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

3. Report Formats Letter format Memo 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 Prepared forms
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. Organizing Report Data
Indirect Strategy
Problem
Facts
Discussion
Recommendations
Direct Strategy
Problem
Recommendations
Facts
Discussion

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.

26. End