9

CHAPTER

Activity Reports
Types of Activity Reports 239
Quick Start: Activity Reports 240
Planning and Researching 246
Organizing and Drafting 251
Using Style and Design 254
Microgenre: The Status
Report 255
Chapter Review 257
Exercises and Projects 257
Case Study: Bad Chemistry 259 In this chapter, you will learn:
• The basic features of activity reports.
• How different types of activity reports are used in the workplace.
• How to determine the rhetorical situation for an activity report.
• How to organize and draft an activity report.
• Strategies for using an appropriate style.
• How to design and format activity reports.
T oday, companies are using computer networks to create management structures
that are less hierarchical. As a result, companies require fewer levels of managers
than before, because computer networks help top executives better communicate with
employees throughout the company.
These “flatter” management structures require more communication, quicker feed-
back, and better accountability among employees in the company. As a result, activity
reports are more common than ever in the technical workplace.
Activity reports are used to objectively present ideas or information within a com-
pany. This genre has many variations, making it adaptable to many situations that
you will encounter in the technical workplace.

Types of Activity Reports

Even though the various types of activity reports are similar in most ways, they are
called by a variety of names that reflect their different purposes. Activity reports share
one goal—to objectively inform readers about (1) what happened, (2) what is happen-
ing, and (3) what will happen in the near future.

Progress Reports
A progress report, also called a status report, is written to inform management about
the progress or status of a project. These reports are usually written at regular
intervals—weekly, biweekly, or monthly—to update management on what has
happened since the last progress report was submitted. Your company’s management
may also periodically request a progress report to stay informed about your or your
team’s activities.
A typical progress report will provide the following information:
• a summary of completed activities
• a discussion of ongoing activities
• a forecast of future activities
Figure 9.1, for example, shows a progress report that is designed to update man-
agement on a project.

Briefings and White Papers

Briefings and white papers are used to inform management or clients about an
important issue. Typically, briefings are presented verbally, while white papers
are provided in print. Occasionally, briefings will also appear as “briefs” in written
form.
Briefings and white papers typically present gathered facts in a straightforward
and impartial way. They include the following kinds of information:
• a summary of the facts
• a discussion of the importance of these facts
• a forecast about the importance of these facts in the future

Types of Activity
Reports 239
 Activity Reports
Quick Start This is a basic model for organizing an activity report. There are many different types of
activity reports, so this pattern can and should be altered to fit the content and purpose
of your document.

Basic Features of Activity Introduction

Reports
An activity report usually includes the fol-
lowing features, which can be modified to Summary of
suit the needs of the situations in which the Activities
report will be used:

• introduction Results of
Activities
• summary of activities Supporting graphics
• results of activities or research and illustrations
can be used
• future activities or research Future throughout the
Activities body of the activity
• incurred or future expenses report.

• graphics
Expenses
Keep in mind that activity reports are used
for a variety of purposes. You should adjust

this pattern to suit your needs. Conclusion R

An effective briefing presents the facts as concisely as possible, leaving time for
questions and answers. When you brief an audience on your subject, try to do so as
objectively as possible. Then, interpret the importance of those facts based on
evidence, not on speculation.
Briefings and white papers typically do not advocate for any specific side or
course of action. Instead, they present the facts in a straightforward way and offer an
objective assessment of what those facts mean. It is up to the readers to decide what
actions are appropriate.
Figure 9.2 on pages 242–244 shows the executive summary of a white paper written
by senior officers at PayPal. The white paper discusses PayPal’s attempts to manage
“phishing,” a fraudulent form of e-mail spam.

240 Chapter 9
Activity Reports
 A Progress Report
Figure 9.1:
A progress
report de-
scribes the
team’s activi­
ties and dis-
cusses future
activities.

Subject,
purpose, and
main point
are identified
up front

Ongoing
activities are
described
objectively.

The graphic
supports the
text.

Results are
presented.

Report ends
with a look
to the future
and a brief
conclusion.

