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Writing Effective Short Reports Why Short Reports Are Important

• Reports are among the most important and • A short report can be defined as an organized presentation
of relevant data on any topic—money, travel, time,
frequent types of business communications technology, personnel, service equipment, weather, the
you may be called upon to prepare. environment—that a company or agency tracks in its
ongoing operations.
• Short, informal reports give up-to-date • Short reports are practical and to the point. They show that
information (and sometimes what it means work is being done, and they also show your boss that you
are alert, professional, and reliable. Short reports are written
and what should be done about it) to help a to co-workers, employers, vendors, and clients. When they
company or organization run smoothly, are intended for individuals within your organization, these
reports are most often sent as memos or as emails. But, for
efficiently, and profitably. These reports, clients, you will usually send your reports out as letters.
which cover a wide range of topics, can help
a company fulfill its obligations and plan for
its future.

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Types of Reports Types of Reports

• Businesses cannot function without short • You may write an occasional report in
written reports. response to a specific question, or you may
• Reports tell whether; be required to write a weekly or monthly
▪ schedules are being met report about routine activities.
▪ costs have been contained • For example, a short report can update your
▪ sales projections are being met manager or client about the status of a
▪ trips or conferences have been successful project, provide feedback about a customer
▪ locations have been selected survey, prove you followed the regulations of
▪ problems have been solved a state or federal agency, or assess your own
or someone else’s accomplishments at work.

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Types of Short Reports Types of Reports

• To give you a sense of some of the topics you may • These are six of the most common reports you are
be required to write about, here is a list of short likely to encounter in your professional work.
1. periodic reports
reports common in the business world. 2. sales reports
appraisal report incident report production report
3. progress reports
audit report inventory report progress/activity report
4. employee activity/performance reports
budget report investigative report recommendation report 5. trip/travel reports
compliance report laboratory report sales report 6. incident reports
construction report manager’s report status report • Although there are many short reports, they all are
design report medicine/treatment survey report written for readers who need factual information so
employee activity report error report test report that they can get a job accomplished. Never think of
the reports you write as a series of casual notes
evaluation report operations report travel report
jotted down for your convenience.
experiment report periodic report feasibility report

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Seven Guidelines for Writing 1. Anticipate How an Audience
Short Reports Will Use Your Report
• Although there are many short reports, the • Knowing who will read your report and why
following seven guidelines will help you is crucial to your success as a writer.
write any type of short report successfully.
• Consider how much your audience knows
1. Anticipate How an Audience Will Use Your
Report about your project and what types of
2. Do the Necessary Research information they need most.
3. Be Objective and Ethical • A co-worker or someone else in your field
4. Organize Carefully may be familiar with technical information.
5. Write Clearly and Concisely
6. Create a Reader-Centered Design
7. Choose the Most Appropriate Format

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1. Anticipate How an Audience
2. Do the Necessary Research
Will Use Your Report
• Managers, who will constitute the largest • An effective short report needs the same
audience for your report, may not always
understand or be interested in such technical careful research that goes into other on-the-
information. job writing.
• Instead, they will want bottom-line details about
costs, personnel, and schedules, for example. • Your research may be as simple as instant
Similarly, audiences outside of your company messaging, emailing, or leaving a voicemail
(clients, media, community agencies, etc.) will
likely not be interested in technical information. for a colleague or checking a piece of
• Rather, they want information that helps them equipment.
understand your company, how it works or serves • Or you may have to test or inspect a
customers, and how to interact with it.
• All audiences, however, want clear and concise product or service or assess the relative
information. merits of one plan over another.

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2. Do the Necessary Research 2. Do the Necessary Research

• Some frequent types of research you can expect to do on • Never trust your memory to keep track of all
the job include:
▪ verifying data in reference manuals or code books
the details that go into making a successful
▪ searching online archives and databases for recent discussions of short report.
a problem or procedure
▪ comparing and contrasting competitor’s products or services • Take notes, either by hand or on your
▪ reading background information in professional and trade journals notebook or tablet.
▪ reviewing and updating a client’s file
▪ testing equipment
• Collect all the relevant data you will need -
▪ performing an experiment or procedure names, model numbers, costs, places,
▪ conferring with or interviewing colleagues, managers, vendors, or technology, etc. - and organize this
clients
▪ visiting and describing a site information carefully into an outline, which
▪ attending a conference or workshop will help you interpret these facts for your
readers.

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3. Be Objective and Ethical 3. Be Objective and Ethical

• Your readers will expect you to report the • Here are some guidelines to follow:
facts objectively and impartially -locations, ▪ Avoid guesswork. If you don’t know or have not
costs, sales, weather conditions, yet found out, say so and indicate how, where,
eyewitness accounts, observations, and when you’ll try to find out.
statistics, test measurements, and ▪ Do not substitute impressions or unsupported
descriptions. personal opinions for careful research.
• Your reports should be truthful, accurate,
and complete.

