What the hell is a “Report” ? ENGL 3365

Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke “Informal” Reports Can be a few paragraphs to a few pages Generally provide information on small-scale projects (projects that are routine, or small parts of a large project) They’re “informal” because they generally communicate to organizational insiders (NOT because they use an informal tone, informal grammar, etc) Generally include only the MOST essential elements of a report (things that EVERY report has)

Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke ESSENTIAL report elements: An introduction  WHAT does the report talk about?  WHAT can the report help the reader ACCOMPLISH? A body  WHAT are the important details? A Conclusion  what do the details MEAN for the reader?  HOW does this information affect their job?  EVERY report should help make the reader’s job EASIER Recommendations (if action is needed)  what should the audience DO?  what will you do or HAVE YOU DONE to help the audience?

Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke An Introduction States the subject AND THE GOAL of the report Tells the audience WHY THEY SHOULD READ Summarizes conclusions and recommendations  Useful introductions give ESSENTIAL information at a glance  Useful introductions CLEARLY state the main point of the report by giving the practical report goals  EVERY report should have a VERY CLEAR and CONCISE “STATEMENT OF PURPOSE”  You MUST SAY WHY the audience should read the report  “This will _____ so that you can _____.” USE IT !!!!

Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke A Body Presents an ORGANIZED account of subject & goal  The document organization MUST match the audience’s reading needs and constraints Has a USEFUL amount of detail  The level of detail MUST match the audience’s knowledge of the subject Gives details RELEVANT to the statement of purpose  Remember that every useful report practically helps the audience to save time, save effort, etc to do their job more effectively – so CLEARLY match EVERY detail to this !

Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke A Conclusion Summarizes the main points Tells readers WHAT IS IMPORTANT about the main points  Remember that every report has a practical goal of helping the audience to save time, save effort, etc to do their job more effectively – so REALLY CLEARLY RESTATE the “statement of purpose” and connect any concluding recommendations to this specific report goal

Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke Recommendations Not always included in informal reports, or often combined with the conclusions Describes a COURSE OF ACTION  The recommendations describe what you think the audience should do to accomplish this practical goal, OR WHAT YOU CAN DO OR HAVE DONE to help the audience to save time, save effort, etc to do their job more effectively

Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke Specific informal report genres… Trouble reports  Identify precise details of an incident  List injuries or property damage  State a cause of the accident  Describe how to prevent in the future Investigative reports  Begin with a statement of the information the writer looked for  Define the extent of the investigation  Present the findings, interpretations, conclusions, and recommendations

Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke …continued Progress and periodic reports  Inform about the status of an ongoing project AND highlight your hard work at making important things happen smoothly  Explain adjustments in scheduling, budgeting, etc AND explain precisely how this will affect the reader(s)  Highlight possible problems AND explain how you’ll prevent them Trip reports  Include the destination and dates of the trip  Explain the who, what, and why of the trip  State findings and recommendations based on the purpose of the trip Test reports  State the purpose of the test and procedures used to conduct the test  Indicate the results of the test and interpretations

Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke “Formal” Reports Written accounts of MAJOR projects or issues Can be a few to several hundred pages Can be called feasibility studies, annual reports, research reports, analytical reports… Communicate to organizational outsiders Designed to address more than one audience Contain three GENERAL parts…

Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke …the front matter, which can include: Title page Abstracts Table of contents List of figures List of tables Foreword Preface List of abbreviations and symbols

Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke …the body, which can include: Executive summary Introduction Text detail (including headings, tables, illustrations, and references) Conclusions Recommendations Explanatory footnotes Works cited/references

Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke …and back matter, which can include: Appendixes Bibliography Glossary Index

Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke In this course, you will: Create both informal and formal reports Decide for yourself how to organize these reports Decide for yourself how to tailor these reports to specific audiences Decide for yourself how to design these reports to achieve specific goals Learn and Practice some really effective AUDIENCE ANALYSIS skills and habits