Types of Activity
Reports 241
 Incident Reports
Incident reports describe an event, usually an accident or irregular occurrence, and
they identify what corrective actions have been taken. As with other kinds of activity
reports, incident reports present the facts as objectively as possible. They provide the
following information:
• a summary of what happened (the facts)
• a discussion of why it happened
• a description of how the situation was handled
• a discussion of how the problem will be avoided in the future
It is tempting, especially when an accident was your fault, to make excuses or of-
fer apologies, but an incident report is not the place to do so. As with other activity
reports, you should concentrate on the facts. Describe what happened as honestly and
clearly as possible. You can make excuses or apologize later.
Figure 9.3 on pages 245–246 shows a typical incident report in which management
is notified of an accident in a laboratory.

Laboratory Reports
Laboratory reports are written to describe experiments, tests, or inspections. If you
have taken a laboratory class, you are no doubt familiar with lab reports. These re-
ports describe the experiment, present the results, and discuss the results. Lab reports
typically include the following kinds of information:
• a summary of the experiment (methods)
• a presentation of the results
• a discussion of the results R

A White Paper
Figure 9.2:
A white paper
presents
technical
information
objectively,
allowing read-
ers to make
decisions
based on the
Dan Levy, Senior Director of Risk Management – Europe facts.

Source: From the White Paper “A PRACTICAL APPROACH TO MANAGING PHISHING,” April 2008,
by Michael Barrett and Dan Levy. These materials have been reproduced with the permission of
PayPal, Inc. © 2008 PAYPAL, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

242
240 Chapter 9
Activity Reports
 Figure 9.2:
(continued)

Introduction
Defines
Executive Summary Surely only a few individuals, who have been living a life of seclusion on the French Riviera for the subject of
Introduction last few years, won’t know what the crime of “phishing” is. At least that’s what we tend to think in
PayPal’s View of Phishing the security industry. Yet, according to Gartner estimates, 3.3% of the 124 million consumers who
white paper
Our Response received phishing email last year were victimized and lost money because of the attacks. In short,
phishing is a “con trick” by which consumers are sent email purporting to originate from legitimate
services like banks or other financial institutions. The email, which generally contains a call to action
2.0 Definitions, Scope and Principles such as “update your account details,” contains a link to a website where the consumer is asked to
provide their log-in credentials for the legitimate site, often along with other personal and confidential
Reclaiming Email information such as a bank account number, credit card number, social security number, or mother’s
maiden name. Once the information has been collected from the legitimate owner, it is then used to
Email Signing and Blocking
conduct various kinds of fraud, including identity theft.
Visual Identification
In the summer of 2006, the authors of this white paper examined PayPal’s approach to managing
Block Phishing Sites phishing. We realized that our strategy was based on preventing financial loss in the victim’s account
—long after the original phishing email had duped its victim. However, it became rapidly clear to
Unsafe Browsers us that there was a holistic dimension that our previous approach missed. Equally clear was the
Blacklists fact that we couldn’t eradicate this problem on our own—to make a dent in phishing, it would take
Anti-fraud Warning Pages collaboration with the Internet industry, law enforcement, and government around the world.
Extended Validation SSL
Certificates PayPal’s View of Phishing
Like any successful businessperson, fraudsters are driven by profit. Their profit equation is a
Ancillary Strategies simple formula:
Customer Education
Site Shutdown
Authentication
V = Volume of phishmail sent by fraudster
Fraud Models
R = Response rate (percent of victims that give up account information) Summary of
Law Enforcement
Government Relations
M = Monetized value of a stolen account
the facts
P = Profit

6.0 Results
7.0 Conclusions and Next Steps
In the past, PayPal has focused successfully on the third input—the ’monetization’ of the stolen
accounts. This had the dual effect of initially lowering the fraudsters’ profits (and lowering PayPal’s
losses), but also encouraging the fraudsters to increase the phishmail sent (V) in order to maintain or
grow the absolute level of their profits.

While our efforts to reduce losses to PayPal and our sellers worked, fraudsters simply increased their
phishmail volume. By some industry calculations, phishmail purporting to be from PayPal and eBay
reached more than 75% of total phishmail sent.1

We therefore reassessed the situation and drew the picture you see in Diagram 1: PayPal’s View of
the Phishing Problem, on our whiteboard.

