Reports: Research, Format, and Tone

Includes materials from Guffey: Chapters 12, 13, and 14

What Are Business Reports?

Business reports are systematic attempts to answer questions and solve problems. They include the following activities.

PlanningPlanning ResearchResearch OrganizationOrganization PresentationPresentation

Audience Analysis and Report Organization

Direct Pattern

Report

-----Main Idea ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If readersare informed

If readersare supportive

If readersare eager to

have results first

Audience Analysis and Report Organization

Indirect Pattern

If readersneed to beeducated

If readersneed to bepersuaded

If readersmay be hostileor disappointed

Report

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-----Main Idea ----

Report Components

Refer to separate packet

Formal Report Tone

Goal: come across as objective and credible

Avoid first-person pronouns (I, we, me, my, us, our)

Use second-person pronouns as needed(he, she, they)

Use ‘it’, not ‘they’ when referring to the company

Formal Report Tone

Avoid attributing action to “the company” (it is inanimate)

Use “the client(s)” (or names) Use your consulting name to

refer to yourselves and/or use “the analysts”

Formal Report Tone

Avoid passive voice

Not: Periodicals were consultedThe study was conducted

Instead:Periodicals indicatedThe study revealed

Formal Report ToneBe consistent in tense Use past-tense to describe completed actions (the

respondents said, the study showed) Use present-tense to explain current actions (the

purpose of this report is to.., this table shows…) Use present-tense in conclusions and

recommendations When citing references

use past-tense verbs (Jones reported that…)

DON’T switch back and forth between tenses in a sentence

Highlighting: Making Your Report Accessible

Structural Cues

o Topic Sentenceso Transitions

• Present additional thoughts (additional, again, also, moreover)

• Suggest cause and effect (accordingly, as a result, consequently, therefore)

• Contrast ideas (however, though, but, at the same time)

• Show time and order (after, before, first, finally, now, previously, then)

• Clarify points (for example, for instance, in other words)

Headings

At least 1 heading per page All headings parallel within level Do not repeat heading in topic

sentence Do not use pronoun for heading in

topic sentence

Levels of Report Headings

MAJOR SECTION HEADINGS Bold, centered, all caps. Double-space after (1 blank line) Start new page for each Use for

• executive summary• introduction • research and analysis• conclusions and recommendations• appendices

Levels of Report Headings

First-Level Sub-heading

Left-justified, bold, title case Double-space (leaving one blank line)

before and after.

Levels of Report Headings

Second-Level Sub-heading. Part of the paragraph that follows it. Use bold, title case, ending with a period.

RESEARCHING REPORT DATA

Secondary Data

Books Periodicals Web sites

How current is the information? How credible is the author or source? What is the purpose of the site?

Researching Primary Data

Surveys Interviews Observation Experimentation

Preparing Effective Surveys

Provide clear instructionsProvide clear instructions

Keep it short and easy to answerKeep it short and easy to answer

Use questions that are easily tabulatedUse questions that are easily tabulated

Avoid leading questionsAvoid leading questions

Ask only one thing at a time Ask only one thing at a time

Pretest the questionnairePretest the questionnaire

Next Steps

Analysis (next lecture) Conclusions and

Recommendations (next lecture)