Report

Progress Report Checklist.html

Progress Report Checklist

The two main purposes of progress reports:

1. To convince the audience that you’ve made adequate progress on your recommendation report.

2. To instill confidence in the audience that your research is progressing well and that you will be able to complete your project on time.

Format/Style:

1. Is it organized clearly?  Is it presented professionally? Is it free of all spelling, punctuation, grammatical, and typographical mistakes?

2. Are the sentences and paragraphs coherent?  Do they use appropriate transitions?

3. Are the tone and word choice professional?  Are they appropriate for the audience (me)?

Content:

Introduction:

1. Is the introduction reader-centered?

2. Does the introduction contain both purpose and preview statements?

3. Does it introduce the project topic and title?

Background:

1. Does this section present the purpose of the recommendation report?

2. Does this section include a modified problem statement to remind the reader of the project’s subject?  Is there enough specific detail to make the situation clear?  Too much?

3. Does this section include statements about evaluative criteria or other guiding research principles?

Research Completed:

1. Does this section provide a detailed account of the research completed to date?  For each source, does it state the source, information gathered, and its relevance to the project?

2. Is the discussion well organized?  Has the writer employed bullets or subheadings to make the information more accessible?

Research in Progress:

1. Does this section provide a detailed account of the current research? 

2. Does this section discuss any problems or difficulties encountered?  Does it provide a satisfactory explanation of how problems have been handled?

Future Research:

1. Does this section provide an account of what remains to be completed? 

2. Does the section discuss the writer’s progress in accordance with or departing from schedule?  Does it explain any changes in the original schedule?

3. Is this section necessary?  Or might it be combined with Research in Progress?

Conclusion:

1. Is the conclusion reader-centered?

2. Does it provide a summary of the report’s contents?

3. Does this section remind readers of the purpose of the report?

4. Does the conclusion assure readers that the recommendation report will be completed on time?