Chapter 12

Preparing To Write
Business Reports

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication:

Process and Product, 5e
Copyright © 2006
 What Are Business Reports?
Business reports are systematic
attempts to answer questions and solve
problems. They include the following
activities.

Planning

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 2
 What Are Business Reports?
Business reports are systematic
attempts to answer questions and solve
problems. They include the following
activities.

Planning

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 3
 What Are Business Reports?
Business reports are systematic
attempts to answer questions and solve
problems. They include the following
activities.

Planning Research

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 4
 What Are Business Reports?
Business reports are systematic
attempts to answer questions and solve
problems. They include the following
activities.

Planning Research

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 5
 What Are Business Reports?
Business reports are systematic
attempts to answer questions and solve
problems. They include the following
activities.

Planning Research Organization

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 6
 What Are Business Reports?
Business reports are systematic
attempts to answer questions and solve
problems. They include the following
activities.

Planning Research Organization

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 7
 What Are Business Reports?
Business reports are systematic
attempts to answer questions and solve
problems. They include the following
activities.

Planning Research Organization Presentation

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 8
 Ten Truths About
Business Reports
1. Everyone writes reports.
2. Most reports flow upward.
3. Most reports are informal.
4. Three report formats (memo, letter,
and manuscript) are most common.
5. Reports differ from memos and
letters.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 9
 Ten Truths About
Business Reports
6. Today’s reports are written on
computers.
7. Some reports are collaborative
efforts.
8. Ethical report writers interpret facts
fairly.
9. Organization is imposed on data.
10. The writer is the reader’s servant.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 10
 Report Functions
• Informational reports
• Analytical reports

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 11
 Report Formats
• Letter format
• Memo format
• Manuscript format
• Printed forms

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 12
 Writing Style
• Formal
• Informal

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 13
 Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
If readers
are informed

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 14
 Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
If readers
are informed

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 15
 Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
If readers
are informed

Direct Pattern

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 16
 Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
If readers
are informed

Direct Pattern

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 17
 Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
If readers
are informed Report

-----Main Idea ----

-----------------------
Direct Pattern -----------------------
-----------------------
-----------------------
-----------------------
-----------------------
-----------------------

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 18
 Audience Analysis and
Report Organization

If readers
are supportive

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 19
 Audience Analysis and
Report Organization

If readers
are supportive

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 20
 Audience Analysis and
Report Organization

If readers
Direct Pattern
are supportive

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 21
 Audience Analysis and
Report Organization

If readers
Direct Pattern
are supportive

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 22
 Audience Analysis and
Report Organization

Report

-----Main Idea ----

-----------------------
If readers -----------------------
Direct Pattern
are supportive -----------------------
-----------------------
-----------------------
-----------------------
-----------------------

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 23
 Audience Analysis and
Report Organization

If readers
are eager to
have results first

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 24
 Audience Analysis and
Report Organization

If readers
are eager to
have results first

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 25
 Audience Analysis and
Report Organization

Direct Pattern

If readers
are eager to
have results first

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 26
 Audience Analysis and
Report Organization

Direct Pattern

If readers
are eager to
have results first

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 27
 Audience Analysis and
Report Organization

Report

-----Main Idea ----

-----------------------
Direct Pattern -----------------------
-----------------------
-----------------------
-----------------------
-----------------------
If readers -----------------------
are eager to
have results first

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 28
 Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
If readers
are informed

If readers
are supportive

If readers
are eager to
have results first

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 29
 Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
If readers
are informed

If readers
are supportive

If readers
are eager to
have results first

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 30
 Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
If readers
are informed

If readers
Direct Pattern
are supportive

If readers
are eager to
have results first

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 31
 Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
If readers
are informed

If readers
Direct Pattern
are supportive

If readers
are eager to
have results first

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 32
 Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
If readers
are informed Report

-----Main Idea ----

-----------------------
If readers -----------------------
Direct Pattern
are supportive -----------------------
-----------------------
-----------------------
-----------------------
If readers -----------------------
are eager to
have results first

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 33
 Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
If readers
need to be
educated

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 34
 Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
If readers
need to be
educated

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 35
 Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
If readers
need to be
educated

Indirect Pattern

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 36
 Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
If readers
need to be
educated

Indirect Pattern

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 37
 Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
If readers
need to be
educated Report

-----------------------
-----------------------
-----------------------
Indirect Pattern -----------------------
-----------------------
-----------------------
-----------------------
-----Main Idea ----

