Advanced Report Writing Skills

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Documents Advanced Report W riting Skills S kills

Presented By

Ian Mayfield

For Qatargas

Location: Al Waha Club-Al Khor, Qatar

Date : 10 th Novem ber, 2009


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Advanced Report Writing Skills

Table of Contents A DV AN CED REP OR T WR I TI NG .... ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ......... ......... ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ......... ....... .. 3 W ELCOM EL COM E & I NT RO DU CTI ON S...... S.......... ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ......... ......... ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ...... 6 OB JE CTI VES W OR KSH EET .... ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ......... ......... ...... .. 7 TH E P UR P OSE OF RE P OR TS .... ........ ........ ........ ........ ......... ......... ........ ........ ........ ........ ......... ......... ........ ........ ........ ........ ......... ......... ...... 8 EF FECTI FE CTI VE RE P OR T W RI TI N G .... ........ ........ ........ ......... ......... ........ ........ ........ ........ ......... ......... ........ ........ ........ ......... ......... ....... ... 10 CARR CA RR Y I NG O UT TH E P LA N .... ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ......... ......... ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ....... ... 12

1. 2. 3. 4.

DEFINING THE AIMS OF THE REPORT ......................... ...................................... ........................... ........................... ................12 ...12 RESEARCH AND COLLATION OF RELEVANT INFORMATION .............................................12 DECIDING ON A REPORT STRUCTURE ......................... ...................................... ........................... ........................... ................12 ...12 PUTTING THE NEEDS OF THE READER FIRST .......................... ....................................... .......................... .....................13 ........13

P ROD UCI NG A RE P ORT – TH E CONT EN T ... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ..... .. 15

4.

ISOLATING FACT FROM FICTION ......................... ...................................... .......................... .......................... .......................23 ..........23

EXA MP LE OF AN I NF ORM AL R EP OR T FORM AT ... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ..... .. 25 EXA MP LE OF A MO RE FO RM AL REP OR T FOR MA T....... T.......... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ..... 26 DEVELOP IN G AN AP PR OPR IA TE AND EFFECTIVE EFFECTIVE WR ITI NG STYLE STYLE .. .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 32

THE ESSENTIALS OF BUSINESS WRITING ......................... ...................................... .......................... ........................... ...................32 .....32 TH E TOOL TO OL S OF TH E TR A DE........... DE............... ......... ......... ........ ........ ......... ......... ........ ........ ........ ......... ......... ........ ........ ......... ......... ...... 33

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

WORDS ......................... ...................................... .......................... .......................... .......................... .......................... .........................33 ............33 SENTENCES ......................... ...................................... .......................... .......................... .......................... .......................... .....................34 ........34 PROSE AND BULLET POINTS .......................... ....................................... .......................... .......................... .......................... ............... 36 SPELLING AND PUNCTUATION .......................... ....................................... .......................... .......................... .........................37 ............37 STRUCTURE /SEQUENCING ALTERNATIVES ........................... ........................................ .......................... .......................39 ..........39

RE VI EW IN G THE BA SI CS – COM COM MON P ROB LEM S ... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ..... ..... ...... ..... .. 41 P RA CTI CAL RE P OR T W RI TI N G......... G............. ......... ......... ......... ......... ........ ........ ........ ........ ......... ......... ........ ........ ........ ......... ....... 43 EFF ECTI VE R EP ORT W RI TI NG TE CHNI QUE S ... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ..... .. 44 P ER SUA SI ON ............ ......................... ......................... ......................... .......................... ......................... ......................... ......................... ............ 45 W RI TI NG REF I NE M EN TS .... ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ......... ......... ........ ........ ........ ........ ......... ......... ........ ........ ........ ........ .... 46 P RE P AR I NG THE RE P ORT FO R CIR CUL ATI ON ... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ... 47 W RI TI N G BONUSE BON USE S & SHOR T CUT S........ S............ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ......... ......... ........ ........ ........ ...... 48 A CTI CT I ON SH EET EE T ............ ........................ ......................... ......................... ......................... ......................... ......................... ....................... .......... 49

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Advanced Report Writing Course Aim

The aim of this intensive, practical course is to equip participants participants with best practice techniques in order to write reports which are read, understood and acted upon. Business people have an increasing need to communicate technical facts clearly, concisely and in a way which gets the message across to their readers. Technical facts, results of investigations, progress reports, communications with customers etc all have to be written to the highest possible standards, and with their particular type of reader in mind. The course is designed to be highly interactive and give participants a chance to review issues with reports that they are currently working on or have recently produced. The course provides the opportunity to put the ideas discussed into practice, so that participants go away able to produce technical reports which reach the required high standards.

