Topics in This Chapter Chapter 11 Report and Research Basics Ch. 11, Slide 1 Ch. 11, Slide 2 Topics in This Chapter Understanding Report Essentials Ch. 11, Slide 3 Ch. 11, Slide 4 Ten Truths You Should Know About Reports Everyone writes reports. Most reports flow upward. Most business reports are informal. Ten Truths You Should Know About Reports Three formats are most popular: Memo (often with e-mail cover note) Letter format Manuscript format Reports differ from memos and letters. Reports have sections and headings within the body Today s reports take advantage of computer technologies. Ch. 11, Slide 5 Ch. 11, Slide 6
Report Sections & Headings Ten Truths You Should Know About Reports Section Heading Section DATE: ~~~~~~ TO: ~~~~~~ FROM: ~~~~~~ SUBJECT: ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Work in Progress ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Work Completed ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This is a memo format report Many reports are joint efforts. Ethical report writers interpret facts fairly. Writers impose organization on data. The writer is the reader s servant. Ch. 11, Slide 7 Ch. 11, Slide 8 Understanding Report Essentials Ch. 11, Slide 9 Types of Reports 1. Informational reports Present data without recommendations or analysis Usually direct organization 2. Analytical reports Presents data, analysis, analytical conclusions, and recommendations if requested Can be organized directly or indirectly Direct organization When readers are supportive Conclusions & recommendations up front Indirect organization - When readers are unfamiliar with issue Conclusions & recommendations are at end Ch. 11, Slide 10 Reports - Writing Styles Formal 3 rd person pronouns The researchers studied. No contractions can not Some passive voice Informal 1 st person pronouns We studied. Contractions OK can t Active voice Report Formats Letter format (Looks like a letter but has sections & headings) Memo format (Looks like a memo but has headings) Manuscript format (Like a school paper - has title page, table of contents, etc.) Printed forms (ex. - Shipping report designed by your company) Digital Ch. 11, Slide 11 Ch. 11, Slide 12
Customize Report for Desired Result Type Informational Analytical Organization Direct Indirect Format Letter Memo Manuscript Writing Style Formal Informal Audience Analysis and Report Organization The Direct Pattern The Indirect Pattern Ch. 11, Slide 13 Ch. 11, Slide 16 Letter Format Reports Looks like a business letter Headings and sections within body For external communication Longer than a business letter Short, informal report Page headers 1 st page letterhead 2 nd page through end name, page no., date Ch. 11, Slide 17 Informational Report Letter Format Tips for Letter Use letter format for short, informal reports sent to outsiders. Organize the facts section into logical divisions identified by consistent headings. Ch. 11, Slide 18 Informational Report Letter Format Tips for Letter Introductory paragraph without heading Single-space the body. Line-space between paragraphs. 2 line-spaces above heading, 1 line-space below heading. Ch. 11, Slide 19 Informational Report Letter Format Tips for Letter Create side margins of 1 to 1.25 inches. Add a second-page heading, if necessary, consisting of the addressee s name, the date, and the page number. Ch. 11, Slide 20
Memo Format Reports Looks like a memo Headings and sections within body For internal communication Use for repetitive data (i.e. monthly sales reports) Longer than a normal memo Short, informal report Memo format style Letterhead Date, To, From, Subject Ch. 11, Slide 21 Analytical Report Memo Format Tips for Memo Use memo format for short (ten or fewer pages) informal reports within an organization. Leave side margins of 1 to 1.25 inches. Sign your initials on the From line. Ch. 11, Slide 22 Analytical Report Memo Format Tips for Memo Introductory paragraph without heading Use an informal, conversational style. Put recommendations first for direct analytical reports and last for indirect analytical reports. Manuscript Format Report Looks like a school paper Organized in sections with headings For longer, more formal reports Proposals, Business Plan, etc. See Chapter 13 Begins with title or title page Sections e.g., Contents, Executive Summary, Introduction, Proposal,... Plain paper (no letterhead) Ch. 11, Slide 23 Ch. 11, Slide 24 Analytical Report Manuscript Format Elements of a Work Plan for a Formal Report Work plan useful for collaborative writing Statement of the problem Statement of the purpose, including scope, limitations, and significance Research strategy, including a description of potential sources and methods of collecting data Tentative outline that factors the problem into manageable chunks Work schedule Ch. 11, Slide 25 Ch. 11, Slide 27
