DOCUMENTS AND THEIR FORMATS: REPORTS AND PROPOSALS. A Short Proposal or Report? Deciding Between Letter and Memo Format

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1 DOCUMENTS AND THEIR FORMATS: REPORTS AND PROPOSALS Writers should always strive to be clear, concise, and courteous in their documents. One of the challenges many new business communicators face is deciding what type of document they need to create in order to get their message across effectively and efficiently. Often, employees are called upon to write proposals and reports; some of these documents may be short, while some may require more in-depth analysis and/or take on a more formal nature. A Short Proposal or Report? Deciding Between Letter and Memo Format When you are asked to write a short proposal or short report, you need to decide whether you should use a letter or memo format for the document. If the short proposal or short report is going to someone inside the organization and it is more of a routine nature, you can use the professional memo format. It could be one page long or it could run a few pages; just make sure it stays on topic. It should look something like this: TO: Mr. Fabulous Supervisor FROM: Fantastic Worker FW DATE: September 8, 2009 SUBJECT: How to Create a Professional Report Using the Memo Format Start the introduction to the report. Structure your document so that you can make important points stand out. Also, be sure to make the information easy to access and read through. Headings help organize your document. Discussing Your Points Provide a thorough discussion of your particular point. Make sure you have checked your facts. Also make sure that the writing is clear, concise, and coherent. Make sure you create a logical flow of ideas. Go on to the next point. Offer a thorough discussion. Check your facts for accuracy. Make sure your argument is logical. Don t forget to be clear and concise. Changing Direction Go on to the next point. Again, offer a thorough discussion. Check your facts for accuracy. Make sure your argument is logical. Don t forget to be clear and concise.

2 Making the Document Look Professional You can make sure the document looks good. You can use bulleted lists where necessary. White space is good. You can use all of the writing techniques that you have learned from *your communication 1213 class *the communication textbook, and *your own research A good closing paragraph would enhance the document. The reader should have an idea of what it was he or she read, what its purpose was, and what, if anything, you want the reader to do. As with any of your documents, make sure you run it through both spell-check and grammar-check programs, and then proofread it. You want to make sure it contains no errors and makes you look good. If the document is going to someone outside the organization, it is appropriate to use a letter format. It should look something like this: COMPANY NAME 658 Genius Avenue Ph: (902) Wolfville, Nova Scotia Fax: (902) B4P 2R7 Website: September 8, 2009 Important Client Director, Important Group Inc Monetary Drive Kentville, NS B4G 2X8 Canada Dear Ms. Client: Try to develop a few sentences of introduction to your proposal or report. You need to gain the reader s attention and give her an idea of what to expect to see within the document. The document could be one, two, or just a few more pages in length. The letter format should be used 2

3 September 8, 2009 Page 2 for shorter reports; if the document goes on to greater lengths, you may want to consider a more formal report format. As with most documents, appropriately placed headings would be of use to the reader(s). Choosing Language and Tone Make sure you keep your tone professional. Choose appropriate language and organization. You are trying to make a good impression. Provide a thorough discussion of your particular point. Make sure you have checked your facts. Also make sure that the writing is clear, concise, and coherent. Make sure you create a logical flow of ideas. Discussing Your Points Go on to the next point. Again, offer a thorough discussion. Check your facts for accuracy. Make sure your argument is logical. Don t forget to be clear and concise. You can make sure the document looks good. You can go ahead and use bulleted lists where necessary. White space is good. You can use all of the writing techniques that you have learned from *your communication class *the textbook, and *your own research A good closing paragraph will enhance the document. The reader should have an idea of what it was he or she read, what its purpose is, and what, if anything, you want the reader to do. As with any of your documents, make sure you run it through both spell-check and grammar-check programs, and then proofread it. You want to make sure it contains no errors and makes you look good. Sincerely, Ivana Goodenough Ivana B. Goodenough Marketing Assistant Need to Be More Formal? Formatting Formal Proposals 3

