Practical models for technical communication - Shannon Kelley 2021
Why formal reports matter
Formal reports
Abstract: Formal reports are multipage documents that collect and interpret data. A formal report presents complex information and suggests a solution or makes recommendations. This task frequently involves collaboration and requires that you present your research and recommendations ethically. The creation of a formal report is as much about the process of planning and research as it is about organizing and writing the final product. It may seem like a lot to juggle at first, but don’t worry. You have been practicing the elements of effective communication throughout this book. Now you just need to pull it all together into a formal report. You’ve got this.
Looking Ahead
1. Why Formal Reports Matter
2. Types of Formal Reports
3. The Formal Report Process
4. Writing the Formal Report
Key Terms
” abstract
” analysis (causal, comparative, feasibility)
” appendix
” bibliography
” causation
” conclusion
” correlation
” end matter
” formal report
” front matter
” glossary
” index
” introduction
” letter of transmittal
” levels of evidence
” methodology
” objectivity
” research (primary/secondary; qualitative/quantitative)
” report body
” results
” scope
” subjectivity
” table of contents
” title page
” table of contents
” title page
Why formal reports matter
Employers often rely on technical communicators to research complex issues and present their findings in an easy-to-digest format. The assignment often results in a formal report, sometimes called a long report or final report. Technical communicators are well-positioned to produce these reports because of their ability to study a subject and present ideas in a clear, concise, and accurate format.
Decision-makers, such as managers or business owners, can save time by asking a technical communicator to do research and present the findings. This assignment frees the decision-maker to do other important work. Even if you are not an expert on the topic of your report, the act of compiling the report can make you the resident expert in your workplace.
Formal Reports Defined
Formal reports have similarities to short reports, but formal reports are typically longer and take more time to develop. The purpose of a formal report is to gather and condense information relevant to a specific topic. Sometimes these reports also analyze information and make a recommendation. A typical formal report requires you, the technical communicator, to draw from all the skills you’ve encountered in this book.
Creating a formal report involves planning and researching, collaborating with and persuading others, and considering ethical situations related to the topic and your research. You must consider design, the use of multiple modes of communication, and how to acknowledge information from other sources. These reports require you to apply everything you’ve learned about technical communication, critical thinking, and research.
Here are a few examples from various fields where the formal report might be used:
” An engineering firm needs to determine which buildings are structurally sound. They hire you to offer structural integrity solutions for buildings on a fault line.
” As a member of the safety committee at your school, you are tasked with examining the staffing of nurses within the school district. You must work with your committee members to review reports on student care, survey the nursing staff, and compile recent research from educational and medical reports.
” You are an analyst for your state’s Health Authority, and you have been asked to compile a report on the opioid epidemic in your state. Your report makes recommendations for a new prescription drug monitoring program.
As you can see, formal reports are flexible documents used in many fields. Formal reports identify a problem or examine alternatives and then present the findings at length as a written solution or recommendation.
Formal Reports and the Problem-Solution Writing
The Problem-Solution Framework is fully realized in the formal report (figure 11.1). In the case of a formal report, the problem typically originates with a lack of information that prevents a decision-maker from moving forward. By considering audience and purpose, a technical communicator can create a message in the form of a document. This document should provide a solution to the user’s problem.
Figure 11.1. Problem-Solution Framework. The formal report represents the quintessential example of the Problem-Solution Framework.
Formal Reports at Work
In Chapter 5 you met Jessamyn, the technical communicator researching electric vehicles for Tomorrow’s Taxi Company. In this chapter, she dives into a report that goes a little deeper. At her boss’s request, Jessamyn will create a report that explores whether the use of autonomous vehicles (AVs) is a viable option for their company.
Jessamyn’s boss wants to know if adding driverless cars, also referred to as AV, to the company’s fleet is a smart move. Notice how the problem (a lack of information) leads to the purpose of the report (to find information). Now Jessamyn needs to identify the report’s message, which is what her boss (the audience) wants to know. She could approach this analysis in a variety of ways. Her formal report could be one or a combination of the following forms: a comparative analysis, a causal analysis, or a feasibility analysis. The next section considers each of these at length.