Download - Basics of Report Writing-lasikar & Flatley
-
8/6/2019 Basics of Report Writing-lasikar & Flatley
1/30
BASICS OF REPORT WRITING
Lesikar & Flatley
Chapter
-
8/6/2019 Basics of Report Writing-lasikar & Flatley
2/30
Defining reports
Orderly
Objective
Communicate factual information
Serves a business purpose
-
8/6/2019 Basics of Report Writing-lasikar & Flatley
3/30
Report purpose
Identify a problem/need
Clarify problem
Preliminary investigation
statement of the problem
Forces you to think it through
-
8/6/2019 Basics of Report Writing-lasikar & Flatley
4/30
Examples of problem statement
Infinitive phrase:
To determine the causes of
decreasing sales at Store X
-
8/6/2019 Basics of Report Writing-lasikar & Flatley
5/30
Examples of problem statement
Question:
What are the causes ofdecreasing sales at Store X
-
8/6/2019 Basics of Report Writing-lasikar & Flatley
6/30
Examples of problem statement
Declarative statement:
Store X sales aredecreasing, and
management wants to
know why.
-
8/6/2019 Basics of Report Writing-lasikar & Flatley
7/30
Determining 3 Problem Factors
Subtopics
overall topic that report covers
Hypotheses
must be tested
comparisons problems,bases on which comparisons are
made.
-
8/6/2019 Basics of Report Writing-lasikar & Flatley
8/30
subtopics for Problem statement
To review operations of Company Xfrom Jan 1 through March 31
ProductionSales & promotion
Financial status
Computer systems
Product development
Human resources
-
8/6/2019 Basics of Report Writing-lasikar & Flatley
9/30
Hypothesis for Problem statement:
PROBLEM STATEMENT:
Sales in the Springfield store
have declined &management wants to know
why
-
8/6/2019 Basics of Report Writing-lasikar & Flatley
10/30
Hypothesis for Problem statement:
Activities of the competitionhave caused the decline
Changes in the economy of
the area have caused thedecline
-
8/6/2019 Basics of Report Writing-lasikar & Flatley
11/30
Hypothesis for Problem statement:
Merchandising deficiencieshave caused the decline
Changes in the environment
(population shifts, political actions,etc) have caused the decline.
-
8/6/2019 Basics of Report Writing-lasikar & Flatley
12/30
Hypotheses critique
Each one of the hypothesesmentioned are testable
Next step : determine how you
would test it.methodology
-
8/6/2019 Basics of Report Writing-lasikar & Flatley
13/30
Bases for Comparison
To determine whether Y
companys new centerlocation should be built in
City A, City B, or City C
-
8/6/2019 Basics of Report Writing-lasikar & Flatley
14/30
Bases for Comparison
Availability of skilled workers
Tax structure
Community attitude
-
8/6/2019 Basics of Report Writing-lasikar & Flatley
15/30
Bases for Comparison
Transportation facilities
Nearness to market
Note:
Each of the above can bebroken down further
-
8/6/2019 Basics of Report Writing-lasikar & Flatley
16/30
Gathering information
Person to person
(interviews)
Experiments or surveys (primary data)
Library research
(secondary information)
Internet search
-
8/6/2019 Basics of Report Writing-lasikar & Flatley
17/30
Interpreting the findings
Report the facts as they are
conclusions are not alwaysneeded
A lack of evidence is not proofto the contrary
-
8/6/2019 Basics of Report Writing-lasikar & Flatley
18/30
Interpreting the findings
Dont compare
non-comparable data
avoid illogical cause & effect
conclusions
-
8/6/2019 Basics of Report Writing-lasikar & Flatley
19/30
Interpreting the findings
Check for unreliable ornon-representative data
Dont over simplify
-
8/6/2019 Basics of Report Writing-lasikar & Flatley
20/30
Ethical attitudes & practices
Judicial attitude
Consult with others
Test your interpretationsAsk yourself: are these reasonable
Make opposite interpretation,
then compare to the currentinterpretationwhich one is stronger
-
8/6/2019 Basics of Report Writing-lasikar & Flatley
21/30
Statistical tools in interpretation
Descriptive statistics
Consider what client wants to
know
Dont confuse or overwhelm
Consider the actual problemState it plainly
-
8/6/2019 Basics of Report Writing-lasikar & Flatley
22/30
organizing report information
Why outline?
Group & order
Differentiate topics & subtopics
Identify Supporting points
Hierarchy / prioritizing
-
8/6/2019 Basics of Report Writing-lasikar & Flatley
23/30
Types of outlines
Conventional systems
Decimal systems
-
8/6/2019 Basics of Report Writing-lasikar & Flatley
24/30
Conventional systems
I.
A.
B. 1.
2.
(1)
a.
II.
-
8/6/2019 Basics of Report Writing-lasikar & Flatley
25/30
Decimal system
1.0
1.1
1.2
1.2.1 1.2.2
1.2.2.1
1.2.2.1.1. 1.2.2.1.1.1.
2.0
-
8/6/2019 Basics of Report Writing-lasikar & Flatley
26/30
Other considerations: outlining info
Organizing by DIVISION
(p. 303)
Division by conventional relation(p. 303)
Combination & Multiple division
(p. 305)
-
8/6/2019 Basics of Report Writing-lasikar & Flatley
27/30
From outline to Table of Contents
Content
Formatting
Talking vs. Generic Headings
Parallelism
Conciseness
Variety of expression
-
8/6/2019 Basics of Report Writing-lasikar & Flatley
28/30
Writing the report
First draft
Clear, concise,
Edit-revise-proofread
-
8/6/2019 Basics of Report Writing-lasikar & Flatley
29/30
Writing the report
Beginning & Ending
Objectivity
Believability-personal-impersonal
Consistency
Transitions
Bridging across
Attracting & maintaining Interest
-
8/6/2019 Basics of Report Writing-lasikar & Flatley
30/30
The end