+ All Categories
Home > Education > PLANNING/WRITING/COMPLETING REPORTS(Progress Report)

PLANNING/WRITING/COMPLETING REPORTS(Progress Report)

Date post: 16-May-2015
Category:
Upload: mhel-marquez
View: 750 times
Download: 0 times
Share this document with a friend
Popular Tags:
49
PREPARING REPORTS
Transcript
Page 1: PLANNING/WRITING/COMPLETING REPORTS(Progress Report)

PREPARING REPORTS

Page 2: PLANNING/WRITING/COMPLETING REPORTS(Progress Report)

WHAT IS A REPORT?

A report is the formal writing up of a project or a research investigation

A report has clearly defined sections presented in a standard format, which are used to tell the reader what you did, why and how you did it and what you found

Reports differ from essays because they require an objective writing style which conveys information clearly and concisely

Page 3: PLANNING/WRITING/COMPLETING REPORTS(Progress Report)

Preliminary Steps:

1. Define the report purpose.2. Analyze the intended audience.

3. Determine what data is needed to solve the problem or make a decision.

Page 4: PLANNING/WRITING/COMPLETING REPORTS(Progress Report)

Considerations/Criteria for a Business Report:

1.ORGANIZED2.WELL-SUPPORTED3.USEFUL

Page 5: PLANNING/WRITING/COMPLETING REPORTS(Progress Report)

Identifying Types of Data:

Primary DataSecondary Data

Page 6: PLANNING/WRITING/COMPLETING REPORTS(Progress Report)

Primary Data

collected by the researcher to solve a specific problem.

researchers have more control over its accuracy, completeness, objectivity, and relevance.

Three (3) main methods of primary data collection:

1. Survey2. Observation3. Experimentation

Page 7: PLANNING/WRITING/COMPLETING REPORTS(Progress Report)

Secondary Data

PUBLISHED: - internet resources - journal, magazines, and newspaper articles - books - brochures and pamphlets - technical reportsUNPUBLISHED: - company records (reports and

communications) - legal documents ( e.g. court records) - personal files (e.g. expense records) - Medical records

Page 8: PLANNING/WRITING/COMPLETING REPORTS(Progress Report)

Considerations in Evaluating Web Sources

1.Authority2.Accuracy and Reliability3.Purpose / Objectivity4.Coverage5.Currency

Page 9: PLANNING/WRITING/COMPLETING REPORTS(Progress Report)

Considerations in Evaluating Research Studies

Page 10: PLANNING/WRITING/COMPLETING REPORTS(Progress Report)

1. What was the purpose of the study?

2. How was the data collected?

3. How was the data analyzed?

4. How consistent is the data with that from other studies.5. How old is the data

Page 11: PLANNING/WRITING/COMPLETING REPORTS(Progress Report)

Collecting Data through Questionnaire:

SURVEY - data collection method that gathers information through questionnaires, telephone or email inquiries, or interviews.QUESTIONNAIRE – a written instrument with questions to obtain information from recipients and is considered the most frequently used method in business research.

Page 12: PLANNING/WRITING/COMPLETING REPORTS(Progress Report)

CONTENT

Ask only for information that is not easily available elsewhere.

Have a purpose for each question. Use precise wording so that no question can

possibly be misunderstood. Use neutrally worded questions and deal with

only one topic per question. Ensure that the response choices are both

exhaustive and mutually exclusive. Be careful about asking sensitive questions,

such as information about age, salary, or morals.

Pilot-test your questionnaire on a few people to check that all questions function as intended.

Page 13: PLANNING/WRITING/COMPLETING REPORTS(Progress Report)

Organization

Arrange the questions in some logical order.

Arrange the alternatives for each questions in some logical order – such as numerical, chronological, or alphabetical.

Give the questionnaire a descriptive title, provide whatever directions are necessary, and include instructions for returning the questionnaire.

Page 14: PLANNING/WRITING/COMPLETING REPORTS(Progress Report)

Format

Use an easy-to-answer format. To increase the likelihood that

your target audience will cooperate and take your study seriously, ensure that your questionnaire has a professional appearance: use simple and attractive format and proofread carefully.

Page 15: PLANNING/WRITING/COMPLETING REPORTS(Progress Report)

When to Mail Questionnaire

1.When information can be provided easily and quickly.

2.When the target audience is homogeneous.

3.When sufficient time is available.

Page 16: PLANNING/WRITING/COMPLETING REPORTS(Progress Report)

Displaying a Quantitative Information

Convert your raw data ( notes, copies of journal articles, Completed questionnaires, recordings of interviews, and web links) into information – meaning facts, statistics,and conclusions – that will help the reader of your report make decision.

