Communication Level 2

Report Writing
Objectives of today’s lesson

• Understand how to research, plan and prepare a professional report

• State how to collect information for use in the report
• Plan the structure of the report which meets the requirements and
terms of reference
• Present the report in an appropriate format
 Group Activity

• What are the common types of

report?

• Why are reports potentially more

difficult than verbal communication?
 PURPOSE (WHY)
Your Objectives / audiences objectives
What do you wish to achieve :
What might the reader require

»TELL 
• Pass on information
• Statement for information only
• Justify a particular point/position
• Report on findings
 Transmitter Receiver
Message
• Knowledge + Information
• Skills + Understanding
• (feedback) results in ACTION
Barriers
• Confusion, Irrelevance, Ambiguity
• Too much/little, Prejudice, Assumptions
 Level 2 Report Writing
• A report should be:
– Succinct
– Easy to understand
– In a logical sequence
– Appropriate for the audience
• Before starting your report, you should be aware of:
– Your audience
– The reasons why the report is needed
– What you want to include
– What happens after your report is finished
– These are the ‘Terms of reference’ or TOR
 The Model

PURPOSE FORM
(Why) (How)

CONTENT
AUDIENCE
ACTION (What)
(Who)
(When)
 Structure of a report
• Theme Title & subject
• Research Collecting the information &
collecting your thoughts
• Key Points How many are needed &
desirable (5 or 6)? Are they obvious!
• Sequence Logical & easily visible, short and
concise
• Attention Grab & keep. Detail in the
appendices prevents a bulky report.
 CONTENT

• Understanding
– sufficient explanation, detail & appropriate use of
terminology.

• References
– British system (superscript)e.g. Potts1
– Harvard system (year in brackets) e.g. (Potts1999).
 Group Activity

• Review the report and consider what

you have learned about how to plan
the structure and content of a report.

• Label the items of the report using

the correct descriptions in the
arrows.
 Style and Structure
• Be appropriately formal for the intended audience
– 3rd Person & Past tense (Business) “Every effort will
be made”

• 1st Person & present tense (intimate) “I(we) will make

every effort”

• Grammar “You had best copy things what I have

said.”!
• Spelling ~ Use the spell check and then proof read
your work!
Collating and Presenting
Information

Speedy Cars Sales by Area 2002

£500M £1,500M

UK
Europe
USA
£4,000M £2,000M Japan
Collating and Presenting
Information
Speedy Cars Actual & Projected Sales 2000 -2002

9000
8000
7000 Actual Sales
Total Sales (£M)

6000
5000 Projected
Sales
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
2000 2001 2002