Page 252 - DENG401_Advance Communication Skills

Unit 15: Business Report Writing

7. When did the trouble start? In case it is an analytical report, one would also need to Notes
address oneself to the source and time of the problem before reaching any conclusion.
8. When am I going to write the report? The time factor is very important.
9. Where would the reader be at the time when he receives the report? Would the reader read
the report in a meeting or read it within the confines of his room? There would definitely
be a difference in the manner of approach.
10. Finally, how would the report be written? What information is to be included and what is
to be excluded/which graphs and chart would be used/avoided?
All these queries need to be satisfied before beginning a report. They give the report a certain
direction and help the writer to concentrate on making the report acceptable to the audience for
whom it is aimed.
There is no set outline that can be used in preparing reports. The most appropriate form and
contents of a particular report should be determined by nature of the target audience. The
following is the suggested broad outline of a report.
1. Preliminary pages
(a) Title page is showing the heading.
(b) Contents along with unit headings and page numbers.
(c) Preface and acknowledgements
(d) Foreword
(e) List of tables

(f) List of graphs and diagrams
(g) Abbreviations
2. Main Text
(a) Summary
(i) Introduction
(ii) Main findings
(iii) Conclusions and Recommendations
(b) Introduction

(i) Introducing the theme
(ii) Review of related literature
(iii) Methodology
(c) Results
(i) Statistical analysis
(ii) Testing of hypothesis
(iii) Conclusions
(iv) Recommendations
3. End Matter

(a) Annexure
(b) Bibliography

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