1. Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved. 1 Technical Communication Fundamentals Chapter 7: Reports William Sanborn Pfeiffer Kaye Adkins

2. Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved. 2 Reports General Guidelines for Reports Guidelines for Informal Reports Guidelines for Formal Reports Formal Report Example Four Common Reports

3. Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved. 3 Reports General Guidelines for Reports Plan Well Before You Write Separate Fact from Opinion Make Text Visually Appealing Use Illustrations for Clarification and Persuasion Edit Carefully

4. Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved. 4 General Guidelines for Reports Plan Well Before You Write Identify the document’s purpose Identify the various types of readers Identify the needs and expectations of decision makers Outline the main parts to be covered in the body Plan strategies for writing an effective document

5. Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved. 5 General Guidelines for Reports Separate Fact from Opinion Findings: Facts you uncover Conclusions: ideas or beliefs based on your findings Recommendations: Suggestions or action items grounded in the facts presented in the report

6. Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved. 6 General Guidelines for Reports Make Text Visually Apppealing Use bulleted points for short lists Use numbered points for lists that are longer or that consist of ordered steps Use headings and subheadings for easy navigation

7. Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved. 7 General Guidelines for Reports Use Illustrations for Clarification and Persuasion Use tables and figures to complement technical discussions Incorporate illustrations to make technical information clear

8. Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved. 8 General Guidelines for Reports Edit Carefully Keep most sentences short and simple Proofread carefully for mechanical errors Triple-check all figures for accuracy Make sure all attachments are included Check the format and wording of all headings and subheadings for consistency Ask a colleague to check the report

9. Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved. 9 Informal Reports Contain about two to five pages of text, not including attachments Contain more substance than a simple letter or memo but less than a formal report Directed to readers outside (letter report) or inside your organization (memo report) May be informative or persuasive

10. Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved. 10 Informal Reports Guidelines for Informal Reports Use Letter or Memo Format Use the ABC Format for Organization Create the Abstract as an Introductory Summary Put Important Details in the Body Focus Attention in Your Conclusion Use Attachments for Less Important Details

11. Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved. 11 General Guidelines for Informal Reports Use Letter or Memo Format Greeting may be left out or replaced by an attention line Report title often comes immediately after the inside address Spacing may be single, one-and-a-half, or double

12. Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved. 12 General Guidelines for Informal Reports Use the ABC Format for Organization Abstract: Capsule version of information most needed by decision makers Body: Details and supporting evidence, most often read by technical readers Conclusion: Findings, conclusions, or recommendations

13. Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved. 13 General Guidelines for Informal Reports Create the Abstract as an Introductory Summary Include three essential pieces of information Purpose for the report Scope statement Summary of essentials

14. Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved. 14 General Guidelines for Informal Reports Put Important Details in the Body Use headings generously Precede subheadings with a lead-in passage Move from general to specific in paragraphs

15. Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved. 15 General Guidelines for Informal Reports Focus Attention in Your Conclusion Briefly restate your conclusion or recommendation to reinforce importance Give more detail if not covered earlier Use Attachments for Less Important Details

16. Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved. 16 Letter Reports

17. Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved. 17 Letter Reports

18. Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved. 18 Memo Reports

19. Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved. 19 Memo Reports

20. Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved. 20 Formal Reports Formal Report Covers complex projects and is directed to readers at different technical levels. Usually contains at least 6 to 10 pages of text, not including appendices. Directed to either inside or outside your organization.

21. Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved. 21 Strategy for Organizing Formal Reports Write different parts for different readers Place important information first Repeat key points when necessary

22. Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved. 22 Strategy for Organizing Formal Reports Follow ABC Format for Formal Report Abstract Cover/title page Letter or memo of transmittal Table of contents List of illustrations Executive summary Introduction

23. Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved. 23 Strategy for Organizing Formal Reports Follow ABC Format for Formal Report Body Discussion sections Appendices – appear after text but support Body section Conclusion Conclusions Recommendations

24. Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved. 24 Guidelines for the Nine Parts of Formal Reports Cover/Title Page Letter/Memo of Transmittal Table of Contents List of Illustrations Executive Summary Introduction Discussion Sections Conclusions and Recommendations End Material

25. Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved. 25 Guidelines for the Nine Parts of Formal Reports Cover/Title Page Project title Client’s name (“Prepared for…”) Your name and/or the name of your organization (“Prepared by…”) Date of submission

26. Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved. 26 Title Page

27. Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved. 27 Guidelines for the Nine Parts of Formal Reports Letter/Memo of Transmittal Place Letter/Memo Immediately after Title Page Include a Major Point from Report Acknowledge Those Who Helped You Follow Letter and Memo Conventions

28. Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved. 28 Letter of Transmittal

29. Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved. 29 Guidelines for the Nine Parts of Formal Reports Table of Contents Make It Very Readable Use the Contents Page to Reveal Report Emphases Consider Leaving Out Low-Level Headings List Appendices Use Parallel Form in All Entries Proofread Carefully

30. Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved. 30 Table of Contents

31. Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved. 31 Guidelines for the Nine Parts of Formal Reports List of Illustrations Number Title Page number Tables and figures may be listed separately

32. Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved. 32 List of Illustrations

33. Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved. 33 Guidelines for the Nine Parts of Formal Reports Executive Summary Put It on One Page Avoid Technical Jargon Include Only Important Conclusions and Recommendations Avoid References to the Report Body Use Paragraph Format Write the Executive Summary Last

34. Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved. 34 Executive Summary

35. Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved. 35 Guidelines for the Nine Parts of Formal Reports Introduction State Your Purpose and Lead into Subsections Include a Project Description Include Scope Information Consider Including Information on Report Format

36. Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved. 36 Introduction

37. Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved. 37 Guidelines for the Nine Parts of Formal Reports Discussion Sections Move from Facts to Opinions Use Frequent Headings and Subheadings Use Listings to Break Up Long Paragraphs Use Illustrations for Clarification and Persuasion Place Excessive Detail in Appendices

38. Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved. 38 Discussion Sections

39. Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved. 39 Guidelines for the Nine Parts of Formal Reports Conclusions and Recommendations Conclusions Convictions or beliefs based on the findings in your study Recommendations Actions you are suggesting based on your conclusions

40. Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved. 40 Conclusions and Recommendations

41. Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved. 41 Guidelines for the Nine Parts of Formal Reports End Material Appendices Glossary Bibliography Index

42. Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved. 42 End Material

43. Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved. 43 Specific Guidelines for Four Common Reports Equipment Evaluations Provides objective data about how equipment has, or has not, functioned Progress/Periodic Reports Summarizes your work over a specific period of time or on a specific project

44. Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved. 44 Specific Guidelines for Four Common Reports Problem Analyses Presents readers with a detailed description of problems Recommendation Reports Presents readers with specific suggestions that affect personnel, equipment, procedures, products, services, etc.