Bad User
Experience This diagram
helps
Fraudsters’ Incidents Lower
Profits (phishmail) Activity
illustrate the
problem for
PayPal
Financial
the readers.
Loss

(continued)

Types of Activity
Reports 243
 Figure 9.2:
(continued)

We knew that fraudsters’ profits drove them to send phishmail. In turn, phishmail drove two responses
from our customers: a bad user experience and/or financial loss. Even though the vast majority of
users would immediately delete the mail or not click on the phishing links, the negative experience
caused residual concern about whether or not PayPal had given up their email addresses or
otherwise caused them to be a target.

A much smaller group of users would give up their private financial data (including their passwords),
leading to financial loss for PayPal and our customers. And of course, PayPal’s financial loss was
the fraudsters’ profit—thus encouraging even more phishmail and perpetuating the cycle. No matter
which path the customer followed, PayPal observed consistently lower activity from these users.

1.3 Our Response

We determined five blocking points (illustrated in Diagram 2: Five Blocking Points) where PayPal
could break the business model of fraudsters, and we applied a strategy against each point.
There would not be one silver bullet, but perhaps five would do the trick.

Explains Diagram 2: Five Blocking Points

the team’s Bad User
solution for B B B
addressing L L L
O O O
the problem Fraudsters’ C Incidents C C Lower
Profits K (phishmail) K K Activity

PayPal
Financial
Loss

BLOCK 4

Block / Strategy Short Explanation

1. Reclaim email Prevent phishmail from ever entering customers’ inboxes.

2. Block phishing sites
3. Authenticate users
4. Prosecute
5. Brand & Customer Recovery
To be judged by the adoption of email authentication by
ISPs who agree not to deliver unsigned email.
Prevent phishing sites from being displayed to customers.
Prevent stolen login/password combinations from being
used on PayPal.com.
Create a disincentive by pursuing legal prosecution
(in partnership with government and law enforcement).
Ensure that targeted customers would still use PayPal.

This paper concentrates on our top two strategies of reclaiming email and blocking phishing sites.
For each, we will address both our “passive” and our “active” solutions, corresponding to the different
segments of our user base. There are also a few other strategies that we believe are important, and
while they may be ancillary to those described above, we’ll give some detail about them nonetheless.

244 Chapter 9
Activity Reports
 An Incident Report
Figure 9.3:
An incident
report is not
the place to
make apolo-
Red Hills Health Sciences Center gies or place
blame. You
Testing and Research Division should state
201 Hospital Drive, Suite A92 the facts as
objectively as
Red Hills, CA 92698
possible.
March 11, 2013
To: Brian Jenkins, Safety Assurance Officer
From: Hal Chavez, Testing Laboratory Supervisor
The subject
Subject: Incident Report: Fire in Laboratory
and purpose
are stated I am reporting a fire in Testing Laboratory 5, which occurred
up front. yesterday, March 11, 2013, at 3:34 p.m.
The fire began when a sample was being warmed with a bunsen
What burner.A laboratory notebook was left too close to the burner, and it
happened is
caught fire. One of our laboratory assistants, Vera Cather, grabbed
described
the notebook and threw it into a medical waste container. The
objectively.
contents of the waste container then lit on fire, filling the room with
black smoke. At that point, another laboratory assistant, Robert
Jackson, grabbed the fire extinguisher and emptied its contents into
the waste container, putting out the fire. The overhead sprinklers
went off, dousing the entire room.
Even though everyone seemed fine, we decided to send all lab
personnel down to the emergency room for an examination. While
we were in the waiting room, Vera Cather developed a cough and her
What was eyes became red. She was held for observation and released that
done about evening when her condition was stable. The rest of us were looked
it is noted. over by the emergency room doctors, and they suggested that we stay
out of the laboratory until it was thoroughly cleaned.
I asked the hospital’s HazMat team to clean up the mess that resulted
from the fire. We had been working with samples of Borrelia
burgdorferi bacteria, which causes Lyme disease. I was not sure if the

(continued)

Types of Activity
Reports 245
 Figure 9.3:
(continued)

Lab reports, like other activity reports, emphasize the facts and data. Here is not
the place to speculate or to develop a new theory. Instead, your lab report should
present the results as objectively as possible and use those results to support the rea-
soned discussion that follows.
Figure 9.4 shows an example of a laboratory report. In this report, the writer de-
scribes the results of the testing as objectively as possible.

