Informational reports can take many forms:

• e-mails
• memos
• forms
• letters
• reports

Chapter 17. Writing Informational Reports © 2010 by Bedford/St. Martin's 1

The writing process for informational reports
includes six steps:

• Analyze your audience.

• Analyze your purpose.
• Research the subject and compile your
information.
• Choose an appropriate format.
• Draft the report.
• Revise, edit, and proofread the report.

Chapter 17. Writing Informational Reports © 2010 by Bedford/St. Martin's 2

Consider three questions in writing reports
for multicultural readers:

• How might your readers react to your

informational report?
• Will your readers be comfortable with your
choice of document?
• Do you need to adjust your writing style?

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You likely will have to write five types of
informational reports:

• directives
• field reports
• progress and status reports
• incident reports
• meeting minutes

Chapter 17. Writing Informational Reports © 2010 by Bedford/St. Martin's 4

Use this strategy in writing field reports:

• Describe inspections, maintenance, and site

studies.
• Explain the problem(s), methods, results, and
conclusions.
• Deemphasize methods.
• Include recommendations if needed.

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 Answer these seven questions in a
field report:

• What is the purpose of the report?

• What are the main points covered in the report?
• What were the problems leading to the decision
to perform the procedure?
• What methods were used?
• What were the results?
• What do the results mean?

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 Understand the difference between a
progress and status report:

• A progress report describes an ongoing

project.
• A status report or activity report describes the
entire range of operations of a department or
division.

Chapter 17. Writing Informational Reports © 2010 by Bedford/St. Martin's 7

 Report your progress honestly when
responding to three common problems:

• The deliverable won’t be what you thought it

would be.
• You won’t meet your schedule.
• You won’t meet the budget.

Chapter 17. Writing Informational Reports © 2010 by Bedford/St. Martin's 8

 Two organizational patterns are typical in
progress and status reports:

Time Pattern Task Pattern

Discussion Discussion
A. Past Work A. Task 1
B. Future Work 1. Past Work
2. Future Work
B. Task 2
1. Past Work
2. Future Work

Chapter 17. Writing Informational Reports © 2010 by Bedford/St. Martin's 9

Project an appropriate tone in a progress or
status report

• If the news is good, convey your optimism but

avoid overstatement.
• Don’t panic if the preliminary results are not as
promising as you had planned or if the project
is behind schedule.

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Use this strategy in writing incident reports:

• Briefly summarize the accident.

• Present background information.
• Present your main conclusion about what
caused the accident.
• Explain the root cause of the accident.
• If appropriate, state your recommendations.

Chapter 17. Writing Informational Reports © 2010 by Bedford/St. Martin's 11

Use this strategy in writing meeting minutes:

• Record the logistical details of the meeting.

• Record the purpose of the meeting.
• Record the action taken at the meeting.
• Be objective; do not interpret events.
• Do not record emotional exchanges between
participants.

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