“Quick-Fix” Workshop

Communication Centre
Research
• Primary:
Interviews, surveys, questionnaires,
observation, unpublished documents
• Secondary:
Published material, catalogues,handbooks,
brochures, college website, etc
Layout and Design of a Formal
Report
Title Page
The title page contains four main elements:
• The full title of the report – informative but not
too long
• The name of the person for whom the report
has been prepared
• The name of the person(s) who has written
the report
• The date the report is issued
EVALUATION OF FACSIMILE TRANSMISSION (FAX)

FOR USE IN SMALL BUSINESS OPERATIONS

Prepared for:
Joe Smith, INSTRUCTOR

Prepared by:
Bob Barker

July 28, 2006

Summary

• The most important page in the report – it

must be written so as to encourage the
reader to read further
• Should be written after the rest of the report
has been written
• Keep it short, make it interesting and
informative
• Keep the intended readers clearly in mind
Summary Cont.

• Use plain, non-technical words and avoid

jargon
• Draw information for the summary from the
Introduction (particularly the purpose of the
project), the Discussion (pick out the most
important highlights) and the
Recommendations (the outcome or result of
the project)
 Summary

We have investigated whether it would be economically feasible

for small business owners to invest in a facsimile transmission
(fax) machine to send letters, documents and messages to
customers and other businesses, rather than to continue using
the conventional mail, courier, and telephone services.

Facsimile transmission offers ABSO members a fast and

inexpensive means for sending letters and documents,
providing that (1) a sufficient number of their correspondents
also have fax machines, and (2) the volume of documents they
send is enough to warrant purchasing a fax machine. In many
situations, sending a message by fax can be cheaper than
conventional methods. If a small business owner is uncertain
whether using fax is viable, we suggest leasing a fax machine
for a trial period.
Introduction

• Usually 1-2 pages

• 3 components:
– The Background
– The Purpose
– The Scope
Introduction Cont.

• The Background describes events leading

up to the existing situation, what projects (if
any) have been done previously, and why the
project or study is necessary
• The Purpose defines what the project or
study is to achieve, and who authorized it
• The Scope outlines any limitations imposed
on the project either by the person(s)
authorizing it or by the person(s) undertaking
it, such as cost, time in which it is to be
completed, depth of study, and factors which
must be included or may be omitted
• Include in the Scope a description of your 3
criteria for analysis and your methods of
research
EVALUATION OF FACSIMILE TRANSMISSION (FAX)
FOR USE IN SMALL BUSINESS OPERATIONS

INTRODUCTION

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Discussion of Findings

• Three major sections with a heading for each

– one for each criteria for analysis
• Organize your information according to what
services are offered at Mohawk College and
the other postsecondary institution – use
subheadings for subcategories
• Include tables, graphics, pictures where
appropriate
Recommendations

• Be brief, and draw your main points from the

Discussion
• Be strong, and advocate action
• Use the active voice
• Satisfy the requirements established in the
Introduction
• Use point form if several recommendations
are being made
 RECOMMENDATIONS

To determine the viability of purchasing a fax, we

recommend that ASBO members take the following
steps:

1. Identify the quantity of messages they are likely to send

by facsimile transmission, then add 25% to the figure.
2. Determine whether sufficient potential recipients of their
fax messages already have or plan to acquire a fax.
3. Determine whether sending messages and documents
by fax offers a real advantage to their business
operations.
References

• You must include a list of references (sources

of your information)
• References are numbered and appear in the
sequence in which each piece of information
is referred to in the report (by endnote)
 REFERENCES

1. Ann Rhodes, “Is That a Fax?”, Financial Post

Moneywise. February 1989, p 66.
2. Valerie K. Halston, Survey of FAX Users in
Canada, April-June 1989. Report 89/07, Multiple
Industries Ltd., Calgary, Alberta, September 29,
1989, p 13.
Formal Report

Part II
Generating Your Own Sources

• Once you have exhausted library and Internet

sources, pamphlets and catalogues, you will
want to generate some of your own sources –
in other words, conduct primary research
• Conduct and experiment, survey a group of
people, or interview an expert
Conducting an Interview

• An interview can be especially helpful for a

project because it allows you to ask questions
precisely geared to your topic
• You can conduct an interview in person, over
the telephone, or online using email
• A personal interview is preferable if you can
arrange it, because you can see the person’s
expressions and gestures as well as hear his
or her tone and words
• Here are a few guidelines for interviews:
– Call or write for an appointment. Tell the
person exactly why you are calling, what
you want to discuss, and how long you
expect the interview to take. Be true to
your word on all points.
– Prepare a list of open-ended questions to
ask – perhaps ten or twelve for a one-hour
interview. Plan on doing some research for
these questions to discover background on
the issues.
– Give your subject time to consider your
questions. Don’t rush into silences with
more questions.
– Pay attention to your subject’s answers so
that you can ask appropriate follow-up
questions and pick up on unexpected but
worthwhile points
– Take care in interpreting answers, especially if
you are online and cannot depend on facial
expressions, gestures, and tone of voice to convey
the subject’s attitudes.
– Keep thorough notes. Take notes during an in-
person or telephone interview, or tape-record the
interview if you have the equipment and your
subject agrees.
– Verify quotations. Before you quote your subject in
your paper, check with him or her to ensure that
the quotations are accurate.
– Send a thank-you note immediately after an
interview. Promise your subject a copy of your
finished paper, and send the paper promptly.
Once you have collected all your
information, and before you start
writing, there are some things you
must consider!
The Report Writing Process

