October 22, 2014
Welcome to ENG 1450
Writing and Reading for Problem Solving
***Please keep your homework & report at your desk.***
Tonight’s agenda
• Quiz #3 (6-6:30)
• Brief presentations – Sam, Dennis,
Jonathan Goolsby, Shelby (6:30-45)
• Writing strategies – reports (6:45-7:15)
• Report #6 (7:15-30)
• Break (7:30-40)
• Individual presentation #2 (7:40-8)
• Reading strategies – symbolic annotation
 discussion (8-8:40)
• Homework #6 (8:40-55)
Writing strategies – reports
(… and note-taking)
***presentation courtesy of Suba Subbarao, English department chair***
Overview of Discussion
• Objectives
• Report Channels
• Criteria for Writing
Short, Informal
Reports
• Types of Reports
• Process
4
Objectives
Reports allow you to:
• Supply a record of work
accomplished
• Record and clarify complex
information
• Present information to a large
number of readers
• Record problems encountered
• Document schedules, timetables,
deadlines, and milestones
• Recommend future action
• Document current status
• Record procedures
5
Report Channels
Reports can be written in any of the
following formats:
• Memo reports
• E-mail reports
• Letter reports
6
Criteria for Writing Reports
All reports contain similar elements,
including:
• Organization
• Development
• Style
7
Criteria for Writing Reports
(cont.)
• Organization—to organize your report,
include a(n):
– Heading
– Introduction
– Discussion
– Conclusion/Recommendation
8
Criteria for Writing Reports
(cont.)
• Organization (cont.)
– Heading—like a memo, include:
•
•
•
•
Date (on which the report was written)
To (your audience)
From (your name)
Subject (the topic about which you are writing
and a focus)
Focus
Topic
Subject: Progress Report on the XYZ Project
9
Criteria for Writing Reports
(cont.)
• Organization (cont.)
– Introduction
• Purpose—why you are writing and what you
are writing about
• Personnel—others involved in the project
(optional)
• Dates—time period covered (optional)
10
Criteria for Writing Reports
(cont.)
• Organization (cont.)
– Discussion
• Develop your points
• Use headings and subheadings
• Include graphics for visual appeal, conciseness,
and clarity
11
Criteria for Writing Reports
(cont.)
• Organization (cont.)
– Conclusion
• Sum up what you have learned, what of
importance has occurred, or what decisions
have been made.
– Recommendations
• Suggest what the next course of action should
be.
12
Criteria for Writing Reports
(cont.)
• Development
– Answer reporter’s questions.
• Who is involved in the project?
• What are the steps in the procedure; what decisions
have you made; what facts have you discovered?
• When did the activities occur?
• Where did the events occur?
• Why are you writing—what motivated the
report?
• How did the occurrence take place (for an incident report,
for example)?
13
Criteria for Writing Reports
(cont.)
• Style
– Clarity
– Conciseness
– Graphic aids (tables
and figures) for
document design
14
Types of Reports
•
•
•
•
Trip Reports
Progress Reports
Lab Reports
Feasibility Reports (Recommendation
Reports)
• Incident Reports
• Investigative Reports
• Meeting Minutes
15
Trip Reports
• Introduction
– Objectives
•
•
•
•
Why are you working on the project?
What problems motivated the project?
What do you hope to achieve?
Who initiated the project?
16
Trip Reports (cont.)
• Introduction (cont.)
– Personnel
• With whom are your working (team members,
other associated, customers)?
– Previous activity (if this is one of several
reports in a series)
• What has happened up to this point?
17
Trip Reports (cont.)
• Discussion (Findings, Agenda)
– Work accomplished
– Problems encountered
• Conclusion
NOTE: Consider
including graphics
to document your
report visually.
– What has been achieved
up to this point?
– What is the projected completion date?
• Recommendation
– What do you suggest should happen next?
18
Progress Report
• Introduction
– Objectives
• Why are you writing
the report?
• What is the topic of
your report?
19
Progress Report (cont.)
• Discussion
– What work have you accomplished?
– What problems did you encounter?
– What work is remaining?
NOTE: Consider including graphics to
document your report visually—pie
charts, bar charts, and Gantt charts
work well with progress reports.
20
Progress Report (cont.)
• Conclusion/Recommendation
– Provide an overview of the project’s status.
• Suggest what’s next.
21
Lab Report
• Introduction
– Rationale—what motivated the report?
