Module 11
A business report is a well-
organized printed statement, which
contains facts related to business
matters
**Source: https://www.calltutors.com/blog/what-is-a-business-report/
INFORMATIONAL REPORTS
- present data without analysis or recommendations
- writers collect and organize facts, but they do not analyze the facts
for readers
**Examples are trip reports, status reports, routine reports, etc.
ANALYTICAL REPORTS
- provide data or findings, analyses, and conclusions
- writers may be asked to supply recommendations
- may intend to persuade readers to act or to change their beliefs
**Example is a feasibility report.
DIRECT STRATEGY
- when the purpose for writing is
presented close to the beginning
- mostly evident in reports that merely
carry information without analysis
INDIRECT STRATEGY
- when the conclusions and recommendations, if requested, appear
at the end of the report
- usually begins with an introduction or description of the problem,
followed by facts and interpretation from the writer
- most rational to readers because it follows the normal thought
process: problem, alternatives (facts), solution
REPORT
Formats
The format of a report is governed by its length,
topic, audience, and purpose.
- Use letter format for short (usually eight or fewer pages) informal
reports addressed outside an organization.
- Use the company letterhead and include headings.
- more appropriate for short informal reports that stay within
organizations
- begin with essential background information and use standard
headings
- for longer, more formal reports
- begins with a title followed by systematically displayed headings
and subheadings
**Proposals and formal reports generally use this format.
- often used for repetitive data, such as monthly sales reports,
performance appraisals, merchandise inventories, and personnel
and financial reports
- make information easy to locate and ensure that all necessary
information is provided
- written with the use of desktop publishing software/tools
- lets users hyperlink multimedia content within the document or
with associated text or media files
REPORT
GENERAL CATEGORIES
Informational reports
- collect and organize information
- may record routine activities
**In trip reports, business travelers identify the event they attended or the company they
visited, objectively summarize three to five main points, and, if requested, itemize their
expenses on a separate sheet.
Progress reports
- monitor the headway of unusual or
nonroutine activities
**For example, progress reports would keep management informed about a committee’s
preparations for a project/show, etc.
Justification / recommendation reports
- similar to informational reports but offer analysis in addition to
data
**These reports are often solicited; that is, the
writer has been asked to investigate and report.
Feasibility reports
- when a company must decide whether to proceed with a plan of
action (i.e., the practicality of implementing a proposal)
Minutes of meetings
- a record of the proceedings of a
meeting generally kept by a secretary
or recorder
Summaries
- compresses the main points from a book, report, article, Web site,
meeting, or convention
- condenses the primary ideas, conclusions, and recommendations
of a longer report or publication
**Employees may be asked to write summaries of technical reports.
**Executive summaries condense long reports such as business plans and proposals.
Adopting an Appropriate REPORT Writing Style
BEING OBJECTIVE
- Present both sides of an issue.
- Separate facts from opinions.
- Be sensitive and moderate in your choice of language.
- Cite sources.
Using Effective Report Headings
- Use appropriate heading levels.
- Strive for parallel construction within levels.
- For short reports use first- and second-level headings.
- Capitalize and underline carefully.
- Keep headings short but clear.
- Don’t use headings as antecedents for pronouns.
- Include at least one heading per report page.
A formal report is an official
report that contains detailed
information, research, and data
necessary to make business decisions. It
is generally written for the purpose of
solving a problem.
**Source: https://study.com/academy/lesson/formal-report-format-parts-effectiveness.html
Major
PARTS
**Six major parts form the central structure of every formal report. In the traditional arrangement they are known by
the acronym SIDCRA.
S – summary
I – introduction
D – discussion
C – conclusion
R – recommendation
A - appendix
SUMMARY
- brief synopsis that tells readers quickly what the report is all about
- considered by many to be the most important part of a report and
the most difficult to write
- ideally written last after the remainder of the report has been written
**A summary needs to tell a story: it should have a beginning, a middle, and an end.
INTRODUCTION
- begins the major narrative of the report
- orients readers to the purpose and scope of the report and provides
sufficient background information to place them mentally in the
picture before they tangle with technical data
**Most introductions contain three parts: purpose, scope, and background information.
EXAMPLE:
Different ways to integrate headings and text
DISCUSSION
- normally the longest part of a report
- presents all the evidence (facts, arguments, details, data, and results of
tests) that readers need to understand the subject
**The writer must organize this evidence logically to avoid confusing readers and present it
imaginatively to hold their interest.
METHODS OF DEVELOPMENT
CONCLUSIONS
- briefly state the major inferences that can be drawn from the
discussion
If there is more than one conclusion, state the main conclusion
first and follow it with the remaining conclusions in decreasing order of
importance
**Never introduce new material or evidence to support your argument.
Because conclusions are opinions (based on the
evidence presented in the discussion), they must
never tell the reader what to do.
This task must always be left to the
recommendations.
RECOMMENDATIONS
- appear in a report when the discussion and conclusions indicate that
further work needs to be done, or when you have described several
ways to resolve a problem or improve a situation and want to identify
which is best
**Never introduce new ideas or evidence.
APPENDIX / APPENDICES
- contains related data not necessary to an immediate understanding
of the discussion
**The appendices are a suitable place for manufacturers’
specifications, graphs, analytical data, drawings, sketches, excerpts
from other reports or books, cost analyses, and correspondence.
SUBSIDIARY PARTS
PARTS
**Although referred as “subsidiary” parts, they nevertheless contribute much to a report’s effectiveness.
Cover
Title Page
Table of Contents
References
Cover Letter
Executive Summary
The Traditional
Arrangement of
Formal Reports
Bird’s-eye view
on report parts
STEPS
In Writing a
FORMAL REPORT
RESEARCHING SECONDARY DATA
- print resources, electronic databases, the Web, blogs and social networks
GENERATING PRIMARY DATA
- surveys, interviews, observation, and experimentation
DOCUMENTING INFORMATION
- purpose, good research habits, paraphrasing skill, citation
ORGANIZING AND OUTLINING DATA
- organizational strategies, outlines, and headings
Creating Effective Graphics
- charts, tables, graphs, photos, maps, illustrations, diagrams, etc.
REFERENCES:
PHOTO CREDITS:
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