Business Communication
Chapter 9
Writing Reports
Objectives
Classify reports
Identify steps in planning a report
Know when to use direct/indirect order
Create a report outline
Know the parts of an informal report
Write an informal report
Know when to use a formal report
Identify parts of a formal report
Plan and prepare a formal report
Vocabulary
Tier 1
Fact
Opinion
Idea
Annual
Stockholders
Interview
Experts
Expensive
Data
Search engine
Web site
Budget
Tier 2
Classified
Formal
Informal
Preliminary
Period
Analysis
Investigated
Probable
Manuscript
Research
Logical sequence
Objective
Tier 3
Report
Informational reports
Analytical reports
Scope
Timeline
Primary research
Secondary research
Interview
Survey
Observation
Documentation
Bibliography
Vocabulary
Tier 1
Subtopic
Impress
Glossary
Guidelines
Visual aid
Troubleshooting
Tier 2
Aspects
Boundaries
Broad
Completion
Sources
Markets
Questionnaire
Compiling
Conclusions
Consult
Validity
Reliability
Tier 3
Hypothesis
Alternative
Analyze
Conclusion
Recommendation
Table of contents
Executive summary
Appendix
Wildcard
Boolean operators
Outline
Accomplish
Fact
Say fact three times
Sentence: It is a fact that Illinois state law states,
it is illegal to speak English. The officially
recognized language is "American."
Dictionary definition: a piece of information
about circumstances that exist or events that
have occurred
Student-friendly definition: something believed
to be true
Fact
Turn to your elbow buddy and tell them
something you know is a fact…use the word
fact as you tell them
Opinion
Say opinion three times
Sentence: It is my opinion that USC is the worst
school in California, if not the entire United
States.
Dictionary definition: A belief or conclusion held
with confidence but not substantiated by positive
knowledge or proof
Student-friendly definition: something believed
to be true but has no proof to back it up
Opinion
Turn to your elbow buddy and tell them your
opinion of school …use the word opinion as
you tell them
Idea
Say idea three times
Sentence: It is a dumb idea to date several
girls at the same time.
Dictionary definition: Something, such as a
thought or conception, that potentially or
actually exists in the mind as a product of
mental activity
Student-friendly definition: a thought
Idea
Turn to your elbow buddy and tell them a
great/or dumb idea you have had before …use
the word idea as you tell them
Annual
Say annual three times
Sentence: It is an annual tradition in my family
to go to my Grandma’s house on Christmas
Eve.
Dictionary definition: Recurring, done, or
performed every year
Student-friendly definition: yearly
Annual
Turn to your elbow buddy and tell them an
annual tradition you have in your family …use
the word annual as you tell them
Stockholders
Say stockholders three times
Sentence: I would like to be a stockholder in
Coca-Cola because I would make lots of
money.
Dictionary definition: One who owns a share
or shares of stock in a company
Student-friendly definition: someone who
owns part of a company
Stockholders
Turn to your elbow buddy and tell them a
company you would like to be a stockholder
in.
Interview
Say interview three times
Sentence: I will interview three people on
Thursday for the marketing position.
Dictionary definition: A formal meeting in person,
especially one arranged for the assessment of the
qualifications of an applicant.
Student-friendly definition: meeting with
someone to find out information about that
person
Interview
Turn to your elbow buddy and tell them about
an interview that you have had before …use
the word interview as you tell them
Expert
Say expert three times
Sentence: Simon Cowell was an expert judge
on American Idol.
Dictionary definition: A person with a high
degree of skill in or knowledge of a certain
subject
Student-friendly definition: someone that
knows a lot about a topic
Expert
Turn to your elbow buddy and tell them
something you are an expert about …use the
word expert as you tell them
Expensive
Say expensive three times
Sentence: One day I hope to own an expensive
car.
Dictionary definition: Requiring a large
expenditure
Student-friendly definition: lots of money
Expensive
Turn to your elbow buddy and tell them
something you would like to own that is
expensive…use the word expensive as you tell
them
Data
Say data three times
Sentence: She collected all the data she
needed and decided not to go on a second
date with Bob.
