COMM6263

8
Business Communication
Week 8

Proposals and Progress Reports, Finding,

Analyzing, and Documenting Information, &
Short Reports
Learning Outcomes
 Sub-topics

 Definition of reports in the workplace

 Planning to write business proposal
 Sections for business proposal organization
 Sections for progress report organization
 Strategies for print and online information searches
 Strategies for survey and interview question use
 Information analysis from research
 Common citation styles for research documentation
 Patterns for short business report organization
 Strategies for short business report organization
 Principles for good business report style
PROPOSALS AND PROGRESS
REPORTS

DEFINITION OF REPORTS IN THE

WORKPLACE
 What is a “report”?
 Formal reports contain formal elements such as a
title page, a transmittal, a table of contents, and a list
of illustrations.
 Informal reports may be letters and memos or even
computer printouts of production or sales figures.
 Reports can be called information reports if they
collect data for the reader, analytical reports if they
 interpret data but do not recommend action, and
recommendation reports if they recommend
 action or a solution.
 Types of Formal &
Informal Reports

Information
– Sales and quarterly reports.

Analytical
– Annual, audit, and make-good reports.

Recommendation
– Feasibility, justification, and problem-solving
reports.
PLANNING TO WRITE BUSINESS
PROPOSAL
 Steps in Writing Any
Report

Define the problem.

Gather necessary information.
Analyze the information.
Organize the information.
Write the report.
 A Good Report
Problem is

Real.

Important enough to be worth

solving.

Narrow but challenging.

 A Good Purpose
Statement Shows

The organizational problem or conflict.

The specific technical questions that must be

answered to solve the problem.

The rhetorical purpose of the report.

SECTIONS FOR PROPOSAL
ORGANIZATION
 Parts of a Project
Proposal
Problem
Feasibility
Audience
Topics to Investigate
Methods/Procedure
Qualifications/
Facilities/Resources
Work Schedule
Call to Action
SECTIONS FOR PROGRESS REPORT
ORGANIZATION
 Progress Reports

Are used to
Report progress.
Enhance your image.
Float trial balloons.
Minimize potential problems.
Types
Chronological
Task
Recommendation
 FINDING, ANALYZING, AND
DOCUMENTING INFORMATION

STRATEGIES FOR PRINT AND ONLINE

INFORMATION SEARCHES
 Types of Research

Primary
Gathers new information.
Includes surveys, interviews, and observations.
Secondary
Retrieves published information.
Includes library research and online searches.

22-16
 How can I find
information
online and in
print?
Keywords
 the terms that the computer searches for in a
database or on the web.
At the beginning of a search, use all the
synonyms and keywords you can think of.
 Examples of a
Boolean Search
Sources for Electronic
Research
 Using the Internet
for Research
Finding Web pages
– Use root words to find variations.
– Use quotation marks for exact terms.
– Uncapitalize words.
STRATEGIES FOR SURVEY AND
INTERVIEW QUESTION USE
 How do I write questions for
surveys and
interviews?
When asking questions
Use phrasing that doesn’t bias the response.
Avoid questions that make assumptions about your
audience.
Use words that mean the same thing to you and your
audience.
Closed and Open
Questions
 How do I decide whom
to survey or
interview?
The population is the
group you want to make
statements about
Defining your
population correctly is
crucial to getting useful
information
INFORMATION ANALYSIS FROM
RESEARCH
 How should Ianalyze
the information
I’ve collected?
 Understanding the Source of the Data
 Analyzing Numbers
 Analyzing Words
Checking Your Logic
COMMON CITATION STYLES FOR
RESERACH DOCUMENTATION
 How should I document
sources?

The two most widely used formats for endnotes and

bibliographies in reports are those of the Modern
Language Association (MLA) and the American
Psychological Association (APA).
 SHORT REPORTS

PATTERNS FOR SHORT BUSINESS REPORT

ORGANIZATION
 Patterns of
Organization

Comparison/Contrast
Problem/Solution
Elimination of Alternatives
General to Particular/Particular to General
Geographic or Spatial
Functional
Chronological
 Types of Reports

Informative and
Closure Reports
Feasibility Reports
Justification Reports
 Justification Reports

Indicate what you’re asking for and why it’s

needed.
Briefly give the background of the problem
or need.
Explain each possible solution.
Summarize the action needed.
Ask for the action you want.
 Problem-Solving
Reports
Describe the organizational problem.
Show why easier or less expensive solutions
will not solve the problem.
Present your solution impersonally.
Show that the disadvantages of your solution
are outweighed by advantages.
Summarize the action you need.
Ask for the action you want.
STRATEGIES FOR ORGANIZING
INFORMATION IN REPORTS
 What are the basic
strategies for
organizing
information?
Comparison/contrast
Problem-solution
Elimination of alternatives
General to particular or particular to general
Geographic or spatial.
Functional.
Chronological.
PRINCIPLES FOR GOOD BUSINESS
REPORT STYLE
 Report-Writing
Style
Follow the advice in Modules 15 & 16,
except
Use a fairly formal style, without contractions
or slang.
Avoid the word you.
Include in the report all definitions and
documents needed to understand the
recommendations.
 Headings
Informative or Talking Heads
Tell the reader what to expect.
Are preferred over topic headings.
Should be expressed in parallel form.
Topic Headings
Focus on the structure of the report.
Should be expressed in parallel form.
 Reference

1. Locker, Kitty O, & Kaczmarek, Stephen, K.

(2014). Business Communication, Building
Critical Skills Module 1-2, 6th Edition. MCGH.
New York. ISBN: 978-9-81-473867-5
Thank You