ACADEMIC STUDIES ENGLISH Support Materials and Exercises for WRITING REPORTS SPRING 1999 WRITING REPORTS ACADEMIC ENGLISH ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The following persons have contributed to the development of this learning material: Content and Structure: Curriculum Developer(s) Leslie Childs English Curriculum Content Expert New Brunswick Community College Bathurst Project Supervision/Co-ordination: Angela Acott-Smith Project Co-ordinator New Brunswick Community College Woodstock Kay Curtis Literacy Co-ordinator New Brunswick Community College Woodstock This document is available full-text on the World Wide Web thanks to the National Adult Literacy Database. http://www.nald.ca/CLR/search/ The financial support for this learning materials project was provided by the National Literacy Secretariat of Human Resources Development Canada. Spring 1999 This support module may be used with IAU-ENG 2.9, Writing Informal Reports IAU-ENG 2.9 WRITING INFORMAL REPORTS OBJECTIVE Upon successful completion of this unit, the learner will be able to 1.choose a topic and write a report of approximately 500-750 words. 2.research the topic using at least 3 sources. 3.format correctly an appropriate bibliography. TEACHING POINTS Level Choosing a Topic 1 Suitable for writer’s purpose and audience 9 2 Suitable to assigned length (narrowing) 9 3 Suitable to resources available 9 Researching 4 Sources: primary (e.g. 1st person interview) 9 5 secondary 9 6 Notetaking 9 7 Distinguishing between fact and opinion 9 8 Plagiarism 9 Writing Process 9 Using writing process steps interchangeably 9 10 Choosing an appropriate method of development 9 11 Focusing the message 9 12 Choosing “point of view” 9 13 Identifying appropriate and inappropriate details 9 14 Importance and placement of transitions 9 15 Importance of revising to fine-tune effectiveness 9 16 Importance of editing to eliminate mechanical errors 9 17 Importance of appearance of final copy 9 Style 18 Technical writing style: use active voice 9 19 avoid unnecessary words 9 20 avooid clichés 9 Style (cont’d) 21 short, concise sentences 9 22 be decisive (avoid “seems” etc.) 9 23 Sentence variety 9 24 Word choice: use simple language 9 25 Define unfamiliar terms 9 Bibliography 26 Content 9 27 Format 9 28 Use of footnotes/parenthetical reference 9 Styles of citing references and bibliography change. Be sure to use an up-to-date reference. Learners should be made fully aware of the meaning and implications of plagiarism. Learners should be encouraged to “share” their writing whenever possible. NOTE TO FACILITATORS AND LEARNERS: 1. This module presents information and exercises to accompany the objectives of IAU-ENG 2.9, Writing Informal Reports 2. Learners working to complete the requirements of IAU-ENG should review the module, Writing Paragraphs and Writing Longer Essays as they progress through this unit. 3. Facilitators are free to use any support materials appropriate to their learners’ needs. 4. Additional resource materials will probably be required for those wanting more information on this topic or for those needing more practice mastering certain areas. Any text on writing can provide additional useful material. 5. Alternate support materials may be appropriate. 6. Final marks for this module should include evaluations of product/performance at various stages throughout the writing process. As well, the evaluation of the final research report should include areas such as content, structure, mechanics, and presentation. 7. Writing is always the best to learn how to write. Learners should be encouraged to write a “real” report if possible. Learner reports may be filed and then made available to other students as models for research reports. 8. Learner research reports may also be used to support the BAU-ENG module, General Knowledge. 9. If appropriate, learners may use the topic and research from this module to prepare an oral report for presentation with the module, Speaking and Listening Skills. Learners should not, however, simply read or memorize their research report for credit in that section. 10. It is the learner’s responsibility to search out additional exercises to supplement the practice work included in this module by consulting with his/her facilitator. 11. Learners should read and analyse short articles, stories, and other communications in conjunction with this module. 12. Because writing and reading are so closely linked, learners who master the concepts in this module will generally see improvement in their reading comprehension. 13. Do NOT write in this module. Please make your notes and complete the exercises in your own notebooks so that other learners may also use these booklets. TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 1 WHY LEARN HOW TO WRITE REPORTS? 2 WHAT IS A REPORT? 