Business and Technical Report Writing

8/12/2019 Business and Technical Report Writing

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What is a report?

A R e p o r t i s a n a c c o u n t o f s o m e t h i n g i t i s u s u a l l y a n

a n s w e r t o a q u e s t i o n o r a d e m a n d f r o m s o m e o t h e r

p e r s o n f o r i n f o r m a t i o n .

A r e p o r t i s a c o m m u n i c a t i o n f r o m s o m e o n e w h o h a s

i n f o r m a t i o n , t o s o m e o n e w h o w a n t s t o u s e t h a t

i n f o r m a t i o n .

A t e c h n i c a l r e p o r t i s a w r i t t e n s t a t e m e n t o f t h e f a c t s o f

a s i t u a t i o n , p r o j e c t , p r o c e s s , o r t e s t ; h o w t h e s e f a c t s

w e r e a s c e r t a i n e d ; t h e i r s i g n i f i c a n c e ; t h e c o n c l u s i on t h a t

h a v e b e e n d r a w n f r o m t h e m ; t h e r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s t h a t

a r e b e i n g m a d e .


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A Report is a formal communication written for a specific

purpose; it includes a description of procedures followed for

collection and analysis of data, their significance, theconclusions drawn from them, and recommendations if

required.

As defined by Shearing and Christian:A report is like a bathing suit It covers everything that has

to be covered but nothing more

A business report is an orderly and objective presentation ofinformation, that helps in decision making and problem

solving


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Features of a Report It is a formal statement of facts or information or an account of something.

It is presented in a conventional form to meet a specific need or requirement.

It is not an outburst of powerful feelings or an expression of recollected emotions, nor

is it written because one feels an irresistible urge to unburden onesheart.

Report writer presents data very objectively.

Subjective judgements and recommendations should be based on data.

It is written for a specific audience.

In includes information about the procedure of collecting data and the significance of

such data.

It includes conclusions reached by the writer.

It often includes recommendations.

The conclusions and recommendations are strictly based on facts included in the

report.

It does not distract attention from the content by unnecassary frills.

It needs to be precise and clear.


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A report varies in purpose, length, format and complexity:

Purpose: (a) to inform (b) analyze (c) persuadeEg of Informative report: a report on company policies and

procedures, sales report, monthly departmental reports,

project reports showing progress on projects.

Eg of Informative and Analytical report: research reports suchas market research reports based on surveys.

Length, format & complexity:

purpose of the report determines the length, format andcomplexity.

Report quality is affected by quality and accuracy of the data.


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Formal reports are classified into three broad categories:

(i) Informational (ii) Interpretive (iii) routine

Informational report:

Result of an analysis, investigation of a problem, survey of a situation, or a piece

of research.

Contains only the data collected or the facts observed in an organised form.

Presents the situation as it is and not as it should be.

Does not contain conclusion or recommendation.

It is useful because it presents relevant data put together in a form in which it is

required by the management to take decision.


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DIFFERENT TYPES OF REPORTS:

1. Periodic Reports: reports that are prepared on a regular basis, for both

internal and external audiences. Their purpose is solely to inform.

Eg: Routine management reportsequipment reports, sales updates

Compliance reports: submitted to external stakeholders, such as government, stating

compliance with regulations such as environmental norms.

Progress report: prepared for both internal audience such as top management and shareholders,

as well as for external audiences such as customers. Eg: a project report stating progress on a

long-term project.

2. Proposals: their purpose is to persuade. Internal & external audience

Eg: research proposals, marketing strategy proposals to top management, proposals to the

government to grant funds for building a research facility, proposals to customers to buy a

companys products.

3. Policies and procedures:their purpose is solely to inform. Prepared only for

internal audience.

Eg: reports on companys policies /procedures written by top management and sent to all employees.

4. Situational reports:one-time, exceptional reports that are prepared when a unique eventoccurs. Purpose is to inform, analyze and perusade.

