Writing Nonroutine Reports
Professor Stevens Amidon
Department of English and
Linguistics, IPFW
What is a non-routine report?
• These are variations of the report genre
which are not a part of the normal routine
require of the writer’s job.
Interview Report
• A kind of informational report in which you
use an interview with a person to gather
information.
• Purpose: To gather information
• Features:
– Describes the process
– Summarizes the results
• An example can be found on page 175 of
your textbook.
Exception Report
• A kind of informational report in which you notify
the reader of an action which deviated from the
normal operation of your organization.
• Purpose: To inform the audience about the
deviation, and perhaps to persuade the
audience the deviation was justified, or
unavoidable.
• Features:
– Describes the deviation
– Explains or justifies the deviation
• An example can be found on page 176 of your
textbook.
Justification Report
• A kind of persuasive report in which you notify
the reader of an action you are taking/or
propose to take.
• Purpose: To persuade the audience a decision
or proposal is sound
• Features:
– Describes the action or proposal
– Justifies the action or proposal
• An example can be found on pages 177-178 of
your textbook.
Feasibility Report
• A kind of analytical report in which you inform the reader
of the results of research you have undertaken to
determine whether a project is worth undertaking.
Purpose: To inform the audience of the potential
consequences of a proposed action.
• Features:
–
–
–
–
Describes the action or proposal
Describes the research process
Describes the findings
Makes recommendations
• An example can be found on pages 179-181 of your
textbook.
Staff Report
• A report produced by a manager’s staff. (catchall category).
• Varies
– Examples:
• Research reports
• White papers describing new technologies
• Features:
– Vary
– Usually organized in a direct format
• An example can be found on page 182 of your
textbook.
Press Release
• An informational report prepared by an
organization to be read by the mass media.
• Purpose: To influence media coverage of an
event or undertaking.
• Features:
– Very specific information is provided
– Organized in a special way: the inverted pyramid form
• An example can be found on page 184 of your
textbook.
Executive Summaries
• A summary of a report or other information prepared for
an executive. Usually accompanies a longer report, but
sometimes are prepared to summarize legislation, or
current trends.(i.e. President’s daily briefing by Director
of Central Intelligence).
• Purpose: To condense important information into a
quickly readable format.
• Features:
– Usually a direct organizational approach, even if the report
summarized is indirect.
– Should include the issue, findings, and recommendations.
• An example can be found on page 186 your textbook.
Business Proposals
• A kind of persuasive report in which you are
proposing a business plan or action.
• Purpose: To persuade the audience to support
the plan or action in some way.
• Features:
– Solicited: response to an RFP
– Unsolicited: initiated by the writer or organization.
• Examples can be found on pages 188-190 of
your textbook.