Writing Reports to Get Results or East Asian Dynamism

Writing Reports to Get Results: Quick,Effective Results Using the Pyramid Method,3rd Edition

Author: Ron S Blicq

The professional's quick-reference handbook for writing business and technical reports
Professionals in business, government, and technical fields often need help in organizing and writing reports for associates, clients, and managers. This simple tutorial handbook offers expert tips and useful ideas for organizing ideas, structuring reports, and adding spice to technical papers.
Writing Reports to Get Results offers in-depth guidance for writing:
* short, informal reports, such as job progress reports and inspection reports
* semiformal reports, such as laboratory and medium-length investigation and evaluation reports
* formal reports, such as analytical and feasibility studies and major investigations
* technical and business proposals of varying complexity
The authors use a simple pyramid method to help writers organize their information into the most convenient and simplest structure for any type of document-from single-page proposals to full-length presentations. Rounding out this easy, instructional handbook are helpful tips on a number of other topics, such as: constructing reference lists and bibliographies; the use of numbers, abbreviations, and metric symbols; preparing illustrations for insertion into a report; and working collaboratively as a member of a writing team.

Table of Contents:

	Preface	xi
Part 1	A Practical Approach to Report Writing	1
1	How to Use These Guidelines	2
2	The Report Writer's Pyramid	4
	Getting Started	4
	Identifying the Reader	5
	Identifying the Message	6
	Using the Pyramid Method	7
	Focusing the Message	8
	Developing the Details	10
	Expanding the Details Section	13
Part 2	Informal Reports	17
3	Incident, Field Trip, and Inspection Reports	18
	Incident Reports	18
	Incident Report: Reporting a Project Delay	20
	Field Trip Reports	22
Trip Report No. 1	Reporting an Installation	24
Trip Report No. 2	Reporting a Site Evaluation	26
	Reporting Conference Attendance	26
	Inspection Reports	28
Inspection Report No. 1	Inspecting a Contractor's Work	32
Inspection Report No. 2	Inspecting Electronic Equipment	34
4	Progress Reports, Project Completion Reports, and Short Investigation Reports	38
	Progress Reports	38
	Occasional Progress Report	40
Progress Report No. 1	Occasional Progress Report	42
	Periodic Progress Report	44
Progress Report No. 2	Periodic Progress Report	45
	Headings and Paragraph Numbering	49
	Project Completion Report	49
	Project Completion Report: Reporting a Project Is Finished	50
	Short Investigation Reports	52
	Short Investigation Report: Correcting an Electrical Problem	53
Part 3	Semiformal Reports and Proposals	55
5	Test and Laboratory Reports	56
	Industrial Laboratory Reports	56
	Industrial Laboratory Report: Testing a Water Stage Manometer and Digital Recorder	58
	Academic Laboratory Reports	67
6	Investigation and Evaluation Reports	69
	Semiformal Investigation Report: Study of High Gas Consumption	70
	Comparison between Semiformal and Letter-Form Investigation Reports	80
7	Suggestions and Proposals	84
	Informal Suggestions	85
	Informal Suggestion: Proposal for a Study	86
	Semiformal Proposals	86
	Proposals That Present an Idea	88
Semiformal Proposal No. 1	Proposal to Install Videoconference Facilities in Three Capilano Group Divisions	90
	Proposals That Offer a Service	105
Semiformal Proposal No. 2	Offering to Provide a Service	106
	The Formal Proposal	117
	Letter of Transmittal	119
	Summary	119
	Introduction	119
	Description of Work, Problem, and Situation	119
	Approach to Doing Work, Resolving Problem, or Improving Situation	119
	Organization and Planning	119
	Exceptions	120
	Price Proposal	120
	Experience	120
	Appendixes	120
	Proposal Appearance	120
Part 4	Formal Reports	121
8	The Formal Report	122
	Traditional Arrangement of Report Parts	122
	Alternative Arrangement of Report Parts	124
	Analysis of a Formal Report	125
	Cover Letter	125
	Title Page	128
	Summary	130
	Table of Contents	132
	Introduction	134
	Discussion	136
	Conclusions	146
	Recommendations	148
	References/Bibliography	148
	Appendix	150
	Dan Rogerson's Report Writing Sequence	154
Part 5	Report Writing Techniques and Methods	155
9	Appearance and Format of Memorandum, Letter, and Semiformal Reports	156
	Sample Reports	158
	Notes about Figures 9-2 and 9-3	158
	Notes about Figure 9-4	161
	Improving the Body of the Report	162
	Redesigning the Page	162
	Choosing a Font	162
	Justifying Text Only on the Left	164
	Avoiding All Caps	164
	Using Tables to Display Information	164
10	Developing a Writing Style	166
	Get the Focus Right	166
	Identify the Reader	167
	Identify the Purpose	167
	Write to Inform	168
	Write to Persuade	168
	Be Direct	168
	Use the Pyramid Structure	169
	Write in the First Person	170
	Use the Active Voice	172
	Avoid "Clutter"	174
	Use Simple Words	174
	Remove Words of Low Information Content	175
	Eliminate Overworked Expressions	177
	Avoiding Gender-specific Language	178
	Be Consistent When Referring to Men and Women	178
11	Writing a List of References or a Bibliography	180
	How to Write References	181
	Bibliographies	186
	Footnotes	187
	Planning for Reference/Bibliography Entries	189
12	Inserting Illustrations into Reports	190
	Some General Guidelines	191
	Using Computer Software to Produce Graphics	191
	Tables	192
	Graphs	193
	Bar Charts	197
	Histograms	199
	Surface Charts	200
	Pie Charts	201
	Flowcharts, Site Plans, and Line Diagrams	202
	Photographs	204
	The Size and Position of Illustrations	204
13	Guidelines for Spelling and Handling Abbreviations and Numbers	206
	Spelling	206
	Abbreviations	207
	Numbers	208
	Metric (SI) Units	209
	References	209
14	The Report Writing Process	210
	Preparing to Write	210
	Organizing the Information	212
	Writing the Words (Draft)	214
	Editing the Information	216
	Initial Proofreading	216
	Detailed Editing	217
	Revising the Text	220
	Doing a Second (or Subsequent) Edit	220
	Obtaining an Objective Opinion	220
15	Guidelines for Working with a Report Production Team	222
	Working with Management	223
	Working with Other Writers	223
	Using Email to Communicate with Others	225
	Working with Illustrators, Draftspersons, and Graphic Artists	226
	Working with a Printer	227
	Index	229

Read also Core Concepts in Health or Bloom

East Asian Dynamism: Growth, Order and Security in the Pacific Region, Vol. 2

Author: Steve Chan

East Asian Dynamism continues to offer a succinct account of Pacific regional political economy from the dawn of the modern world system to projections of alternative futures. Steve Chan is a master at demystifying the geography, history, and culture of the region while bringing to life the current policy choices and dilemmas facing its people and leaders. In this new edition, he broadens the geographical scope of the book to encompass more of Southeast Asia and Australia, with specific coverage of Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Burma, Indonesia, and Singapore highlighted along the way. And now that peace has “broken out all over,” the focus shifts strongly to issues of growth, trade, and cultural interface as Pacific regional security becomes more and more a function of economic strength, regional cooperation, and global outreach.