Six Categories of Informal Reports

2. Six Categories of Informal Reports • Information Reports • Progress Reports • Justification/Recommendation Reports • Feasibility Reports • Minutes of Meetings • Summaries

3. Report Formats • Letter format Letterhead stationery. Useful for informal reports sent to outsiders. • Memo format Memo style. Useful for informal reports circulated within organizations.

4. Report Formats • Manuscript format Plain paper, manuscript form. Useful for longer, more formal reports. • Prepared forms Standardized forms. Useful for routine activities, such as expense reports.

5. General Guidelines for Writing Reports • Define project. • Gather data. • Organize data. • Write first draft. • Edit and revise.

6. Where to Gather Data for Reports • Look in company records. • Make personal observations. • Use surveys, questionnaires, and inventories. • Conduct interviews. • Search databases and other electronic resources.

7. Indirect Strategy Problem Facts Discussion Recommendations Direct Strategy Problem Recommendations Facts Discussion Organizing Report Data

8. Making Effective Report Headings • Use appropriate heading levels. • Strive for parallel construction. • Use first- and second-level headings for short reports. • Capitalize and underline carefully. • Keep headings short but clear.

9. Making Effective Report Headings • Don't enclose headings in quotation marks. • Don't use headings as antecedents for pronouns. For example, avoid: Inserting Hypertext Links.These links . . . .

10. Being Objective in Writing Reports • Present both sides of an issue. • Separate fact from opinion. • Be sensitive and moderate in language. • Cite sources carefully.

11. Information Reports Introduction • Explain why you are writing. • Describe credibility of data methods and sources. • Provide background. • Identify report purpose. • Offer a preview of the findings.

12. Information Reports Findings • Organize chronologically, alphabetically, topically, by importance, or by another method. • Group similar topics together. • Use appropriate headings.

13. Information Reports Summary • May include or omit summary. • If included, summarize findings or highlight main points.

14. Progress Reports • Describe the purpose and nature of an unusual or nonroutine project. • Provide background information if necessary. • Summarize work already completed. • Describe work currently in progress, including personnel, methods, obstacles, and attempts to remedy obstacles.

15. Progress Reports • Forecast future activities in relation to the scheduled completion date. • Include recommendations and requests.

16. Justification/Recommendation Reports • Use direct organization for nonsensitive topics and recommendations that will be agreeable to readers. • Identify the problem or the need briefly. • Announce the recommendation, solution, or action concisely and with action verbs.

17. Justification/Recommendation Reports • Present a discussion of pros, cons, and costs. • Explain more fully the benefits of the recommendation or steps to be taken to solve the problem. • Conclude with a summary specifying the recommendation and action to be taken.

18. Feasibility Reports • Prepare a feasibility report when examining the practicality and advisability of following a course of action. • Announce your decision immediately. • Describe the background and problem necessitating the proposal. • Discuss the benefits of the proposal.

19. Feasibility Reports • Describe the problems that may result. • Calculate the costs associated with the proposal, if appropriate. • Show the time frame necessary for implementation of the proposal.

20. Meeting Minutes • Include name of the group, the date, the time, the place, the name of the meeting. • List names of attendees and absentees. • Describe disposition of previous minutes. • Record old business, new business, announcements, and reports. • Include the precise wording of motions.

21. Meeting Minutes • Record the vote and action taken. • Conclude with the name and signature of the individual recording the minutes.

22. Summaries • Compress data from a longer publication, such as a business report, a magazine article, or a book chapter. • Indicate the goal or purpose of the document being summarized. • Highlight the research methods (if appropriate), findings, conclusions, and recommendations.

23. Summaries • Omit illustrations, examples, and references. • Organize for readability by including headings and bulleted or enumerated lists. • Include your reactions or an overall evaluation of the document if asked to do so.

24. Ten Keys to Designing Better Documents • Analyze your audience. • Choose an appropriate type size. • Use a consistent type font. • Generally, don't justify right margins. • Separate paragraphs and sentences appropriately.

25. Ten Keys to Designing Better Documents • Design readable headlines. • Strive for an attractive page layout. • Use graphics and clip art with restraint. • Avoid amateurish results. • Develop expertise with your software program.

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