Course Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will: • • • •

•

•

•

Review best practice techniques for effective report writing List the technical document structures that they have studied Demonstrate an advanced use of written English Write well structured coherent reports so that their readers get salient information from them without struggling to do so Write their own documents and that make recommendations in a clear and concise way Produce visuals, appendices, indexes and bibliographies to enhance their documents Demonstrate their new knowledge in practice session

The consultant will: •

• • •

Start by understanding the objectives and issues which participants have brought with them Modify the course to accommodate those delegate requirements as needed Introduce ideas and techniques Discuss with the group their views and the applicability of those ideas to their professional role

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Help participants to reinforce their learning with short exercises Discuss reactions to putting the ideas into practice Support participants in applying the ideas to a major document production exercise which runs throughout the whole course

Course Content Course content includes: Pre course •

Participants w ill be expected to produce a sample of writing for analysis during the course • • • • • •

Welcome and establish participants’ needs and experience Some tools for creativity Advanced communication Why use written communications The limitations of written communication Redundant expressions

•

Langu age, grammar and syntax

•

Punctuation

•

Speling mistacques!

•

Hints and tips

•

Business w riters' biggest biggest mistakes

•

•

Practical aspects of business w riting What affects our abilities to w rite effectively? effectively? o Pur pose and readership o Types of busines s documen ts, their purposes and differenc es: o o o o o o

Emails Faxes Letters Reports Technical reports Minutes

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Writing for results o o o

Analysis of participants’ own writing styles – the Fog index Qualitative analysis Quantitative analysis

•

The w riter’s strategy

•

Differences between Features, Advantages and Benefits

•

Structuring different types of business documents o o o o

What should your document look like? The elements A simple approach The specifics of a technical report

•

Prioritising w hat to include

•

Preparation and planning o o o

•

Where to start Sources of information Incubation & planning

Execution o o

SPACE Tools and techniques

•

Types of writing

•

Revision

•

How to edit

•

What to check for o o o

•

•

Proof-reading Presentation Presenting the document

What to think about Get the message across o Reviewing o o

A process Checklists

•

Personal action planning

•

Final examination

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Welcome & I ntroductions

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Objectives Worksheet Personal objectives for the course

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The P urpose of Reports

•

Definition

What is your definition of a report? ____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________

•

When and wh y reports are necessary

Reports, whether informal or formal, may be needed for a variety of reasons. List the different reasons for which your company uses them: _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________

•

Purpose

How would you sum up the purpose of all reports? _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________

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Report Format

What is the format in which reports are prepared in your company? _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________

How do you feel about using a standard format? _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________

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Effective Report Writing

When you have a report to write, the temptation is to get going as soon as possible. There are, however, distinct stages to go through which will help produce exactly what has been asked for. 1. P lan

Ask the vital questions BEFORE you begin any work at all. WHY?

Why am I writing? What do I hope to achieve? Do I want to inform, persuade, get information? WHO?

Who exactly is my recipient? How much does s/he already know about the subject matter – more or less than I do? WHERE?

Where will the recipient be when my message is received? In the office close to the relevant files or will s/he need to be reminded of the facts? Are there any cultural issues? WHEN?

At what point in the proceedings does my communication come? Is this the first time the recipient will have heard of this subject? Am i replying to a request from him/her? Have I got a reasonable deadline? HOW?

How am I going to communicate the message, text, diagrams or both? What are the topics about which you have been asked to write reports or are likely to in the future? _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________

Select one and go through each of the questions above answering as accurately as you can.

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2 . R es ear ch

Gather all the information you need. Give sufficient ‘lead times’ if others are feeding information to you.

3. Decide On Your Presentation

Structure Layout Production Visuals

4. W rite

Set aside a reasonable chunk of uninterrupted time. Don’t be over critical of your first draft.

5. Read

If possible get a colleague to do the reading and give constructive criticism.

6. Edit

Change from writer to editor. Don’t be overprotective of information which should be cut.

7. Leave

Try and leave a little time before finalising.

8 . R e-r ead

Pick up any final points to correct or adjust.

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Carrying Out The Plan

1. Defining the Aims of the Report

Spend time on clarifying the aims. Go back to questioning yourself, or ask the person who commissioned the report: • •

What am I being asked to do? Why am I doing it?

The answers to these questions will help you with meaningful headings and an introduction that will create interest. It will help you focus and achieve more credibility.

