ummarizes findings and executes the report through narrative and visual/graphic forms
- 1. WRITING VARIOUS REPORTS •Reports are part of our lives—starting from school reports through news reports on TV and Radio to many kinds of reports we are required to submit in the course of our work.
- 2. •From time to time, the Government sets up committees and commissions to report on various issues of social, political, and economic importance.
- 3. •There are various Parliamentary committees such as Committee on Human Resources, Committee on Agriculture, Committee on Industry, Committee on Science & Technology, Committee on Environment & Forests, and so on are set up to discuss, analyze, and report on various matters pertaining to the respective Ministries.
- 4. •Such committees meet from time to time, work out a detailed plan to conduct surveys and collect data from various sources, and finally submit their findings and recommendations in the form of a technical report.
- 5. WHAT IS A REPORT? • It is a major form of technical/business/professional communication. In writing a report, a person who possesses certain facts, ideas, or suggestions useful for courses of action transmits this information to another person who wants to use it. • A report can be the description of an event by a person who witnessed it to somebody else who was not actually present on the scene.
- 6. • • It can be the description of the conditions that did exist, that do exist, or that are likely to exist. In short, we can say that a report is usually a piece of factual writing, based on evidence, containing organized information on a particular topic and/or analysis of that topic. • • It is formal in nature and is written for a specific purpose and audience. It discusses the topic in depth and contains conclusions and recommendations if required.
- 7. TYPES OF REPORT •• The informal report functions to inform, analyze, and recommend. •• It usually takes the form of a memo, letter or a very short international document like a monthly financial report, monthly activities report, research and development report, etc. Informal Report
- 8. • • This report differs from the formal report in length and formality. • • It is written according to organization style and rules, but usually does not include the preliminary (front) and supplemental (back) material. • • The informal report is usually more controversial in tone and typically deals with everyday problems and issues addressed to a narrow readership inside the organization.
- 9. Types of Informal Report • There are many embodiments of the informal report: • ▪ Progress report • ▪ Sales activity report • ▪ Personnel evaluation • ▪ Financial report • ▪ Feasibility report • ▪ Literature review • ▪ Credit report
- 10. Formal Report • • The formal report is the collection and interpretation of data and information. • • The formal report is complex and used at an official level. • • It is often a written account of a major project. • Examples of subject matter include new technologies, the advisability of launching a new project line, results of a study or experiment, an annual report, or a year-old review of developments in the field.
- 11. Types of Formal Report They can be categorized as: ▪ Informational reports ▪ Analytical reports ▪ Recommendation reports
- 12. Informational Reports • Informational reports present results so readers can understand a particular problem or situation. •• Example: Manager of a city’s website might prepare an informational report for the city council, the report would provide statistics on the number of people who pay their city water and sewage bills online etc.
- 13. • Informational reports might: ➢ Present information on the status of current research or of a project. ➢ Present an update of the operation in your division. ➢ Explain how your organization or division does something. ➢ Present the results of a questionnaire or research.
- 14. Analytical Reports • • This type goes a step beyond presenting results. Analytical reports present results analyze those results, and draw conclusions based on those results. • • These reports attempt to describe why or how something happened and then to explain what it means. • • Like informational reports, analytical reports can be formal or informal.
- 15. •• Explain what cause a problem or situation – Present the results of a traffic study showing accidents at an intersection – the report explains what it means. •• Explain the potential results of a particular course of action. •• Suggest which option, action, or procedure is best.
- 16. Recommendation Reports •• This type advocates a particular course of action. This usually present the results and conclusions that support the recommendations. •• This type is identical to analytical report.
- 17. • For example, your analytical report suggests using treatment X is more efficient than treatments Y and Z. However, that does not mean that you will use treatment X as cost and other considerations might recommend treatment Y. • What should we do about a problem? • Should we or can we do something? • Should we change the method or technology we use to do something?
- 18. OBJECTIVES OF REPORTS The purposes for which reports are written vary widely. Given below are some important purposes of reports: • To present a record of accomplished work (Project report) • To record an experiment (primary research report/laboratory report)
- 19. • To record research findings or technical specifications (a report on the details of a new product) • To document schedules, timetables, and milestones (a report on a long-term plan) • To document current status (an inspection report) • To record and clarify complex information for future reference (a report on policies and procedures)
- 20. • To present information to a large number of people (annual report) • To present organized information on a particular topic (a report describing the working of various divisions of an organization) • To recommend actions that can be considered in solving certain problems. (recommendatory report)
- 21. •Understanding the function of each section will help you to structure your information and use the correct writing style. Reports for different briefs require different sections, so always carefully check any instructions you have been given
- 22. STRUCTURE OF REPORTS • A key feature of reports is that they are formally structured in sections. The use of sections makes it easy for the reader to jump straight to the information they need. • Unlike an essay which is written in a single narrative style from start to finish, each section of a report has its own purpose and will need to be written in an appropriate style to suit – for example, the methods and results sections are mainly descriptive, whereas the discussion section needs to be analytical.