Planning and Researching

One of the nice things about writing activity reports is that you have already devel-
oped most of the content. You are probably familiar with your readers. So, minimal
planning is required, and the research has been mostly completed. These internal
reports, after all, are supposed to describe your activities.
A good workplace practice you might adopt is keeping an activity journal or work
log on your computer or in a notebook. In your journal, start out each day by jotting
down the things you need to accomplish. As you complete each of these activities,
note the dates and times they were completed and the results.

246 Chapter 9
Activity Reports
 A Lab Report
Figure 9.4:
A lab report
walks read-
ers through
the methods,
FEND-LAB, INC. results, and
2314 Universal St., Suite 192 discussion.
San Francisco, CA 94106 Then, it offers
(325) 555-1327 any conclu-
www.fendlabcal.com sions, based
on the facts.
Test Address Mold Analysis Report
NewGen Information Technology, Report Number: 818237-28
LLC Date of Sampling: 091313
3910 S. Randolph Arrival Date: 091613
Slater, CA 93492 Analysis Date: 092013
Client Technician: Alice Valles
Brian Wilson
Phone: 650-555-1182
Fax: 650-555-2319
e-m ail: brian_wilson@cssf.edu

The
Lab Report: Mold Test

introduction In this report, we present the results of our testing for mold at the
states the
offices of NewGen Information Technology, at 3910 S. Randolph
subject,
purpose, and
in Slater, California. Our results show above-normal amounts of
main point. allergenic mold, which may lead to allergic reactions among the
residents.
Testing Methods
On 13 September 2013, we took samples from the test site with two
common methods: Lift Tape Sampling and Bulk Physical Sampling.
Methods are Lift Tape Sampling. We located 10 areas around the building where
described, we suspected mold or spores might exist (e.g., water stains, dusty
explaining
areas, damp areas). Using 8-cm-wide strips of transparent tape, we
how the study
was done.
lifted samples and pressed them into the nutrient agar in petri
dishes. Each sample was sealed and sent to our laboratory, where it
was allowed to grow for one week.

(continued)

Planning and
Researching 247
 Figure 9.4:
(continued)

Bulk Physical Sampling. We located 5 additional areas where we

observed significant mold growth in ducts or on walls. Using a
sterilized scraper, we removed samples from these areas and
preserved them in plastic bags. In one place, we cut a 1-inch-square
sample from carpet padding because it was damp and contained
mold. This sample was saved in a plastic bag. All the samples were
sent to our laboratory.
At the laboratory, the samples were examined through a microscope.
We also collected spores in a vacuum chamber. Mold species and
spores were identified.
Results of Microscopic Examination
The following chart lists the results of the microscope examination:

Mold Found Location Amount

Trichoderma Break room counter Normal growth

Geotrichum Corner, second floor Normal growth
Cladosporium Air ducts Heavy growth
Penicillium spores Corkboard in bathroom Normal growth

Descriptions of molds found:

Trichoderma: Trichoderma is typically found in moistened paper and
Results are unglazed ceramics. This mold is mildly allergenic in some humans,
presented and it can create antibiotics that are harmful to plants.
objectively, Geotrichum: Geotrichum is a natural part of our environment, but it
without can be mildly allergenic. It is usually found in soil in potted plants
interpretation. and on wet textiles.
Cladosporium: Cladosporium can cause serious asthma, and it can
lead to edema and bronchiospasms. In chronic cases, this mold can
lead to pulmonary emphysema.
Penicillium: Penicillium is not toxic to most humans in normal
amounts. It is regularly found in buildings and likely poses no threat.

At first, keeping an activity journal will seem like extra work. But you will soon
realize that your journal keeps you on task and saves you time in the long run.
Moreover, when you need to report on your activities for the week or month, you will
have a record of all the things you accomplished.