Eg: if sales of the company has shown a significant decline, a market feasibility study report carried

out before a product launch.


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STRUCTURE AND LAYOUTFRONT MATTER

1. Cover

2. Frontispiece

3. Title Page (obligatory)

4. Copyright Notice

5. Forwarding Letter

6. Preface7. Acknowledgement

8. Table of content

9. List of illustrations

10. Abstract and summary OR

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Main Body

11. Introduction (obligatory)

12. Discussion or description

(obligatory)

13. Conclusion

14. Recommendations

Back Matter15. Appendices

16. List of references

17. Bibliography

18. Glossary

19. Index

20. N.B. : only long formal reports are

likely to contain all the elements.


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FRONT MATTERCover:

Usually made of white or some soft neutral coloured card.

Protects the manuscript from damage and gives the report a neat

appearance.

Write/ get typed (A) The title of the report

(B) Its number if any

(C) The date(D) The classification (secret/ top secret/

confidential etc

(E) The name of the author and the

authority for whom the report is written.

Frontispiece:

Generally appears in bound reports meant for wide circulation.

Uses photographs, maps, artistic drawings etc.


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TOP SECRET REPORT NUMBER: 3068

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS LIMITEDSHAHEEDPUR

AIRWORTHINESS OF ARROW-51 FIGHTERS

1ST

APRIL 2008


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Title PageContains the following information:

(A) sub-title (B) Name of the author

(c) Name of the authority for whom the report was written(D) contract, project or job number

(E) Approvals (f) distribution list

(g) Name and designation of approving authority/officer

Take care to:

Setting the items on the page symmetrically.

Proper grouping of items and spacing

Follow prescribed format if there exist any of the company. Allow 1 margin on all four sides and about extra on the left

side for binding.


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Report number 3068

HDFC BankChandpura-326917

A Report

on

THE FEASIBILTY OF OPENING A BRANCH SAVINGS AND LOAN OFFICE IN BANGALORE

Prepared for:

Mr. William Johnson

Chairman

Western Savings and loan association

Mumbai

Prepared by:

Donald McDonaldResearch Associate

Indian Market Research Organization, Bangalore

April 1st2008

Approved by

Sri Navrooz khan, Senior Manager


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Copyright Notice

Given on the inside of the title page as:

2001 Ram Gopal Shewde

Sometimes the following note is added:All rights reserved. No part of this report may be reproduced in any form or by

any means without permission in writing from the publisher.

Forwarding Letter

(1) Covering: written for the primary recipient of the report. Serves as a recordof transmission of the report. It is not bound with the report as it does not

contain any important information.

(2) Introductory: written for the primary recipient of the report. Serves the

same function as a preface. Written by an authority/expert in the field

commending the work doneDay-to-day reports rarely have a forward letter.

Preface

1. Introduces the report, not the subject-matter of the report.

2. Preface should not be confused with the foreward.


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Dear Mr. Johnson,

Here is the report of the study you requested, on the feasibility of opening a branch

office in the city of Bangalore.

A study of the social and economic factors of the community, an anlysis of savings

patterns and of the potential competition, indicates that an additional savings and

loan branch office could be accompanied in Bangalore.

I hope this report will assist you in making a decision. Please let me know, should you

wish to discuss the report in any way.

Sincerely,

Donald Mcdonald

Research Associate


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Dear Secretary of State, 9 September 2001

I have the honour to present the Report of the Committee set up by your predecessor,

Mrs. Thatcher, in 2001 to inquire into teaching, reading and writing of English. As the

Committees Chairman I should like to place on record the great help I have received

from Dame Murial Stewart, who has acted as Vice-Chairman throughout the inquiry.

The Committees debt to its Secretary, Mr. R. Arnold, HMI, is acknowledged in the

introductory chapter. I should like to express my personal appreciation of the

assistance he has given to the Chairman and of the close cooperation in which we

have worked.