4 Sometimes when you are creating a proposal, you will have to be more formal in your language choice, organization, and formatting (when the proposal will be given/sent to a potential client or will be sent to someone with significantly higher status within the organization, for example). Certain audiences will expect to see certain headings and sections in your proposal and they will expect particular formats. If you are unable to find out from the audience members themselves what the expectations are, you can follow the advice in your Communication 1213 textbook, this handout, or your classroom discussions on what sorts of sections to include and the formatting structures to be used. You may also notice that the sections to be included in a formal proposal are not the same as the sections included in formal reports. A formal proposal will usually include: *A solid, attention-getting introduction this introduction should orient your readers to the purpose of the proposal and how it will be organized *A well-thought out, well-organized body that would include such sections as Proposed Approach (you may also see this section labelled as technical proposal, research design, issues for analysis, or work statement ) Work Plan (how you are going to do the work that must be done) Statement of Qualifications (usually describes your organization s experience, personnel, and facilities) Costs (the numbers can make or break the proposal; try to break down the costs in detail so the reader can see how you got the numbers) *A well-developed summary or concluding section (this is your last opportunity to persuade your reader) Need to Be More Formal? Formatting Formal Reports Sometimes when you are creating a report, you will have to be more formal in your language choice, organization, and formatting (when the report will be given/sent to a client or will be sent to someone with significantly higher status within the organization, for example). Audiences may expect to see certain sections in your report and they may expect particular formats. A lot of organizations have their own house style for formatting and presenting formal reports. It s a good idea to check into the expectations and then proceed to develop your document to meet those expectations. 4

5 If you are unable to find out what the expectations or standards for your audience are, you can follow the advice in your Communication 1213 textbook and classroom discussions on what sorts of sections to include and you can use the formatting structures identified in the following pages/paragraphs. Name That Paper: Choosing Your Title and Formatting Your Title Page The first thing your reader will see is your title page. You want to make sure that you attract his or her attention and interest, so that he or she will pick the paper up and read through it. How do you do that? Well, you will need an attractive, properly formatted title page and an interesting and specific title for your report or proposal. Naming the Document: The Importance of Being Specific Some people would say that the most difficult part of writing a report or a paper is deciding what to call it. The best titles are those that are clear (they identify the topic/subject of the document), interesting, and specific. You can be creative in your choice of title, but make sure it clearly describes what the document will be about; you may want to use a subtitle for clarification. Some examples: Face-to-Face: Interpersonal communication in the workplace (The title is an attempt to interest; the subtitle is added for clarification as to what the book will be about.) MOOniversity: A student s guide to online learning environments (The title is an attempt to interest; the subtitle is added for clarification as to what the book will be about.) The Necessary Elements: What to Include on Your Title Page Now that you have a clear, descriptive title, you need to create a professional looking title page. To be in compliance with AxeCorp house-style, you need to include the following elements: *the descriptive title you have chosen for your report *who the report is directed to or prepared for (and his/her/their affiliation) *who prepared the report (and his/her/their affiliation) *the date The Necessary Elements: Arranging Your Title Page When you have all the elements collected, you need to think about how to arrange them so the title page looks neat, tidy, and accessible. Your title page should look something like this: 5

6 TITLE OF THE REPORT: YOU MAY WANT A SUBTITLE TOO Prepared For: Professor/Dr. Super Instructor Acadia University Prepared By: Excellent Student, Fantastic Pupil, & Great Scholar Group #3, Communication 1213 Section X1 Acadia University November 30,

