Report Writing

1
Report Writing

• Presentation by Sarah LaDow

2
Purpose of a Report

• Reports function as a part of a cycle of emerging
  problems, decisions, and solutions.
• Report writing is used to spur action.

3
Structure of a Report

• Overview frame the big picture first
• identify the occasion, the organizational
  problem, and the report's purpose
• -- highlight the structure of the report
• -- use visual organizers (table of contents if
  formal table if informal)
• Solution, recommendations, or conclusions
• Details to support the answers you present

4
Sections of a Report

• Each section moves from its general position to
  explanation
• opening sections orient non-specialized readers
• discussion and appendices provide detail for
  specialized readers

5
Paragraphs of a Report

• Paragraphs, too, move from point to support
• a general point is made in the first sentence
• support for the point follows

6
Project Plans

• Project plan completed by the group undertaking
  the project to detail the specifics of work,
  resources, schedules and deadlines
• They may be used to
• Share understanding of audiences needs
• Propose an activity to document
• Assign timelines and identify resources

7
Project Plan Organization and audience

• The plan is organized often in memo style if
  informal, and with a table of contents if formal.
  
• The document will have multiple audiences

8
Project Plan Title Page and Table of Contents

• Identification of the documenttitle page with
  authors names and date
• Table of Contents should provide the heading
  from the report and the page number where it
  begins

9
Project Plan Overview/Executive Summary

• The executive summary is crucialafter all, the
  boss might only read the summary.
• It should contain
• Purpose statement
• Brief description of the process or system
  proposed for documentation
• Brief justification for proposed documentation
• List of primary users and user categories
• Overall goals of the proposed document(s)
• List of the main print and online components of
  the proposed documentation

10
Project Plan Audience definition

• The audience definition section should
• Be based on field observations
• It should
• identify a target audience (primary audience)
• identify secondary audiences
• Discuss obstacles users face
• discuss how the user works with information

11
Project Plan documentation proposal

• This is where you tell what you are planning to
  accomplish.
• It should
• Justification for proposed documentation based on
  the data from audience analysis, field
  observations, and internet researach
• Provide a brief document outlineonly a rough
  sense of the documentations projected content
  and organization

12
Project Plan extant documentation

• In the Relationship to extant documentation, you
  will need to explain what types of documentations
  already exist, and how yours is different,
  better, etc.

13
Project Plan Resource personnel and your needs
within the company

• Your needs within the company
• What needs do you anticipate your group will
  have? Do you need certain equipment? Software?

• Resource personnel
• Defines who you are and the capabilities of the
  group members

14
Project Plan Schedules and milestones

• Should write out what will appear in a grpahical
  chartgantt/pert that indicates milestones for
  the project
• Documents types and delivery dates
• Tests Types and delivery dates
• Edits types and dates

15
Project Plan budgets/resources

• What resources do you need? What is the projected
  cost?

16
Project Plan Computers and other equipment

• What computers or equipment do you need to write
  the documentation and to do the usability testing

17
Project Plan Software/Hardware

• Is there any special software or hardware you
  will need for the documentation and testing?

18
Project Plan Appendices

• Field notes
• Description of similar sties and their
  documentation resources. Find at least three
  other sites similar to the Writing Center.
  Describe their documentation. Also, find at
  least three sites with documentation similar to
  yours. Describe their documentation.
• Audience Analysis Worksheet
• Gantt/pert chart

19
Tables and Visuals

• Use general depictions such as pie charts and bar
  graphs to nonspecialist busy readers.

• Use more detailed depictions of datasuch as data
  tables, flow charts, and wiring diagramsfor
  specialized readers.

20
2 Types of Report Readers

• Skeptical Readers will
• study your conclusions
• question your assumptions
• look for proof of your claims
• need to be convinced that there is a problem or
  need and that it is significant enough to warrant
  treatment
• need to be convinced that you are a credible
  source

21
2 Types of Report Readers

• Busy Readers will
• skim your report, rarely reading from beginning
  to ending
• scan the report to determine its overall argument
  or to find specific sections of interest
• require clear and specific headings (and other
  kinds of visual guides)
• begin reading in any major section and should be
  able to follow your line of thought

22
Ten Tips for Better Report Writing

• Be a client advocate (or, the customer always
  comes first)
• --Be honest
• --Give them all the facts
• --Be sure of the benefit before recommending a
  course of action

23
Ten Tips for Better Report Writing

• 2) Have something worth saying (or, research
  matters)
• --Are the information and analysis you provide
  worth the clients time and money?

• 3) Be wary of certainty
• --Suggestions that are 100 sure are suspicious
• --Be a skeptical researcher and writer
• --Dont trust any single source

24
Ten Tips for Better Report Writing

• 4) Back up what you say
• --Do you have enough evidence to support your
  recommendation?
• --Is your evidence convincing?
• --Do you prove what you claim?

• 5) Be visual
• -- Use tables, figures, charts, diagrams,
  formatted/bulleted lists, clear and specific
  headings
• -- Use words sparingly

25
Ten Tips for Better Report Writing

• 6) Put important things first, less important
  things last
• --Arrange information in order of importance to
  your client/reader.
• --Delete irrelevant information.
• --Put relevant but secondary information in an
  attached appendix.

• 7) Provide summaries
• --Provide a synopsis of the entire report on
  page 1
• --From the start, tell the reader what the main
  point is, what problem/question the report is
  addressing, and what your main conclusions and
  recommendations are

26
Ten Tips for Better Report Writing

• 8) Avoid generic headings and labels
• -- Label things clearly, concisely, and
  accurately
• --Be descriptive in your labeling

• 9) Sweat the details
• --Edit and proofread carefully
• -- Misspellings, grammatical glitches,
  sloppiness, smudgesall these things detract from
  your professional image

27
Ten Tips for Better Report Writing

• 10) Check for format consistency
• --Are all the first-level headings formatted the
  same way? The second-level headings?
• -- Is spacing between paragraphs and between
  sentences consistent throughout the report
• -- Are all the figures and tables labeled
  appropriately (typically, figures below, tables
  above)?