Page 245 - DENG401_Advance Communication Skills

Advanced Communication Skills

Notes about an incident or a programme, teachers and lecturers make reports regarding their school/
institutions or some event happened in the institution.
"A business report is an orderly, unbiased communication of factual information that serves
some business purpose."
The report is the ultimate output of investigation efforts. The report format varies depending
upon its purpose and target audience. The presentation of research reports to ultimate users is
the art of communication. Report writing makes the complex thing simple. Suggestions given
in the reports form the basis for the action plan to be taken. New areas for investigation may
also be identified through reports.

15.2 Planning for Report Writing

Planning is the first stage of any organized activity. Even for drafting a formal report, planning
is a must. The planning stage is the most crucial one. Spend as much time as possible in collecting
material, synchronizing details, and ensuring that nothing has been left out. If the planning is
done in a detailed manner, there are few chances of missing out errors at the final stage.
In fact, planning for a report is an important as the process of writing itself. The various steps
involved in report planning are as follows:
1. Define the problem and the purpose: The problem and purpose had already been identified
at the stage when the answer to the question what and why were attempted. It is essential
at this stage to understand the nature of the report – whether it is informational or analytical.
In an informational report, the writer would stress factors contributing to comparison of
information at the time of stating the purpose. However, in an analytical report the writer
would need to prepare a problem statement, the analysis of which becomes the thrust area
of the report. With a variance in the type of the report, a difference is bound to arise in the
definition of the problem and purpose.
2. Outline the issues for investigation: A problem solving or analytical report has issues,
pertaining to the problem which need to be highlighted in the initial stage. None of the
alternatives or variables should be ignored or sidetracked. Once the issues have been
clarified, delineation of the points becomes easier. Further, if the report is of an
informational nature, all issues to be exemplified have to be understood. There should be
a basic pattern that has to be observed and it should clearly emerge in the reading of the
report.
3. Prepare a work plan: What is the best procedure to collect the data? How should the writer
proceed? What are the strategies that need to be observed? These are a few of the questions
that need to be well answered before taking the final plunge into conducting research on
the topic.
4. Conduct research, analyse and interpret: The modus operandi at the time of conducting
research should be well examined. This should, however, be taken care of at the stage of
preparing a work plan. The manner in which research is conducted is contingent upon the
problem defined in the initial phase of report writing. Once the research has been conducted,
begins the process of analysis and subsequent interpretation, which happen to be the
toughest parts in report making. An attempt should be made to bring about accuracy in
the analysis and make the interpretation objective and unbiased, as far as possible.
5. Draw conclusions: Subsequent to the stage of interpretation of data, certain conclusions
need to be drawn and recommendations or suggestions made. This comprises the last
stage of the report and the tone of it, is determined by the position held by the report
writer. For instance, if it is a report, being written by a subordinate, he can only make

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