Report writing and its elements

Defination of report and discuss its elements and graphical elements

1. Presented by: Faiqa Abid Section: BS-IT 3 rd semester Subject: Technical Writing Date: 11-12-2019 Professional Report and their elements

2. What is Report ? A document containing information organized in a narrative, graphic, or tabular form, prepared on ad hoc, periodic, recurring, regular, or as required basis. Reports may refer to specific periods, events, occurrences, or subjects, and may be communicated or presented in oral or written form. Read more: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/report.html

3. What is Professional report? A  professional report  is a formal document that delivers specific information about a topic to a particular audience. Though it may seem like a simple task to perform, report writing is actually a skill that requires much knowledge and practice to carry out successfully.

4. Importance of professional reports Report plays an important role in our life , business, commerce and trade. Actually it helps to find out the root of a problem to solve that. By the way, It contains its importance for its own special features. And such importance can be understood through the following discussion: Decision making tool/ Supports Purchasing Decisions Tracks Development Over Time Duty to Stakeholders Goal setting Critical Analysis

5. Writing a report Report writing involves research and then publishing the outcome of that analysis. In the professional world, the “look” or appearance of what you publish is paramount. The eye-pleasing final result could burnish your reputation and enhance your personal brand. The steps below will handhold you through the expert features in Microsoft Word 2016. Spend a lot of time on a plan.

6. Start with these guidelines…

7. Step 1: Decide the Purpose Reports are of many kinds but they are either meant to inform or persuade. It can be meant for describing a technical process, sharing background information, or demonstrate progress on a project. Ask yourself –  What  and  Why . This will help you distill the purpose to the one main point and stick to it instead of rambling on with unnecessary details.

8. Step 2: Identify Your Audience The second important consideration is to evaluate your audience. Will they be able to understand what you are talking about? Are there different levels of readers who will read the report? The reader’s knowledge of the subject will greatly influence the information that you need to include.

9. Step 3: Know Your Topic You must know what you are talking about. So, research the topic, and include all the relevant information to prove your point. Make sure that you come to a conclusion based on facts and not personal opinion. The information must be correct, current, and well-referenced.

10. Step 4: Outline the Report You have done the research. There’s a ton of information that is waiting to be typed and printed. But wait! Don’t drown before you enter the water. Prepare the final outline of the report which will be the chart of waypoints to help you navigate from start to finish. The outline is the blueprint. It will give you a bird’s eye view of the land and also show you where you need to fill in the details.

11. Every report should have the following sections/elements: Title page. Table of contents. Executive summary. Introduction. Discussion. Conclusion. Recommendations. References 

12. Mechanical Elements of Report The mechanical elements of your report are largely included to make sure your information was useful and accessible as possible for your readers. It is especially important to incorporate the HATS methodology (headings, access, typography, spacing) when designing your mechanical elements, as that will make your documents easier to read, and it will give your documents a professional appearance.

13. Title or Cover page The title or cover page includes the title, the name of the person authorizing the report, the name of the author(s), the name and address of the institution or company issuing the report, and the date. Letter of transmittal The letter of transmittal explains why the report was prepared and its purpose, mentions the title and the period of work, and states the results and recommendations. The letter of transmittal may be separate from the report, but it is usually bound into the report immediately before the table of contents. Evaluating a letter of transmittal Does it achieve the purpose of a letter of transmittal? Does it offer enough specific information? Is it well written? Preliminaries

14. Acknowledgments The acknowledgments section includes material which is irrelevant to the actual report but is required for the record or for acknowledgment purposes. The acknowledgments may include, for example, the names of people who made technical contributions, notices of permission to use copyrighted materials, and so on.

15. Table of contents The table of contents also includes the page numbers for all parts. Use lower case roman numerals ( i , ii, iii, etc.) for all preliminary pages and arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, etc.) for all pages in the body of the report, starting with page 1 for the introduction of the body.

16. Displaying Graphical elements in reports Graphics are all the tables and figures used in a report as visual aids for the reader. They are useful, important parts of a report and must be accurate. They should also be clear so the reader can interpret them easily. Tables are all lists of data presented in rows and columns. Place the numbers and titles above the tables. Figures are any other visual presentations. Place the numbers and titles below the figures.

17. Types of illustrations: Line graphs—for representing continuous processes Bar graphs—for representing absolutes Pie graphs—for showing percentages Flow charts—for illustrating stages in a process Schematics—the same as flow charts, but usually used for illustrating more abstract concepts

18. References References are used to cite your sources and give credit to the written work of others that you have read and used. When you refer to these published works in the text of your report, you can choose one of several formats. See the following handouts on the Purdue OWL for more information on references.