– Objectives—what is the lab’s goal?
– Authorization—who authorized the lab
work?
– Personnel—who else is involved in the
project?
22
Lab Report (cont.)
• Discussion (Methodology)
– Apparatus—what equipment or approach
was used?
– Procedures—what steps were taken?
• Conclusion—what did the lab prove?
• Recommendation—what should occur
next?
23
Feasibility (Recommendation)
Report
• Introduction
– Objectives/Personnel
•
•
•
•
What is the goal of this report?
What problem motivated the study?
Who initiated the report?
Who else is involved in the study?
24
Feasibility (Recommendation)
Report (cont.)
• Discussion (Findings)
– Criteria—what will be the basis for your
recommendation (cost, time, personnel,
options, delivery methods, etc.)?
– Analysis—report on your findings,
comparing them to your criteria.
NOTE: A table or bar chart will help readers
visualize your discussion.
25
Feasibility (Recommendation)
Report (cont.)
• Conclusion
– Draw a conclusion, based on your findings.
• Recommendations
– What is the most feasible next course of
action?
26
Incident Report
• Introduction
– Purpose
• What incident occurred?
• When did it occur?
• Who and what was
involved?
•
Discussion (Findings,
Work Accomplished)
What problems did you
find?
What actions did you
take to correct the
problems?
27
Incident Report (cont.)
• Conclusion
– What caused the problems?
– What was the result of the problems
(damage, cost, etc.)?
• Recommendations
– What should be done to avoid future
problems?
28
Investigative Reports
• Introduction (overview, background)
– Purpose: What incident are you reporting on and
what do you hope to achieve in this investigation?
– Location: Where did the incident occur?
– Personnel: Who was involved in the incident?
• Who worked with you?
• Who was involved in the situation?
– Authorization: Who recommended or suggested
that you investigate the problem?
29
Investigative Reports (cont.)
• Discussion (Findings)
– Observations, including physical evidence,
descriptions, lab reports, testimony, and
interview responses.
– Contacts—people interviewed
– Difficulties encountered
– Techniques, equipment, and/or tools used in
the course of the investigation
– Test procedures followed
30
Investigative Reports (cont.)
• Conclusion
– What discoveries have you made regarding the
causes behind the incident?
– Who or what is at fault?
• Recommendations.
– What do you suggest next?
• Changes in personnel?
• Changes in approach or methodology?
• New training or technology? What is the preferred followup for the patient or client?
– How can the problem be fixed?
31
Meeting Minutes
• Introduction
– Date/Time/Place of the meeting
– Attendees—List names of those who attended
the meeting.
– Approval of Last Meeting's
Minutes
32
Meeting Minutes (cont.)
• Discussion (Findings, Agenda)
– Report on:
•
•
•
•
•
decisions made
conclusions arrived at
issues confronted
opposing points of view
votes taken
33
Meeting Minutes (cont.)
• Conclusion
– Old Business—old topics still unresolved and
needing further discussion.
– New Business—new topics to be covered in future
meetings.
– Next Meeting—when the committee will meet next,
providing the date, time, and location.
– Time of Adjournment—when the meeting ended.
– Signature—sign your name beneath the typed
signature (unless the minutes will be submitted
electronically).
34
Report #6 – due before class on
Wednesday, Oct. 29
•
•
Write a report about anything you want
(fictional or nonfictional). Use the
examples/ideas we just discussed to
create/choose a topic.
The report must contain the following
elements:
1. Organization
2. Development
3. Style
•
Submit the report to me via e-mail.
–
–
•
I am your target audience.
Practice professional communication skills.
Begin prewriting and drafting in class.
Report #6 – some ideas to get
you started
•
•
•
•
•
The last time you got your car serviced.
Your last trip to the grocery store.
A family outing.
A hunting or fishing trip.
Etc.
Individual presentation #2
• Briefly introduce your homework #5 to the
class.
• Paraphrase your article/video.
• How does this article/video align with
course content?
Reading strategies – symbolic
annotation
• Read the article “Inside 23andMe Founder
Anne Wojcicki’s $99 DNA Revolution.”
• Symbolically annotate the article.
Generating solutions 
making decisions
• Consider the article “Inside 23andMe
Founder Anne Wojcicki’s $99 DNA
Revolution.”
• What are the problems?
• What might be the solutions?
• What decisions will need to be made?
Homework #6 – due Oct. 29
• No, thank you. There is no homework #6.