248 Chapter 9
Activity Reports
 Figure 9.4:
(continued)

Discussion of Results
It does not surprise us that the client and her employees are
experiencing mild asthma attacks in their office, as well as allergic
reactions. The amount of Cladosporium, a common culprit behind
mold-caused asthma, is well above average. More than likely, this
Results are mold has spread throughout the duct system of the building,
interpreted meaning there are probably no places where employees can avoid
and coming into contact with this mold and its spores.
discussed.
The other molds found in the building could be causing some of the
employees’ allergic reactions, but it is less likely. Even at normal
amounts, Geotrichum can cause irritation to people prone to mold
allergies. Likewise, Trichoderma could cause problems, but it would
not cause the kinds of allergic reactions the client reports.
Penicillium in the amounts found would not be a problem.
The results of our analysis lead us to believe that the Cladosporium
is the main problem in the building.
Conclusions
The mold problem in this building will not go away over time.
The Cladosporium has obviously found a comfortable place in the air
conclusion ducts of the building. It will continue to live there and send out
restates spores until it is removed.
the main We suggest further testing to confirm our findings and measure the
point and
extent of the mold problem in the building. If our findings are
recommends
action. confirmed, the building will not be safely habitable until a
professional mold remover is hired to eradicate the mold.
Ignoring the problem would not be wise. At this point, the residents
are experiencing mild asthma attacks and occasional allergic
reactions. These symptoms will only grow worse over time, leading
to potentially life-threatening situations.
Contact us at (325) 555-1327 if you would like us to further explain
our methods and/or results.

Analyzing the Rhetorical Situation

With your notes in front of you, you are ready to plan your activity report. You
should begin by briefly answering the Five-W and How Questions:
Who might read or use this activity report?
What information do they need to know?

Planning and
Researching 249
 Where will the report be used?
When will the report be used?
Why do they want the report?
How might the report be used?
After considering these questions, you can begin thinking about the rhetorical situ-
ation that will shape how you write the activity report or present your briefing.

SuBjecT The subject of your report includes your recent activities. Include only
information your readers need to know.

PuRPoSe The purpose of your report is to describe what happened and what will
happen in the future. In your introduction, state your purpose directly:

In this memo, I will summarize our progress on the Hollings project during
the month of August 2013.

The purpose of this briefing is to update you on our research into railroad
safety in northwestern Ohio.

You might use some of the following action verbs to describe your purpose:

to explain to show to demonstrate Link

To learn
to illustrate to present to exhibit more about
defining a
to justify to account for to display purpose, go
to outline to summarize to inform to Chapter
1, page 6.

ReAdeRS Think about the people who will need to use your report. The readers Link
of activity reports tend to be your supervisors. Occasionally, though, these kinds of For more
reports are read by clients (lab reports or briefings) or are used to support testimony ideas about
(white papers). An incident report, especially when it concerns an accident, may have reader analy-
sis, turn to
a range of readers who plan to use the document in a variety of ways. Chapter 2,
page 20.
conTexT oF uSe The context of use for your activity report will vary. In most
cases, your readers will simply scan and file your report. Similarly, oral briefings are
not all that exciting. Your listeners will perk up for the information that interests
them, but they will mostly be checking to see if you are making progress.
Nevertheless, take a moment to decide whether your activity report discusses any
topics that involve troublesome ethical or political issues. When mistakes happen,
auditors and lawyers will go through your activity reports, looking for careless state-
ments or admissions of fault. So, your statements need to reflect your actual actions
and the results of your work.

250 Chapter 9
Activity Reports
 Moreover, if you are reporting expenses in your activity report, they need to be ac-
Link
curate. Auditors and accountants will look at these numbers closely. If your numbers
For more don’t add up, you may have some explaining to do.
help defin-
ing the con-
text, go to
Chapter 2,
page 25.
Organizing and Drafting
Remember, organizing and drafting activity reports should not take too much time. If
you find yourself taking more than an hour to write an activity report, you are prob-
ably spending too much time on this routine task.
To streamline your efforts, remember that all technical documents have an intro-
duction, a body, and a conclusion. Each of these parts of the document makes pre-
dictable moves that you can use to guide your drafting of the report.

Writing the Introduction

Readers of your activity report are mostly interested in the facts. So, your introduc-
tion should give them only a brief framework for understanding those facts. To pro-
vide this framework, you should concisely
• define your subject
• state your purpose
• state your main point

Figures 9.1, 9.3 and 9.4 show examples of concise introductions that include these
three common introductory moves.
If your readers are not familiar with your project (e.g., you are giving a dem-
onstration to clients), you might want to expand the introduction by also offering
background information, stressing the importance of the subject, and forecasting the
body of the report. For example, Figure 9.5 shows the introduction of a document
that would accompany a demonstration for people who would not be familiar with
micromachines.

