3. Report Patterns
Direct pattern
Saves Time
Easier to understand
Indirect pattern
Helps overcome resistance
4. Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
Direct PatternDirect Pattern
ReportReport
-----Main IdeaMain Idea ----
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If readersIf readers
are informedare informed
If readersIf readers
are supportiveare supportive
If readersIf readers
are eager toare eager to
have results firsthave results first
5. Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
ReportReport
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-----Main Idea ----Main Idea ----
Indirect PatternIndirect Pattern
If readersIf readers
need to beneed to be
educatededucated
If readersIf readers
need to beneed to be
persuadedpersuaded
If readers mayIf readers may
be hostile orbe hostile or
disappointeddisappointed
6. Typical Business Reports
Periodic operating reports. To monitor and control production, sales, shipping, service, etc.
Situational reports. To describe one-time events, such as trips, conferences, and seminars.
Investigative/informational reports. To examine problems and supply facts – with little analysis.
Compliance reports. To respond to government agencies and laws, such as the Federal Employment Equity Act.
Justification/recommendation reports. To make recommendations to management and become tools to solve
problems and make decisions.
Yardstick reports. To establish criteria and evaluate alternatives by measuring against the “yardstick” criteria.
Feasibility reports. To analyze problems and predict whether alternatives will be practical or advisable.
Proposals. To offer to solve problems, investigate ideas, or sell products and services.
7. Determine the Report Purpose
Conduct a preliminary investigation
Gather facts to better understand the problem
Consult many sources
State the problem in writing
To serve as a record
To allow others to review it
To force the writer to get the problem clearly in mind
8. State the problem in one of
three ways.
Infinitive phrase:
"To measure the effect of radio spot advertising on X company
sales"
Question:
"What are the effects on X company sales of radio spot
advertising?"
Declarative statement:
"Company X wants to know how a spot advertising campaign will
affect its sales."
9. Types of Factors
Determine the Factors
Subtopics in informational and some analytical reports
Hypotheses in problem-solving situations
Bases in comparison reports
10. State the Problem and Factors
Use the infinitive form with subtopics.Use the infinitive form with subtopics.
A consumer research organization plans to test three leading low-priced
automobiles in an effort to determine which one is the best buy as a family car
for the typical American consumer.
Problem statement
To determine which of three economy cars is the best buy for the American
Consumer
Factors
Durability Original and trade-in costs
Operating costs Repairs
Comfort Safety
11. State the Problem and Factors
Use the question form with subtopics.Use the question form with subtopics.
A national chain of dress shops wants to learn what qualities to seek in hiring
sales personnel.
Problem statement
What qualities determine the successful salespeople for X Dress Shop?
Factors
Education
Cultural Background
Experience
Vital Statistics (age, height, weight, marital status, religion, etc.)
Personal qualities (personality, character, etc.)
12. State the Problem and Factors
Use the question form with subtopics.Use the question form with subtopics.
A daily newspaper wants to know how well the various types of items in a
typical issue are read.
Problem statement
What is the readership of the types of items in a typical issue of X
newspaper?
Factors
Probably such a study would involve an item-by-item survey. The items would
be classified by types, which would be the factors of the problem.
World news Local news Society
Editorials Sports Comics
13. State the Problem and Factors
Use the question form with hypotheses.Use the question form with hypotheses.
You’ve been assigned the problem of determining why sales at the Moline
store have declined.
Problem statement
Why have sales declined at the Moline store?
Factors
Activities of the competition have cause the decline.
Changes in the economy of the area have caused the decline.
Merchandising deficiencies have caused the decline.
Changes in the economic environment have caused the decline.
14. State the Problem and Factors
Use the infinitive form with bases of comparison.Use the infinitive form with bases of comparison.
A major soap manufacturer wishes to determine which of three cities would be
best for a new factory.
Problem statement
To determine whether Y company’s new factory should be built in City A, City
B, or City C.
Factors
Availability of labor Nearness to markets
Abundance of raw material Power supply
Tax structure Community attitude
Transportation facilities
15. Gather Information
Primary
Observation
Experiments
Surveys
Telephone
Mail/Email
Web surveys
Interviews (personal,
expert)
Company records
(raw data)
Secondary
Library
Online
Company records
(interpreted data)
16. Attitudes and Practices Conducive
to Sound Interpreting
Maintain a judicial attitude.
Consult with others.
Test the interpretations.
1. Test of Experience
“Is this conclusion logical in light of all I know?”
2. Negative Test
Examine the opposite interpretation--build a case for it.
17. Use of Statistical Tools in
Interpretation
Statistical tools enable writers to simplify data.
Most readers can understand descriptive statistics.
Writers should explain explicitly statistical techniques used.
