Determining the Objectives and Structures of Reports

Activity 1: What makes a good report?

Directions: Analyze the following sentences and put a check √ mark if it connotes a good report
and X mark if not. Put your answer on the blank after each statement.

Example: √ 1. Drinking water can be beneficial when having a fever. _________

1. Around 10% of the population is affected by corona virus. _________

2. Red large boxes were found ten feet under the ground. _________
3. The result of the experiment is negative. _________
4. I have heard from my neighbor that drinking coffee can cause headache. _________
5. I would like to assume that her smile meant yes. _________
6. DOH said that amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, it is necessary for all people to wear
mask when going out to crowded places. _________
7. The old man said that the only way to cross the border is passing through the Jones
Bridge.
8. Based on the latest result of Phil IRI examinations, about 70% of the Filipino elementary
and high school students have difficulty in reading comprehension.
9. BBC reported that the President of the United States of America was inflicted with
COVID.
10. DepEd has implemented a blend of learning modality for the students of public schools
in this new normal scheme.
11. Women are better car drivers than men.
12. Science proved that our body is composed of 80% water.
13. In Mathematics, formulae remained constant.
14. Studies showed that corona virus stay longer in metals.
15. According to the bystanders, ten suspects were arrested.

Discussion.

In our previous exercise notice that there are two possible sources of reports—they can
either be non-reportorial and reportorial (Laurel, Lucero, and Cruz, 2016) Non-reportorial are
sources which do not provide concrete description of the information available; they are
considered poor materials for reporting because they are hard to convey. The reportorial
sources are information that gives measurable descriptions and therefore they can provide
answers that supply good information in a report.

With the correct materials on hand, reporting can be easier and comprehensive. Laurel,
Lucero, and Cruz (2016) described reporting as the relaying or recounting of observed behavior,
experiments, interviews, fieldwork, surveys, etc…; it is the act of citing numbers, statistics,
percentages, frequency or general measurements, time place people, and countries that
provide factual information describing present and past actions. In presenting such information,
we consider honesty to be the basic qualification for a good report; fabricated truth, tampered
data, and erroneous information are NO, NOs in a good report.

Oracion and Dalona (2018) cited three common kinds of reporting. Let us discuss them
as follows:

1. Technical Reports

Technical reports are made for a group of people or organization who seeks information
essential for a project or an industry. It can be a survey result, a laboratory or scientific report
which brings information that will check the effectiveness of an organizational system (Barrot
and Sipacio, 2016).

A good technical report starts with a front page indicating its clear title, the date of its
release, its author or name of organization, contact details, and copyright publication.

The next page is the table of contents where readers can quickly find the page of what
they need to read.

The executive summary is the main section of the report. This is the portion mostly
read by business owners and the key personnel of the organization. The methods used, key
results and findings plus the conclusion and recommendations are written concisely in this
section on at least two pages.

Why a study is conducted and how the findings will be used are stated in this
background and objectives section.

If survey results are used, the way it was conducted must also be written in the methods
section.
 Results must be technically acceptable, accurate, and error-free. Graphs, tables, and
other infographic materials may be used to simplify results and readable.

Conclusions and recommendations will tell whether the existing company system,
policies implemented are still effective or in failure.

Appendices is the last part where questionnaire, survey formats, and other research
materials used are tucked. The reports that we submit as a requirement in the school belongs to
the second type of report. Let us learn what makes it different from the technical report.

2. Academic Reports

The basic objective in reporting academic findings is to impart to a larger audience a

discovery made through formal investigation and scientific inquiry. This writing includes the
following features:

Abstract is a short presentation of about 200-250 words only that includes: (1) the
purpose of the paper, (2) the materials and methods used, and (3) the summarized results and
the major conclusion of the study.

Introduction this contains the connection between past and present studies attempting
to give solutions or extend knowledge on an identified problem.

Method or Methodology is the section that gives a narrative description of the

materials, experimental procedures, and the simplified name of the method used in the
research.

Results section, appropriate tables, and figures are used for easy reading of statistical
results.

Conclusions mention the theoretical context presented on the previous page of the
introduction.

Recommendations given by the researcher addressing the problem is written in this

section.

Reference is the page for systematic acknowledgment of the sources used in the
research. For any material used we write the author’s name, year of publication, title of work,
publication firm, and pages.
 Today in the new normal scheme, most of us are inclined with buying stuff on-line.
Businesses nowadays need to be upbeat via the internet. The conduct of business reports is
inevitable when one makes transitions from the conventional to the online marketing. Let us
learn how a business report can be done.

3. Business Reports
Businesses need to innovate or update their products and business concepts in
order to create profit.
A feasibility study report (FSR) can aid to achieve this goal. A feasibility report
starts with writing the project description- this is the background of what the project is
all about.
There is also a need to provide possible solutions or alternatives for solving
problems found. Solutions presented though must pass certain criteria. Business
owners need to determine the most feasible solution available.
The final and last step is the conclusion where the summary of the project’s
aims and how these aims can be achieved are presented. With the knowledge of the
different objectives and structures of each of the common reports discussed, let us do
the following exercises and check if we have learned more and see how we can use
them in real life.

Activity 2: Completing a Table

Directions: Complete the table below with its missing section/parts to an outline of each of the
following reports. Refer to the previous discussion above for your answers.

Kind of report purpose structure Example

Technical

Academic

Business
Activity 3: Multiple Choice

Directions: Answer the following questions. Choose the letter of your answer from the options
provided below each question.

1. Which among the following does a good report tell?

a. hearsay c. failure b. rumor d. none of the above

2. What information does a technical report generally bring?

a. showbiz updates c. weather condition b. survey results d. none of the above

3. What is the purpose of a business report?

a. system analysis c. entertainment b. pleasure d. none of the above

4. What should be a good basis for a good report source?

a. popularity c. opinion b. truth d. none of the above 5. Which can serve as a support for a good
technical report?

a. colors c. narratives b. graphs d. none of the above

6. What includes in an abstract?

a. author’s name and achievements b. simple name for a method used c. appendices d. none of
the above

7. References are written for what purpose?

a. acknowledgment of the authors b. compliance with the publication law c. track down
publication companies d. none of the above

8. Why do we makebusiness reports? a. to disseminate information b. to advertise product c. to

increase profit d. none of the above
9. Academic reports pertain to what kind of information?

a. research findings b. updated events c. trending blogs d. none of the above

10. What do research findings generally seek? a. inform wider audience b. inform specific group
of people c. inform business owners d. none of the above

Activity 4: True or False

Directions: Read and analyze each of the following sentences. Write TRUE if the sentence
gives a correct idea and FALSE if not. Write your answer on the blank before each number.
__________ 1. If the intended audience failed to understand the report, the report is considered
a failure.

__________ 2. Abstract should be written short and concise.

__________ 3. Directions in the conduct of the survey, or laboratory experiments need to be

mentioned in detail in the conclusion section.

__________4. Materials that can be described using the five senses are most likely better
sources than those materials not duly expressed.

__________5. Caught unaware, reporting is already a skill we have been using daily.
_________ 6. Non-communicative signals are not considered good sources for reports.
__________ 7. Business owners do not normally read the whole of the report handed to them.
__________ 8. One should always rely on the popularity of his source of information.
__________9. The basic principle underlying a good report is the proper presentation and
arrangement of ideas.

__________10. Reports change decisions.