INFORMAL

REPORTS

INFORMAL REPORTS

Will not have wide distribution

Will not be published

Shorter than 10 pages long

Purpose:
- informative (to clarify or explain)
- persuasive (to convince)
- informative & persuasive
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GUIDELINES
1. Plan Well Before You Write
Record specific information about:
- the documents purpose
- the variety of readers who will receive
the
document
- the needs and expectations of readers
- an outline of main points to be covered
in the
body
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GUIDELINES
2. Make text visually appealing
- bulleted points for short lists.
- numbered points for long lists.
- frequent use of headings and
subheadings to help locate
information quickly.
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GUIDELINES
3. Use the Right Format of Organization
- Introduction start with a capsule
version of the
information most needed
by decision-makers.
- Body give details
- Conclusion reserve the end of the
report for a description or list of findings,
conclusion or
recommendation.
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GUIDELINES
4. Introduction section
- Purpose for the report why are you
writing it?
- Scope statement what range of
information
does the report
contain?
- Summary of essentials what main
information
does the reader most
want or need to know.

GUIDELINES
5. Put Important Details in the Body
- Use headings generously
- Precede subheadings with a lead-in
passage:
This section covers 3 phases of the
field study: clearing the site, collecting
samples and classifying samples.
- Move from general to specific in
paragraphs.

GUIDELINES
6. Separate Fact from Opinion in Report
Discussion
- Findings: facts you uncover
- Conclusions: ideas and beliefs you
develop based on your findings.
- Recommendations: suggestions or
action items
based on your conclusion.
Recommendations are
almost
exclusively made up of opinions.
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GUIDELINES
7. Focus Attention on Conclusion
- Provide heading
Option 1: If your major conclusions or
recommendations have already been stated
in the discussion, only restate them briefly
to reinforce their importance.
Option 2: If the discussion leads up to, but has
not covered, these conclusions or
recommendation, give more detail in this
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final section.

TYPES OF REPORTS
PROGRESS REPORT
a report that provides the reader with
details about
work on a specific project.
-

PERIODIC REPORT
- a report that summarizes the work on
diverse tasks
over a specific time
period.

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PROGRESS/PERIODIC
REPORT
Introduction:
- purpose of report, time period the project cover and
objectives of project.
Discussion of progress:

- work accomplished since beginning of project or

since the last progress report.
- work planned for the next reporting period or for the
remainder of the project.
- problems encountered.
Conclusion:
- changes recommended, if any, overall status of
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project.

TYPES OF REPORTS

IMRD REPORT
- standard way to present information that

is

the result of some kind of research.

- present lab research, questionnaire results

or result of actions to find out about a
topic.
- discuss what was discovered.

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IMRD REPORT
Introduction:

- purpose of report, goal of the research (question investigated), point of

the report.
Methodology:

- process description of actions taken to achieve the goal, why the

actions were performed, why perform those actions, establish credibility,
Results:

- results of each action or sequence, what was discovered,

Discussion:

- has the goal been achieved, explain significance of findings, interpret

by relating it to some other important concept, or suggest its causes or
effects, implications of the results
Conclusion:

- brief restatement of major findings, or recommendations.

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PROBLEM ANALYSIS
REPORT

Introduction:

- purpose of report, summary of problem.

Body:
- background of problem, thorough
description of problem, data to support claim.
Conclusion:
- brief restatement of problem, degree of
urgency to solve problem, suggested next
step.

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RECOMMENDATION
REPORT

Introduction:

- purpose of report, background information,

criteria used for recommendation, options,
summary of recommendation.
Body:
- details of recommendation by comparing all
options based on criteria, data that supports
recommendation, benefits
Conclusion:
- brief restatement of major findings, main
benefits, offer to help with next step.

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EQUIPMENT EVALUATION
REPORT

Introduction:

- purpose of report, summary of what report says

about the
equipment.
Body:
- thorough description of equipment, wellorganized critique (either analyzing parts of one
piece of equipment or
contrasting several
parts of similar equipment
according to
selected criteria)
Conclusion:
- brief restatement of major findings, conclusions16
or recommendations.

- THE END -

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