KMS
Write your Research
Report in a Structure
August 2014
A Report:
A report is a statement of the results of an
investigation or of any matter on which definite
information is required.
(Oxford English Dictionary)
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Knowledge Management
TACIT KNOWLEDGE
VS
EXPLICIT KNOWLEDGE
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Benefits of written reports
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
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Consolidated form
Effective form of internal communication and shared
knowledge
Facilitates decision making and planning
Discloses unknown information
Enables periodic reviews
Invites contribution from others
Live documents
Don’t have to remember and forget
Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing
countries | August 2014
No one can understand it!
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Comprehensible
Structure your Report
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Methodology
1. Develop a method
2. Explain clearly
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A Usual Report Structure
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Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing
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Stages:
The following stages are involved in writing a
report:
• clarifying your terms of reference
• planning your work
• collecting your information
• organizing and structuring your
information
• writing the first draft
• checking and re-drafting.
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Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing
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Anatomy of a Report
1. Cover Page
2. Letter of Transmittal/ Executive
Summary
3. Table of Contents
4. List of Illustrations
5. Report Body
6. Appendixes
7. Citations
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Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing
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Cover Page
Describes what the report is all about
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Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing
countries | August 2014
Letter of Transmittal: Executive Summary
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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Background
Summarize conclusions and recommendations
Minor problems. Thank those who helped.
Additional research necessary
Thank the reader. Offer to answer questions.
Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing
countries | August 2014
Table of Contents
1. An outline of the report
2. Bone structure
3. Leads the reader
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Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing
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Illustrations
1. Tables
2. Graphs
3. Charts
4. Diagrams
Label
Number
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Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing
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Report Body
Introduction:
• Purpose and Scope; Limitations, Assumptions,
and Methods
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Background/History of the Problem/
Correlations / Analysis
• Presents and interprets data
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Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing
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Conclusions and Recommendations
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Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing
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Appendixes
• Interview transcripts, questionnaires, question
tallies, printouts, and previous reports
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Citations
References or Works Cited
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Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing
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Plan your report
1. Consider the report as a whole
2. Break down the task of writing the report into
various parts
3. Keep in mind the time available to finish the
report
4. How can time be divided up into various
phases
5. Set yourself the deadlines
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Draw up an outline of the report
Divide your works in components
Note: Some of the most time consuming parts of
the process are collecting and arranging your
information and checking &revising your report.
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Collecting Information
1. What is the information you need?
2. Where do you find it?
3. How much do you need?
4. How shall you collect it?
5. In what order you will arrange it?
Make lists
Make an action plan
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Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing
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Organizing Information
1. Write the main theme in the Centre of a paper
2. Write down all ideas and key words related to
your topic starting from the Centre and
branching out along lines of connecting ideas
3. Each idea can be circled or linked by lines as
appropriate
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Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing
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Organizing Information Cont’d
1. When you have finished, highlight any related
ideas and then sort topics
2. Some ideas will form main headings and
others will be sub-headings
3. You will then be able to see a pattern
emerging and be able to arrange and rearrange
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Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing
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Mind
Map
4/13/2015
Questions and Common Errors
Questions
• You, We, I – personal pronouns
• Standards for reports
• How long?
Common Errors
• It’s a common error! Its consequences are
great!
• Singular & Plural errors.
• Neutrality (he/she, John)
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Document Design
1. Use no more than 5 fonts.
2. Use no more than 5 colors.
3. Use normal paper.
4. Use white space.
5. Use templates.
6. Use parallelism.
7. Avoid double emphasis.
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Remember
The art of good writing is in re-writing
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Subjects of Reports
Various Information Needs
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Information Needs
Exporters from Pakistan
•
•
•
•
•
•
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Provision of information on Target Markets
Logistical and Travel Information
Export Procedures
Trade Fair suitability
Connectivity information
Others (unlimited)
Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing
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Information Needs
International Importer
•
•
•
•
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Information on Procedures in Pakistan
B2B Support
Logistical information
Visa and travel information
Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing
countries | August 2014
Information Needs
• Country basic facts
• Cultural differences
• Business Ethics in target markets
• Travel requirements
• Logistics and shipping
• Financial institutions (banking)
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Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing
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Information Needs
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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Applicable import tariffs in importing country
Applicable tariff concessions (FTA, GSP, etc)
Sanitary and Phyto-sanitary requirements
Labeling requirements
Packaging requirements
Health and safety related requirements
Environment related requirements
Standards
Liability issues
Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing
countries | August 2014
Information Needs
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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Trade statistics
Trade fairs
Business norms
Distribution networks
Buyer preferences
Cost of doing business
Competitor analysis
Dispute resolution system
Others
Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing
countries | August 2014
Information Needs
• Export related laws and procedures of Pakistan
• What incentives government offers for export?
• How can these incentives/ benefits can be
gained?
• Others
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Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing
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Exercise 2
Take a blank page of paper
Create a mind map for your report
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