2. Research and Collation of Relevant Information

Decide on your sources. What are these for you? • _____________________________________________________ • _____________________________________________________ • _____________________________________________________ • _____________________________________________________ • _____________________________________________________ Decide where you cannot go for information. Select one of the topics you have chosen earlier and start to gather information.

3. Deciding on a Report Structure

Reports will vary in format, style, content and length, depending upon their purpose and their intended audience. They may be little more than a short memorandum (for reporting on minor matters) or they may need a more formal approach.

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An informal report will normally be broken down into three main sections: INTRODUCTION

background details, a description of the current situation and the reason for the report

FINDINGS

information gathered on the subject

CONCLUSIONS/ RECOMMENDATIONS

what action ought to be taken

A formal report, on the other hand, would need to include the following: TITLE PAGE

including the author’s name and perhaps the name of those who commissioned the report, together with the date of presentation

CONTENTS PAGE

if the report is lengthy

SUMMARY

essential for today’s business environment

TERMS OF REFEREN CE the circumstances which called for the writing

of the report METHOD OF INVESTIGATION

procedure or method of undertaking the investigation

FINDINGS/ BODY OF REPORT

organised in a logical sequence

CONCLUSIONS/ RECOMMENDATIONS

to include any suggestions for follow up action

APPENDICES CIRCULATION LIST

The above notes should be used as a guide only, because the preparation and presentation of a report will be influenced by the nature of the topic under investigation and also by the ‘house’ style. It may be that all reports are prepared to conform to one style as laid down by the head of department or a government department. 4. Putting the Needs of the Reader First

In all the questions we asked before writing the report, one of them (and perhaps the most important) was W HO is going to read it?

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EXERCISE

Think of someone for whom you have written a report, or are likely to in the future. Describe their working characteristics and what is important to them in reports they receive. Characteristics

Report Requirements of Reader

________________________

_______________________________________

________________________

_______________________________________

________________________

_______________________________________

________________________

_______________________________________

________________________

_______________________________________

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Producing a Report – The Content 1. Assimilating material from different sources

Material will arrive at different times. Make yourself a file or keep an envelope to collect the data so important information doesn’t get lost. Read briefly to see if you have any immediate query.

2. Organising information into a logical sequence

There are a number of ways to organise the body of the report. List the different possibilities: • ____________________________

• _________________________

• ____________________________

• _________________________

• ____________________________

• __________________________

• ____________________________

• __________________________

• ____________________________

• __________________________

• ____________________________

• __________________________

• ____________________________

• __________________________

What is important about the headings you use? _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________

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3 . Ou tli ni ng •

•

•

You have been asked to write a report about college and university students doing summer holiday jobs. You have brainstormed and put on paper all the ideas you can think of that would be associated with this programme. This list is the key to your report and could, possibly, provide all the headings you need at a later stage.

IDEAS: couriers

road work

play leaders

career teacher

learn responsibility

earn spending money

gardening

lifeguard

want ads

filing clerks

lack of summer recreation

typists

meet new friends

shop assistant

learn to adjust to situations

supermarket cashiers

lose contact with old friends

door to door salesperson

learn to follow orders

ice cream salesman

earn money for college

earn good references

employment agencies

construction work

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Examine the list and group the items under four headings which you think appropriate.

List the four categories in order of importance and, under each one, the minor ideas in some order.

Outline the remainder of the report.

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Exercise

IN TERSCAN DISTRIBUTIONS LIM ITED MEMO

To:

Mrs Lucille mutton

Department: Human Resources Subject:

from:

David Jolly

Department: Human Resources

A New-Employee Induction Programme

Date: 15 June Xxxx

Dear Lucille Here is the report you asked for a new-employee induction programme for Interscan, which reviews the present procedure, describes the need for change and presents a proposal for a new procedure. As you know, our present procedure for inducting new employees is brief and highly informal, one of us in hr giving employees a quick welcome, handing them a copy of ‘Interscan’ and escorting them to the department where they will work – so there is really no programme. With the rapid growth of the company, it becomes more and more difficult for employees to learn about various procedures, the market we serve, the firm’s objectives and future plans and who we are and what we do, so there is no opportunity for new employees to meet top executives, learn about interdepartmental relationships and find out how their own department fits into the total picture, plus the matter of educating employees about such things as compensation, retirement, fringe benefits and general company policies, all of which are important not only in avoiding costly errors but also from the standpoint of general morale meaning the sense of belonging and pride in being part of the organisation. The weaknesses of the present procedure are obvious. They call for a more formal plan of induction and i am suggesting that we establish a formal two day induction programme for all new employees. My plan calls for a twice a month programme. Possibly the first and fifteenth. New employees are hired daily and therefore many would be placed on the job before going through the programme, this is unavoidable, indeed this might be an advantage. Employees would have had an opportunity to get their bearings and thus be more receptive to formal induction. The major topics might be the following: company history, which would be a brief account of the beginnings of Interscan; its growth patterns and its principle ‘shakers and movers’; a presentation of our products and services, with emphasis on markets served and our position in the market; the present structure of Interscan, including the set-up of major divisions and how they interrelate; compensation, promotions and retirement plans, insurance and various personal services; recreation, hobby groups, in-company and outside educational programmes; special help to those who need special assistance on personal problems, legal and tax assistance, medical attention etc.

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Each programme would be planned so that it is of maximum interest and inspiration, extensive use being made of audio-visual devices such as power-point presentations, videos, overhead projectors, tapes, flip charts etc. Also, wherever possible, top executives would be asked to participate as well as selected ‘firing-line’ employees. Each participant would be carefully instructed on how to prepare the presentation, insisting that there would be no long speeches and instead brief, interesting ‘show and tell’ presentations. Finally, to the greatest extent possible, we would give the new employee a choice to participate if they have been on the job for a week or two. I suggest that if you think this general proposal has merit you ask to appear before the executive committee and the operations committee meeting jointly to present the plan. Each division executive might be asked to appoint a representative to serve on a special ‘employee induction programme committee’ the purpose being to assist in the initial planning and then serving as a standing committee to help manage the project. Please let me know if you wish to discuss this idea further. Several articles and booklets have been obtained on induction programmes that you might like to see. Sincerely

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Report Writing – An Example

IN TERSCAN DISTRIBUTION LIM ITED MEMO To:

Mrs Lucille Mutton

Department: Human Resources Subject:

From:

David Jolly

Department: Human Resources

A New-Employee Induction Programme

Date: 15 June xxxx

1 . I n tr od uc ti on

Here is the report, for which you asked, on a new-employee induction programme for Interscan.

2 . P r e se nt P r o gr am me

As you know, our present procedure for inducting new employees is brief and highly informal. One of us in HR gives employees a quick welcome, handing them a copy of ‘Interscan’ and escorts them to the department where they will work. There is really no programme.

3 . N e ed Fo r Ch an ge

With the rapid growth of the company, it becomes more and more difficult for employees to learn about various procedures, the market we serve, the firm’s objectives and future plans – who we are and what we do. There is no opportunity for new employees to meet top executives, learn about inter-departmental relationships and find out how their own department fits into the total picture. finally, there is the matter of educating employees about such things as compensation, retirement, fringe benefits and general company policies. All the things listed are important not only in avoiding costly errors but also from the standpoint of general morale – meaning the sense of belonging and pride in being part of the organisation.

4. A New Induction Programme Proposal

The weaknesses of the present procedure are obvious. They call for a more formal plan of induction and I am suggesting that we establish a formal two-day induction programme for all new employees.

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5 . F re qu en cy

This could be staged twice a month, possibly on the first and fifteenth. Since new employees are hired daily, many would be placed on the job before going through the programme. This is unavoidable but might be an advantage employees would have had an opportunity to get their bearings and thus be more receptive to formal induction.

6 . M aj or T op ics

The major topics might be the following: Company history: a brief account of the beginnings of Interscan, its growth patterns, and its principle ‘shakers and movers’ Products: a presentation of our products and services, with emphasis on markets served and our position in the market. Organisation: the present structure of Interscan, including the set-up of major divisions and how they interrelate. HR policies: compensation, promotions, transfers, holidays, working hours, pay advances, sick leave, retirement plan, insurance and various personnel educational programmes. Employee activities: recreation, hobby groups, in-company and outside educational programmes. Special help: who to see in the company for special assistance on personal problems, legal and tax assistance, medication attention etc.

7. General Structure

Each programme would be planned so that: •

•

•

•

It is of maximum interest and inspiration. Extensive use should be made of audio-visual devices (power-point presentations, videos, overhead projectors, tapes, flips charts etc). Wherever possible, top executives would be asked to participate but selected ‘firing-line’ employees would be asked to participate. Every participant would be instructed on how to prepare the presentation, insisting that there would be no long speeches and instead brief, interesting ‘show and tell’ presentations. To the greatest extent possible, we would give the new employees (that is, those who have been on the job for a week or two) a choice to participate.