Yours sincerely

Alan Bullock

(Chairman)

The Rt. Hon. Reg.E. Prentice J.P., M.P.


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Acknowledgements

Mention diligently the names of persons and organizations that have

helped you in he production of the report.

Clearly indicate that permission has been taken for the reproduction of

copyright material, if any.

Table of Contents

Essential for long reports to give reader an overall view of the report.

Easy to locate topic/sub-topic.

Compiled from the headings/ sub-headings.

Sub-headings beyond the third order are generally excluded.

Page numbers are carefully checked against the text.

While preparing the table of content bear in mind the following points about its

layout:

Leave 1.50 margin on the left; 1 on right, top and bottom.

Write Table of Contents on the top center in capitals and underscore.

Leave three or four pages and then type the first heading flush left.

Leave two spaces between heading and one space between sub-heading


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface

AcknowledgementSummary

1. Introduction

2. Actual Air pollution Episodes

3. Effects in General

3.1. Physical3.2. chemical

3.3. biological

4. Effects of Specific Agents

4.1. particulates

4.2. sulphur Dioxide4.3. Carbon monooxide

4.4. Lead

4.5. ozone

5. Conclusions

6. Recommendations


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List of Illustrations Placed immediately after the table of content.

Used only if the report contains a large number of (a dozen or more) tablesand figures.

Layout same as table of Content. If number of illustrations is very large, divide it into two parts: List of Tables,

and List of Figures.

Abstract and Summary: Tells in concentrated form/ substance of the report.

No use of illustrations/ explanations.

Abstract: contains only the extent of coverage.

Summary: contains purpose of the study, a brief statement of the problem,method of analysis, significant findings, important conclusions, majorrecommendations.

An abstract is shorter than a summary. Purpose: Enable the busy reader to gather information quickly without having

to go through the whole report.

Essential for long reports. Can be avoided in short reports of 2-5 pages.


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MAIN BODY

1. Introduction:

Highlight on the subject of the report.

The items of information that may be included in it are-Historical and technical background

Scope of study, specifying its limitations and qualification.

Methods of collecting data and their sources.

Authorization for the report and terms of reference.

Organization of the material

Definitions of special terms and symbols, if their number is small.

A Problem Statement

Different from an essay or a popular article in which you are expected to

quickly arrest the readers attention.

Do not keep it vague, follow clarity.

Take utmost care to write the introduction.


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Main BodyConclusions

Function: to bring the discussion/description to a close and to signal to the

reader that he has reached the end.

Refers to: the body of logical inferences drawn and the judgement formed on

the basis of analysis of data presented in the report or to the findings of

investigation made.

All conclusions must be supported by what has gone before; nothing new

should be included at this stage.

If the number of conclusions is too large, they may be itemized in the

descending order of their importance.

In some reports mini conclusions are drawn at the end of the discussion of

each topic or sub-topic. These should be grouped suitably and presented in

this part.


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MAIN BODY

Recommendations:

Function: to suggest the future course of action, or solution to the definedproblem.

Should be formulated only after considering all aspects of the question

examined in this report.

It is not wise to make recommendations if you have not been asked to do so.

List recommendations in the descending order of their importance.

If their number is too large, group them under different headings and sub-

headings.

In some reports conclusions and recommendations are combined on the

plea that they are closely associated.


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BACK MATTER1. APPENDICES:

Contains material which is needed to support the main body of the report but is too detailed/

voluminous/technical to be included in the text.

All appendices should be referred to in the text and their significance or meaning pointed out.

If their number is more than one, they should be designated as appendix A, appendix B and so on.

Kinds of materials included in the appendix: questionnaires, statistical data, samples of forms or

datasheets used in the investigation, detailed calculations, illustrative materials, worked-outexamples, sample documents, specimens, tables of definitions and symbols, correspondence,

summaries of results achieved by other organizations, views of others on similar topics, other

materials which must be included for record.

