Report Writing Guide

Business Communication

Report Writing

Gurudutt R. Kamath

How We Communicate3

• CVs, Resumes

• Email, Web site, FAQs

• Letters, Newsletters, Brochures, Articles, Catalogs

• Advertisements, Notice Board, Pamphlets, Signs, Press Release

• Presentations, multimedia, talks

• Reports, Manuals, Proposals, Books

Which Reports?

Annual Reports

Sales Reports

Feasibility Reports

Inspection Reports

Audit Reports

Progress Reports

White Papers

Technical Writing Reports

Proposals

User Manuals

Technical Manuals

White Papers

Classification of Reports

Formal Reports and Informal Reports

Information Reports

Analytical Reports

Recommendation Reports

5 Steps to Report Writing1

1. Define the problem

2. Gather the necessary information

3. Analyze the information

4. Organize the information

5. Write the report

Organizing Reports

Comparison/contrast

Problem-solution

Elimination of alternatives

General to particular

Geographic or spatial

Functional

Chronological

Words, Words, Words

UK English and US English • International English and Indian English

Denotation and Connotation

• Let me know when you’re free next week for a meeting.

• Could you let me know what times you have free?

Tone

• Terry is hung up on trivial details.

• Terry is meticulous and takes care of details that others sometimes ignore.

Writing Style

Brief writing style

• Omit needless words

• Combine sentences

• Rewrite

• Campus Jewelers’ main objective is to increase sales. Specifically, the objective is to double sales in the next five years by becoming a more successful business.

• Campus Jewelers’ objective is to double sales in the next five years.

We do IT in Style!

Chicago Manual of Style

Elements of Style by Strunk & White

Dictionary

Microsoft Manual of Style

AMA Style Guide

Anatomy of a Report

Cover Page

Title Page

Letter of Transmittal

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations

Executive Summary

Report Body

Report Body

Introduction • Purpose and Scope;Limitations, Assumptions,

and Methods

Background/History of the Problem Body

• Presents and interprets data

Conclusions and Recommendations References or Works Cited Appendixes

• Interview transcripts, questionnaires, question tallies, printouts, and previous reports

Letter of Transmittal

Background

Summarize conclusions and recommendations

Minor problems. Thank those who helped.

Additional research necessary

Thank the reader. Offer to answer questions.

Sales Proposal2

Budget

Objectives

Strategy and Tactics

Schedule

Results

Closing

Document Design

Use no more than 5 fonts.

Use no more than 5 colors.

Use glossy paper.

Use white space.

Use templates.

Use parallelism.

Avoid double emphasis.

Reference

1. Business Communication, Kity O Locker and Stephen Kyo Kaczmarek, 2004

2. “A Decent Proposal” by John Fellows, www.sellingpower.com, 2002

3. Better Business Writing, The Sunday Times

Scientific

Communication

Gurudutt R. Kamath

Scientific Papers

Publish to complete research

Communicate well to be published

How to Write a Paper1

(3rd edition) • Edited by George M Hall

(BywordViva)

Scientific Writing: Easy when you know how

Why Publish?1

Readers can

• Assess the observations you make

• Repeat the experiment if they wish

• Determine whether the conclusions drawn are justified by the data

IMRAD

(Abstract – brief summary)

Introduction – What question was asked?

Methods – How was it studied?

Results – What was found?

And

Discussion – What do the findings mean?

Introduction

Why you have undertaken the study?

Clarify what your work adds

Keep it short

Make sure you are aware of earlier studies

Convince the reader

Don’t baffle the reader

Methods

Study Design

• Who, what, why, when, and where?

• Randomisation, blind assessment

• Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Analysis of the Data

• What hypothesis was tested?

Results

What was found?

Organize the presentation

Avoid

• The results are presented in tables X-Z and in figures A-C.

Differentiate clearly between data and results

Republishing figures (copyright)

Discussion – So What?

Summary of the field of enquiry • We conclude …

• This study found …

• Context of literature studied

Finishing off • Perhaps …

• Possibly …

• More research is needed …

• Here’s another problem solved

Conclusion to be backed up by data

Acknowledgements

General Points

Instructions to Authors

Wrong length • 400 word abstract

• 600 word length

Audience • Generalist

• Specialist

Structure and Format • Words

• Structure

Titles

Interesting, concise, precise, not misleading, informative, descriptive, and appropriate for classification

Developing a title in 4 steps – Lileyman, 1988, p441

• Nuclear reprocessing, radiation exposure, and childhood leukaemia: an epidemiological study

Abstracts

200-300 words

Structured

• Context, objectives, design, setting, participants, interventions, main outcome measures, results, and conclusions

References

Foundation on which the work is built

Large number • Read review articles

• Take Expert help

Vancouver and Harvard formats • Numbered consecutively (1)

• Name of the author (Year)

Sloppy – reviewers will …

Uniform Requirements

• Double spacing Margins (25 mm)

• Sequence • Title, abstract, key words, text, acknowledgement,

references, tables, legends to figures

• IMRAD

• New page – section, table

• Permissions (previous material)

• Required number of copies Electronic copy

Style

Clear, Accurate, Concise

Short sentences, simple words, simple structures

Jargon only if required.

