Chapter 11— Formal Reports

MULTIPLE CHOICE

1. Although formal reports are similar to formal proposals, a primary difference is that
a. formal reports represent the end product of thorough investigation and analysis.
b. formal reports use a more conversational tone.
c. reports are written for internal audiences only.
d. more formal reports are written than formal proposals.

2. What is the first step in preparing to write a formal report?

a. Analyze your audience.
b. Research primary and secondary data.
c. Define the project and limit its scope.
d. Determine the length of the report.

3. What is the best advice when writing a statement of purpose for a formal report?
a. Write a statement of purpose only for external formal reports.
b. Omit limitations to avoid a negative tone.
c. Use action verbs that tell what you intend to do.
d. Do all of these choices when writing statements of purpose.

4. Primary research data can be defined as

a. information that comes from reading what others have experienced and observed.
b. information gained from firsthand experience and observation.
c. statistics collected during the first stage of research.
d. data you get from the Web.

5. Your boss asks you to write a formal report on the impact of smoking on employee healthcare costs.
Like nearly every writer of a research project, you should begin your research by
a. reviewing secondary data in the library or on the Internet.
b. interviewing your colleagues to solicit their input and feelings.
c. preparing a questionnaire to distribute to your colleagues.
d. conducting a field experiment.

6. Although researchers are increasingly using electronic data, you should learn to use print resources
because
a. electronic sources are never considered as reliable as books and magazines.
b. print sources provide primary data and electronic sources provide secondary data.
c. some data is available only in print.
d. audiences respect only writers who include data from print sources.
7. What type of print resource provides excellent historical data?
a. Periodicals
b. Bibliographic indexes
c. Brochures
d. Books
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 8. Many researchers today begin by looking in electronic databases because
a. they know that all data found in electronic databases is valid and reliable.
b. electronic databases are always a free resource if you have Internet access.
c. it is easy to cite sources found in an electronic database.
d. electronic databases are convenient to use.

9. Which statement about the World Wide Web is accurate?

a. The Web always provides accurate, credible information.
b. The Web is a collection of hypertext pages that offer information and links of trillions of
pages.
c. The number of Web sites is now decreasing after reaching its peak of 235 million sites.
d. Only certain individuals or organizations are permitted to post on the Web.

10. Searching the Web requires a(n)

a. e-mail address.
b. Web browser.
c. handheld wireless device.
d. master's degree.

11. Which statement about search tools is accurate?

a. A search tool is also called a Web browser.
b. A search tool is a service that indexes, organizes, and often rates and reviews Web pages.
c. Bing is currently the most-used search tool.
d. A search tool helps to protect the user's computer against viruses and malware as the user
conducts Web searches.
12. What is the best advice for conducting an Internet search?
a. When connecting to a search tool for the first time, always read the FAQs (Frequently
Asked Questions), Help, and How to Search sections.
b. Use one search tool only so that you can master it.
c. Use all uppercase letters for your searches.
d. Include articles and prepositions in search phrases to make searches more specific.

13. A blog is
a. an online diary or journal that allows visitors to leave public comments.
b. a computer virus that frequently appears from Web sites such as Facebook and MySpace.
c. a collection of hypertext pages that offer information and links.
d. an electronic information storage base that users access via computer and search digitally.
14. Which of the following is a primary data source?
a. Periodicals
b. Electronic databases
c. Blogs
d. Experimentation

15. Surveys, which are used to collect firsthand data, have many advantages. One advantage is that
a. those who respond to mailed or online surveys exactly represent the overall population.
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 b. respondents can be relied on to respond openly and truthfully to anonymous surveys.
c. data can be gathered economically and efficiently.
d. return rates for online and mailed surveys are typically over 90 percent.

16. Brittany is writing a business report about protecting workplace data and will be conducting an
interview with a data security expert. What is the best advice you can give her?
a. Call before the interview to confirm the arrangements, and then arrive on time.
b. Learn about the individual she is interviewing, and research the background and
terminology of the topic.
c. Use open-ended questions rather than yes-or-no questions to draw out the responses from
the expert.
d. Brittany should complete all these steps.
17. Plagiarism
a. involves using good data from reputable sources to increase your credibility and to
enhance the logic of your reasoning.
b. happens in only academic settings.
c. is the act of using others' ideas without proper documentation or by paraphrasing poorly.
d. is restating an original passage in your own words.

