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Lecture-on-Report-Writing

The document outlines the structure and components of long formal reports, including prefatory parts, report introduction, body, ending, and appended parts. It also discusses short to mid-length reports, detailing various types such as routine operational reports, progress reports, problem-solving reports, and meeting minutes. Each section emphasizes the importance of clarity, organization, and meeting the readers' needs in report writing.

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15 views28 pages

Lecture-on-Report-Writing

The document outlines the structure and components of long formal reports, including prefatory parts, report introduction, body, ending, and appended parts. It also discusses short to mid-length reports, detailing various types such as routine operational reports, progress reports, problem-solving reports, and meeting minutes. Each section emphasizes the importance of clarity, organization, and meeting the readers' needs in report writing.

Uploaded by

ittefaq.feature
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

(BUS231)
Tanveer Kabir
Senior Lecturer
East West University
MSc in International Marketing, University of Nottingham
MBA, IBA, University of Dhaka
BBA, IBA, University of Dhaka
Report Writing
Types of Reports to be Discussed

Reports

Short To Mid Length


Long Formal Reports
Reports
LONG FORMAL REPORTS

• Longer reports need to include appropriate elements, meet the


readers’ needs and facilitate easy reading

• These reports usually consist of five broad parts/segments


PARTS OF A LONG FORMAL REPORT

Prefatory Parts

Report Introduction

Report Body

Ending of the Report

Appended Parts
Prefatory Parts
(Example: Page 377-381)

Letter of
Title Fly Title Page
Transmittal

Table of Executive Flyleaves


Contents Summary (Optional)
Prefatory Parts
• Title Fly
– Contains only the report REPORT TITLE
title
– Gives the report a formal
appearance
Prefatory Parts
• Title Page REPORT TITLE

– Contains the title,


Prepared for
identification of the < Name & Designation>
< Company Name>

reader and writer and


date Prepared by
< Name & Designation>
< Company Name>

DATE OF SUBMISSION
Prefatory Parts
• Letter of Transmittal
– A personal message from the writer to the reader
– Should be written in first person, using personal pronouns
– Should be written in conversational language
Prefatory Parts
• Table of Contents
– A list of the contents of the report in order
– The section title should match the report’s headings exactly
– May include a list of illustrations
• Executive Summary
– It is the report in miniature
– Should briefly state what kind of research was conducted
– Should present the key findings and analysis
– It is a masterpiece of economical writing
• Flyleaves
– Optional blank pages at the beginning and the end which protects the report
The Report Introduction

Origin of the Problem and


Scope Limitations
Report Purpose

Definitions,
Historical Report
Methodology Initialisms
Background Preview
and Acronyms
The Report Introduction
• Origin of the Report
– Should present facts as when, how and by whom the report was authorized
– Some writers leave this part out
• Problem and Purpose (For Long, Problem Solving Reports)
– Includes the problem and purpose statements
– Long Reports other than the problem solving genre, can include an ‘Objectives’ section to state
the report’s purpose
• Scope
– Scope means the boundaries of your investigation
– You should describe what parts of the problem you studied and what parts you didn’t
The Report Introduction
• Limitations
– No real world problem can be completely explored
– Mention anything that keeps your report from being an ideal
treatment of the problem
– Be frank but not too negative
• Historical Background
– Acquaints readers with how the problem was originally developed
The Report Introduction
• Methodology
– Specify how you collected the information
– Specify what research method you used
– More complex research requires a more detailed description
• Definitions, Initialisms and Acronyms
– Define any of the three types of terms mentioned above which are likely to be
unfamiliar to the readers
• Report Preview
– In very long reports, this section previews the report structure
The Report Body
• The information collected is presented and related to the problem
• This part comprises most of its content
• You may choose a writing style best suited depending on the topic of
the report
• Format this part for easy comprehension
• If you’ve used outside sources, these should be noted
The Report Body
FOR YOUR CLASS REPORTS & TERM PAPERS

• In different research reports and term papers which you


will prepare for different courses in your University, the
report body should include all the analyses like:

MARKET
COMPANY INDUSTRY SWOT
SHARE
BACKGROUND ANALYSIS ANALYSIS
ANALYSIS

PESTEL PORTER’S
ANALYSIS FIVE FORCES
The Ending of the Report

Findings Conclusion Recommendations


The Ending of the Report
• Findings
– A logical summary of major findings
– No interpretations needed
• Conclusion
– Reviews the preceding information and analyzes and from this review,
arrives at an answer
• Recommendations
– Present an action plan
Appended Parts

Appendix Bibliography
Appended Parts
• Appendix
– Supplementary information attached at the end of the main report
– Example: Questionnaires, Working Papers, Other Reports etc
• Bibliography
– Include information about sources from where you collected your
secondary data
– It is recommended that you use the Harvard Referencing System
Short (to mid-length) Reports

Suited for short but somewhat formal problem

Maybe Direct or Indirect


Format

TITLE PAGE
TEXT
Format

TITLE PAGE Combined


LoT + TEXT
Summary
Common Types of Short Reports

Routine Operational Progress Reports


Reports (Page 364) (Page 364-365)

Problem-Solving Meeting Minutes


Reports (Page 365) (Page 367-369)
Routine Operational Reports

• Keeps supervisors, managers and team


members informed about the company’s
operations
• Can be daily, weekly, monthly or
quarterly
• Form and contents may vary from
company to company & manager to
manager
• Many companies have pre-designed
forms
• Usually prepared for internal purposes
Progress Reports
• Focuses on progress toward a specific
goal
• To be submitted on an as-needed basis
• Shows that your work is on track
• Can be internal or external
• Can be formal or informal
• Most of them are informal narratives
• The overall message should be “I (we)
made progress”
Problem-Solving Reports
• Helps decision makers figure out
what to do when a problem arises
• Can be internal or external
• A type of problem-solving report is
feasibility study
– Writers study several courses of
action and then propose the most
feasible, desirable one
• Understand and follow the format,
the decision makers require from
the report
• You need to show that your study
was thorough
Meeting Minutes
• Provides a written record of a
group’s activities
• Does not recommend or analyze
anything, these reports are only
meant to describe
• ONLY includes objective data
• Meeting Minutes Format
– Check Page 368-369

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