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Ashrestha1
InformationalReports-SlideDeckforVideos.pptx
Informal Reports
1
What are Informal reports?
Purpose is always to inform
Less formal (obviously) than formal reports
Always know
The audience
Your role
The desired effect
Types of informal reports
Informative
Analytical
Often internal, so use memo format with headers for each section
2
Informative Reports
Short (1-2 pages)
Timely (weekly, daily, monthly depending on the need)
No conclusion (part of a project that is ongoing)
Types:
Progress
Activity
Trip
Meeting minutes
Analytical Reports
Longer
More detailed
Informative AND conclusive
Often persuasive
Persuasion can be subtle
Types:
Feasibility
Recommendation
Peer Review
Lab Reports
Informative Reports
Progress reports
To a familiar audience
To document progress in key areas
Major milestones
Changes in timeline
Adjustments in funding
To satisfy supervisors’ need to know
To get permission on changes
To alert supervisors to potential problems
Activity Report
Similar to a progress report
Periodic (at a set schedule or over a specific period)
Summary of all activity
Bonus: Incident reports
To document an incident
Usually within a form
Necessary information
Date of incident
Who was involved
Who observed
What happened
Why (in unbiased terms)
Simple observation
Complex investigation
What has been done to follow up
What will be done to follow up
Trip Report
To report the results of business-related travel
To a specific location or for a specific purpose
Often structured around a schedule or events
Bonus: Field reports
Always from expert observations
Always to an informed audience
Used to
Describe
Explain
Document
And, sometimes, recommend
Minutes
Usually using a template
From a member present
Always objective
free from opinion or perspective
To members present for recall
To members absent to inform
Necessary information:
Date
Time
Location
Called by
Attending
Note taker
Agenda items
Main points of discussion
Person leading discussion
Action items
Deadline
Bonus: Directives
Always from a place of authority
To instruct
To clarify
To persuade
To document
Analytical Reports
Feasibility
Asks “is it realistic?” or “is it practical?”
Provides background summary first
Makes a direct recommendation
Offers supporting sections
Recommendation
Asks “which one?” or “how should we?”
Provides background summary
Provides a section outlining the specific exigence (the thing driving or demanding the action)
Makes a direct recommendation
Supports the recommendation with details
Discusses the benefits of the recommendation
Peer Review
Provides feedback to a peer for the benefit of improving a document or presentation
Begins with a brief summary of the positive aspects
Focuses on constructive feedback
Organized based on the categories of feedback provided
Utilizes a polite tone throughout
Always focuses on constructive, not emotive or vague, feedback
Avoid simply saying that you “like” or “dislike” something
Ask yourself “why?”
Lab reports
Always uses passive voice
No first person
Does not use memo format
Relies heavily on lab notes
Equations
Questions
Actions
The audience is other scientists
Not read linearly, so structure must be followed
Lab reports Structure
Descriptive and explicit title
Clear, not creative
Abstract
Not always required
Helps the reader find relevant information
Includes
Purpose of the experiment
Approach used in the experiment
Significance of the experiment
Introduction
Moves from general to specific
Establishes the context of the experiment
Addresses background, secondary research, and concepts that impact the experiment
Directly addresses the singular purpose of the experiment
Method and materials
What is being done
What is being used
Often provided in a science classes (state the experiment was completed as assigned)
Note any issues here
Results
The data derived from the experiment
Always in past tense
No conclusions in this section
Discussion
Conclusions and discussions of meaning
Further questions
Address inconclusive data
Formal Reports
What Are Formal Reports
Analytical
Informative and conclusive
Requires critical thinking
Requires research
Relies on your expertise
Used to inform decision makers
Often external, so use APA paper format (abstract, lit review, methods, etc.)
Types of formal reports:
Comparative Analysis
Causal Analysis
Feasibility
Assignment Overview
Progress Report
Introduction
The introduction of a progress report should :
Identify the document as a progress report
Describe your project or assigned work
State that you are describing the progress made since starting the project
Discussion
Explain what you have accomplished. You need to be clear and correct in this section so that your reader is not misled.
Narrate each task thoroughly
Work accomplished
Progress expected
Problems encountered
Discuss solutions or ask for help
Use complete sentences
Do not include “empty” sections
Discussion Organization
Task 1
Work Accomplished
Progress Expected
Problems
Task 2
Work Accomplished
Progress Expected
Problems
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Conclusion
Overall progress
Ability to make deadline
Offer to answer questions or concerns