18. Which of the following statements about documenting data is not accurate?
a. Documenting data can strengthen your argument.
b. Documenting data protects you from charges of plagiarism.
c. Documenting data is not necessary if you put the information in your own words.
d. Documenting data helps the reader pursue the topic further.

19. Which of the following statements would need to be documented in a report?

a. Tornadoes caused extensive loss of property and lives in Missouri.
b. You can get an idea of how dangerous a tornado is by its rating.
c. Damaging winds, common in strong tornadoes, caused problems for the residents of
Missouri.
d. The Fujita-Pearson tornado scale rates tornadoes with wind speeds of 261 to 318 miles
per hour as F5 storms.
20. Paraphrasing is
a. restating an original passage in your own words.
b. repeating the grammatical structure of the original passage.
c. replacing original words with appropriate synonyms.
d. indicating the source of the original work.

21. Which of the following is not a purpose for a direct quotation?

a. To duplicate exact wording before criticizing an idea
b. To repeat identical phrasing because of its precise wording
c. To add length to a researched document
d. To provide objective background information

22. Which of the following is the best advice about the use of direct quotations in a report?
a. Beware of overusing quotations because you may appear as if you have no ideas of your
own.
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 b. If you use a direct quotation, don't dilute its impact by summarizing it or introducing it in
your own words.
c. Place the direct quotation in quotation marks, but change a few words to show you have
your own ideas.
d. Direct quotations do not need to be placed in quotation marks if the audience is already
familiar with the quote such as "The buck stops here."

23. What is the correct order of ideas for a report using the indirect strategy?
a. Recommendations, findings, and conclusions
b. Conclusions, findings, and recommendations
c. Findings, conclusions, and recommendations
d. Recommendations, conclusions, and findings

24. Chronological organization arranges ideas by

a. time.
b. order of importance.
c. physical location.
d. simple to complex.

25. Tanya must prepare a formal report detailing the findings of a year-long study of her company's new
wellness program. In this report she must discuss employee absenteeism before and after the program's
implementation. What type of organizational pattern will she likely use?
a. Chronological
b. Spatial
c. Compare/Contrast
d. Importance
26. John is writing a report that analyzes the GlobalCom, Inc., market share of cell phone subscriptions
worldwide by region. He will probably organize his report
a. chronologically by the date the cell phone subscriptions reached their maximums.
b. around extensive secondary data to assure the reader that he conducted adequate research
before he wrote the report.
c. using a functional arrangement to show types of subscriptions globally.
d. geographically with sections representing each region's market share.
27. Harry is creating an outline to help him write a report on e-waste generated by his company. What
advice should he follow?
a. Include the outline as part of the final report so that his audience can quickly see his
organizational pattern.
b. Create a balanced outline with exactly the same number of subpoints and details for each
main point.
c. Avoid placing only one subpoint under a main idea.
d. Avoid using the main points used on the outline as main headings in the written report.
28. Janet must include a long table in a report she is preparing on employee Internet use. What advice
should she follow when creating the table?
a. Avoid distracting her readers with shading.
b. Place the table as close as possible to its text discussion.
c. Leave missing data blank.
d. Because the emphasis is on the data, avoid the use of headings for each row.

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29. The major advantage of line charts is that they
a. compare related items.
b. present large amounts of data.
c. show the proportion of parts to a whole.
d. demonstrate trends.

30. What type of graphic illustrates changes in data over time?

a. Line chart
b. Flowchart
c. Bar chart
d. Table

31. In her letter to policyholders, Min Yi needs a graphic depicting the procedure a policyholder follows
when filing a claim. Which of these would be most appropriate?
a. Organizational chart
b. Flowchart
c. Illustration
d. Table
32. Which statement about pie charts is accurate?
a. Pie charts are most useful for technical audiences.
b. Pie charts are most appropriate for showing percentages.
c. Pie charts are more flexible than bar or line charts.
d. Pie charts can be confusing to readers because of the use of multiple colors.

