Agency Reports(within & joint)

TECHNICAL COMMUNICATONS Spring 2015 - Althoff

Lecture

06

Agency Reports - Basics

• _____________ on length of report• Often ‘single’ column• Format _____________…more variable than

peer-reviewed formats…mainly because so many agencies, so many “traditions”, so many “upgrades” always competing. Change in administrators and change in ‘need’ help account for such variability in format

• Type of data doesn’t have to be “________” as often is the case with peer-reviewed publications

a) can be same type of data reported for another agency (state, region, etc.)

b) can be annual in nature

Agency Reports - Basics

• Often there are “disclaimers” and “warnings”

_________________

We “ain’t” ready to standby any of this just yet…more analysis to come, more interpretation time isneeded…or this is just the start of the data collection and wewon’t stake our reputationon it yet…nor base anymanagement decisionsolely on this report.

____________________

Use of these data and/or citing of this informationwithout the “express written consent” of theagency is blah-blah-blah.

Agency Reports – Basics…con’t

• Typical to include LITERATURE CITED section but references listed not restricted to “peer-reviewed publications” a) within-agency reports often cited (last

year’s report, year before that report,etc.) b)

memos sometimes referenced

Gray Literature

• “Gray” because it has not been through the filtering process of “______________” review by the scientific community. In other words, no one outside the agency has clearly been asked to judge the merits of the following prior to publication/ release/completion of the report:

a) methods (including soundness of field protocols, data integrity)

b) interpretation/conclusions

i.e.,

Gray Literature…con’t• ________________ automatically mean the

work is suspect—in fact, it is often good. However, the conciseness and/or thoroughness of the writing (________) and analysis and interpretation of the data (__________) can be and should be taken with the proverbial “______________”

• Also, inclusion of gray literature starts to self-perpetuate itself…and often does end up in the “black-and-white” (i.e, peer-reviewed) literature.

Agency Reports – Basics…con’t

• ___________________ are common

• Appendices often contain raw data

• Appendices often include the data forms used in the field and/or the survey forms used (i.e., creel survey, opinion surveys, etc.)—extremely helpful for the “next guy”

Covers - First Page

• Variable

• Some all “words”

• Often contain agency logo

• Often acknowledge as special project and/or source of funding

Major Sections

• Many times, major headings match those of a journal article

• METHODS one of 2 basic varieties:a) very detailedb) very skimpy (“see last year’s report)

• Data “treatment” one of 2 basic varieties a) just summary (no statistical treatment)b) mix of summary & statistical treatment

• RESULTS and DISCUSSION sections often do not give “full treatment” of existing peer-review literature.

Some “__________” Format Items

• In general, “anything” goes• Bullets “ok”• Numbering of “points” (see bat report for Pennsylvania Game

Commission)ex. 1. weigths

2. heights 3. girths

vs.

1) weigths, 2) heights, and 3) girths….

• Vertical lines in tables (easy to drop in from EXCEL file…

Bottomline….

• These types of reports are important (write up your field/lab work….regardless how “small” or “insignificant” you perceive it to be).

• These types of reports serve as a ‘diary’ in many cases….and the ___________ one writes them up the more accurate the methods section and ‘recollection’ of details observed in the field that might apply to data interpretation

• There should be ‘________’ documentation considering the amount of resources (equipment, travel, personnel, etc.) you and others put into collecting the data.