Business
Communication
Chapter 9
Writing Reports
Copyright 2010 South-Western Cengage Learning
Types of Reports
 Style
 Formal reports
 Informal reports
 Purpose
 Informational reports
 Analytical reports
 Format
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A report provides facts, opinions, or ideas
about a specific topic or problem.
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Defining the Report
 Identify the problem or topic
 Determine the scope
 Develop a timeline
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Collecting the Data
 Primary research
 Interview
 Survey
 Observation
 Secondary research
 Evaluating data sources
 Bibliography notes
 Research notes
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Bibliography Notes
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Research Note
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Processing the Data
 Create a report outline
 Analyze the data
 Draw conclusions and make recommendations
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Outline Examples
Topical Outline
I. Characteristics of IM
A. Speed
B. Cost
C. Equipment
Discussion Outline
I. IM offers the latest technology for sending messages.
A. It offers speed.
B. It is often free via the Internet.
C. All that is needed is a computer.
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Searching for Data Online
 Focus your search to locate relevant data
 Use advanced search techniques
 Boolean operators
 OR
 AND
 NOT
 AND NOT
 Wildcards
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Reading for Research
 Reading skills are important for secondary research
 Scan material to determine relevancy
 Look for keywords or phrases to use for further study
 Evaluate data found for:
 Relevance and timeliness
 Accuracy and reliability
 Bias
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Organizing Informal Reports
 Direct order
 Indirect order
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Reports written in direct order give the
main idea early in the report.
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Outlining and Writing Informal
Reports
 Report outlines
 Writing style
Informational Report
Outline in Direct Order
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Formatting Informal Reports
 Parts of an informal report
 Letter reports
 Memo reports
 Manuscript reports
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Organizing and Writing Formal
Reports
 Direct and indirect order
 Writing styles
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Objective reports help managers make
business decisions.
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Parts of a Formal Report
 Preliminary parts
 Letter of transmittal
 Title page
 Table of contents
 Executive summary
 The report body
 Introduction
 Findings and analysis
 Summary, conclusions, and recommendations
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Parts of a Formal Report
 Supplementary parts
 Bibliography or Works Cited page
 Appendix
 Formatting formal reports
 Margins and spacing
 Headings
 Visual aids
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MLA Report Style
 Style often used for school reports
 MLA Handbook shows details of this report style
 Questions
1. When was MLA founded?
2. About how many people are members of MLA?
3. Locate the frequently asked questions about the MLA
Handbook. Select one of the questions and give a brief
summary of the answer.
school.cengage.com/bcomm/buscomm
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Vocabulary
alternative
analytical report
analyze
appendix
bibliography
conclusion
documentation
executive summary
hypothesis
informational report
interview
observation
outline
primary research
recommendation
report
scope
secondary research
survey
table of contents
timeline
wildcard
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