HUM 102

REPORT WRITING SKILLS

Lecture 31

1
Previous Lecture

 Write a Project Report

 Sections of Project Report

2
Introduction to Report

• Structured form of writing which involves (identification,

examination and organization)
• It is used to inform, persuade, influence and initiate
• Well planned document which clearly outlines and evaluates a
subject/problem
• Analyses a problem and make recommendations for future actions
• A medium of professional communication, planning and decision
making
• It is complete, compact, clear and presented in a lucid style

3
Language of a Report

• The focus of readers varies depending on their nature categorized

as:
o General Readers: Look for details
o Managerial Readers: Executive summary
o Technical Readers: More focus towards graphs, figures and tables
• Prefer active voice and the use of third person
• Avoid personal pronouns for objectivity
• Properly cite credible authors

4
Structure of a Report [1/2]

• Title Page: Title, To, From, Date

• Executive Summary/Abstract: Qualitative, purpose and outcome
with results, no abbreviations (purpose, methods, findings,
conclusions, recommendations)
• Table of Contents: Providing page numbers for all the sections, sub
sections, works cited, additional material in under appendix
• Introduction: Background and problem description, objectives,
method, expected outcome, scope, limitations
• Review of Related Literature: Critical thinking, formulating deeper
and profound understanding of the problem, credible authors and
reliable sources 5
Structure of a Report [2/2]

• Methodology: Theoretical description of design with brevity

• Results: Textual explanation accompanied with figures, tables and
diagrams
• Discussions: Developing creative solutions of the problem
• Conclusions: Comprehensive summary of report’s main points and
findings, logical deductions, leading towards recommendations
• Recommendations: what to implement, general applicability, suitability of
findings, suggestions for further research with brevity, clarity and
precision
• Works Cited: Using a particular referencing style (MLA/APA/Chicago)
• Appendices: Detailed and complex tables and figures, questionnaires
6
Mode of Report Writing

• Deductive Report Writing: For sharing general and neutral

information, routine messages (any specific information comes at
the end)
• Inductive Report Writing: Use of specific and factual information
to draw conclusion, used for informed readers, used when a
resistance is expected from the audience

7
Types of Report

• Informal Report: Short length and particular formality, written for

audience within an organization
o Progress Report, Sales Activity Report, Personnel Evaluation,
Financial Report, Feasibility Report, Review Report, Credit
Report and so on…
• Formal Report: Long and detailed, complex as it involves
collection, analysis and the resultant interpretation of data
o Informational, Analytical, Recommendation
o Additional forms include: narrative, specialized, accident

8
Technical Writing

• Form of writing which communicates specific and factual

information to a defined audience for a defined purpose
• It developed with the recording of history, increasing literacy,
world wards and computer revolution
• Technical writing covers instructions, direction, policies, technical
reports
• An instructional manual for repairing a machinery, memo listing
meeting agendas, letter from a vendor to a client,
recommendation report proposing a new computer system
• Letters, Emails, Memos, Websites, Brochures and so on…
9
Objectives/Traits in
Technical Writing
• Clarity: Easily understood by intended audience (active voice,
objective, transition words)
• Conciseness: Brief and crisp (deleting redundancy, doubled words,
meaningless words, phrases to words)
• Accessible Document Design: All the necessary information is
present alongside bullets, headings, italics, underlining, graphics
• Audience Recognition: Audience is specified (high tech requires
abbreviations, low tech requires abbreviation with parenthetical
definitions, lay requires explanation, multiple, multicultural)
• Accuracy: Grammatically correct and accurate (peer review,
grammar check) 10
The Writing Process:
Pre-Writing
• The invention stage which involves planning about the purpose
and defining audience
• Discovering and narrowing down interest in the subject area
• There are a variety of basic techniques:
o Listing, Rapid Sketches, Conversation, Doodling or Sketching,
Circle Technique, Clustering, Freewriting, Note Keeping, Brain
Storming, Mind Mapping,
o Journalistic Questions, Heuristic Methods (Cubing, Tagmemics,
Aristotle’s Common Topics, Dramatism)

11
The Writing Process:
Drafting
• Involves composing a draft with order, unity, support (examples) and
coherence
• Order can be chronological (instructions), spatial (technical description),
importance (good for reports/memos), problem solution (proposal),
comparison contrast (for alternatives)
• Remember that draft is not the final copy, it is the preliminary piece of
writing
• First research, then organize ideas using convergent/divergent thinking
• Drafting includes thesis statement (basis of entire paper), topic sentence,
supporting details (research), conclusion, all written with unity and
coherence
12
The Writing Process:
Finishing
• Responding: Self assessment/peer evaluation
• Revising: A.R.R.R (adding, rearranging, removing, replacing)
• Editing: Rereading for grammar/subject verb agreement/word
order
• Proofreading: Final check for headings, spelling, capitalization,
punctuation, format and layout (headings, paragraphs, illustration
and colors)
• Publishing

13
7 Cs of Effective Communication [1/2]
• Clarity: Simplicity and organization, use of familiar words applying
LUCE (length, unity, coherence, emphasis) approach
• Conciseness: Get to the point with minimum use of words and
avoid redundancy and filler words
• Completeness: Nothing important is missed, providing everything
required
• Concreteness: Specifics, providing facts and figures, citing sources
appropriately

14
7 Cs of Effective Communication [2/2]
• Correctness: Factual and grammatical precision, grammar,
punctuation, spelling
• Consideration: Stepping into the shoes of others, making a
comprehensible and appealing content, understanding nature of
the audience
• Courtesy: Giving space to audience, understanding feelings and
perspectives of the audience, respecting the audience, non-
discriminatory expressions, avoiding expressions which may hurt
the audience, appreciate the audience

15
Conclusions

• Write a Project Report

• Sections of Project Report

16