Dictionary definition: Factual information,
especially information organized for analysis
or used to reason or make decisions.
Student-friendly definition: information
Data
Turn to your elbow buddy and tell them data
you have collected before…use the word data
as you tell them
Search engine
Say search engine three times
Sentence: My favorite search engine to use is
Google.
Dictionary definition: A software program that
searches a database and gathers and reports
information that contains or is related to
specified terms.
Student-friendly definition: program that finds
information for you
Search engine
Turn to your elbow buddy and tell them your
favorite search engine to use…use the word
search engine as you tell them
Your Turn
• Your group will be assigned a
few vocabulary words.
• You need to
– find the definition
– create a student-friendly
definition
– use the word in a sentence
Group 1
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•
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•
Web site
Budget
Troubleshooting
Subtopic
Impress
Glossary
Guidelines
Visual Aid
Table of Contents
Group 2
•
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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Classified
Formal
Informal
Preliminary
Period
Analysis
Investigated
Probable
Executive Summary
Group 3
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•
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•
•
•
•
•
Manuscript
Research
Logical sequence
Objective
Accomplish
Aspects
Boundaries
Broad
Appendix
Group 4
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•
•
•
•
•
•
Completion
Sources
Markets
Questionnaire
Compiling
Conclusions
Consult
Validity
Wildcard
Group 5
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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Reliability
Dramatically
Favorable
Reasonable
Routine
Supplementary
Parallel
Report
Boolean operators
Group 6
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Informational reports
Analytical reports
Scope
Timeline
Primary research
Secondary research
Survey
Observation
Group 7
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•
•
•
•
•
•
Documentation
Bibliography
Outline
Hypothesis
Alternative
Analyze
Conclusion
Recommendation
Parts of a
Formal
Report
Organizing
and Writing
Formal
Reports
Formatting
Informal
Reports
Types of
Reports
Defining
the Report
Writing
Reports
Collecting
the Data
Processing
the Data
Outlining
and Writing
Informal
Reports
Organizing
Informal
Reports
What styles of reports are there?
What is the purpose of a report?
What types of formats can
reports be in?
What does it mean to identify
the problem or topic?
What does it mean to determine
the scope?
What does it mean to develop a
timeline?
What is primary research?
What is secondary research?
How do you evaluate data
sources?
What are bibliography notes?
What are research notes?
How do you create a report
outline?
How do analyze data?
What does it mean to draw
conclusions and make
recommendations?
Types of Report
Indicate whether you would use an
informational or an analytical report in
response to each request.
Report Style and Format
Indicate the style (formal or informal) and
format (letter, memo, or manuscript) for each
report.
Report Research
As a group, you have been asked to do
research for a report on ways your company
can improve customer service.
Turn in:
Article
Topic outline
Bibliography
Research note
What is direct order?
What is indirect order?
What does a report outline look
like?
What is a writing style?
What are the parts of an
informal report?
What is a letter report?
What is a memo report?
What is a manuscript report?
When do you use direct order
and when do you use indirect
order?
What is an impersonal writing
style?
What are the preliminary parts
of a formal report?
What is contained in the report
body?
What are the supplementary
parts of a report?
Do formal reports follow specific
formatting guidelines?
What types of margins/spacing
should you generally use?
Why would you use a heading?
What are three examples of
visual aids?
Formal or Informal Report
Indicate whether you would use a formal or
an informal report in response to each
request.
Parts of a Formal Report
Indicate the part of a formal report that is
described.
Each group will create:
•
•
•
•
•
Cover sheet
Table of contents
Executive Summary
Introduction Page
Findings and Analysis Page
– Including one table
• Summary, Conclusions, and Recommendations Page
• Works Cited
• Appendix
Group 1
• Communication devices (cell
phones, Facebook, Myspace
ruling teenagers lives
Group 2
• Teenagers staying out too late
Group 3
• Everything is DRAMA in the
teenage world
Group 4
• Dating Problems for Teens
Group 5
• Teenage Smoking, Drugs, and
Drinking
Group 6
• Teenage Depression/Suicide
Group 7
• Teenage Bullying