Noun clusters Obstetric complication frequency

Frequency of obstetric complications

Say Who did What We compared the treatment group ...

More Style

Avoid This, these, he, she, or it

• If the baby does not thrive on raw milk, boil it.

Make comparisons clear (subgroup or

whole population)

• More women were alive five years after diagnosis.

• More women [than men] were alive five years after diagnosis.

Simple Words1

before prior to

more than in excess of

depends on is dependentant upon

also additionally

indicates is indicative of

Say What You Mean

After five days, the symptoms had improved.

After five days, the symptoms had abated.

Dermatitis is less often diagnosed …

Dermatitis was less prevalent …

…symptoms are not well correlated with clinical disease severity.

…symptoms are not related to disease severity.

House Style

Director General or director general

Beta-carotene or ß carotene

Moslem or Muslim

Mumbai or Bombay

Some Tips

Instructions to authors

Study a few model papers, letters

Read it out aloud

Spell-check finally and Proof-read (missing not, or note)

References

1. How to Write a Paper (3rd edition)

Edited by George M Hall (BywordViva)

2. Scientific Writing: Easy when you know how

Jennifer Peat, Elizabeth Elliott, Louise Baur, Victoria Keena

3. Science & Technical Writing General Editor Philip Rubens (Foundation)

4. Scientific Style and Format (6th edition)

Council of Biology Editors (life sciences, physical sciences, mathematics)

References

Gurudutt Kamath

Documenting Sources

Convincing research • Site sources (out of thin air)

List of references • Collect them as you go along

What? • Quotes, ideas, numbers, facts, graphics,

statistics, tables1

• Websites, webpages, documents, pamphlets, film or video recording, CD-ROM, newspaper articles, songs, TV or radio programs, personal correspondence, email.

Author-year and citation-sequence

Documentation Style

Chicago Manual of Style • Different situations, languages, subjects

APA (American Psycological Assn) • Publication Manual of the American

Pscyhological Association, 5th ed. (2001)

CBE (Council of Science Editors) • Scientific Style and Format: The CBE Manual

for Authors, Editors, and Publishers, 6th ed. (1994)

MLA (Modern Language Assn) • MLA Handbook for Writers of Research

Papers, 6th ed. (2003)

In-text Citations (APA)

Our study reports a significant rise in HIV cases in south Africa in one year (Brindle, 2000).

Our study reported a 12.2% rise in HIV cases in only one year (Brindle, 2000, p. 843)

Brindle (2000) reports a significant …

(Wu, Gyno, Young & Reims, 2003)

As reported by Wu, Gyno, Young & Reims (2003) …

(Wu et al., 2003) or As reported by Wu et al. (2003)

In-text Citations (APA)

(National Science Foundation [NSF], 2004)

(NSF, 2004)

Studies have shown … (Johnson & Smith, 2001; Tamili, 2002; Hinson & Kim, 2004).

Bathers (personal communication, December 5, 2003)

References (APA)1

Houghton, J. (1997). Global warming: The complete briefing (2nd ed). Cambridge, MA: Cambridge UP.

Kadlecek, M. (1991). Global climate change could threaten U.S. wildlife. Conservationist 46 (1), 54-55

Sherwood, K, & Ido, C. (2003). Is the global warming bubble about to burst? Retrieved March 4, 2004, from the World Wide Web: http://www.co2science.org/edit/v6_edit/ v6n37edit.htm

Citation-Sequence (CBE) 1

This bacteria has been shown2 to …

Several studies 3-8, 10 have …

Several studies (3-8, 10) have …

Reference List (order of citation)

Less disruptive vs refer to back for author, source

References

1. Technical Communication Today by Richard Johnson-Sheehan, 2005

2. Chicago Manual of Style

Business Communication

Letters & Email

Gurudutt R. Kamath

Correspondence Costs Money1

Dartnell Institute, 10-minute message

• $13.60

• $20.52

Plan, compose, revise 1-page letter

• 54 minutes

Average Proposal (engg firm)

• $500,000

• $1,000,000

Rwitgin wastes time and damages relationships.

