Getting Set To Write a Report

Maddie Stewart
Governor Simcoe
Mr. Honsberger
Tuesday, June 03, 0!"
How to Write An Essay Page 2
#ntroduction
T$ere are severa% ways in w$ic$ to proceed wit$ writing a report. T$e
circumstances under w$ic$ a report is to be written dictate to a %arge e&tent t$e
way in w$ic$ t$e writer begins. '(%ow)
#* a report is to be written as a c%ass assignment, t$ere wi%% %i+e%y be at
%east two constraints on t$e report writer. T$ese are, '!) Si-e, .ery o*ten,
teac$ers 'or instructors) wi%% assign a report t$at is to *a%% wit$in a specia%i-ed si-e
range '*or e&amp%e, ten to twe%ve typewritten pages)/ and ') 0ontent, T$e
student report writer is most o*ten re1uired to eit$er write on an assigned topic or
a topic speci*ica%%y re%ated to a given *ie%d o* study.
Reports written *or business purposes genera%%y do not $ave si-e
restrictions, a%t$oug$ in some cases a c%ient may speci*y t$at progress reports
and t$e %i+e are not to e&ceed a given number o* pages. T$e content o* business
reports, o* course, is dictated by t$e circumstances. T$us, T$e writer never $as
to decide w$at to write about.
Reports written *or socia%, *raterna%, or simi%ar organi-ations probab%y $ave
t$e *ewest constraints. T$is type o* report is not usua%%y recommended in terms o*
grading or business communication. 2s a resu%t, t$e %engt$ is se%dom speci*ied
and t$e content re*%ects t$e needs o* t$e organi-ation.
3* t$e t$ree above4 mentioned varieties o* reports, t$ose assigned in
sc$oo% are in many ways t$e most di**icu%t. T$e %imits t$at are o*ten set *or t$e
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student create an a%most arti*icia% situation uni1ue to suc$ reports. T$e tas+ o*
arriving at a suitab%e scope *or a report, as discussed be%ow, creates a *rustrating
situation as does t$e 9ob o* not *inding su**icient w$i%e not overw$e%ming
re*erence materia%. However, it wou%d be un*air to say t$at suc$ e&ercises are not
wit$out a great dea% o* va%ue. Suc$ demands on researc$, organi-ation, and
writing s+i%%s, certain%y improve and po%is$ e&isting abi%ities.
S1uare 3ne4 Se%ecting t$e Topic
T$is *irst step, obvious%y, is app%icab%e on%y to t$ose situations in w$ic$
one may or must se%ect t$e sub9ect o* t$e report.
T$ere are a number o* *actors t$at bear upon t$is decision. T$e *o%%owing
paragrap$s e&p%ain some o* t$ese *actors.
Scope. #* t$e student is to se%ect a topic t$at re%ates to t$e materia%
discussed in an 2merican $istory c%ass and t$e report is to be between !: and 0
typewritten pages %ong, scope is a crucia% *actor. T$e writer wou%d not, *or
e&amp%e, attempt to treat t$e 0ivi% War in 0 pages or %ess/ suc$ an underta+ing
wou%d at best resu%t in an out%ine o* events. 2 more practica% approac$ wou%d be
to se%ect some narrower, t$oug$ signi*icant, aspect o* t$at war t$at cou%d be
deve%oped to a meaning*u% e&tent wit$in t$e %imited number o* pages prescribed.
';ig$t)
#nterest. T$e student report writer may or may not $ave t$e %u&ury o*
se%ecting a sub9ect o* interest/ $owever, interest in t$e sub9ect o* t$e report wi%%
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ma+e t$e e&tensive researc$ and writing invo%ved more en9oyab%e. 3ne *air%y
*ai%sa*e way to accomp%is$ t$is is to spend some time browsing t$roug$ di**erent
sources. ;i+e window s$opping, t$is process o*ten ma+es a person aware o*
somet$ing t$ey %i+e.
2vai%abi%ity o* re*erence materia%. T$ere wou%d be no point in deciding to
report on S$erman<s marc$ to t$e sea i* t$ere were not enoug$ resource materia%
wit$ w$ic$ to deve%op t$e sub9ect. T$is is w$ere t$e writer must begin to use
researc$ s+i%%s. 3*ten e&amining t$e encyc%opedias, $istory te&ts, and current
periodica%s 'suc$ as =atura% History, =ationa% Geograp$ic Maga-ine,
Smit$sonian), wit$ t$e $e%p o* t$e card cata%og and t$e Reader<s Guide to
>eriodica% ;iterature, t$e writer can get a *ee% *or t$e amount o* resources
materia% t$at is avai%ab%e as we%% as t$e e&tent o* detai% wit$ w$ic$ t$e sub9ect is
treated.