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8 . T he F ir st Ste p

If you think the general proposal has merit, could I suggest you ask to appear before the executive committee and the operations committee, meeting jointly, to present the plan. At this meeting each division executive might be asked to appoint a representative to serve on a special ‘employee induction programme committee’, the purpose of this group would be to help in the initial planning and then serve as a standing committee to help manage the programme. 9. Further Discussion

Please let me know if you would like to discuss this idea further. I have several articles and booklets on induction programmes that you might like to see.

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4. Isolating Fact From Fiction

This may sound an easy objective to achieve. Often it isn’t. Remember ‘lies, damn lies and statistics’. In dealing with figures, we can manipulate them to our own benefit. It is often better to ask for opinions rather than facts. At least you know what you are getting. What is particularly important about handling numbers? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

5. Visuals to Enhance the Image

Visual presentation is usually more powerful than words alone. There are a number of ‘visuals’ that can give more impact as well as giving variety. What sort of visuals do you suggest? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

6. Appendices, Indexes and Bibliographies APPENDIX

• Something added, a supplement • addition to a document containing explanatory matter but not essential to completeness (could be useful for an action sheet)

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INDEX

• Giving an indication • a pointer (essential for long reports) BIBLIOGRAPHY

• A descriptive list of books, authors (important where you must give credit to others or further reading might help.)

7. Layout

As well as the content, layout must be decided at some stage. You may have a house style already but it is worth considering the following factors: • type size • font • spacing • headings • capitals or underlining for emphasis • consistent numbering • white space • left justification or centred • binding.

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Example of an Inform al Report Format

CONFIDENTIAL

To:

Mrs P Wyndham, Office Manager

From: K Swann, HR Assistant Subject:

Date: 29 September xxxx

Report on Pr evention of Wastefu l Use of Stationery

1 . I n tr od uc ti on

In reply to your memo dated 15 august xxxx, I have made several enquiries into the currently wasteful use of stationery. The range of departmental stationery investigated included printed letterheads and memoranda, envelopes and photocopy stationery. The following are my findings and suggestions. 2 . Fin di ng s

(A) I spoke to executive staff who confirmed that almost half of typewritten work was being returned for retyping because of careless errors and poor standards of correction. (b) Secretarial staff confirmed that clerical and executive staff did, on occasion, use printed stationery as message pads. (c) White envelopes are being used where the cheaper manila ones would serve and much non-confidential internal mail is being sent in sealed envelopes instead of the open re-usable kind. (d) The introduction of a new photocopier has given rise to a 15% increase in photocopying during the last quarter. Staff are tending to send individual photocopied documents when a single circulated copy would do. (e) An analysis of the departmental stationery costs, comparing this year’s second quarter with the first quarter, and with equivalent periods last year, showed significant increased. The second quarter this year showed an increase of 27% over the first quarter. compared with the same quarter last year there was in increase of 19%. 3 . R ec om m en da ti on s

(A) All staff must be made aware of this situation by circulating a notice briefly detailing these findings. They must be instructed to exercise greater care in the selection and use of office stationery. (b) ……etc

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Example of a More Formal Report Format

REPORT WRI TING

N B WILSON

14 MAY XXXX

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Contents

Page No

1

Summary

1

2

Introduction 2.1 Preparation 2.2 Method of Investigation

2 2 2

3

Report Writing 3.1 P reparation 3.2 Authority For A Report 3.3 Repor t Format 3.4 Layout 3.5 Writing The Report 3.6 Style

2 2 2 2 2 3 3

4

Conclusions and Recommendations

4

5

Appendix

4

6

Distribution

4

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1. Su mm ary

Reports are essential tools of communication for many members of staff and are often the major contact with senior managers. It is the way we communicate with clients and customers when we have undertaken research. reports should be: • • •

well prepared well written well presented

a formal report format should include: • • • • • • •

title page contents list summary page introduction findings conclusions and recommendations appendices

the contents of a report should be made: • • • • • •

at the right level persuasive precise clear concise comprehensive.

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2 . I n tr od uc ti on 2.1

Terms of Reference

To produce a document which would contain advice on preparing a report which would itself be an example of such a document. 2.2

Method of In vestigation

This report has been written after research and investigation into various publications, which are listed in appendix a. It should, however, be realised that report writing is a very subjective matter and this example should be used only as a guide.

