WRITTEN COMMUNICATION:

REPORTS

(Short Reports)
Chapter No. 11 COMMUNICATION AND REPORT
WRITING

1
 Report
Definition
A document that presents information
in an organized format for a specific
audience and purpose.
 Short Report
A Short reports, then, inform and analyze
they are often presented in memorandum form.
 A Short Report is concise, accurate, unbiased,
all inferences depending on supporting evidence
to help readers make an informed decision.
Short reports therefore are often used in
business communication.
Planning and organizing effective
business messages
 Planning is the process of thinking about and
organizing the activities required to achieve a desired
goal.
 To Communicate effectively, consider the following
steps before you write your message:
Identify your purpose.
Analyze your audience.
Choose your ideas.
Collect data to support your ideas.
Organize your message
Which Reports?
Sales Reports
Inspection Reports
Annual Reports
Audit Reports
Feasibility Reports
Progress Reports
 Short
Reports
•Suggestion for Short
Reports
 Developing the Main Sections
As with oral communication, the short
'report includes an introduction, body
(or discussion, or text), and terminal
section (summary, conclusions,
recommendations).
Short Reports
 DEVELOPING MAIN SECTIONS
 Introduction
 Purpose
 Scope
 Definition Background
 List of Topics

 Body
• Presentation of facts accurately and fairly
• Inductive Plan or Deductive Plan
• Emphasize Main Ideas
• Include Visual Aids
• Use Headings
• Use Topic Sentences
• Apply Seven “C” Writing Principles
 Terminal Section
 Summery, Conclusions, recommendations
Short Reports
 Suggestion for Short Reports
 Outlining the Main Sections
As with oral communication, the short 'report
includes an introduction, body (or
discussion, or text), and terminal section
(summary, conclusions, recommendations).
 FORMAT OF OUTLINES
 Numerical –Letter Combination
 Decimal System
 Letter- Numerical Combination
Short Reports
 Suggestion for Short Reports
 Including other Desirable Sections
Often the short report is in memorandum form-
Other form may be a letter or a shortened
form of a long report. Memorandum and letter
reports often use a subject line, often stated
in the introduction, before moving to the body
of the report.
Other desirable sections
 Subject Line
 Prefatory or Supplement Parts
 Using Visuals
Informational Memorandum
Reports
 The central purpose of informational reports is to inform
and to summarize information, similar to the speech to
inform.
 Obviously these reports vary widely in content,
depending on type of business, purpose, topics
discussed, and readers' needs.
 Although there are many kinds of informational reports.
 The following three general kinds often used in
organizations:
Conference Reports
Progress Reports
Periodic Reports
Informational Memorandum Reports

 Conference Reports
Conference reports range from summaries of personal
sales call conferences to write-ups of meetings
attended by hundreds of persons.
For example, an advertising account executive may
write a conference report, after every meeting or phone
call between the ad agency and a client.
Its purpose is to record all decisions and discussions. A
credit or collection manager or account executive may
make similar reports after conferences with clients.
Summaries of Personal Sales Call or Write up of
Meetings
Informational Memorandum Reports
 Progress Reports
As the name implies, progress report show
"progress,". accomplishments, or activity over
time Or at a given stage of a major
assignment. The organizational plan is usually
inductive.
 PROGRESS REPORTS
 Introduction (Purpose, Nature, Scope)
 Description of Accomplishments
 Unanticipated Problems(if any)
 Plans for Next Reporting Period
 Summary(overall appraisal)
DIRECT (deductive) APPROACH:
DIRECT (deductive) APPROACH:
Use the direct approach when the audience is
receptive to your message.
When your reader or listener will have a
favorable or neutral reaction to your message,
use the direct approach.
You begin with the main idea or the best
news
INDIRECT (inductive) APPROACH
When you expect resistance to your message,
choose the indirect approach, such as in a bad-news
message or a persuasive request.
If you think your reader or listeners might react
negatively to your message, generally you should not
present the main idea in the first paragraph.
 Begin with a relevant pleasant, neutral, or receiver-
benefit statement; then give an explanation before
you introduce your idea
Informational Memorandum Reports
 Periodic Reports
Some periodic reports are written to correspond to
the company fiscal year. Others may be written
weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annually, or in other
regular recurring periods.