Writing the Body

In the body of the activity report, you should include some or all of the following:

Summary of activities—In chronological order, summarize the project’s

two to five major events since your previous activity report. Highlight any
advances or setbacks in the project.
Results of activities or research—In order of importance, list the two to five
most significant results or outcomes of your project. To help a reader scan,
you might even use bullets to highlight these results.
Future activities or research—Tell readers what you will be doing during the
next work period.

Organizing and
Drafting 251
 Full Introduction for an Activity Report
Figure 9.5:
When read-
ers are less
familiar
Wilson National Laboratory with the
Always Moving Forward subject, you
might add
background
Nanotech Micromachines Demonstration for Senators Laura information,
Geertz and Brian Hanson stress the
Presented by Gina Gould, Head Engineer importance
of the sub-
Nanotechnology is the creation and utilization of functional ject, and
materials, devices, and systems with novel properties and functions forecast the
that are achieved through the control of matter, atom by atom, rest of the
Background
information
molecule by molecule, or at the macromolecular level. A revolution document.
is offered has begun in science, engineering, and technology, based on the
for readers ability to organize, characterize, and manipulate matter
unfamiliar systematically at the nanoscale.
with the topic.
In this demonstration, we will show you how the 5492 Group at
Wilson National Laboratory is applying breakthroughs in
Purpose and nanotechnology science toward the development of revolutionary
main point are new micromachines. Our work since 2002 has yielded some amazing
mentioned results that might dramatically expand the capacity of these tiny
here devices.

Forecasting Today, we will first show you a few of the prototype micromachines
shows the we have developed with nanotechnology principles. Then, we will
structure of present data gathered from testing these prototypes. And finally, we
the briefing. will discuss future uses of nanotechnology in micromachine
engineering.

expenses—If asked, you should state the costs incurred over the previous
week or month. Highlight any places where costs are deviating from the
project’s budget.
The body of the progress report shown in Figure 9.6 includes these four items.

Writing the conclusion

The conclusion should be as brief as possible. You should:
• restate your main point
• restate your purpose

252 Chapter 9
Activity Reports
 Progress Report
Figure 9.6:
A progress
report keeps
things brief,
discussing
Tiger Industries what hap-
Automation Development Division pened, the
results, and
Memo header what will hap-

identifies pen in the

Date: 28 February 2013 future.
primary
To: Hal Roberts, Division Head
readers and From: Sally Fenker, Green Robot Project Manager
subject of
Subject: Progress Report on Green Robot Project
report

The We are pleased to report that we have made significant progress in

introduction coding for the X53 Manufacturing Robot.
is concise.
In September, we coded for the lateral movement of the robot’s arm.
We developed several usable subroutines that should improve its The month’s
placement accuracy. activities are
So far, the results of our work are looking good: summarized
The results without
are clearly
• placement accuracies of .009 mm
interpretation.
stated. • speed of 20 placements per minute
• frozen arm only 3 times in 100 trials.
In March, we hope to complete development of the software. One Future
member of our team is currently debugging. Right now, it looks like activities are
we’re on schedule for the May rollout of the robot. Of course, that discussed.
depends on the folks over in manufacturing.
At this point, we’re running a bit over budget, due to higher-than-
expected contractor costs. We’re perhaps $2,000 over.
Otherwise, we’re on schedule and looking forward to finishing. Call The
Update me (505.555.0180) or e-mail me (sallyf@tigeradd.com) if you have conclusion
on costs any questions. is brief and
is given looks ahead.

Organizing and
Drafting 253
 • make any recommendations, if appropriate
• look to the future
These concluding moves should be made in a maximum of two to four sentences.

To conclude, in this demonstration, our goal was to update you on our pro-
gress toward developing nanotechnology micromachines. Overall, it looks
like we are making solid progress toward our objectives, and we seem to be
on schedule. Over the next couple of months, we will be facing some tough
technical challenges. At that point, we will know if micromachines are feasi-
ble with current technology.