3 . R ep or t W r it in g 3.1

Preparation

A report must be carefully planned before writing starts and involves the writer in considering the following points: • • • • • • •

what is the subject of the report? why is the report needed? what effect will it have? who will read it? what work has been done previously? where has the information come from? how urgent is the report?

3.2 Authority for a Report

a report is usually written by a junior to a senior. Authority for a report should be sought from the people who will have to act on its findings. Copies should only be given to authorised recipients. 3.3

Report Format

Usually a report must answer three questions: what is the problem and how has it been investigated; what has been discovered; what conclusions/recommendations have been reached? The answers to these questions will form the main sections of the report. 3.4

Layout

The layout should be uniform and pleasing in appearance, with the contents organised for clarity. A logical arrangement of headings and sub-headings contributes to ease of reading and helps understanding.

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A logical paragraph numbering system maintains the relative importance of each paragraph and aids cross-referencing. Abbreviations and technical words should be written in full, explained or defined the first time they are used. 3.5

Writing the Report

Level of Understanding

The onus is on the writer to present the information at the right level for the reader. Writing Personally/ Impersonally

Traditionally a report was thought to carry more weight if it was written impersonally (‘it was thought’ rather than ‘we thought’). Today, however, it is acceptable to write in the first person and in the active voice. Write Persuasively

The author should be honest, although it is possible to organise the report to achieve the desired objective. Any argument should lead to a clear conclusion. Wr ite Precise ly, Clearly and Concisely

Vague phrases such as ‘a large percentage’ or ‘thorough survey’ look suspicious. Jargon should be avoided and words chosen so as to avoid ambiguity. Words and facts should only be included if essential. 3.6

Style

A report will usually reflect the writer’s personality but the following should be considered: • • •

passages should be broken up into well constructed logical paragraphs sentences should be short (usually no more than 20 words) but not ‘clipped’ words should be chosen carefully - adjectives should be used sparingly - the active voice is often better than the passive - prepositions and conjunctions should be kept simple - ambiguous words should be avoided - specific words are better than vague ones - abbreviations should be explained at least once

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4 Conclusions and Recommendations

Report writing is not easy: it requires a great deal of thought and planning. A report is a reflection of its author and is the author’s main contact wie senior management and clients. Reports should aim to persuade, therefore they must be well presented and well argued. Report writers are therefore recommended to: • read extensively • follow the advice given in this ‘report’ • spend enough time in planning and preparation.

5 Appendix A

List here each appendix and its contents.

6 Distribution

List here who you are sending the report to.

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Developing an Appro priate and Effective W riting Style

The Essentials of Business Writing

In report writing, as with any other piece of business writing, it is important to remember we are trying to communicate. What are the essential qualities about our writing which will help us to do this? _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ Wh o wrote this?

Our new economic approach is rooted in ideas which stress the importance of macroeconomics, neo-classical endogenous growth theory and the symbiotic relationship between growth and investment in people and infrastructure. Can you translate it?

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The Tools of the Trade 1. W ords

The ‘tools of the trade’ are the words we use; the order in which we put them and the punctuation of ‘signposts’ we include to help understanding. everyone will have their own preference for the way they write – this is part of their character. There are some pointers, however, in the selection of words that are worth considering if you want to get your message over clearly. (A) use a more familiar word (b) use a shorter word (c) use one word rather than several (d) be specific rather than vague (e) avoid quaint or old-fashioned expressions (unless it is part of the style of the company or the person receiving your report) (f) avoid unnecessary repetition (g) avoid over-used expressions (h) avoid jargon wherever possible (i)

avoid foreign languages

(j)

avoid abbreviations

(k) avoid clichés (l)

check the meaning of the words about which you are unsure

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2 . Se nt en ce s

When we have decided on the words we are going to use, we can group these into sentences to express our thoughts. sentences come in the form of: • • • •

statements questions exclamations commands

-

i like eating do you like singing? it’s snowing! see if it is raining.