3 TYPES OF REPORTS 4 The Form Report 4 The Informal Report 6 The Formal Report 11 THE RESEARCH REPORT 12 CHECK SHEET FOR REPORT WRITING 33 GUIDELINES FOR REPORT & ESSAY WRITING 34 APPENDICES A - Research Sources 38 B - The First Draft 40 C - The Second Draft 48 D - Final Copy 58 E - Works Cited Page 63 FEEDBACK FORM 65 1 I INTRODUCTION Now that you are familiar with the writing process and the structure of the five paragraph essay, you have the skills you need to write informal reports. No matter how long the presentation or how much material you want to include, basic essay structure still applies. In other words, you still need AN INTRODUCTION A BODY A CONCLUSION In a longer essay or report, the introduction could require three or four paragraphs (or more), the body could have any number of paragraphs, and the conclusion could be three or four paragraphs or more. In addition, transitions become even more essential because readers need help to understand how all the sections are related to the topic sentence and to each other. The transitions you use can be single words, simple phrases, complete sentences, or in some cases, transition paragraphs. Many students think that writing a report is a huge task, but in this module you will see that it is not that difficult. The truth is that it is no more difficult to write a long research report than it is to write a five-paragraph essay. The techniques and strategies are the same, but you have more to say, so you need more “room”. You will also learn in this module that there are many different kinds of reports. Some reports are short and simple while others are lengthy. You will be required to write several short reports and a longer research report of about 500-1,000 words. The mark(s) you receive for your reports will form the final mark for this module. There is no final test for this module. 2 II WHY LEARN HOW TO WRITE REPORTS? Report writing is useful in both the academic and the business world, so whether you are planning to continue your education or get a job after you complete your upgrading, this is a skill you will definitely need. For example, if your boss is thinking about upgrading the computer system in the office, he might ask you to find out what changes are needed, what the costs would be, and which supplier could provide the best equipment at the lowest cost. To find the answers to these questions, you might begin by visiting local computer dealers, reading current magazines, and talking to other businesses that use computers for the same kind of tasks your office does. Once you had gathered the information, you would take the facts and opinions from these sources and organize them into a presentation that would give your boss all the information he/she needs to make an informed decision on changing and upgrading the computer system. At school, the informal report format is often used by learners to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of a topic (in any subject) they are learning about. How you choose to present the information you have gathered will depend on your boss, your business, your facilitator, and the topic you are reporting on. Perhaps you will drop into the boss’s office and simply tell him what you have found, or you might make a fancy multimedia computer presentation to a large staff meeting. More likely, however, you will be asked to make a written report. Written reports are particularly useful because they provide a permanent record of the information gathered that can be read and used by many different people, in different locations, at different times. Imagine how time consuming and expensive it would be for your company to pay your travel expenses around the province (or the country) delivering your report orally to all the supervisors who will be responsible for the decision on the computer upgrade. Your written report could more easily and cheaply be mailed, (faxed or E-mailed) to all concerned. 3 Later in this program, you will have to make a short oral presentation. Many of the steps in preparing a “speech” are similar to preparing a report. With your instructor’s permission, you may be able to use the same research you do for this module to prepare your oral presentation. (You will be expected to do more than simply read your research report out loud, so you may want to save your research notes.) III WHAT IS A REPORT? A report is always expository writing; that is, it can be either informative or persuasive. Many students think of report writing as a long, dreary process with few uses in the “real world”. Reports are probably the most common form of work related writing. Reports can be any length, from a single paragraph to many pages, and they can be either formal or informal in tone. Reports can be written or spoken. Depending on the circumstances, a report may be based on your own personal knowledge of a subject or on information you have gathered through reading, listening, and interviewing specifically for the project. Any time you gather information, organize it, and pass it along, you have created a report. For example, when you comment to a co-worker that “It sure is a cold, grey day with lots of blowing snow” you have, in fact, gathered information from your own experience about the temperature, the precipitation, the wind, etc. and passed it along in the form of a short oral report. If, on the other hand, you had written this same information in a letter to your best friend, - even if it was only one sentence long - you would have created a written report. The term report is difficult to define because it refers to such a wide variety of documents. Reports can be as simple as filling in the blanks or answering a few questions about an accident, or they can be long and involved requiring years of study, hundreds of contributors, and several thick volumes to record the results. What then are the basic characteristics of a report? 4 1. All reports are factual. You must be able to back up any facts you include. 2. All reports organize facts into a meaningful presentation. 3. Most reports interpret the information gathered. 4. Many reports make recommendations. 5. Almost all reports are assigned or requested. This means that your purpose and audience are determined before you start to work. IV TYPES OF REPORTS There are many different kinds of reports. Although this module deals mostly with the informal research report, you should be familiar with the three main types of reports: the form report, the informal report, and the formal report. 