The conclusion shown in Figure 9.6 is probably more typical than the example
above. Most analytical reports have a one- or two-sentence conclusion.

using Style and design

Generally, activity reports follow a plain style and use a simple design. These
documents are mostly informative, not overly persuasive, so you should try to
keep them rather straightforward.

using a Plain Style

As you revise your document with style in mind, pay attention to the following
elements:
Sentences—Using plain style techniques, make sure that (1) the subject is
the “doer” of most sentences and (2) the verb expresses the action in most
sentences. Where appropriate, eliminate any prepositional chains.
Paragraphs—Each paragraph should begin with a topic sentence that makes
a direct statement or claim that the rest of the paragraph will support. This
topic sentence will usually appear as the first or second sentence of each
paragraph.
Tone—Since activity reports are often written quickly, you should make
sure you are projecting an appropriate tone. It might be tempting to be
sarcastic or humorous, but this is not the place. After all, you never know
how the activity report might be used in the future. While giving briefings,
you want to project a professional tone. If you have negative information to
convey, state it candidly with no apologies.

using design and Graphics

Link
The design of your activity report should also be straightforward. Usually, the design
For help
of these documents is governed by a standard format, like a memo format or perhaps designing
a standardized form for lab reports. Your company will specify the format for activity documents,
reports. Otherwise, you might use the templates available with your word-processing go to
Chapter 13,
program. page 368.

254 Chapter 9
Activity Reports
 If you want to add any visuals, you should center them in the text and place them
after the point where you refer to them. Even though activity reports tend to be short,
you should still label the graphic and refer to it by number in the text.
If you are presenting a briefing orally, you should look for ways to include graph-
ics to support your presentation. Photographs can help the audience visualize what
you are talking about, so use your digital camera to snap some pictures. Graphs are
always helpful for showing trends in the data.
Overall, your activity report should be clear and straightforward without any sty-
listic or visual embellishment. You want to state your points as quickly and simply as
possible.

Microgenre
The Status Report
A status report is a short, bare-bones e-mail that highlights your or your team’s recent
activities (Figure A). In some ways, status reports are similar to the “status updates” on
Facebook and other social networking sites, because they are intended to keep people up
to date on what you are doing. Status reports in the workplace, though, are longer and
they are submitted weekly, sometimes daily. Here is how to write one:

Identify the purpose and date in the subject line. You can type something like
“Status Report for T. Jennings: 9/22/13” in the subject line.
Put your name, the project name, and date at the top of the e-mail message. These
items will help readers identify the report if the text of the e-mail is separated from
the subject line.
Describe the project’s status. Use brief phrases to list your activities. Sometimes,
you will be asked to estimate the amount of time devoted to each task.
Record any tasks you have completed. If you have finished something, tell the
readers it’s done.
Identify tasks for the next reporting period. List the things you plan to accomplish
before the next status report is due.
Highlight any problems or concerns. List any short-term or long-term issues that
might sidetrack the project.
Identify any costs. If you spent any money on the project, identify those costs.
Normal operating costs usually don’t need to be reported.

Increasingly, microblogs like Twitter are being used as status update tools, so all
this information may need to be crammed into 140-word posts.

Using Style
and Design 255
 Write
Write your own status report. While working on your current project, e-mail two sta-
tus reports each week to your instructor and your other team members.

Figure A:
A status re-
port is usually
stripped down
to just the
facts. This
status report
provides only
need-to-know
information.

256 Activity
Chapter 9Reports
256 Activity Reports
 • Activity reports include progress reports, briefings, white papers, reports that
accompany demonstrations, incident reports, and lab reports.
• An activity report typically includes the following sections: introduction, summary
of activities, results of activities, future activities, expenses, and conclusion.
review
chapter

• While preparing to write an activity report, analyze the rhetorical situation by

anticipating the readers and the context in which the report will be used.
• The style and design of activity reports should be plain and straightforward.

Individual or Team Projects

1. For a week, keep a journal that tracks your activities related to school or work. Each
day, make up a “to do” list. Then, as you complete each task, cross it off and write
down the results of the task. In a memo to your instructor, summarize your activities
for the week and discuss whether the activity journal was a helpful tool or not.
and projectS
exerciSeS

2. While you are completing a large project in this class or another, write a progress
report to your instructor in which you summarize what you have accomplished
and what you still need to complete. Submit the progress report in memo format.