Most organizations business, government,

religious, athletic, and even business schools- write
annual reports to summarize activities and financial
affairs. For some small concerns the report is
exceptionally short, consisting of perhaps a brief
transmitted letter with one or two pages of financial
statements.
Informational Memorandum Reports
Periodic Reports

For other organizations, especially corporations that

must report to their stock­holders, the annual report

may begin with a top official's letter report.
Sometimes the letter is the entire report (perhaps
eight or more pages). If not, then the report body
discusses operations and activities.
Analytical Memorandum Reports

 A Pure analytical report has one central purpose to

analyze a situation or issue.

 PURPOSE
 Seeks to Analyze the a Situation
 May or May not have Specific
Recommendations
 Step by Step Analysis

 An analytical memorandum report, seeks to analyze a

situation or problem; it may end with or without a

specific recommendation.
Analytical Memorandum Reports
 Our following detailed discussion suggests a step-by

step analysis of a personnel situation; ending with a

conclusion without a recommendation. Thereafter,
three ways of organizing a recommendation-
justification report are illustrated.
 Steps in preparing an Analytical Report
(Analyze, analyze, analyze then know the wishes of the report
requester: Does he or she desire a recommendation or not?).
 Short reports
• ANALYTICAL MEMORANDUM REPORTS

 STEPS IN PREPARATION
Introduction
 Authorization
 Purpose
 Back Ground
 Methodology Sources
 Plan of Presentation
 Brief Statement of your Decision
 Steps in preparing an
Analytical Report
 Assume that Gene Mohr, manager of your bank's head
office saving department, has asked you (Assistant
Manager of the personnel department) to help find a
replacement for a teller who is quitting work and moving
to another city.
 Fifteen people applied for the job. Ultimately, you
narrowed your list to the five best applicants. Then you
wrote to their references she desire a for
recommendations. After receiving the replies, you chose
the three best qualified candidates. Your task now is to
evaluate each of the three: in a memo report to Mr. Mohr.
He likes you to analyze the facts for him and rank the
applicants but he wants to make his own
recommendations and decision.
Steps in preparing an
Analytical Report Continued
 Your next step will be to write the report, in rough draft.
Then you will edit it and revise wherever desirable. You
will use the inductive organizational plan because Mr.
Mohr told you he preferred that plan for all memo reports.
 With that groundwork completed, you begin to write
First the subject line, which should contain no more
than five to seven words, preferably.
 You decide on “Evaluation of Three Teller applicants.“
 Then you write the introduction,
 next the major divisions of the text , and
 Finally the terminal section.
 Main Divisions of the
Body or Text.
 You will use three main sections for your text one for each
criterion. You will study the working table and analyze the
facts. If your reader wants all the details, you will include
each table section or a variation of it within the text.
Assume that you now decide to change the sequence of
the sections within the table.
"Probable Permanency" will be placed first,;
 "Education and Skills," second
 Personal Qualifications," third.
Main Divisions of the
Body or Text.
What are the most important facts you can
pull from the table?
Avoid saying in sentence form before or after
a table everything that is already in the table;
repetition wastes time and is monotonous
(Repetitive, Boring).
 After careful thought you might write a
paragraph such as this to place before the
table.
Terminal (Closing) Section
 Clearly, you now face the decision of whether to
choose a summary (condensation of information)
 or conclusions (evaluation and inferences).
 Adhere to Mr. Mohr's preference! 'Remember, he
asked yon to present your evaluation, but he clearly
wants to make his own decision.

