Chapter 17Informal Reports.ppt

Chapter 17Informal Reports Common Types of Informal Reports Progress Reports . . . Provide updates on work completed and work remaining for a particular assignment, task, product, or process Periodic Activity Reports . . . Are provided at regular intervals Give information on the activities or status of an organization Trip Reports . . . Detail the activities and expenses of a employee while traveling on company business Lab Reports . . . Describe the testing and research performed in a laboratory Meeting Minutes . . . Summarize the best major issues discussed and decisions made during a meeting Report Formats Memos Letters E-mail Memo Reports Are for internal use Are usually more informal in format and style than letter reports Letter Reports Are directed at audiences outside of the company or organization Sending Reports via E-mail Sending Reports via E-mail:Remember . . . Both memos and letters can be attached to e-mail messages E-mail isn’t private Special formatting applied to your message may not be viewable by others Sending Reports via E-mail:Remember . . . Informal reports on sensitive or delicate issues are often best written in hard-copy memo or letter format Sending Reports via E-mail:Remember . . . Consider the conventions of your employer Ethical considerations may also help determine which format is best Strategies for Preparing Informal Reports Focusing Analyze your audience Determine what your audience needs to know Gathering Information Gather information to provide detailed content Interpreting Information Spend time interpreting information to understand what it means Organizing Carefully consider how to organize your key points Remember your audience Designing and Illustrating Enhance readability through effective use of White Space Typography Bulleted and numbered lists Line spacing Other design elements Writing and Revising Write several drafts to create a polished report. Copyright ? 2002 by Pearson Education, Inc