1. Basic of Report Writing
Teacher- Shahed Rahman

2. DEFINNING REPORT
Reports are vital to large organizations. You will probably write them in your future career.
A Business Report is an orderly and objective communication of factual information that serves the business purpose
Reports seeks truth
Avoid human biases

3. DETERMINING THE REPORT PURPOSE
Work on a report begins with a business need (problem)
Your first task is to get the problem clearly in mind
The Preliminary Investigation
To do this you should begin by gathering all the information you need to understand the problem
Need for a Clear Statement of the Problem
You should express the problem clearly, preferably in writing
The problem statement may be
Infinitive Phrase
Question
Declarative Statement

4. Need for a Clear Statement of the Problem
Infinitive Phrase – To determine the causes of decreasing sales at Store X
Question- What are the causes of decreasing sales at Store X?
Declarative Statement – Store X sales are decreasing, and management want to know why ?
Reports writing requires hard work and clear thinking in every stage of the process. T0 determine the problem and t0 gather facts you will need to consult many sources of information.

5. DETERMINING THE FACTORS
You should determine the factors of the problem
The factors may be subtopic of the overall topic, hypotheses, or bases for comparison
Use Subtopics in Information Reports
Hypotheses for Problems Requiring Solution
Bases of Comparison in Evaluation Studies

6. Use Subtopics in Information Reports
Problem Statement: To review operations of Company X from January 1 through March 31
Subtopics
Production
Sales and Promotion
Financial Status
Computer Systems
Product Developments
Human Resources

7. Hypotheses for Problems Requiring Solution
Hypotheses(possible explanations of the problem) may be the factors in problems requiring solution
These Hypotheses could be suggested to explain a store’s loss in sales

8. Hypotheses for Problems Requiring Solution
Problem Statement: Sales at the Springfield store have declined, and management wants to know why
Hypotheses
Activities of the competition have caused the decline
Changes in the economy of the area have caused decline
Political actions is causing the decline

9. Bases of Comparison in Evaluation Studies
For evaluation problems the bases for evaluating are the factor
You can realize the need for sub breakdown
Problem Statement: To determine whether Y Company’s new location should be built in City A, City B, or City C
Comparison Bases –
Availability of skilled workers
Tax Structure
Community Attitude
Transportation Facilities
Nearness to Markets

10. GATHERING THE INFORMATION NEEDED
Experiments or survey sometimes needed.
Sometimes library researched used
Ask the expert
The internet gives you access to many information sources. Quality may vary
Apply the research technique needed for the problem.

11. INTERPRETING THE FINDINGS
Advice for Avoiding Human Error
Appropriate Attitudes and Practices
Statistical Tools in Interpretation

12. Advice for Avoiding Human Error
Avoid human error by remembering these fundamentals
Report the facts as they are
Do not think that conclusions are always necessary
Do not interpret a lack of evidence as proof to the contrary
Do not compare non comparable data
Do not draw illogical cause – effect conclusions
Beware of unreliable and unrepresentative data

13. Appropriate Attitudes and Practices
Adopt the following attitudes and practices:
Maintain a judicial attitude
Consult with others
Test your interpretations
Use the test of experience – reason
Use the negative test – question your interpretations

14. Statistical Tools in Interpretation
Statistics permit you to examine a set of facts
Descriptive statistics should help the most
Do not allow statistical calculations to confuse the reader: they should help to interpret

15. ORGANIZING THE REPORT INFORMATION
After you know what your findings mean, you are ready to construct the outline
Constructing an outline is forces you to think before you write.
Outlines should usually be written. They serve as tables of contents and captions.
Conventional System
I. First Level Heading
A. Second Level First Part
B. Second Level Second Part
1. Third Level First Part
2. Third Level Second Part
a. Fourth Level First Part
b. Fourth Level Second Part
(1) Fifth Level First Part
(a)Sixth Level Second Part

16. Decimal System 1.0 First Level Heading 1.1 Second Level First Part
1.2 Second Level Second Part
1.2.1 Third Level First Part
1.2.2 Third Level Second Part
Fourth Level First Part
Fourth Level Second Part
Fifth Level First Part
Sixth Level Second Part

17. The Nature and Extent Outlining
The outline is designed to meet the objective of the report
When you reach the outlining stage you have probably done some of the work

18. Introductory and Concluding Part
Assume that and Introduction and Conclusion will be added

19. Organize By Division You may view organizing as a process of division.
First you divide the whole into parts.
You divide the parts into subparts. You may subdivide further.

20. Division by Conventional Relationships
Time, place quantity and factor are the bases for the process of division
When the information has a time basis, division by time is possible
The period of orientation, May – July
Planning the Project, August
When The information is related to geographic location, a place division is possible
New England
Atlantic Seaboard

21. WRITING THE REPORT Requirement of Objectivity
In writing communicate clearly and quickly
Good report writing is objective
Keep out all the bias. Seek the truth
Objective writing is believable
Consistency in Time Viewpoint
Keep consistent time viewpoint throughout the report
There are two type of viewpoints: past and present. Select one, and do not change

22. WRITING THE REPORT Need for Transition Maintaining Interest
Use transition to connect the parts of the report
Transition means a bridging across
Should be used where there is a need to connect the parts of the report
Should be met naturally not mechanically
Maintaining Interest
Report writing should be interesting
Interesting writing is necessary for good communication

23. COLLABORATIVE REPORT WRITING
Determine of Group Makeup
Techniques of Participation
Procedure of the Work
Activities Involved

24. Activities Involved ( 10 Steps of Report Writing)
Determine the Purpose
Derive the Factors
Gather the Information Needed
Interpret the Information
Organize the Material
Plan The Writing
Assign Parts to be Written
Write Parts Assigned
Revise Collaboratively
Edit The Final Draft