 Your terminal section should include conclusions, not

merely a summary. Omit the recommendations.
 ANALYTICAL MEMORANDUM
REPORTS
Recommendation Justification Reports
 Many of your analytical reports will have a special
purpose: to recommend a change or remain with the:
status quo (policy), support the idea that something is
desirable or undesirable (value), or defend the accuracy
of information (fact).
 Your report may be in response to a specific request, or it
may be voluntary.
 Consider the following four items when preparing
sections of a problem solution or recommendation report.
1- Introduction,
2- Body,
3- Terminal section,
4- Organizational Plans
ANALYTICAL MEMORANDUM
REPORTS

 Recommendation-Justification Reports
Persuasion is central to recommendation report.
 Introduction Give thought to an opening line (Somewhat
like standing on a porch before entering a house); be precise as
to the Aim or Purpose
Brief Authorization (a document giving
an official instruction or command)
Road Map (A document or plan setting
out the procedure for achieving a goal: "a
road map for peace".)
ANALYTICAL MEMORANDUM
REPORTS
 Recommendation-Justification Reports
1- Introduction
2- Body (Text or Discussion)
 Current State of Problem
 Effects and Cause of Problem
 Possible Options to Remove the Problem
 Criterion in Evaluating a Solution
 Recommended Solution
3- Terminal Section
 Brief Summary of major points and the
recommendations.

4- Organizational Plans
ANALYTICAL MEMORANDUM
REPORTS
Recommendation-Justification Reports
4 - Organizational Plans
Know the wishes of your report requester : Does he or she
want the recommendation up front or near the end? Most
prefer upfront.
Recommendation justification reports may be organized one
of two ways in the following examples,
Memo Report (deductive) and
Memo Report (inductive) can be used if the reader
may react negatively toward a recommendation; in
that case,
present your facts first,
then the recommendation.
Letter Reports
Letter Reports - Informational and
Analytical Reports
 Informational Letter Reports
 Analytical Letter Reports
 A letter report is simply a report in letter form; it is
often used when sending information to a reader
outside your organization.
Letter Reports -
Informational and Analytical
Reports
Letter report formats are similar to traditional
business letters, more often sent to persons
outside the organization.
It includes
 Date
 Inside Address
Salutation
Body
Complimentary Close
Signature
Reference Section
Letter Reports
Often the letter report has a subject line, usually
placed a line or two below the salutation.

It may have two purposes: informational or

analytical.

The general format of the letter report is like that

of a letter. Its body (text, discussion) requires
some special qualities.
Letter Reports format
 The first paragraph may include some of the
following elements found in an introduction:
Pleasant greeting and authorization (mention date
and name of person making request. Purpose, aim
(always)
Problem, issues (if problem exists)
Conclusions, statement of results (optional)
Layout, road map, plan of presentation (depends on
length of report).
Letter Reports format
The middle paragraphs of the text should present

objectively. without emotional appeals, all pertinent

facts both favorable and unfavorable.
 Sources and methods should be mentioned along

with emphasis on findings or results.

 Headings, visual aids also included wherever

desirable.
Letter Reports format
 3. The last paragraph brings the letter report to a
pleasant, friendly close, as for letters. If you need to
conclude or recommend, do so just before the last
paragraph. If appropriate, offer to discuss further or to
come to the readers office.
 End politely, show a willingness to respond to further

questions or to meet if that is desirable.

LETTER REPORTS
Informational and Analytical
 Check List- Analytical Memorandum
 Introduction
 Determine whether you are recommend a solution or simply
analysis a series of alternatives.
 Determine whether your reader desires the deductive or the
inductive approach to reports.
 Body
 Use the suggestions for the Seven “C” Principles.
 Paragraphs should be about seven typed lines in length.
 Use a structure similar to the traditional problem solution
format.
 Terminal Section
To be continued
Check List- Analytical Memorandum
 Terminal Section
a. If you are asked for more than one conclusion or
recommendation, number them.
Be Logical
b. If your evidence is well thought out, your
conclusions should logically follow from that
evidence.

c. If you know or do not know the receivers of your

report, end with courtesy: You would be
willing to meet for further oral discussions.
Parts of Report
A good report has the following parts
Title
Table of Contents
Abstract/executive summary
Introduction
Main sections
Conclusions
References
How to Write a Good
Report
.
Contents
What makes a good report?
Clarity and Structure
Figures and Tables
Technical Issues
Further reading
Conclusions
 The purpose....