18. An organizational plan
Organize the Information
serves as a blueprint for the report
insures order in the report
provides headings for use in the report
20. Organizational Methods Of
Structuring Data
1) Time:
Establishing a chronology of events
Easy
Often mirrors the way data are collected
Examples
Monthly trip report
Sales rep’s trip
Minutes of meetings
21. Organizational Methods Of
Structuring Data
2) Component:
Organized by components such as
location, geography, division, product or
part
Works best when the classifications
already exist
Examples
Expansion plan in
different departments on
an organization
Comparing profits among
departments
22. Organizational Methods Of
Structuring Data
3) Importance:
Involves beginning with the most important item and proceeding
to the least important or vice versa, keeping in mind the reader’s
priorities & expectations
Involves a value judgment
Saves time of busy readers
Probability of retaining the information is high
Examples
Reasons of declination in the
monthly sale
Reasons of poor
performance of the team
23. Organizational Methods Of
Structuring Data
4)Criteria:
Single judgment criteria
Fair Evaluation
Helps reader in making comparison
Examples
Comparing different
alternatives of expansion
plan
24. Organizational Methods Of
Structuring Data
5) Convention:
Operational & recurring reports are structured according
to convention and everybody understands that convention
Simplifies organizational task
Saves time & resources
Examples
Weekly or monthly update
report
Order booking reports
25. Steps in Organizing the Information
Construct an outline for the report.
Write it out to insure order in the report.
Incorporate topics in text of headings.
Use either the conventional or decimal division format.
26. I. First-level heading
A. Second-level heading
B. Second-level heading
1. Third-level heading
2. Third-level heading
a. Fourth-level
(1) Fifth-level
(a) Sixth-level
II. First-level heading
A. Second-level heading
B. Second-level heading
Etc.
Conventional System
28. Procedure for Constructing an
Outline by Process of Division (1 of 3)
Step 1
Divide the whole into comparable
parts. This gives the Roman number
parts of the outline. Usually an
introduction begins the outline. Some
combination of summary, conclusion,
recommendation ends it.
I.
Introduction
II.
III.
IV.
V.
29. Procedure for Constructing an
Outline by Process of Division (2 of 3)
Step 2
Divide each roman section. This
gives the A., B, C headings.
.
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
A
B
A
B
C
A
B
C
A
B
A
B
30. Step 3
Then divide each A, B, C heading.
this gives the 1, 2,3 headings
Continue dividing as long as it is
practical to do so.
Procedure for Constructing an
Outline by Process of Division (3 of 3)
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
A
B
A
B
C
A
B
C
A
B
A
B
1
2
1
2
3
1
2
32. Organization by time
Organization of a Report on the
History of Manufacturing in New York
I. Introduction
II. Before 1750
III. 1750-1800
IV. 1801-1850
V. Etc.
Main Heading PossibilitiesMain Heading Possibilities (1 of 4)(1 of 4)
33. Organization of a Report on the
History of Manufacturing in New York
I. Introduction
II. Northern region
III. Eastern region
IV. Southern region
V. Etc.
Organization by place
Main Heading PossibilitiesMain Heading Possibilities (2 of 4)(2 of 4)
34. Organization by quantity
I. Introduction
II. More than 500 employees
III. 20-500 employees
IV. Less than 20 employees
V. Conclusion
Organization of a Report on the
History of Manufacturing in New York
Main Heading PossibilitiesMain Heading Possibilities (3 of 4)(3 of 4)
35. Organization of a Report on the
History of Manufacturing in New York
I. Introduction
II. Textiles
III. Foods
IV. Furniture
V. Etc.
Organization by factors
Main Heading PossibilitiesMain Heading Possibilities (4 of 4)(4 of 4)
36. Combination Division Forms
First division by time; second division by timeFirst division by time; second division by time
I. Introduction
II. Before 1750
A. 1630-1680
B. 1681-1710
C. 1711-1750
III. 1751-1800
A. 1751-1780
B. 1781-1800
IV. Etc.
37. Combination Division Forms
First division by time; second division by placeFirst division by time; second division by place
I. Introduction
II. Before 1750
A. Northern region
B. Eastern region
C. Southern region
D. Western region
III. 1751-1800
A. Northern region
B. Etc.
38. Combination Division Forms
First division by time; second division by factor
I. Introduction
II. Before 1750
A. Food
B. Chemicals
C. Textiles
D. Etc.
III. 1751-1800
A. Food
B. Chemicals
C. Etc.
IV. Etc.
39. Topic or Talking Headings? (1 of 2)
Topic headings identify.
I. Population
A. Houston
B. Springfield
C. San Diego
II. Income
A. Houston
B. Springfield
C. San Diego
40. Topic or Talking Headings? (2 of 2)
Talking headings identify and indicate what is
said about that division.