Page 17: PLANNING/WRITING/COMPLETING REPORTS(Progress Report)

Displaying a Quantitative Information

Constructing Tables Table – is an orderly arrangement of

data into columns and rows. It represents the most basic form of statistical analysis and is useful for showing a large amount of numerical data in a small space. With a table you can show numerical data in a more efficient and interesting way than with narrative text.

Preparing Charts

Page 18: PLANNING/WRITING/COMPLETING REPORTS(Progress Report)

REPORT

WRITING

Page 19: PLANNING/WRITING/COMPLETING REPORTS(Progress Report)

It is one of the most challenging and arguably the most important of the business communication.

PROCESS IN WRITING A REPORT: 1. Planning 2. Drafting 3. Revising 4. Proofreading

Page 20: PLANNING/WRITING/COMPLETING REPORTS(Progress Report)

SELECTING A FORMAT

Microsoft WordPowerPointExcel

Page 21: PLANNING/WRITING/COMPLETING REPORTS(Progress Report)

BASIS FOR ORGANIZING A REPORT

1. TIME –organize your report by time only when it is important for the reader to know the sequence of events.

2. LOCATION – appropriate for simple informational reports, may be the most efficient way to present the data by discussing topics according to their geographical location.

Page 22: PLANNING/WRITING/COMPLETING REPORTS(Progress Report)

3. IMPORTANCE – for the busy reader, the most efficient organizational plan may be to have the most important topic first, followed in order by topics of decreasing importance.

4. Criteria – for most logical organization, for most analytical and recommendations reports. By focusing on the criteria, you help the reader to the same conclusion you reached.

Page 23: PLANNING/WRITING/COMPLETING REPORTS(Progress Report)

PRESENTING CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS:

EXAMPLE:

FINDING: 65% of employees use Facebook during company time.

CONCLUSION: Employees are wasting time at work.

RECOMMENDATION: We should establish a social media policy.

Page 24: PLANNING/WRITING/COMPLETING REPORTS(Progress Report)

Choose direct plan for most business reports (conclusions and recommendation first)

Indirect style – when your audience may be resistant to your conclusions and recommendations or when the topic is so complex that the reader needs detailed explanations to understand your conclusions.

Page 25: PLANNING/WRITING/COMPLETING REPORTS(Progress Report)

OUTLINING THE REPORT

OUTLINE – is a useful step to help you plan which points are to be covered, in what order they will be covered and how the topics relate to the rest of the report.

HEADING – help your reader and give your report unity and coherence. It breaks the long report and refocus the reader’s attention.

Page 26: PLANNING/WRITING/COMPLETING REPORTS(Progress Report)

TALKING & GENERIC HEADING

TALKING HEADING – identify not only the topic but also the major conclusion.

GENERIC HEADING – identify only the topic without giving the conclusion.

Page 27: PLANNING/WRITING/COMPLETING REPORTS(Progress Report)

DRAFTING THE REPORT

Your final report is the only way your audience know how much time or effort you dedicated to the project.

Drafting the body:- Introduction- The findings- Summary / Conclusions and

Recommendations

Page 28: PLANNING/WRITING/COMPLETING REPORTS(Progress Report)

INTRODUCTION – sets the stage for understanding the findings.

FINDINGS – major contribution of the report and make up the largest section. It discuss and interpret relevant primary and secondary data you gathered.

SUMMARY/CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONS – length of the summary depends on the length and complexity of the report.

Page 29: PLANNING/WRITING/COMPLETING REPORTS(Progress Report)

DRAFTING SUPPLEMENTARY SECTIONS

Title PageCover Letter / MemoExecutive SummaryTable of ContentsAppendixReferences

Page 30: PLANNING/WRITING/COMPLETING REPORTS(Progress Report)

Developing Effective Writing Style

TonePronounsVerb TenseEmphasis and SubordinationCoherence

Page 31: PLANNING/WRITING/COMPLETING REPORTS(Progress Report)

Documenting your Sources

Reasons:1. To avoid accusations of

plagiarism.2. To give credit to the originator

of information.3. To demonstrate the validity of

our work with credible sources.4. To instruct readers where to

find additional information.