3. Think back to an accident that occurred in your life. Write an incident report in
which you explain what happened, the actions you took, and the results of those
actions. Then, discuss how you made changes to avoid that kind of accident in the
future.

collaborative Project
Your group has been asked to develop a standardized information sheet that will help
students report accidents on your campus. Think of all the different kinds of accidents
that might happen on your campus. Your information sheet should explain how to
report an accident to the proper authorities on campus. Encourage the users of the
information sheet to summarize the incident in detail, discuss the results, and make
recommendations for avoiding similar accidents in the future.
Of course, numerous potential accidents could occur on campus. Your group may
need to categorize them so that readers contact the right authorities.

Exercises and
Projects
 Revision challenge
The activity report in Figure B is intended to notify students of the recent changes in
computer use policies at their small college. How would you revise this report to help
it achieve its purpose?

Figure B:
This activity
report needs
help. How
might you
Smith College revise it?
Oflce of the Provost
Date: August 5, 2013
To: Smith College students
From: Provost George Richards
Subject: File-Sharing
Smith College has worked hard to develop a top-notch computer
network on campus to provide access to the Internet for a variety of
purposes. As a Smith student, you are welcome to use these
computers for legal purposes, You will find the college's computer
usage policies explained in the Computer Policy for Smith College,
version 03.29.10, which is in effect until eclipsed by a revision.
Illegal downloading and sharing of copyrighted materials is a
problem, especially music files, over our network. Violating our
computer usage policies puts the college at risk for copyright
infringement lawsuits. Our information technology experts also tell
me that these activities slow down our network because these files
require large amounts of bandwidth.
Recently, we have installed network tools and filters that allow us to
detect and block illegal file sharing. We are already warning students
about illegal use. After October 1, 2013, we will begin disciplining
people who share files illegally by suspending their computer
privileges. Repeated violations will be referred to the college's
Academic Integrity Review Board.
You should know that if a complaint is filed by copyright owners,
Smith College must provide your name and address to prosecutors.
Our computer usage policy explicitly states that using college
computers for illegal activities is forbidden and those who do will be
prosecuted. Thank you for giving us this opportunity to stress the
seriousness of this situation. We expect your compliance.

258 Chapter 9
Activity Reports
 Bad chemistry
Amanda Jones works as a chemical engineer at BrimChem, one of the top plastics
companies in the country. Recently, her division had hired a bright new chemical en-
gineer named Paul Gibson. Paul was tall and good-looking, and he was always polite. At
lunch during Paul’s first week, Amanda and a co-worker teased him about being a
“Chippendales guy.” Paul laughed a little, but
it was apparent that the comment offended him.
Study
caSe

So, Amanda was careful from then on about her

comments regarding his appearance.
A few months after starting at BrimChem, Paul
went to a convention and came back some- what
agitated. Amanda asked him what was wrong.
After a pause, Paul told her that one of the
managers, Linda Juno, had made a pass at him
one evening at the convention, suggesting he
come up to her room “for a drink.” When he
declined, she became angry and said, “Paul, you
need to decide whether you want to make it in
this company.” She didn’t speak to him for the rest
of the convention.
Paul told Amanda he was a bit worried about keeping his job with the company, since
he was still on “probationary” status for his first year. Being on probation meant Linda
or anyone else could have him fired for the slightest reason.
Later that day, though, Linda came down to Paul’s office and seemed to be patch- ing
things up. After Linda left his office, Paul flashed Amanda a thumbs-up signal to show
that things were all right.
The next week, Amanda was working late and passed by Paul’s office. Linda was in
his office giving him a back rub. He was obviously not enjoying it. He seemed to be
making the best of it, though, and he said, “OK, thank you. I better finish up this report.”
Linda was clearly annoyed and said, “Paul, I let you off once. You better not disap-
point me again.” A minute later, Linda stormed out of Paul’s office.
The next day, Paul stopped Amanda in the parking lot. “Amanda, I know you saw
what happened last night. I’m going to file a harassment complaint against Linda. If I’m
fired, I’ll sue the company. I’m tired of being harassed by her and other women in this
company.”
Amanda nodded. Then Paul asked, “Would you write an incident report about what
you saw last night? I want to put some materials on file.” Amanda said she would.
A week later, Paul was fired for a minor mistake. Amanda hadn’t finished writing up
the incident report.
If you were Amanda, what would you do at this point? If you would finish writing
the incident report, what would you say and how would you say it?

Case Study
258 Chapter 9
Activity Reports