P ROPOSALS AND F ORMAL R EPORTS By: Brittney Wotruba

I NFORMAL P ROPOSAL Six main principal parts Introduction Background Proposal Staffing Budget Authorization requests Example on page 269 and 270

I NTRODUCTION Hint at extraordinary results, with details to be revealed shortly Promise low costs or speedy results Mention a remarkable resource available exclusively to you Identify a serious problem and promise solution, to be explained later Specify a key issue or benefit that you feel is the heart of the proposal.

B ACKGROUND, P ROBLEM, P URPOSE The writer discusses the problem and goals of the project Basic requirements Most Critical Tasks Most Important Secondary Problems

P ROPOSAL, P LAN, S CHEDULE Gives enough information to secure the contract but not so much detail that the services are not needed What you propose to do How will it benefit the reader Sales presentation

S TAFFING Identify the size and qualifications Endorse and promote your staff In longer proposals include staff qualifications and resumes

B UDGET List of project cost Prepare this section carefully Itemize hours and costs A proposal is a legal contract, the budget must be carefully researched.

A UTHORIZATION R EQUEST Request for approval or authorization Remind the reader of key benefits and motivate action Include a deadline date beyond which the offer is invalid

F ORMAL P ROPOSALS Formal proposals respond to big projects and may contain 200 or more pages. The primary differences between formal and informal proposals are tone, structure, format, and length. copy of the RFP letter or memo of transmittal abstract and executive summary title page, table of contents list of figures appendix

P REPARING TO WRITE FORMAL REPORTS Formal reports discuss the results of a process of thought investigation and analysis. The planning of every report begins with a statement of purpose explaining the goal, significance, and limitation of the report.

R ESEARCHING S ECONDARY D ATA Primary data come from firsthand experience and observation: secondary data, from reading Researchers are increasingly turning to electronic data, some data are available only in print. Books provide historical, in-depth data; periodical provide limited but current coverage. Printed Resources Books Periodicals Print, CD-ROM, and Web-based bibliographic indexes

E LECTRONIC D ATABASES Most researchers today begin by looking in electronic databases Commercial databases offer articles, reports, and other information online

T HE WORLD WIDE WEB Web browsers and URLS Firefox Netscape Search tools Google Yahoo Web search tips and Techniques Use two or three search tools Know your search tools Understand cause sensitivity Use nouns as search words Use quotation marks Omit articles and prepositions Proofread your search words Save the best Keep trying

G ENERATING P RIMARY D ATA Surveys Advantages Gathering data economically and efficiently Disadvantages Considered junk mail by 2% Interviews Locate an expert Prepare for the interview Maintain a professional attitude Make your questions objective and friendly What the time End graciously Observation and Experimentation

D OCUMENTING D ATA Purposes of Documentation Learning What to Document Developing Good Research Habits Developing the Fine Art of Paraphrasing Knowing When and How to Quote Using Citation Formats

O RGANIZING AND O UTLINING D ATA Organizational strategies Where to place the conclusions and recommendations How to organize the findings Chronological sequence Geographical or spatial arrangement Topical or functional arrangement Outlines and Headings

I LLUSTRATING D ATA Matching Graphics and Objectives Tables Bar Charts Line Charts Pie Charts Flowcharts Organization Chart Photographs, Maps, and Illustrations

P RESENTING THE F INAL R EPORT Prefatory parts Title page Letter or memo of transmittal Table of contents List of figures Executive summary Body of report Introduction Discussion of findings Summary, conclusion, recommendation Supplementary parts of reports Work cited, references, or bibliography Appendix Example on page

S OURCES library.pba.edu thelightnc.com mpsaz.org takeonlinesurveys.org