CHAPTER 6ReportsReports provide accounts of information and range from short, informal emails to over 100 page formal manuscripts. They maybe distributed to an internal or external audience, read via hard copy or on a computer screen, and written in a variety of business genres.
Typically reports fall into one of several categories.
Informational reportspresent information without analysis. They offer facts but do not interpret information.
Analytical reports interpret data or information and often provide recommendations. They maybe written to assess a business opportunity, provide solutions to problems, or to support business decisions. Proposals are analytical reports that pose persuasive requests to influence decisions either within an organization or to an external audience.
Reports, like all professional communication,
must be well written clear, comprehensive, and organized. In addition, because they often contain information obtained from a wide variety of sources, reports must be meticulously cited to give them credibility. This chapter provides an overview of the
most common types of reports, the various formats used to present reports, components to include in reports, and document design.
Report TypesWhether informal or formal,
short or long, each type of report has a specific purpose. Individual organizations may name reports differently, but most reports fall into one of the categories listed in Tables 6.1 and Personnel in organizations write other types of reports. A few of the most common include the
strategic plan,
which defines a company’s goals and objectives and the action plans to attain those goals. Ab marketing
planoutlines an organization’s target market and competition to best identify its own niche and presents the advertising
and promotional plans 70 WRITING FOR THE WORKPLACE
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