1. The Form Report A great deal of repetitive reporting is done on forms that are designed to record the required information in a convenient way. For example, when you complete your tax return, you have written a form report. If you fill in a time sheet or attendance register, you are completing a form report. On the following page, you will find a sample time report for an office equipment repair company. The technician records the hours spent working for each client. Each week, the accountant uses these forms to decide how much time/labour to bill the client for services. (The last entry on the time sheet, Administration, means the time that the technician spends in his office doing paper work. Businesses keep track of these “non-productive” hours because this is time that is not earning money. If a technician spends too much time on administration, he/she is costing the company money.) [...]... the formal report Informal reports can take the form of letters, memos, and written presentations Normally the informal report is quite short (two-three pages), but some organizations prepare informal reports that can be more than 100 pages long In general, informal reports are used regularly to permanently record information about accidents and incidents that happen in the work place Other types of reports. .. like a book and is often bound in covers These kinds of reports are usually more than 2,000 words long and deal with subjects of importance Often the audience for a formal report is someone who works outside your organization You will learn more about the structure and presentation of the formal report later in Senior Academic Upgrading EXERCISE Create each of the following reports in the format suggested... Caraway Seed Coriander Dill Fennel Ginger Lemon Balm Lemon Grass Lemon Verbena Peppermint Rosemary Savory Saffron Tarragon Thyme b use as a digestive aid and natural antioxidant useful for nausea and indigestion helps reduce nausea helps gas, indigestion and headaches for indigestion and gas benefits stomach ache settles the stomach, also for gas, colic, hiccoughs soothes the stomach, or colic, and indigestion... selection in her garden When asked for information on herbal medicine, the teacher invited the writer to visit her home and check out her garden and have a look at some of her books A copy of the notes the writer took on the visit can be found in Appendix A 23 A Note About Using Resources As you search for information, you should decide which information is valid and which is not For example, not all Internet... is responsible for checking the accuracy of facts and other information For some research topics, the information needs to be up-to-date to be useful Always check the date of publication if current information is required for that topic For example, a report on current New Brunswick industries based on sources from the 1970s would not be accurate You will probably end up with more information than... suggestions for ways to reduce the problems associated with this delay d) a business letter to a client about the progress your company has made building their new home 12 V THE RESEARCH REPORT A research report can be presented in either a formal or informal format In this module, you will learn how to research, organize and write an informal research report The Research Report and the Writing Process... five-paragraph essay, you can write a report Use the same six step writing process that you learned in Writing Paragraphs and Writing Longer Essays 1 2 3 4 5 6 Prewriting generating ideas this is done as you are researching Planning and Organizing method of development? Writing/ Drafting a quick record of all your ideas Revising re-arranging, ideas, sentences, and paragraphs Proofreading correcting spelling, punctuation,... effective and cheap remedies for indigestion Those are the main ideas that the writer intends to research and write about 19 Draft a “working thesis statement” based on your narrowed topic and research question 8 RESEARCH AND TAKE NOTES ON YOUR QUESTION Where can you look for answers to your question? Most people think about libraries and encyclopedias first Of course, they are good sources of information,... actions and uses preparation and doses 2 Peppermint types description cultivation medicinal actions and uses preparation and doses 3 Dill types description cultivation medicinal uses preparation and doses 4 Burdock types description cultivation medicinal uses preparation and doses CONCLUSION SUMMARY PERSONAL COMMENTARY 28 You can easily see that you will need more than 5 paragraphs to record all the information... information you need, you will have to go back to your research sources or identify new ones Once the new information is gathered and incorporated into your working outline you are ready to write the first draft of your report Read the information on pages 36 and 37 before you start to write 12 WRITE THE FIRST DRAFT If you have done a thorough and conscientious job preparing your working outline, writing . ACADEMIC STUDIES ENGLISH Support Materials and Exercises for WRITING REPORTS SPRING 1999 WRITING REPORTS ACADEMIC ENGLISH ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The following. REPORT? 3 TYPES OF REPORTS 4 The Form Report 4 The Informal Report 6 The Formal Report 11 THE RESEARCH REPORT 12 CHECK SHEET FOR REPORT WRITING 33 GUIDELINES FOR REPORT & ESSAY WRITING 34 APPENDICES A. of reports: the form report, the informal report, and the formal report. 1. The Form Report A great deal of repetitive reporting is done on forms that are designed to record the required information