Making Messages Effective

Clear

Complete

Correct

Save reader’s time

Build good will

PAIBOC

Purpose

Audiences

Information

Benefits

Objections

Context

Audience

Writer

Initial audience

Gatekeeper

Primary audience

Secondary audience

Watchdog audience

Communicate across Cultures

Gender

Race and ethnicity

Regional and national origin

Social class

Religion

Age

Sexual orientation

Physical ability

Bias-free Communication

Managers and their wives will…

Managers and their spouses will…

Manpower – Personnel

Manhours – Hours or working hours

Manning – Staffing

Workman – Worker, employee, writer

Chairman – Chair, chairperson

Bias-free Communication

Plural nouns and pronouns • Supervisors must…their departments.

Use you. • You must work for your deparment.

Substitute with article or revise sentence • Supervisor...time sheet for the

department.

• The nurse will fill out the accident report.

Emails

Minutes a day - average worker?

49 minutes

Hours a day - top managers?

4 hours

Formats are still evolving

What % felt misunderstood (2000)?

51% (tone)

Subject

Be specific, concise, and catchy.

• 28 characters

• Will Attend 3 pm Meeting EOM

• Travel Plans for Sales Meeting

• Your Funding Request Approved

Body of the Email

Brief

Important points at the top

Bullets and numbering

Emphasize (NOT)

HTML (letterhead)

ASAP, BTW, FYI, IMHO

Smileys All rules of good writing

Mailing Lists

Your boss could be reading!

Posts are archived.

Avoid using company email address.

Avoid conversations (one liners).

Do not rush to lists.

Netiquette

Never flame.

Use FULL CAPS only to emphasize a word or two.

Send messages on a need basis.

Recipient’s work practice (one long or several short messages)

Quote briefly (B/A) while replying.

Attachments

References

1. Business Communication, Kity O Locker and Stephen Kyo Kaczmarek, 2004

2. Better Business Writing, The Sunday Times, 2002

3. Model Business Letters, E-mails & Other Business Documents (sixth edition), Shirley Taylor

Technical

Communication

Gurudutt R. Kamath

Importance

Improved productivity

Improved use of product

Increased safety

Legal protection

Reduces cost of training

Reduces support

Lesser chance of rejection

Audience3

Analysis • Surveys, questionnaires, structured interviews,

usability tests

Characteristics • Educational, professional background

• Knowledge, experience level

• English language

• Context

Objectives and Needs

Profile

Information Analysis

Purpose and Structure

Document Type Marketing

Conceptual, Procedural, Tutorial, Job Aid

Referential

Frequency and Pattern of Use

Textual Features

Textual Features

Overview, summary sections

Step-by-step instructions

Narrative explanations

Conceptual models, analogies, and/or examples

Figures, charts, and/or tables

Cross-references and/or navigation aids

Technical terminology, language conventions, and/or symbolic conventions

Media Characteristics

Articles – narrative Booklets – conversational Brochures – catchy Newsletters – journalistic Correspondence – formal, informal Manuals – action oriented Reports – formal and objective Help systems – action oriented Wizards – concise and action oriented Websites – catch and easy to use

Document Delivery

Print

Facsimile

Network

Floppy disk

FTP (file transfer protocol)

Email attachment

Website

Technical Writing Process

Writing Revising Editing Reviewing

Publishing

Writing Process

Document Plan • Audience

• Objective

• Media

• Resources

• Table of Contents

• Schedule

Outlining

Template

Revising Process

Objective

Complete

Flow

Language

Grammar, Spelling, and Punctuation

Graphics

Format

Consistency

Reviewing Process

Peer

Technical

Domain

Quality

Tools

Microsoft Outlook – email Microsoft Word – documents Microsoft Excel – spreadsheets Microsoft PaintBrush – drawings Adobe Acrobat – PDF Microsoft FrontPage – web pages Adobe FrameMaker – large, complex documents Adobe PageMaker – desktop publishing Adobe InDesign – desktop publishing XML editors Macromedia RoboHelp Macromedia Flash

Technical Writing Practices

• User Friendly

Appealing

Step-by-step instructions

Language and Style

• Easy to Refer

Contents

Headings/subheadings

Cross References

Index

Modular

• Easy to maintain

Modular, reusable

Right tools and templates

Language & Style

• Language

Parallelism

Grammar

Active/Passive Voice

You

• Style Guides

Consistency

House style

User Friendly Design

• Format and Structure

Headings, table of contents, cross-references, index

Templates

• Consistent

Headings, language, lists, cross-references, words

Structured Writing

• Lists

• Tables

• Graphics

• Instructions

• Tasks

• Concrete

Scenarios, Case Studies, Examples

Document Design

Balance

White space

Maximum of 5 fonts

• Serif fonts (Times) – paper

• Sans Serif fonts (Verdana) - online

Maximum of 5 colours

Style Guides

Chicago Manual of Style

• Grammar, References, Indexing, Punctuation

Microsoft Manual of Style

• Usages for the computer industry

Elements of Style

• Strunk & White

• Grammar and Punctuation

• Writing tips

• http://www.bartleby.com/141