33. Which of the following is the best advice when using graphics in reports?
a. Don't overuse color because too much color can be distracting and confusing.
b. Don't introduce a graphic; a good graphic should communicate clearly itself.
c. Avoid summarizing the main point of the graphic.
d. Avoid the use of headings on a graphic.

34. What is the purpose of a letter or memo of transmittal?

a. To present an overview of the report
b. To provide a list of sources used within the report
c. To introduce the writer of the report
d. To designate the parts of the report
35. What advice should you follow when preparing a table of contents?
a. Avoid leaders (spaced or unspaced dots) on a table of contents to avoid confusing the
reader.
b. Include all headings for a long report on the table of contents.
c. Include a list of figures on the table of contents.
d. Wait until you have completed the report before writing the table of contents.

36. The discussion of findings in a report should do all of the following except
a. use graphics to illustrate key points and findings.
b. use first-person pronouns.
c. analyze and interpret the research findings or solution.
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 d. present evidence to justify your conclusions.

37. What information is included in the appendix in of a formal report?

a. Surveys
b. Sources mentioned in the report
c. Recommendations based on the report findings
d. Author's credentials
TRUE/FALSE

1. The first step in preparing a report is to conduct research.

2. Secondary data come from reading what others have experienced and observed.

3. An advantage of secondary data over primary data is that secondary data are easier and cheaper to
develop.

4. Books provide historical, in-depth data; however, periodicals provide limited but current coverage.

5. If you find information on the Web, you can be assured that it is reliable.

6. To efficiently locate information using the Internet, use two or three search tools and combine
keywords into phrases.

7. Businesses should avoid using social networking sites to generate research because these sites serve
entertainment and leisure purposes only.

8. Both observation and experimentation produce firsthand data to clarify cause and effect.

9. When you conduct an interview, prepare closed-ended questions to make the interviewee feel relaxed
and at ease.

10. The only reason to document sources in a report is to avoid charges of plagiarism.

11. Documenting data is necessary only when writing long reports and proposals.

12. If you paraphrase (put information in your own words), you do not need to credit the information
source.

13. Information that is common knowledge requires no documentation.

14. If you are worried about plagiarizing, you can avoid the problem if you use the grammatical structure
of the original and just replace words with synonyms.
15. Katrina has decided to organize her business report using the direct organizational pattern. Therefore,
she should begin the report with her conclusions and recommendations.

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 16. A report discussing the correct procedure to process customer complaints should be organized using a
chronological order.

17. Most writers agree that the clearest way to show the organization of a report is by recording its
divisions in an outline.

18. Avoid the use of graphics in a report because graphics usually confuse readers.

19. Probably the most frequently used visual aid in reports is the table.

20. The major advantage of line charts is that they show changes over time, thus indicating trends.

21. Avoid referencing graphics in the text of your report; the visual should speak for itself.

22. The title page is a prefatory part of a business report.

23. If included with a report, a letter or memo of transmittal should be written using the indirect pattern.

24. The body of a formal report typically includes an introduction; the discussion of findings; and a
summary, conclusions, or recommendations.

25. The recommendations of a report may be placed in a separate section or incorporated with the
conclusions.

26. Regardless of the referencing format used, citations include the author, title, publication, date of
publication, page number, and other significant data for all sources used in the report.

27. Graphics should incorporate lots of color and decorations to provide visual impact for readers.

COMPLETION

1. The planning of every report begins with a statement of ____________________ that describes the
goal, significance, and limitations of a formal report.

2. A(n) ____________________ is a collection of information stored electronically so that it is accessible

by computer and digitally searchable.

3. A(n) ____________________ tool is a service such as Google that indexes, organizes, and often rates
and reviews Web pages.

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4. An online diary or journal that allows visitors to leave public comments is called a weblog or
____________________.

5. ____________________ is giving credit to your information sources.

6. Business reports often rely on ____________________ data from firsthand experience such as
surveys, interviews, observations, and experimentations.

7. Using the ideas of someone else without giving credit is called ____________________ and is
unethical.

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