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 38
 Audience Analysis and
Report Organization

If readers
need to be
persuaded

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 39
 Audience Analysis and
Report Organization

If readers
need to be
persuaded

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 40
 Audience Analysis and
Report Organization

If readers
need to be Indirect Pattern
persuaded

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 41
 Audience Analysis and
Report Organization

If readers
need to be Indirect Pattern
persuaded

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 42
 Audience Analysis and
Report Organization

Report

-----------------------
-----------------------
If readers -----------------------
need to be Indirect Pattern -----------------------
persuaded -----------------------
-----------------------
-----------------------
-----Main Idea ----

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 43
 Audience Analysis and
Report Organization

If readers
may be hostile
or disappointed

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 44
 Audience Analysis and
Report Organization

If readers
may be hostile
or disappointed

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 45
 Audience Analysis and
Report Organization

Indirect Pattern

If readers
may be hostile
or disappointed

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 46
 Audience Analysis and
Report Organization

Indirect Pattern

If readers
may be hostile
or disappointed

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 47
 Audience Analysis and
Report Organization

Report

-----------------------
-----------------------
-----------------------
Indirect Pattern -----------------------
-----------------------
-----------------------
-----------------------
If readers -----Main Idea ----
may be hostile
or disappointed

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 48
 Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
If readers
need to be
educated

If readers
need to be
persuaded

If readers
may be hostile
or disappointed

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 49
 Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
If readers
need to be
educated

If readers
need to be
persuaded

If readers
may be hostile
or disappointed

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 50
 Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
If readers
need to be
educated

If readers
need to be Indirect Pattern
persuaded

If readers
may be hostile
or disappointed

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 51
 Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
If readers
need to be
educated

If readers
need to be Indirect Pattern
persuaded

If readers
may be hostile
or disappointed

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 52
 Audience Analysis and
Report Organization
If readers
need to be
educated Report

-----------------------
-----------------------
If readers -----------------------
need to be Indirect Pattern -----------------------
persuaded -----------------------
-----------------------
-----------------------
If readers -----Main Idea ----
may be hostile
or disappointed

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 53
 Applying the Writing Process
to Reports
Step 1 Analyze the problem and purpose.
Step 2 Anticipate the audience and issues.
Step 3 Prepare a work plan.
Step 4 Implement your research strategy.
Step 5 Organize, analyze, interpret, illustrate
the data.
Step 6 Compose the first draft.
Step 7 Revise, proofread, and evaluate.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 54
 Work Plan for a Formal
Report
• Statement of problem
• Statement of purpose
• Sources and methods of data
collection
• Tentative outline
• Work schedule

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 55
 Researching Report Data

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 56
 Researching Report Data
• Locating secondary print data
• Books – card catalog, online catalog
• Periodicals – print indexes, CD-ROM indexes

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 57
 Researching Report Data
• Locating secondary electronic data
• Electronic databases
• The Internet
• World Wide Web search tools
Google MSN search
Ask Jeeves Yahoo!

• Evaluating Web sources

How current is the information?
How credible is the author or source?
What is the purpose of the site?
Do the facts seem reliable?
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 58
 Researching Report Data
• Tips for searching the Web
• Use two or three search tools.
• Understand case sensitivity.
• Prefer uncommon words.
• Omit articles and prepositions.
• Use wild cards.
• Know your search tool.
• Learn basic Boolean search strategies.
• Bookmark the best pages.
• Be persistent.
• Repeat your search a week later.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 59
 Researching Report Data
• Researching primary data
• Surveys
• Interviews
• Observation
• Experimentation

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 60
 Illustrating Report Data

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 61
 Illustrating Report Data
• Functions of graphics
• To clarify data
• To condense and simplify data
• To emphasize data

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 62
 Illustrating Report Data
• Forms and objectives of graphics
• Table
To show exact figures and values

Class Agree Disagree Undecided

Seniors 738 123 54

Juniors 345 34 76

Sophomores 123 234 78

Freshmen 45 567 123

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 63
 Illustrating Report Data
• Forms and objectives of graphics
• Bar chart
To compare one item with others
48

47

46

45 Enrollees

44

43

42
1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr 4th Qtr

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 64
 Illustrating Report Data
• Forms and objectives of graphics
• Line chart
To demonstrate changes in quantitative data over time