Page 32: PLANNING/WRITING/COMPLETING REPORTS(Progress Report)

COMPLETING REPORTS

Page 33: PLANNING/WRITING/COMPLETING REPORTS(Progress Report)

Finalizing Formal

Revising Producing

Proofreading

Distributing

Page 34: PLANNING/WRITING/COMPLETING REPORTS(Progress Report)

Revising Formal Reports

OrganizationStyle and

ToneReadability

Content Clarity Conciseness

Page 35: PLANNING/WRITING/COMPLETING REPORTS(Progress Report)

Producing Formal Reports

Design Elements

ProductionWork

ComputerResources

AudienceExpectations

Page 36: PLANNING/WRITING/COMPLETING REPORTS(Progress Report)

Components of Reports

Length ofReport

Type ofCompanyPrefatory Elements

Textual Elements

Supplementary ElementsNeeds ofAudience

Type ofReport

Page 37: PLANNING/WRITING/COMPLETING REPORTS(Progress Report)

Prefatory Elements

Proposal Cover

Title Page

List of Illustrations

Executive Summary

Title Fly

Table of Contents

Request for Proposal

Transmittal Document

Page 38: PLANNING/WRITING/COMPLETING REPORTS(Progress Report)

TEXTUAL ELEMENTS

IntroductionIntroduction

BodyBody

ClosingClosing

Page 39: PLANNING/WRITING/COMPLETING REPORTS(Progress Report)

Supplementary Parts

Appendixes

Bibliography

Index

Page 40: PLANNING/WRITING/COMPLETING REPORTS(Progress Report)

Inconsistencies

Errors and Omissions

Missing Components

Proofreading

Page 41: PLANNING/WRITING/COMPLETING REPORTS(Progress Report)

Distribution of Reports

Physical Web-BasedElectronic

Page 42: PLANNING/WRITING/COMPLETING REPORTS(Progress Report)

PROGRESS REPORTS

Page 43: PLANNING/WRITING/COMPLETING REPORTS(Progress Report)

People write progress reports to keep interested parties informed about what has been done on a project and about what remains to be done. As a result the tone should be serious and respectful. Even though progress reports are often in the form of a memo, the writer should be careful to write formal, standard prose. Progress reports represent not only the writer's work but the writer's organizational and communication skills. Progress reports can be structured in several ways. The following suggested pattern helps the writer cover essential material.

Guidelines for Writing a Progress Report

Page 44: PLANNING/WRITING/COMPLETING REPORTS(Progress Report)

If the progress report is a memo, it should contain the following standard elements:

• Date: Date the memo is sent • To: Name and position of the

reader  • From: Name and position of the

writer  • Subject: A clear phrase

that focuses the reader's attention on the subject of the memo

HEADING

Page 45: PLANNING/WRITING/COMPLETING REPORTS(Progress Report)

Because the reader is busy, get right to the point. Imagine you are meeting the reader in the hall, and you say, "I wanted to talk to you about this." Use the same strategy for the first line of the memo's body. Try saying out loud, "I wanted to tell you that" and then start writing whatever comes after that prompt. Often such a sentence will begin something like this:"Progress on setting up the new program in testing is going very well." If there is a request somewhere in the memo, make it explicitly up front; otherwise, your reader may miss it.

PURPOSE STATEMENT

Page 46: PLANNING/WRITING/COMPLETING REPORTS(Progress Report)

Usually in the same paragraph as the purpose statement, the writer gives the reader some background information. If the occasion demands a written progress report instead of a quick oral report, it is probably the case that the reader needs to be reminded of the details. Tell the reader what the project is and clarify its purpose and time scale. If there have been earlier  progress reports, you might make a brief reference to them.

BACKGROUND

Page 47: PLANNING/WRITING/COMPLETING REPORTS(Progress Report)

The next section of a progress report explains what work has been done during the reporting period. Specify the dates of the reporting period and use active voice verbs to give the impression that you or you and your team have been busy. You might arrange this section chronologically (following the actual sequence of the tasks being completed), or you might divide this section into subparts of the larger project and report on each subpart in sequence. Whatever pattern you use, be consistent.

WORK COMPLETED

Page 48: PLANNING/WRITING/COMPLETING REPORTS(Progress Report)

 If the reader is likely to be interested in the glitches you have encountered along the way, mention the problems you have encountered and explain how you have solved them. If there are problems you have not yet been able to solve, explain your strategy for solving them and give tell the reader when you think you will have them solved.

PROBLEMS

Page 49: PLANNING/WRITING/COMPLETING REPORTS(Progress Report)

Specify the dates of the next segment of time in the project and line out a schedule of the work you expect to get accomplished during the period. It is often a good idea to arrange this section

WORK SCHEDULED


Recommended