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. Planning Research Organization Presentation

Audience Analysis and Report Organization Direct Pattern Report Main Idea If readers are informed If readers are supportive If readers are eager to have results first

Audience Analysis and Report Organization Indirect Pattern If readers need to be educated If readers need to be persuaded If readers may be hostile or 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 consulted The study was conducted Instead: Periodicals indicated The study revealed

Formal Report Tone Be 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 Sentences o 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 instructions Keep it short and easy to answer Use questions that are easily tabulated Avoid leading questions Ask only one thing at a time Pretest the questionnaire

Next Steps Analysis (next lecture) Conclusions and Recommendations (next lecture)