100
90
80
70
60
Net ($M)
50
Gross ($M)
40
30
20
10
0
2001 2002 2003 2004

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 65
 Illustrating Report Data
• Forms and objectives of graphics
• Pie graph
To visualize a whole unit and the proportion of its
components

Disagree Strongly
28% Disagree
38%
Agree
13%

Strongly No
Agree Opinion
18% 3%

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 66
 Illustrating Report Data
• Forms and objectives of graphics
• Flow chart
To display a process or procedure

Receive Test Repair

Re-box Re-stock Floor

Shelves Ship

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 67
 Illustrating Report Data
• Forms and objectives of graphics
• Organization chart
To define a hierarchy of elements

Charles Eubank
President

William Dixon Joan Williams Wayne Lu

Vice President Vice President Vice President
Sales Design Production

Clarice Brown John Deleuze George LaPorte

Manager Manager Foreman

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 68
 Illustrating Report Data
• Forms and objectives of graphics
• Photograph, map, illustration
To create authenticity, to spotlight a location, and to
show an item in use

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 69
 Pie Graph

2006 MPM INCOME BY DIVISION

DVDs & Videos

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 70
 Pie Graph
• Use pie graphs to show a whole and
the proportion of its components.
• Generally begin at the 12 o’clock
position, drawing the largest wedge
first. Computer software programs,
however, may vary in placement of
wedges.
• Include, if possible, the actual
percentage or absolute value for
each wedge.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 71
 Pie Graph
• Use four to eight segments for best
results; if necessary, group small
portions into one wedge called
“Other.”
• Distinguish wedges with color,
shading, or crosshatching.
• Keep all labels horizontal.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 72
 Vertical Bar Chart
Figure 1 Figure number
2006 MPM INCOME BY DIVISION Figure title
Scale 40
value
$32.2
Millions of Dollars

30
$24.3
$22.0
20

10

0
Theme Motion Videos Scale captions
Parks Pictures

Source: Industry Profiles (New York: DataPro, 2002), 225. Source note

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 73
 Bar Charts
• Bar charts make visual comparisons.
They can compare related items,
illustrate changes in data over time,
and show segments as parts of
wholes.
• Bar charts may be vertical,
horizontal, grouped, or segmented.
Avoid showing too much
information, thus producing clutter
and confusion.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 74
 Bar Charts
• The length of each bar and segment
should be proportional.
• Dollar or percentage amounts should
start at zero.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 75
 Documenting Data

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 76
 Documenting Data
• Reasons for crediting sources
• Strengthens your argument
• Gives you protection
• Instructs readers

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 77
 Documenting Data
• Learning what to document
• Another person's ideas, opinions, examples, or
theory
• Any facts, statistics, graphs, and drawings that
are not common knowledge
• Quotations of another person's actual spoken
or written words
• Paraphrases of another person's spoken or
written words

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 78
 Documenting Data
• Manual notetaking suggestions
• Record all major ideas from various sources
on separate note cards.
• Include all publication data along with precise
quotations.
• Consider using one card color for direct quotes
and a different color for your paraphrases and
summaries.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 79
 Documenting Data
• Electronic notetaking suggestions
• Begin your research by setting up a folder on
your hard-drive that will contain your data.
• Create separate subfolders for major topics,
such as Introduction, Body, and Closing.
• When on the Web or in electronic databases
you find information you may be able to use,
highlight (i.e., drag with your mouse) the
passages you want to save, copy them (using
control-c), paste them (using control-v) into
documents that you will save in appropriate
subfolders.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e
Ch. 12, Slide 80
 Documenting Data
• Be sure to include all publication data.
• Consider archiving on a Zip disk the Web
pages or articles used in your research in case
the data must later be verified.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 81
 Documenting Data
• Learn to paraphrase
• Read the original material carefully so that you
can comprehend its full meaning.
• Write your own version without looking at the
original.
• Do not repeat the grammatical structure of the
original, and do not merely replace words of
the original with synonyms.
• Reread the original to be sure you covered the
main points but did not borrow specific
language.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 82
 Documenting Data
• Two Documentation Formats
• Modern Language Association
Author’s name and page (Smith 100) placed in text; complete
references in “Works Cited.”
• American Psychological Association
Author’s name, date of publication, and page number placed
near text reference (Jones, 2000, p. 99). Complete references
listed at end of report.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 83
 End

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 5e

Ch. 12, Slide 84