Basics of Report Writing-lasikar & Flatley

8/6/2019 Basics of Report Writing-lasikar & Flatley

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BASICS OF REPORT WRITING

Lesikar & Flatley

Chapter


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Defining reports

Orderly

Objective

Communicate factual information

Serves a business purpose


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Report purpose

Identify a problem/need

Clarify problem

Preliminary investigation

statement of the problem

Forces you to think it through


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Examples of problem statement

Infinitive phrase:

To determine the causes of

decreasing sales at Store X


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Question:

What are the causes ofdecreasing sales at Store X


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Declarative statement:

Store X sales aredecreasing, and

management wants to

know why.


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Determining 3 Problem Factors

Subtopics

overall topic that report covers

Hypotheses

must be tested

comparisons problems,bases on which comparisons are

made.


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subtopics for Problem statement

To review operations of Company Xfrom Jan 1 through March 31

ProductionSales & promotion

Financial status

Computer systems

Product development

Human resources


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Hypothesis for Problem statement:

PROBLEM STATEMENT:

Sales in the Springfield store

have declined &management wants to know

why


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Activities of the competitionhave caused the decline

Changes in the economy of

the area have caused thedecline


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Merchandising deficiencieshave caused the decline

Changes in the environment

(population shifts, political actions,etc) have caused the decline.


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Hypotheses critique

Each one of the hypothesesmentioned are testable

Next step : determine how you

would test it.methodology


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Bases for Comparison

To determine whether Y

companys new centerlocation should be built in

City A, City B, or City C


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Availability of skilled workers

Tax structure

Community attitude


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Transportation facilities

Nearness to market

Note:

Each of the above can bebroken down further


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Gathering information

Person to person

(interviews)

Experiments or surveys (primary data)

Library research

(secondary information)

Internet search


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Interpreting the findings

Report the facts as they are

conclusions are not alwaysneeded

A lack of evidence is not proofto the contrary


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Dont compare

non-comparable data

avoid illogical cause & effect

conclusions


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Check for unreliable ornon-representative data

Dont over simplify


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Ethical attitudes & practices

Judicial attitude

Consult with others

Test your interpretationsAsk yourself: are these reasonable

Make opposite interpretation,

then compare to the currentinterpretationwhich one is stronger


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Statistical tools in interpretation

Descriptive statistics

Consider what client wants to

know

Dont confuse or overwhelm

Consider the actual problemState it plainly


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organizing report information

Why outline?

Group & order

Differentiate topics & subtopics

Identify Supporting points

Hierarchy / prioritizing


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Types of outlines

Conventional systems

Decimal systems


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Conventional systems

I.

A.

B. 1.

2.

(1)

a.

II.


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Decimal system

1.0

1.1

1.2

1.2.1 1.2.2

1.2.2.1

1.2.2.1.1. 1.2.2.1.1.1.

2.0


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Other considerations: outlining info

Organizing by DIVISION

(p. 303)

Division by conventional relation(p. 303)

Combination & Multiple division

(p. 305)


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From outline to Table of Contents

Content

Formatting

Talking vs. Generic Headings

Parallelism

Conciseness

Variety of expression


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Writing the report

First draft

Clear, concise,

Edit-revise-proofread


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Writing the report

Beginning & Ending

Objectivity

Believability-personal-impersonal

Consistency

Transitions

Bridging across

Attracting & maintaining Interest


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The end

Basics of Report Writing-lasikar & Flatley

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