Short, Informal Reports

Types of Short Reports

Criteria for Writing Reports
• Organization
• Development
• Audience
• Style
Criteria For Writing Reports-
Organization
• Identification Lines
Identify the dates
The names of the people to whom the report is written
The names of the people from whom the report is sent
The subject of the report
• Headings and Talking Headings
Headings: Words or phrases such as introduction,
discussion, conclusion, problems with employees,
background information.
Talking Headings: informatively clarifies the content that
follows
• Introduction: overview of the Report
Purpose: Topic sentence (s) explaining why you are submitting
the report (rationale, Justification, Objectives) and the subject
matter of the report.
Personnel: Names of others involved in the reporting activity.
Dates: What period of time the report covers.
• Discussion: summarizes topics such as your activities, the
problems you encountered, costs of equipment, warranty
information.
• Conclusion: The conclusion section of the report allows you to
sum up or relate what you have learnt.
• Recommendations: suggest further actions. Recommendations
are optional.
Criteria for Writing Reports:
Development
• Development of a short report answers five W’s:
Who: who were the persons that you met?
When: dates of travel, incidents
Why: the purpose of writing
Where: place of incidents
What: What was discovered, concluded or
recommended?
Criteria for Writing Reports:
Audience and Style
• Recognize your audience according to the format of the report

• Style includes conciseness and highlighting techniques such as

achieving conciseness, headings, sub-headings, graphics.
 Criteria for Writing Short Reports
Short
Reports
Purpose Introduction Discussion Conclusion Recommendations

Incident Documents an • Purpose: • Body, findings Explain Relate what could

Reports unexpected When and agenda, work what be done in the
problem such where the accomplished. caused the future to avoid
as automobile incident • Organize your problem. similar problems.
accident, occurred? contents using
equipment • Personnel: problem/solu
malfunction, Who was tion,
fire, robbery. involved, chronological,
what role did cause/effect.
you play?
Why are you
involved?
 Criteria for Writing Short Reports
Short
Reports Recommendat
Purpose Introduction Discussion Conclusion -ions
Investigat • Asks to • Purpose: • Body, findings, What did Suggested
-ive examine document dates agenda you changes,
Reports the causes of incident, • Review of accomplish trainings
behind the comment on observations , learn, required,
incident. rationale, • Contacts discover. follow ups.
• It focuses incidents to be • Difficulties
more on investigated, encountered
why the location. • Techniques
event • Personnel: Who employed.
happened. was involved?
Authorized: Who
asked to investigate
the incident.
 Criteria for Writing Short Reports
Short
Reports
Purpose Introduction Discussion Conclusion Recommendations

Trip • Report job • Purpose: • Review your Conclude Suggest changes,

Reports related document date observations, accomplish follow ups.
travel. and destination contacts, ments,
of your travel, seminars what was
motivation for attended, learned,
the trip, plans difficulties meetings,
to be achieved. encountered. benefits
• Personnel: endorsed.
Company
• Authorized:
Who
Recommended
trip
 Criteria for Writing Short Reports
Short
Reports
Purpose Introduction Discussion Conclusion Recommendation
s

• Provide • Objectives: • Work • Summing Recommend

Progress status of Rationale of the Accomplished up what changes in the
Reports an project worked • Problems has been schedule.
activity, on?, motivation, encountered achieved
explaining hope to achieve, • Work • Provision
what initiation. Remaining of target
work has • Personnel: Team date
been members
accomplis • Previous
hed and activity: remind
what previously done
work work
remains.
 Criteria for Writing Short Reports
Short
Reports
Purpose Introduction Discussion Conclusion Recommendations

Lab Documents • Purpose: why • Body, Conclude Follow up action

Reports status and is this report Methodology lab
findings from written? • Apparatus findings,
a laboratory • Provision of • Procedure what was
experiment, rationale, discovered,
procedure or Objectives. interpretati
study • Authorization: ons
Who
supervised the
experiment
 Criteria for Writing Short Reports
Short
Reports
Purpose Introduction Discussion Conclusion Recommendation
s

Feasibilit • Studies • Objectives: • Body, findings State Recommend

y/ practicality Purpose of • Criteria of significance course of action
Recomm of a the recommendation( of findings,
endation proposed feasibility s)
Reports plan. report, • Analysis of the
• Recommen motivation, findings
ds action initiation.
• Personnel:
team
members
 Criteria for Writing Short Reports
Short
Reports
Purpose Introduction Discussion Conclusion

Meeting • Document result of • List the date • Findings, agenda • List any
Minutes meetings • List time • List agenda (s) of unresolved
• What was discussed, • List location the meeting in topics
proposed, planned • List names chronological • Highlight
order new topics
discussed
• Report the
next meeting
time