they should: • express a complete thought (one idea at a time) • make sense. Sentences should have a finite verb: e.g.: ‘referring to the current practices in the company.’ This is not a sentence and is going nowhere. Sentences should be as long or as short, as needed to get your message over. Shorter sentences are usually easier to take in. As a guide, sentences should be no more than 20-25 words on average. If you have more than 35 words – think again. As with verbal presentation, variety holds attention and makes reading more interesting. If sentence after sentence is short the piece can sound ‘clipped’ or monotonous. If all the information is packed into one sentence, it may be hard to grasp. Compare the following extracts: The current turnover among operators who work on VDUs is 60%. The turnover rate for other clerical personnel is 45%. The cost to hire and train one new VDU operator is £750. We now spend £110,000 annually on training new operators. We can reduce this cost by a substantial amount. I am proposing a pilot programme that can help us deal with the problem. This memo describes that programme. Since our turnover rate for VDU operators is 60% compared to 45% for other clerical personnel, and since each new operator hired costs us £750 a year, training these operators requires our division to spend £110,000 a year, a figure that can be reduced by implementing the pilot programme I propose in this memo. The turnover rate for VDU operators is 60% compared to 45% for other clerical workers. Hiring and training a new operator costs us £750 per employee, or £110,000 annually. To reduce this expense, I propose we implement the following pilot programme.

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Exercise Re-write the following, bearing in mind what has been covered so far: The hotel is very old and run down. The hotel is situated in the centre of town. It will require a considerable amount of renovation. The renovations will cost a lot.

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

There is a downward trend in our exports. Our business is feeling the effects of the recession. I do not expect it to continue for much longer. There are signs that the recession is ‘bottoming out’.

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

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3. Prose and Bullet Points

In business writing it is neither necessary nor desirable to write long chunks of prose. If you have several points to make, or questions to ask, it is far easier to lay these out as a series of ‘bullet points’. If you choose to use bullet points, make sure the ‘stem’ or introductory line matches each of the bullet points.

Exercise Re-write the following in bullet point form, remembering what has been covered so far: I think it will be necessary to employ two more clerical officers now and I think I shall want another in about a month or so as one of them is going to leave soon. I am not really happy with the attitude of the last replacement you provided as he doesn t seem up to the job and appears to have a disruptive effect upon the colleagues around him. 

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4. Spelling And Punctuation (A) Spelling

Although spelling may not affect the message, spelling mistakes do not improve one’s image. If you have difficulty with the spelling of certain words, as many of us do, have a good dictionary available and start a list of words you have trouble with and keep it handy. You will gradually find yourself improving. There is now heavy reliance on spell checks on computers. This facility doesn’t solve all the problems. Some packages are based on American spelling rather than English. Some will distinguish between words of similar spelling which have a different meaning but will not answer every query.

Exercise Check the following pairs of words. Are you clear on the difference between each of them? Affect

Effect

Complimentary

Complementary

Dependent

Dependant

Discreet

Discrete

Farther

Further

Infer

Imply

Miner

Minor

Practice

Practise

Principle

Principal

Stationary

Stationery

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Punctuation

Punctuation is used to help understanding. Too little may confuse as well as too much. Punctuation is necessary in some places and desirable in others. Not everyone agrees on the finer points of punctuation – particularly the use of the colon and semi-colon.

Exercise List uses of the following punctuation marks: .

Full stop

?

Question mark

!

Exclamation mark

,

comma

-

hyphen/dash

:

colon

;

semi-colon

’

apostrophe

‘’ ""

inverted commas

/

oblique/slash

()

brackets/parentheses



bullet point

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5. Structure/ Sequencing Alternatives

To give impact and speed of reading it is worthwhile considering alternatives in structuring.

Exercise Re-write the following memo to minimise the reading time, selecting a ‘descending’ structure, choosing an appropriate heading and making use of bullet points. Electron industries opened a credit card account with us on 10 June XXXX. In October XXXX they began falling behind in payments. After the usual letters, we put the company on our bad debt list and cancelled their credit. At the time they owed us £1,510.12. I have been in contact with Mr R Ahmed, their executive officer, that was on 15 January XXXX and he promised to send us the full amount within 30 days. I also requested that the company return our credit cards. That was 30 days ago. We have not received either the credit cards or a cheque in settlement. This customer shows no willingness to co-operate. Several sources have stated they are unable to settle any of their accounts. I recommend that this account be passed to our legal department for further action. Mr Ahmed was formerly with Zamil steel. They, as you know, are good customers of ours. Mr Ahmed formed electron industries on 1 June XXXX.

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MEMO

To:

A Fox, Head Of Accounts

From:

F Bullough, Section C – Accounts Manager

Date:

17 February XXXX

Subject: Po tential Bad Debt - £1,510.12 – Electron In dustries

1 Recommendation

I recommend the above account be passed to our legal department for further action. 2 Reasons

• 10 June XXXX

- electron industries opened a credit card account with us.

• October XXXX

- £1,510.12 owed - payments began falling behind - usual warning letters sent - added to bad debt list - credit cancelled.