Researching Report Data Gathering Information From Secondary Sources Print resources: Books card catalog, online catalog Periodicals print indexes, electronic indexes Ch. 11, Slide 28 Ch. 11, Slide 29 Gathering Information From Secondary Sources Electronic databases: LexisNexis Academic ABI/INFORM Factiva EBSCO Gathering Information From Primary Sources Surveys (for example, low-cost Web survey software, such as SurveyMonkey and Zoomerang) Interviews Observation and experimentation ABI/INFORM (ProQuest) search result Ch. 11, Slide 30 Ch. 11, Slide 31 Tips for Searching the Web Tips for Searching the Web Use two or three search tools. Know your search tool. Understand case sensitivity (generally use lowercase unless term is capitalized) Use nouns as search terms and up to eight words in a query. Combine keywords into phrases. Omit articles and prepositions. Use wild cards. Learn basic Boolean search strategies (AND, OR, NOT, ex. employee AND morale ) Bookmark the best Internet sites. Keep trying. Repeat your search a week later. Ch. 11, Slide 32 Ch. 11, Slide 33
Evaluating Web Sources Evaluating Web Sources Ch. 11, Slide 34 Ch. 11, Slide 35 Documenting Data Crediting sources: 1. Strengthens your argument 2. Protects you from charges of plagiarism 3. Instructs readers Documenting Data To avoid plagiarism, you must give credit whenever you use: Another person's ideas, opinions, examples, or theory Any facts, statistics, charts, and drawings that are not common knowledge Another person's exact spoken or written words Paraphrases of another person's spoken or written words Ch. 11, Slide 36 Ch. 11, Slide 37 Documenting Data Practice the fine art of paraphrasing: 1. Read the original material intently to comprehend its full meaning. 2. Write your own version without looking at the original. 3. Avoid repeating the grammatical structure of the original and merely replacing words with synonyms. 4. Reread the original to be sure you covered the main points but did not borrow specific language. Ch. 11, Slide 38 Two Documentation Formats Modern Language Association 1. Author s name and page (Smith 100) inserted in text 2. Complete references in Works Cited American Psychological Association 1. Author s name, date of publication, and page number inserted in text (Jones, 2011, p. 99) 2. Complete references listed at the end of the report in References See Appendix C for how to cite references in a Works Cited section Ch. 11, Slide 39
Creating Effective Visual Aids The functions of graphics are to: Clarify data Create visual interest Condense and simplify data Make numerical data meaningful Creating Effective Visual Aids Find the right graphic to fit the objective: Table to show exact figures and values Bar chart to compare related items Ch. 11, Slide 40 Ch. 11, Slide 41 Creating Effective Visual Aids Find the right graphic to fit the objective: Line chart to demonstrate changes in quantitative data over time Pie chart to visualize a whole unit and the proportion of its components Formatting Graphics All graphics must have a title or label (i.e. Figure 1: Monthly Income ) Refer to the graphic in the text (i.e. - As can be seen in Figure 1, income ) Locate the graphic on or near the page where it s discussed in the text Graphics can t intrude into margins, and look best when smaller than text width Insert line space above and below graphic. Ch. 11, Slide 42 Ch. 11, Slide 43 Creating Effective Visual Aids Creating Effective Visual Aids Find the right graphic to fit the objective: Flow chart to display a process or procedure Organization chart to define a hierarchy of elements Find the right graphic to fit the objective: Photograph, map, illustration to create authenticity, to spotlight a location, and to show an item in use By John S. Donnellan Ch. 11, Slide 44 Ch. 11, Slide 45
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