REPORT WRITING 401

WRAP-UP LECTURE

CHAPTER 1-3Presenter: Mr. VITOU OR (MSW, BED, BBA)

MAJOR CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: WHAT IS A REPORT? CHAPTER 2: BEFORE YOU START CHAPTER 3: GETTING THE FACTS

OBJECTIVES– CHAPTER 1 After the lecture, the students will be able

to: Give appropriate definition of “a report” Identify and analyze the key functions of a report,

importance, qualities and types of report

CHAPTER 1–CONTENTS DEFINITION FUNTIONS IMPORTANCE QUALITIES TYPES OF REPORT

DEFINITION A document which gives information,

reports findings, puts forward ideas and sometimes makes recommendations on a specific subject for a specific reader.

(Colin & Jones G. 1989, pp. 2)

FUNCTIONS To give information To report finding To put forward ideas

To give information State history or background of a particular

project Describe a process or an existing situation Enable a record to be kept for future

reference

To report finding To provide details on the progress of a

project To explain the reasons of the problems

(form report) To state results/findings of any

experiments, survey, etc.

To put forward ideas To evaluate a proposal (donors), system or

piece of equipment (factories) To propose/ recommend a solution to a

problem or for improvements and actions

IMPORTANCE Management side

Save time for information retrieval (report as the recording of information of the past activities)

Guide management in the decision making process. (feasibility, problem solving reports…)

IMPORTANCE Employee side

Review of their performance Identify their potentials and drawbacks Improve their current and future commitment

through their report writing and review (Self Assessing their performance based on their job description)

QUALITIES Accuracy: true or accurate, up to date

contents/data Conciseness: Short yet relevant content Completeness: Concise yet complete Clarity: Language, logical sequence, layout

TYPES OF REPORT—SUB CONTENTS

Form reports Extended reports

Information reports: fact finding, annual and progress reports

Recommendation reports: feasibility and problem solving reports

Form reports In the form format Provided by the company, completed by

employees Regular completion (daily activities, eg:

accident report) Concise and brief (limited space provided) Standard form (user friendly, save time for

staff and management)

Extended reports Information reports: Convey information to

the readers without analysis of the facts. Recommendation reports: Not only analyze

information but also draw reasonable conclusion and make appropriate recommendation.

Information reports Fact finding reports: present facts which analyze

the problems (bases of recommendation reports) Annual reports: present major facts of the

operations of the company (past and future expectations) to the share holders, fund providers.

Progress reports: provide details of what happened in the past in an uncompleted job or project. (But, sometimes also provide records of the problems and recommendation)

Recommendation reports Feasibility reports: Done before starting the

project to figure out how feasible to begin or go ahead with the project. It determines how likely or unlikely the project will reach its success.

Problem solving reports: Require a great deal of thoughts and analysis of the problems in order to generate solutions and recommendations for the management in decision making.

END OF CHAPTER ONE WRAP UP LECTURE!!!

Let’s have a two minutes recess…

CHAPTER 2– OBJECTIVES

After the lecture, the students will be able to: Identify and analyze the significant the terms of

reference to prepare the report writer before starting her report writing including the purpose, scope, time limit, persons who ask for the report vs. the report readers.

Chapter 2: CONTENTS The purpose The scope The time limit Specific reader The person who asks for the report vs. the

report reader What do you need to know about the specific

reader?

Purpose Clear objectives: why you write your report

and what to achieve Largely depend on the communication

between the report writer and reader in order to shape the clear objective.

Is it to report on information without analysis? Is it also to analyze the problems and provide also recommendations?

Scope Indicates areas which are to be covered in the report Case Study: My Dissertation Project for my Master’s

of Social Work.Title: “Comparison study on the opinion on public utilities in

Bangalore City.” There are actually a wide range of areas in public utilities, but

I focused only on water supply, electricity supply, dry waste collection. Therefore, these three areas are the scope of my research which limited the content of my research.

Therefore, this also applies in the report, whether in your report you want to compare with the 3 or 4 year earlier situation or just to report the situation last year only.

Time Limit Deadline of your report set by your report

reader. Avoid rush report writing and late

submission of your report. Negotiation between the report writer and

reader should be made in case the time given does not match the expected length of the report.

Specific Reader Target of your report Novels, newspapers—general readers Specialist magazines e.g. on computers or

cell phones… Magazines: lady, men, kids…

The person who asks for your report Vs. your actual report reader

Sometimes, the person who is asking for the report is not the person who is going to read your report as he might pass it on to his superior.

His superior is your actual report reader Therefore, you need to know your actually

reader’s situation well.

What do you need to know about the specific reader in relation to the report?

His situational knowledge of the subject His technical knowledge of the subject His opinions on the subject (agree or

challenge)

END OF CHAPTER TWO WRAP UP LECTURE!!!

Let’s have a 2 minutes recess…

CHAPTER 3—OBJECTIVES After the lecture, the students will be able

to: Identify and analyze what facts and how to

obtain the facts for an effective report writing

CHAPTER 3—CONTENTS WHAT FACTS? HOW TO OBTAIN THE FACTS?

What facts? Relevant Facts: Relevant to the purpose of

the report All the facts: Sufficient facts (depends on

funds and time available) Specific facts: Figure or percentage

How to obtain the facts? Sources of information Interviews Questionnaires Recording information

Sources of information Reading: books, periodicals or journals, acts, laws,

regulations, newspapers, files of correspondence, company records, relevant reports

Listening: lecture, seminars, meetings, discussions, television, radio, interview

Experimenting: Scientific or social experiment. Talking: initial stimulus to get information Observing: hidden camera, participatory observation Thinking: powers to analyze and evaluate the

information

Interview Preparing for an interview Conducting the interview

Preparing for an interview Know the purpose of the interview Choose to interview someone who can help

you Prepare suitable questions: relevant, open-

ended, close-ended, unbiased (to you, gender…), complete (to get enough information)

Conducting the interview Establish the right relationship Keep to the point Maintain eye contact Speak clearly Keep a record the interview

Questionnaire Design Sample

Design To make sure you can obtain relevant, specific

and sufficient information. Decide what information you want (objectives of your

questionnaire relate to your report) Explain to the respondents the purpose of the

questionnaire Give clear instructions Make the questionnaire user friendly (clear instruction and

questions, time concern and forms of questions) Ask relevant questions Make sure the results can be analyzed (objectives

questions vs. subjective questions) Make sure the questionnaire is well organized

Sample Number of sample selected must represent

the population. (Sampling methods-random, non random, snowball…)

Recording information Write down the necessary details of books

(citation methods) Write on only one side of your sheet of

paper (Chapter 4) Highlight headings (quick data back up) Taking note: tape recorder, jot down the

main points, write down the names of interviewees.

END OF CHAPTER 1-3 WRAP UP LECTURE….THANK YOU…

LET’S BEGIN WITH YOUR QUESTIONS…