• 15 January XXXX

- I contacted Mr Ahmed (their executive officer) - payment and return of credit cards requested - he promised to send full amount in 30 days.

• 15 February XXXX

- no cheque or credit cards received - no willingness to co-operate - other suppliers having same problem.

3 Additional Background

• Mr Ahmed formed electron industries on 1 June Mr Ahmed • He was formerly with Zamil Steel (good customers).

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Reviewing the Basics – Common P roblems Language does not stand still. Words are added and attitudes change towards what might have been considered ‘correct’. Some errors are glaring; some hardly noticeable.

Exercise Comment on the following and suggest changes where you think necessary: 1 In this day and age, those of us who can write without using clichés, should stand up and be counted. 2 She was so happy that she literally floated to work. 3 After getting angry, she got what she wanted then got in the car. 4 The list comprised of ten items. 5 I have and always will be a tennis fan. 6 You must of noticed my new hat. 7 Can i help you with the washing up? 8 He not only plays chess but also bridge. 9 The detective thought he could smell a rat but knew he could nip it in the bud. 10 She is the most beautiful sister of the two. 11 Of the four graduates, frank is the more mature. 12 You and me will be able to finish this. 13 A luncheon party was arranged for gloria and i. 14 If the child does not like cold milk, boil it. 15 I wouldn’t bother if i was you. 16 He was asked to clearly indicate his intentions. 17 He found it difficult to choose between the types of cameras available. 18 The company will be employing less skilled workers. 19 Although the visitors were rushed, none were disappointed. 20 the box of materials were delivered to the wrong room.

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Part of Speech

Definition

Examples

Nouns

- the name of things

- book, door, garden

Adjectives

- describe the nouns

- great, pretty, blue

Pronouns

- stand instead of nouns

- he, you, they, it

Verbs

- explain what is being done

- to read, write, count, run

Adverbs

- qualify the verbs (eg how, when and where)

- slowly, near, now, well

Conjunctions

- join words together

- and, or

Prepositions

- stand before nouns

- in, through

Interjection

- shows surprise

- oh, ah

Articles

- stand before nouns

- a, an, the

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Practical Report Writing If you have a current report to write, work on that. If you would like a subject, select from the following: •

The suitability of the report writing course for my colleagues

•

The evaluation of Dubai as a suitable base for our company

•

The report of an accident

•

A comparison between Nokia and LG for a mobile phone.

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Effective Report Writin g Techniques

If you are wanting to make changes, how can you make your case in a persuasive manner? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ What helps to reinforce your arguments? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ From your experience, how accurate have you been at assessing your audience and their level of understanding? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

How can we end a report so that we prompt a positive response from the reader? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

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Persuasion

•

•

The following is an extract from a memo from an HR officer to the manager. The writer is discussing the importance of classifying and describing each job when setting up a salary administration programme.

•

Study the extract and comment on the writer’s weaknesses.

•

Describe how the extract could be written in a more convincing way.

‘the key to a successful salary and administration programme is the proper classification of all employees. The fruits of a careful job evaluation plan can be completely destroyed by a subsequent improper classification of employees. Extreme care must be exercised in ensuring that each employee is assigned the proper job classification. Arbitrary assignments to higher classifications to protect earnings or because of nepotism or supervisory favouritism must be avoided. Following the installation of the programme, successful salary control requires that the job classification and job description be constantly reviewed and brought up-to-date. Administrative procedures must be provided so that employees who detect changes in their job content may have the job description reviewed and, if necessary, re-evaluated. Supervisors should be particularly alert for creeping changes – particularly true in office clerical jobs where new assignments are made from time to time which separately do not represent significant increase in job content but in total do represent added responsibility.’

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Writing R efinements

Points that will add to perfecting your style:

•

Positive approach

•

Precision

•

Fluency

•

Enthusiasm/motivation

•

Impact

•

Titles and key words

•

Assertiveness

•

Passive/active voice

•

Consistency

•

Avoiding sexist language

•

Avoiding assumptions

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P reparing the Report for Circulation

What are the final checks which should be made before the report is circulated? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ How and who should make the checks? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ How do you make sure the right people have the report? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ What should you consider before it is sent out? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ What should you do when you start to receive responses? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

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Writing Bonuses & Short Cuts

•

Cutting out duplication

•

Summaries and précises

•

Style compatibility

•

Communicating key factors or particular problems (commercial or technical)

•

Using script-writing techniques for reports to be discussed at meetings

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Advanced Report Writing Skills

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