I. Growing population signals market growth
A. Houston leads the nation
B. Springfield has steadiest increase
C. San Diego maintains status quo
41. Wording of Headings
Parallel Construction
Conciseness in Wording
Variety of Expression
42. Parallelism in Construction of
Headings
Noun Phrase
“High Rate of Sales in District III
Sentence
“District II Sales Rank Second”
Decapitated Sentence
“District I at Bottom”
Equal level headings should be in the
same grammatical format whether noun
phrase, sentence, or decapitated sentence.
43. Point out any violations of grammatical
parallelism in the following subheads of
major division of a report.
I. Sporting Good Shows Market Increase
II. Modest Increase in Hardware Volume
III. Automotive Parts Remains Unchanged
IV. Plumbing Supplies Records Slight
Decline.
44. Point out any violations of grammatical
parallelism in the following subheads of
major division of a report.
A. Predominance of Cotton Farming in Southern Region
B. Livestock Paces Farm Income in the Western Region
C. Wheat Crop Dominant in the Northern Region
D. Truck Farming Leads in Central and Eastern Regions
45. Conciseness in Wording
Not this:
Personal appearance enhancement is the most desirable
benefit of lasik surgery that patients report.
But this:
Personal appearance most desirable benefit.
Headings should be the shortest possible
word arrangement.
46. Variety of Expression
Not this:
A. Illinois Computer Sales
B. New York Computer Sales
C. Washington Computer Sales
But this:
A. Illinois Ranks First in Industry Sales
B. New York Maintains Second Position
C. Washington Posts Third Slot
Replace monotonous repetitions of words
in topic headings with a variety of words.
47. Write the Report
Be objective.
Believability
Impersonal vs. Personal Writing
Maintain a consistent time viewpoint.
Use smooth transitions.
Maintain interest.
48. Write the Report
Be objective.
Believability
Impersonal vs. Personal Writing
Maintain a consistent time viewpoint.
Use smooth transitions.
Maintain interest.
49. Introduction
Tells the purpose of the report
Describes the significance of the topic
Preview main points
Order
50. Headings
Highlight major ideas
Give big picture
Functional Headings
Background, Administration, Quality Control etc.
Talking Headings
Campus parking problem, Job assessment issues etc
51. Headings
Use appropriate heading levels
Capitalize and underline carefully
Include at least one heading per page
Keep heading short but clear
Do not repeat word or heading
52. Transitions
Transitional Expression like additionally, furthermore, on the
contrary etc
Show relationship
Reveal logical flow
Requires appropriate usage
53. Illustrating With Graphics
Why Graphics?
Easy to understand
Easy to remember
Make numerical data meaningful
Simplify complex idea
Provide summarized information
Visual interest
Protects audience from getting bored
55. A Dilemma
Same data can be shown in many different forms, Like:
A table
A graph – Bar Chart, Pie Chart, Line Chart etc.
A mach between appropriate graphic and your objective
Decide what data are significant and to be highlighted
Who is your audience?
63. Incorporating Graphics in
Reports
Evaluate the Audience
Nature of report internal or external
Evaluate reader, content and schedule
For internal report 5-6 graphs
For external report can be more
64. Incorporating Graphics in
Reports
Be Accurate and Ethical
Ensure accuracy of figures
Graphs must not be misleading
Use appropriate scaling
Use references in case of external visuals
65. Introduce Graphic meaningfully
Place the graphic close to the discussion point
Use proper reference to every graphics
Draw the concentration towards the conclusion you derived
Interpret them for readers
Incorporating Graphics in
Reports
67. Conclusion of a Report
Most widely read portion of a report which summarizes & explains the findings in a report. Heart
of a report which shows goals, background & frame of reference, all should support the
conclusion you make.
Audience of a report wants:
How the data in related to the problem being studied?
What do the findings mean in terms of solving the original report
problem?
68. Conclusion of a Report -
Functions
Interpret & summarize the findings
Don’t manipulate the findings to achieve preconceived purpose
Always try to be objective & bias free
Consistent evaluation criteria (same criteria for evaluation…)
Relate the conclusion to the report problem
70. Recommendation
Conclusions explain what the problem is, while the recommendations tell how
to solve it.
Readers prefer specific & practical recommendations agreeable to them.
How a suggestion can be implemented
Authorization is required for specification
What are you required to do and what does the reader expect?
Avoid using conditional words such as maybe & perhaps………..
71. Recommendation
Try to present the recommendation as a command
Shows your command on the subject
When possible, arrange the recommendation in an announced order, such as important
to least important
Can combine the recommendations & conclusions
May omit the conclusion in short reports