/topic.

3. Process for Collecting and Grouping Information • Once the initial information is in categories, combine, revise, and delete ideas as necessary. • Rearrange topics, paragraphs, and sentences as necessary. • As you draft, write notes to yourself, use different fonts for text you may want to move, delete, or revise.

4. Arrangement Patterns for Reports • Some reports require standard arrangement patterns. • Some reports may be arranged as the author chooses. • Authors generally use one of two basic arrangement patterns: • Topical • Chronological

5. Designing Reports for Specific Reader Needs • Given your reader(s)’ perspective on the topic, what information needs to be placed first? • The facts? • A buffer before the news? • Will your reader(s) have objections that you must overcome, or will they have no preconceived ideas? • Conclusions and recommendations may not be what your reader(s) want to accept. • Your level of persuasion must be adequate to convince your audience to accept your argument.

6. Organization and Content Development • Organization must reveal content: • Use logically partitioned, carefully organized, visually accessible chunks of information. • Allow readers to enter/exit the document easily, depending on their information needs.

7. Organization and Content Development • Content may be developed in a number of ways, either alone or in combination (this list is not exhaustive).