(ac+ground. #* t$e report writer $as amp%e time 'and intends to invest it in
researc$ing and writing t$e report), it is a good idea to underta+e a report on a
topic on w$ic$ t$e writer $as %imited +now%edge. T$is wi%% increase t$e bene*its o*
$aving comp%eted suc$ an e&ercise by e&panding t$e writer<s store o*
in*ormation. However, i* t$e time to be spent on t$e report is severe%y %imited, t$e
writer may want to se%ect a topic t$at is *ami%iar so t$at t$e direction t$at t$e
report ta+es and ways o* organi-ing t$e materia% are not as di**icu%t to dea% wit$.
3rder%y Researc$
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0onsiderab%e time and energy can be saved i* t$e writer ta+es t$is
researc$ part in an order%y *as$ion. T$e *o%%owing t$ree steps, is *o%%ower e&act%y
and comp%ete%y, wi%% yie%d an order%y basis *or t$e writing step.
0$ec+ document sources. ?sing t$e card cata%og and t$e Reader<s Guide to
>eriodica% ;iterature, t$e writer comp%etes one :@&3@ inde& card *or eac$ entry
t$at %oo+s as t$oug$ it mig$t provide needed materia%. Ao%%owing in*ormation,
2ut$or, %ast name *irst
Tit%e
>ub%is$er
0ity in w$ic$ pub%is$ed
>ub%ication date
=umber o* pages 'i* a boo+)
>age re*erenced
0omp%eting a%% o* t$ese cards at once provides, 'a) a%% o* t$e in*ormation *or
%ocating t$e needed materia%/ 'b) *reedom *rom $aving to repeated%y return to t$e
card cata%og w$en any o* t$e resources *ai% to provide needed in*ormation/ and
'c) a%% o* t$e in*ormation needed *or *ootnotes and bib%iograp$y. #* any o* t$e
re*erences prove unsatis*actory, :t$e corresponding inde& card can be t$rown
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away. 3* t$ose cards t$at t$at remain, assign a number or %etter to eac$ *or
identi*ication purposes.
Gat$er Materia%. W$i%e reading t$roug$ re*erence materia%, t$e writer s$ou%d
summari-e re%evant in*ormation/ o* course, direct 1uotations s$ou%d be noted as
suc$. #t is $e%p*u% to write t$ese summaries on B@&:@ note cards, p%acing
summaries o* distinct topics and subtopics on separate cards. #n t$is way, t$e
cards can be s$u**%ed into some %ogica% se1uence w$en t$e time comes to write
an out%ine. 3n eac$ o* t$e note cards, write t$e %etter or number o* t$e :@&3@
inde& card t$at identi*ies t$e pause o* t$e materia% written on it. T$is saves
$aving to copy a%% o* t$is in*ormation again.
3rgani-e materia%. #* notes on t$e reading are separated by topic as
suggested above, ma+ing an out%ine wi%% not be di**icu%t. (egin by typing to ma+e
yours to si& stac+s o* cards t$at re%ate to eac$ ot$er more t$an t$ey do to any o*
t$e ot$ers. 2 s$ort p$rase s$ou%d be written t$at describes t$e commona%ity
wit$in eac$ stac+. T$ese s$ort p$rases provide t$e main $eadings o* t$e out%ine.
Wit$in eac$ o* t$ese stac+s, t$e cards are sorted into *our to si& stac+s t$at re%ate
to eac$ ot$er/ a s$ort p$rase is written to sum up t$eir content. T$ese s$ort
p$rases wi%% be t$e subtopics *or t$e out%ine, t$e writer wi%% *ind t$at some bending
may be necessary, but *or t$e most part t$is proves a simp%i*ied met$od o*
organi-ing researc$ materia%s. '(agg)
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2s t$e writer *o%%ows t$ese steps, t$e *rustration o* t$e report writing wi%% be
minimi-ed. Wit$ added e&perience, o course, t$e writer wi%% *ind ways in w$ic$ to
customi-e t$e process to *it t$e individua%<s wor+ing and writing sty%e.
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0ontents
#ntroduction............................................................................................... !
S1uare one4 Se%ecting T$e Topic..............................................................
Scope............................................................................................
#nterest..........................................................................................
2vai%abi%ity o* Re*erence Materia%..................................................3
(ac+ground...................................................................................3
3rder%y researc$.......................................................................................3
0$ec+ Cocument Sources..............................................................."
Gat$er Materia%..............................................................................:
3rgani-e Materia%..........................................................................:
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Works Cited
(agg, James. DT$e 3verused Essay.D T$e Journa% o* Student ;earning 008, 4
7.
(%ow, Josep$. Essays 2re *or Everyone. =ew For+, Honsco >ub%is$ing #nc.,
!GGG.
;ig$t, (udd. Student ;earning >ro9ect. !: =ovember 0!0. 3 Cecember 0!3
HHHttp,55www.dsbn.orgII.
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