Thus in deciding which material should be relegated to the appendix, bear in mind the following two

factors:

(i) whether the material sustains the theme and forms an essential and intergral part of the report.

(ii) whether it would interrupt the train of the readersthoughts if included in the main body.


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BACK MATTERList of references:

Essential to give credit to the works (published or unpublished) which youhave used or quoted in your report.

List them in alphabetical order at the end of the report.

If their number is small, they may be cited as footnotes at the bottom of the

page on which they are cited.

The attention of the reader is drawn to the footnotes either by putting a

printersmark (*) or by writing a number at suitable places in the text.

In the footnotes the name of the author is given in the natural order andcommas are used to separate the details of the notation as shown below:

Warner Alan,A short Guide to English Style, Oxford Univ. Press, ELBS edition,

1964, pp 40-46


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BIBLIOGRAPHY

A bibliography is a serially numbered list of published and unpublished works which are

consulted before or during the preparation of a report. It is distinct from the list of

references in several respects:

Bibliography

Lists the works which the author has

read and to which he is indebted for

ideas or information.

May contain works recommended for

further studies.

Indicates usefulness of the works

cited.

Entries in bibliography are in

alphabetical order.

The author often prepares thebibliography before writing the

report to remember the work he

intends to consult.

List of Reference

Purpose of the list of references is to

point out the specific location of an

idea or a piece of information in the

original source.

List of references does not containworks for further studies.

Indicates only the sources.

Recorded in the sequence in which

they have been cited in the text.

It is more conveniently preparedwhile the report is being written.


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While preparing the bibliography, keep the following points in

mind:

The order of writing the names and surnames of author,

The sequence of details,

The punctuation marks, and

The layout.

The order in which the various elements appear in a bibliography and list ofreferences is as follows:

The last part of the name of author/ editor, the other parts of the name,

year of publication, title of the book, place of publication, and the name of

the publisher.

In the case of an edited book, the abbreviated form Ed is added after thename of the editor.

The number of the relevant edition such as second edition, third

edition etc. is also mentioned after the title of the book.


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BACK MATTER

Glossary

It is a list of technical words used in the report and their explanation.

Is needed only when the report is of highly technical nature.

Use of glossary depends on the target audience.

If the readers field of expertise is the one to which your report relates, there is no

need for a glossary. But if the audience is drawn from other areas, it is advisable to

give a glossary. If the glossary list is small, they are generally explained in the footnotes.

Index: It is intended to serve as a quick guide to the material in the report.

It enables the reader to locate easily any topic, sub-topic or important aspect of the content. Needed only in bulky reports where table of content cannot do this job.

Entries are made in alphabetical order.

All page numbers on which information about an entry is available are mentioned against it.


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Review Questions:

1. What elements must appear in the structure of very report and why?

2. What is the difference between an abstract and a summary? In what circumstances

should both be given in a report?

3. How do recommendations differ from conclusions? What purpose do they serve in a

report?

4. What factors would influence your decision regarding the materials to be included in

the appendix of a report?

5. What is the main difference between a report and a literary work?

6. Why has the importance of report increased in our times?

7. Why do engineers and scientists need training in report writing?

8. Distinguish clearly between an informational and interpretive report?

9. What are routine reports? How do they differ from other formal reports?

10. What are the main features of reports?

11. What is an Executive summary with reference to a report?


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Steps in Report Preparation

PLANNING AND PREPARATION


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Important Preparatory Steps

Define your purpose and scope

Determine your audience

Collect the data

Organize the material

Making an outline.


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Defining the Purpose and Scope

The purpose and scope is determined by the Terms of reference that tell the report

writer what he/she is required to do.

E.g.: the terms of reference of the Committee on foreign Collaboration appointed

by the Government of India, Ministry of Industrial Development and Company

affairs, were as follows:

(a) To examine the extent to which, at present stage of our economic

development, import of technical know-how from abroad can be dispensedwith;

(b) To examine the general conditions subject to which indigenous know-how can

be deemed to be capable of commercial exploitation; and

(c) To suggest general guidelines regarding the type of cases in which foreign

collaboration may be allowed.Note: though the terms of reference guides the writer before actually beginning to

collect data, it is advisable to spend some time in working before making a

start.


