Report Writing

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Report Writing
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Report Writing

• Written to investigate problems and possibly
  solve them.
• Can be internal and/or external.
• Written for multiple audiences.
• Can be triggered at a number of levels.

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Process of Writing
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Report Writing is Structure

• Overview comes first, then details and support
• Organizational problem and the report's purpose
  drive its structure
• Data is presented in tables and other visuals
• Labeling devices help readers navigate the report

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Keep the Audience in Mind

• the level of formality (in structure and tone) of
  your report
• the length of the report
• what kinds of data to include (tables, figures,
  general graphs, or pictures)
• how much to explain
• what positions to defend
• the visual sophistication required

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Recommendation Report

• A recommendation report is written when several
  courses of action seem possible, while a
  feasibility report is done after a tentative
  decision has been reached.

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Recommendation Report

• Executive Summary Problem Highlights
  Recommendation
• Introduction
• Organization problem
• This reports scope and approach
• Recommendations
• Discussion of Alternatives
• Background
• Criteria used for evaluation
• Application of criteria to each of the
  alternatives
• Rationale for recommendations forwarded
• Conclusion and Recommendations
• Reference and supporting documents?