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3. Be Objective and Ethical 4. Organize Carefully

▪ Be ethical. Don’t use biased, skewed, or • Organizing a short report effectively means
incomplete data. Provide a balanced, including the right amount of information in the
straightforward, and honest account; don’t most appropriate places for your audience.
exaggerate or minimize. Don’t omit key facts. If • Make your report easy to read and to follow.
a project is over budget or late, state so but • Many times a simple chronological or sequential
indicate why and what might be done to correct organization is best.
the problem.
• Regardless of how you organized your report,
▪ Make sure your report is relevant, accurate, and readers will expect your report to contain
reliable. Double-check your details against information on such topics as purpose, findings,
other sources, and make sure you have conclusions, and, in many reports,
sufficient information to reach your conclusions recommendations, as described in the following
or provide recommendations. sections.

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4. Organize Carefully 4. Organize Carefully

• Purpose • Findings
• Always begin by telling readers why you are • This should be the longest part of your report and
writing (your purpose) and by alerting them to contain the data (the results) you have collected—
what you will discuss and why it is significant. facts about prices, personnel, equipment, events,
• Give your readers a summary of key events and locations, incidents, or tests.
details at the beginning to help them follow the
remainder of the report quickly. • Gather the data from your research, site visits,
interviews, or discussions with co-workers,
• Essential background information alerts readers to
the importance of your report. employers, or clients. Again, choose only those
details that have the greatest importance and
• When you establish the scope (or limits) of your
report, you help readers zero in on specific times, relevance to your reader. Separate major points
costs, places, or problems. from minor ones.

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4. Organize Carefully 4. Organize Carefully

• Conclusion • Recommendations
• Your conclusion tells readers what your data • A recommendation informs readers what specific
mean. actions you think your company or client should
take, e.g., market a new product, hire more staff,
• It can summarize what has happened; review institute safety measures, select among
what actions were taken; or explain the outcome alternative plans or procedures, and so on.
or results of a test, a visit, or a program. • Recommendations must be based on the data
• Be aware, though, that readers are skeptical and you collected, the resources (budget) and
may ask why you didn’t reach a different schedule that your company or department
conclusion. follows, and the conclusions you have reached.
• Anticipate possible objections and explain why • They need to show persuasively how all the
other conclusions are unworkable. pieces fit together.

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5. Write Clearly and Concisely 5. Write Clearly and Concisely

• Writing clearly and concisely is essential in • Here are a few guidelines to help you write
all business reports. clearly and concisely.
• Ask your boss or experienced co-workers ▪ Use an informative title or subject line that
about the appropriate style your company gets to the point right away.
• “Software Options” is not as clear as “Most
prefers.
Economical Options for Spreadsheet Software.”
• Also look at previous, similar reports to get ▪ Write in plain English.
a sense of your company’s style and tone. • Make every word count, avoid jargon, and keep your
writing simple and straightforward. Prune business
clichés such as “at the end of the day” or “to put a
fine point on it.”

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6. Create a Reader-Centered
5. Write Clearly and Concisely
Design
▪ For global readers, make sure you use international • The appearance of your report will influence how
English. your readers will respond to it and to you.
• Keep your sentences short, and write in the active voice. Do not
use U.S. idioms, slang, or abbreviations.
▪ Adopt a professional yet personal tone. • Here are some useful guidelines.
• Avoid being overly formal or too casual—strike a balance • Help readers locate and digest information
between these two extremes. Don’t sound arrogant by adopting quickly. Use headings, subheadings, bullets, and
a tone that suggests you alone have the final authority. numbered lists to guide readers through your
▪ Keep your report as concise as possible to give report.
readers essential information.
• Doing this, you break large portions of text into
• Don’t burden them with lengthy project histories when all they
ask for is a quick update on a project, and don’t pad the report easy-to-read parts. Your headings and
with unnecessary details to sound important. A short report is subheadings give readers the big picture at a
usually no longer than two to three pages. glance.

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6. Create a Reader-Centered 6. Create a Reader-Centered
Design Design
• Make your report look professional, • Include only the most essential visuals.
readable, and easy to follow. Use visuals only if they make the reader’s
• Don’t flood your report with color. Avoid job easier, reinforcing or summarizing key
using flashy color or fancy fonts that are data quickly.
hard to read. Also, don’t try to squeeze too
much text onto the page. Always leave • Keep visuals simple and relevant, e.g., a
comfortable margins. picture or drawing to illustrate a major point.
• Be consistent in your design and format. • Make sure that you place your visual as
• Use the same font throughout the text of close as possible to the text it will help
your report and a consistent typeface for to explain or illustrate.
headings and subheadings.

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7. Choose the Most Appropriate 7. Choose the Most Appropriate
Format Format
• Depending on your audience, you can send your • Incident reports, however, are often
short report as an email, a memo, or a letter. submitted as hard-copy memos for legal
• For routine reports to your boss or others inside reasons; they can also be written as a
your company, you will likely use a memo format. memo, or by completing a special form.
• Note that with a memo format your readers will
• When writing to clients and other readers
not expect you to include an inside address or
formal salutation and complimentary close. outside your company or organization, it is
• Depending on your company’s policy, you might best to send your report as a formal letter,
also send a short report in the body of an email, or including a salutation and complimentary
as an attachment to an email. close.