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DETERMINING THE AUDIENCE:Generally speaking, a report has any of the following six kinds of audience.

1. Superior officers

2. Colleagues, and counterparts in other organisations

3. Subordinate employees

4. Other organisations engaged in similar activities.

5. Share-holders

6. Customers and members of the public

To overcome the difficulty of catering to the needs of a varied readership, keep in view the

people who are farthest in knowledge from the subject of your report.

For eg.: if you are a sales representative and your report is going to be read by the sales

officers, the chief sales executive and the managing director, you should keep in view

the managing director while writing; the sales officers and the chief sales executive are

expected to have background information about what you write.


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COLLECTING DATAMETHODS OF COLLECTING INFORMATION AND THE SOURCES FROM WHICH

RELEVANT MATERIALS CAN BE GATHERED. WE MAY PLACE THEM INTO THE

FOLLOWING CATEGORIES:

(a) Methods

(i) Personal observation

(ii) Telephone interview

(iii) Personal interview(iv) Questionnaires

(b) Sources

(i) Internal recordsletters, memoranda, reports, contracts, agreement,

transcript of talks, orders, office notes on files

(ii) Library

(iii) Internet


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NOTE MAKING

A process of jotting down important points, arguments, facts or ideas contained in

written material.

Discernment, judgement and quick comprehension are the qualities which note-making

demands.

Notes are an aid to memory

While making notes, it will be helpful if you bear in mind the following points:

(i) when an authors words are reproduced, put them within quotation marks.

(ii) make a summary/precis of the notes taken.

(iii) write the notes neatly because they form the basis of your report.

(iv) references to the sources from which the notes are made should be clearly given.


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PRINCIPLES OF ORGANIZING MATERIAL

OUTLINING:

prepare the outline of a report

give headings and sub-headings to the outline; number and sub-number according totheir rank and relationship, directing the matter in the right direction.

Helps organize and plan the presentation of the material gathered.

A proper outline proves useful not only in writing the main body of the report but also in

preparing its abstract, summary.

Detect errors of omission and commission by referring to the outline.

Helps in rearrangement of data according to topics/sub-topics.

LOGICAL ORDERING:

logically order the gathered data

weigh and consider which ideas, information are more important than others Organize data from least important to most important if report is interpretive

Organize data from most important to least important if report is information.


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NUMBERING

To establish a suitable relationship among topics and sub-topics use a single

numbering scheme throughout the outline and follow the same in the report.

PHARASING The words/ phrases/ sentences that are used for indicating the topics/ sub-

topics of the outline should have parallel grammatical construction.

e.g. 2. Advantages of nationalization

2.1. Mobilization of national resources

2.2. promotes agricultural promotion

2.3. encouragement of new classes of entrepreneurs

2.4. channelizing peoples saving towards productive purposes

2. Advantages of Nationalization

2.1. Mobilization of national resources2.2. Promotion of agricultural promotion

2.3. Encouragement of new classes of entrepreneurs

2.4. Channelization of peoples saving towards productive

purposes


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Second revision: Language and Style

1. Is your language suitable for the audience you have written for?

2. Does each paragraph deal with one main topic/sub-topic adequately?

3. Have you ensured that the report does not contain unnecessary clichs, jargon

and informal words?

4. Have you used, as far as possible, concrete, short and familiar sentences?

5. Have you avoided the use of too many complex and compound sentences?

6. Are there any passive constructions which could be changed to the active for

greater effectiveness?

7. Is your writing free from errors of spelling, grammar and punctuation?

8. Have you checked all facts, figures, calculations, quotations, citations, dates

and references?


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Business and Technical Report Writing