The report exists to provide the reader with useful

information

It succeeds if it effectively communicates the

information to the intended audience

It fails otherwise!!

 To succeed...
The report must be
Clear
 Well structured, clear, concise, suitable for the proposed
audience
Professional
 statistically correct, correctly spelled, produced with a
decent word processor
Well illustrated
 illustrations that aid understanding, incorporated with text
The audience
Often 3 different audiences

The casual reader/big boss who wants the main

message as painlessly as possible

The interested reader who wants more detail but

doesn’t want to struggle with all the pleasant
technical details

The guru (expert) who wants the whole story

What to do?
To address all 3 audiences effectively,

Include an abstract for the big boss

A main body for the interested non-specialist

A technical preface for the leader

Structure
Good structure enhances and encourages clarity

Gives indication

implements the essential principle

tell them what you are going to say

tell them what you have said

Structure: details
A good report has the following parts
Title
Table of Contents
Abstract/executive summary
Introduction
Main sections
Conclusions
References
 Title
Title Should be informative, “effective”.
Good
Diagnosing diabetes mellitus: how to test, who to
test, when to test (dramatic, informative)

Bad
Performing round off analyses of statistical
algorithms (boring, unclear) unclear
Table of Contents
Shows the structure of the document and lets the
reader navigate through the sections

Include for documents more than a few pages

long.
Abstract/executive summary

Describes the problem and the solution in a few

sentences. It will be all the big boss reads!

Remember the 2 rules

Keep it short
State problem and solution
The Introduction

State the question, background the problem

Describe similar work

Outline the approach

Describe the contents of the rest of the paper

Further sections
Describe

Data

Methods

Analyses

Findings

Don’t include too much technical detail

Divide up into sections, subsections

Conclusions/summary
Summarize what has been discovered

Repeat the question

Give the answer

Appendix
This is where the technical details go

Be as technical as you like

Document your analysis so it can be reproduced

by others
Include the data set if feasible
References
Always quote (i.e. give a reference) to other

related work or facts/opinions that you quote

Never pass off the work of others as your own –

this is plagiarism and is a very big academic

crime!!
Writing clearly
 Structure alone is not enough for clarity – you must

also write clear sentences.

 Rules:

 Write complete short sentences

 Avoid terminology and formula, struggle for simplicity

 One theme per paragraph

 If a sentence contains maths, it still must make sense!

Maths
Good

From the equation y ax  b it follows that

x ( y  b) / a.
Bad

y ax  b x ( y  b) / a
Figures and Tables (Floats)
Golden rules for Figures and Tables:

Describe float in text (integration), make sure

it matches description
Place after the first mention in the text
Make sure float conveys the desired message
clearly: keep it simple!
Provide informative description
Technical Issues

Sectioning

Table of Contents

Spelling and Grammar

Choice of word processor

Sectioning
Proper division of your work into sections and

subsections makes the structure clear and the

document easy to follow
Use styles in word/ sectioning commands in

begin{section}….\end{section}
Table of contents
Provides “navigation aid” (Direction , Finding)

Make sure Table Of Contacts agrees with main

body of text
If you use styles (Word) and sectioning

commands (Latex) this will happen automatically

Spelling and Grammar
 Use a style manual/dictionary if in doubt

 Spell check!!!!

 Proofread!!!!
Conclusions
Structure is very important

Write clearly

Good clear simple illustrations

Spellchecked and proofread

Reference all material used or quoted

 Thanks

WISH YOU ALL THE BEST