• 5 steps:
– Preparing to write
– Organizing the information
– Writing the words (draft)
– Editing the information (to be covered in
consultations)
– Revising the text (to be covered in
consultations)
Preparing to Write

• Consider your audience

• Determine the “tone” of your report – are you
informing or persuading?
• Think about the design of your report
Design

• Margins – 1inch is standard, but for a bound

report, increase the left-hand margin on odd-
numbered pages, and the right-hand margin
on even-numbered pages
• Page numbers – centred at the foot of the
page
• Line Spacing – double for
preliminary draft and final draft
• The number of lines between
paragraphs – two blank lines between
paragraphs when the report is double-
spaced
• Paragraph indenting – do not indent the
first line of major paragraphs
• Types of Headings: headings
provide a visual clue to the importance of
information. Use bold letters and a variety of
type sizes so that the relative importance of
each heading is visible.
• For example:
– Major Headings in 18 point Times New
Roman
– Secondary Headings in 14 point Times New Roman
– Introductory Headings in 12 point Times New Roman
• Select a simple, well-known type
font rather than an exotic one
• Use the same font throughout your report,
choosing one point size for the text and
others for the headings
• Research shows that serif fonts such as
Times New Roman are easier to read –
usually serif fonts are used for longer reports
Organizing the Information

• Create an outline – even a very basic one –

of your report
• Start with listing headings for your major
topics and any subheadings that arise
Writing the Words (Draft)

• Avoid trying to type a perfect first draft – no

one expects to produce instantly usable
words and sentences that require no further
polishing
• Write the report in pieces, treating each
section as a mini-report complete in itself –
with an introductory section, a development in
the middle, and a concluding section
• Avoid editing at this point – wait until you
have completed the report sections
Some Notes on Style

• Write in the First Person – it is not

unprofessional!
• Use I, we, me, and my
• Instead of:
“The components have been ordered…”
“A data survey was conducted…”
Try:
“I have ordered the components…”
“We have conducted a data survey…”
Active Voice

• Always use the active voice in your report

writing
– A. Carl Dunstan investigated the problem.
– B. The problem was investigated by Carl
Dunstan.

– Which sentence is written in active voice?

• Active Voice: when the person or
object performing the action is stated
first:
– Carl investigated the problem.
– Petra is studying the charts.
• Passive Voice: when the person or
object performing the action is stated
after the verb:
– The problem was investigated by Carl.
– The charts are being studied by Petra.
• Using the active voice is especially
important when making recommendations:
• Passive: “It is recommended that…”
• Active: “I (or we) recommend that…”
Avoid Cluttering Language

• Use simple words

• Remove words of low information content
– In order to (replace with to)
– Effect an improvement in (use improve)
– An effort should be made to (replace with
we should)
– Located in the vicinity of (use nearer to)
 Avoid Overworked
Expressions and Cliches
• All things being equal
• At this point in time
• In reference to
• In the long run
• Last but not least
• Needless to say
• Regarding the matter of
Avoid Gender-Specific
Language
• Choose gender-neutral terms:
– Chairperson or chair
– Supervisor
– Technician
– Worker or employee
– Server
Illustrations

• Ask yourself three questions:

– Which kind of illustration (table, graph, bar
chart, flow diagram, photograph, etc.) will
best illustrate the particular feature or
characteristic I want my readers to
comprehend?
– Will readers be using the illustration
simply to gain a visual impression of an
aspect being discussed, or will they be
expected to extract information from it?
– Will the illustration be referred to only once,
to amplify or explain a point, or will it be
referred to several times in the report? (If it
will be referred to frequently, its position
needs to be carefully considered).
Some General Guidelines

• Number each illustration sequentially and

always refer to it in the report, like this:
– …in Figure 2 the monthly profits for
financial year 1999-2000 are compared
with those for the two previous years.
• Give every illustration a title:
– Fig. 2. Financial year 1999-2000 profits
compared to two previous years.

– Decide where in the report your illustration

should appear
• If the illustration is large or extremely complex,
insert it as an attachment at the end of the
report
• If readers will need to refer to the illustration as
they read the report, place it directly in or
beside the report text
Choosing Appropriate
Illustrations
Graphics Objective
• Table • To show exact
figures and values
• To compare one
• Bar Chart item with others
• To demonstrate
• Line Chart changes in
quantitative data
over time
• Pie Chart • To visualize a whole unit
and the proportions of
its components

• To display a process or
• Flow Chart procedure

• Organization Chart • To define a hierarchy of

elements

• Photograph, Map, • To create authenticity,

Illustration to spotlight a location,
and to show an item in
use
Identify the best kind of graphic
to illustrate the following data:
• Instructions for workers telling them how to
distinguish between worker accidents that
must be reported to provincial and federal
agencies and those that need not be
reported.

• Flow Chart
• Figures showing what proportion of every
provincial tax dollar is spent on education,
social services, transportation, debt, and
other expenses.

• Pie Chart
• Data showing the academic, administrative,
and operation divisions of a college, from the
president to department chairs and division
managers.

• Organization Chart
• Figures comparing the sales of VCRs, colour
TVs, and personal computers over the past
ten years.

• Line Graph