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Dr. Mala Sinha, FMS, Delhi

REPORT WRITING

An impartial ,objective, planned presentation of facts to one or more persons for a

significant business purpose


Types of Reports

• Function: to inform or to analyze, These could be interim , quarterly or annual report

• Subject matter: relate to different departments or functions like marketing, advertising, technical

• Formality: Most reports have an introduction , main text & terminal part . A formal reports also contains, prefatory and supplementary parts

• Origin: authorized ,voluntary or private

• Frequency: periodic or special.

• Format: memo ,letter, long report


Preparation before writing:• Define the problem, purpose, scope and ask:

• What is wanted?• How much?• Why?• When?

This will determine the purpose that can be written in one clear statement.

E.g. causes of high turnover, choice between two operating styles, etc.


Preparation before writing:

Consider who will receive the report.

– Internal– External– Overseas– Government


Preparation before writing

Determine ideas that need to be included:– Problem, objectives , scope– review of literature– Hypothesis– theoretical frame– Methodology – Data &Analysis – Findings & Conclusions

Organize text Prepare final report


Types of data

Secondary – all published work

Primary data - office records, original letters, questionnaires, observations, experiments


Main parts of a written report- Introduction

• Authorization • Plan of presentation• Define problem , objective, & scope• Methodology• Data source• Background (optional)• Definition of terms ( optional)• Limitations: restrictions of time, money,

research, assistance.• Brief statement of results/recommendations


Main parts of a written report- main text

This is the longest part of a report and contains details like:

• elaboration the problem • methodology • data & analysis • result , findings


Main parts of a written report- terminal section

Terminal section:

– Summary of findings– Conclusions (no personal opinions)– Recommendations– Plan of action– Proposition – series of assertions


Plans of organizing report body:

• Deductive: results first-– Terminal section– Introduction (motivates a busy executive)– Text

• Inductive:– Introduction– Text (requires persuasion topic, reduces bias)


Ways of organizing text

– Topic or Criteria wise– Order of Occurrence – Chronological– Space/Location– Functional - departments– Procedure & Process– Order of Importance- primary & secondary– Order of Difficulty– Sources– Problem & solution– Compare & contrast– Case study


Prefatory Section

1. Cover design and wording of title: The two are different.

2. For good titles :– Use five W’s – who, why, where, when, what– Use title length of 8-10 words– avoid articles like ‘a’, ‘the’ or report, survey, etc.– avoid vague broad titles– avoid evaluations in terms of titles

3. Title fly: blank sheet of paper between title page and cover.

4. Title page: consists of title, recipient name, sender’s name, and date (in that order).


Prefatory Section

5. Letter of memorandum of authorization: a letter authorizing and commissioning the formal report writer

– To: Mr. X– From: XYZ Co.– Subject: _______– Date: _______– Request: _______– Details: _______– Courtesy: _______


Prefatory Section

5 . Letter of memorandum of transmittal: – From writer to reader in another

organization.– In books there is a preface / foreword

Generally in letter format with letterhead and inside address omitted).


6. Table of contents:– Prepared after text is typed, use leaders.– sub – divisions in contents are permitted.

7. Table of tables: separate for graphs, visuals, tables, etc.

8. Abstract, synopsis, executive summary: includes purpose, results, methods – placed between contents and report body. VERY BRIEF.

Prefatory Section


Main Section

This is the longest part of a report and contains details like:

• elaboration the problem • methodology • data & analysis • result , findings


End section

• Summary condenses the text

• Conclusions evaluate and infer from the text

• Recommendations suggest specific course of action based on text


Footnotes & Endnotes

• These are of two types : those that explain content and those that identify the sources of content , or citations.

• Use of footnotes improves the credulity o the writer


Any quotation, factual statement, etc., must be based on sources, else it is plagiarizing

Cross – reference footnotes directs the reader to another place within the report.

Explanatory footnotes discuss, explain, give additional information

Superscripts refer the reader to footnotes or the reference section ( use small Arabic nos. placed slightly above the line at the end of the sentence and beginning of foot note)

Citations


Citations

Popular method: standard Latin abbreviations• ibid. (in the same place) – refers to the

immediately preceding footnote, but a different page

• Op. cit: “in the work cited” – refers to a previously cited footnote that is followed by at least one intervening footnote about another source

• Loc. Cit: “in the place cited” – refers to the same page in a previously cited footnote


10.Placement of footnotes:

– Bottom of page: where citation has been made, separated from the text by a typed solid line 1.5” to 2” long. Double space below the last line of text, beginning at left margin.

– Each footnote is typed single space usually indented 3-5 spaces on it’s first line and even with margin successively.

– Double space between other footnotes.

– Reference or bibliography should appear at the end of the text.

– Parenthetical documentation: (popular) – source citation is included within a sentence.a. * author – date b. * number – methodc. * full citation method

Citations


Bibliographic citations

• Determine which format is used in the company• Know these facts of the source regardless of format:• Author/s• Authors capacity- editor , translator ,compiler • Date of publication• Title of article or book• Edition• Page s• Volume • Publisher


Language

• Present facts as they are• Paragraph length about 7 type written lines • All paragraphs should have topic sentence as the

opening line even if there is a heading• Apply the seven Cs • Do not use more than two or three levels of headings in

short reports• Sentences averaging 16-20 words• Concrete nouns• Few adverbs & adjectives• Generally written in past tense


Formatting

• Use caps, italics, underscore, boldface, more space , indentation and fonts variety to emphasize

• Use tables , figures, graphs , pictures where ever they will help to clarify

• In the introduction section do not give the title introduction , just write the paragraphs about the introduction


Pagination• Every page in the report except the cover and title fly are

numbered• All page number are not typed on the page but are

counted• For prefatory sheets use Roman numbers• For main text use Arabic• Prefatory parts page numbers are centered at the bottom

of the page • Cover page and title fly– do not count• Title page – count but do not insert• Transmittal -count but do not insert• Table of contents – count & insert• Exec summary – count & insert• In the main text all pages are counted and inserted ( you

may not insert the page number on the page of a new chapter or section)


Appendix section

• Use appendix at the end of the main report to include pamphlets, questionnaires, pictures, maps , exhibits etc

• Use a title cover to differentiate

• If appendix is long make a content page in the beginning of the report


PROPOSALS

Persuasion lies at the heart of proposal writing


Parts of proposal - Prefatory

• Title page

• Letter of transmittal

• Table of contents

• List of table & figures

• Executive summary or abstract


Parts of proposal – main body( introduction)

• Introduction :

• Problem

• Background,

• Need

• Objective

• Procedures


Parts of proposal – main body (procedures)

• Methods and sources

• Plan of action,

• Sequence of events

• Equipment facilities

• Personnel justification

• Evaluation of benefits of project

• Budget cost and justification


Supplementary parts of proposal

• Details of budget

• Sources

• References

• etc

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