7 Here are some reminders, too: *make sure you use 12pt font for the elements (although you can put the title & subtitle in 14pt to make it stand out) *capitalize the title (and the subtitle too) *make sure the elements are centred on the page *make sure the title is original, interesting, and descriptive *don t actually write the word date anywhere on your title page (PLEASE!) Attracting Attention: Things to Consider When Creating the Layout Your document may be competing for the reader s attention. You will want to create a document that will entice the reader to pick it up and read it through to the end. Choosing a neat, professional, well-planned layout for your text and visuals will help draw the reader to your work. Choose your font type and size carefully. Make sure you follow the house style for proper spacing and formatting of your paragraphs. Think about using lists and creating descriptive headings for each section and subsection. Also, think about using white space to your advantage. And don t forget to set those margins! Choosing Your Font Size For most of the reports or papers that you will write for AxeCorp or in the School of Business Administration, the font size will be 12 point. You can choose to use a Courier font or Times New Roman. *For your work in the Communication Division of AxeCorp, you will use Times New Roman, 12pt font for all reports and other documents. Spacing and Formatting Your Paragraphs Please single-space your paragraphs. Do not indent paragraphs, but put a space in between each paragraph in order to distinguish them from each other. Please left-justify your documents. Previous pages and all of the examples in this handout use this technique. 7

8 The Importance of White Space You want to make sure that your document is neat, tidy, and professional looking. You also want to make sure that it looks like something somebody could read easily and quickly. You do not have to fill every available space on your page with words. It makes the document seem crowded and dense, and people won t want to wade through all those letters and words. Leave spaces between sections and subsections. Feel free to use extra space around something that you want to emphasize (a quotation or a list, for example); the white space sets off the black of the text. Using Lists Your readers are busy people, so you will want to make your document as easy to work through as possible. Using lists can help. Lists emphasize that you are making a number of points and help distinguish one point from another. Lists can allow for quick information intake and understanding. Some tips: *Try to list at least two or three items in any given list *Try not to let your list become too long. If you find the list becoming long, you may want to group some of the items to make the list smaller *If you will be referring to an item in the list later in the report, please number the items if not, you can use bullets or even an asterisk [*] to introduce the items *Please make all the items on your list grammatically parallel Using Numbers When you use numbers, you should, according to APA style, use figures to express numbers 10 and above (for example: This is the 16 th time I put together this report) (APA, 2001, p. 122). If the number is below 10, use words (for example: I read three reports this morning). In business reports, it is common to use a combination of words and figures to express numbers because you are often dealing with larger monetary units. If you are using rounded large numbers, you might express the numbers like this:...approximately $6 billion in aid was given... Here is one more tip regarding using numbers: Always use words to express a number at the beginning of a sentence; it does not matter if the number is 10 or above (for example: Twentyfive students attended... ). 8

9 Creating Section Headings Headings and subheadings help to guide the reader through the document. They make the information easily accessible; headings allow readers to scan through the document and choose which sections to read first. Reports and proposals could have three heading levels: Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary. TITLE OF THE DOCUMENT: USE A SUBTITLE IF NECESSARY The title of the report or proposal is usually centered at the top of the first page and set in all capital letters. You may use bold-face type or you could enlarge the font just a bit (14 point, for example). If the title runs long (especially if it has a subtitle), the lines are usually arranged as an inverted triangle (the longer line is on top). Primary Headings You may also see these headings identified as first-level headings. A primary heading tells the reader what the following section is all about. Make sure all your primary headings are grammatically parallel. Always make sure that you have some text following the primary heading(s). Make sure a line or two of text follows the heading (at least). Please don t ever let a heading (of any level) stand all alone on a page. Secondary Headings You may also see these headings identified as second-level headings. Like the primary heading, the secondary heading tells the reader what to expect in the section that follows it. Also, like the primary headings, the secondary headings should be grammatically parallel. Secondary headings are set in italics and use both upper and lowercase lettering. Never use only one secondary heading under a primary heading (the same is true for every other heading level); you must have at least two. Tertiary Headings You may also see these headings identified as third-level headings. Like the headings that came before it, the tertiary heading gives the reader an idea of what kind of information is contained in the section. Also, like the headings that precede it, tertiary headings should be grammatically parallel. 9

10 A few more things to remember about creating headings: *Make sure each heading is descriptive it should give the reader an indication of what the section will be about *Keep the headings short *Make sure the headings are grammatically parallel *Make sure that the formatting of your headings is consistent *Do not label your headings with numbers or letters *Do not label your introduction to the report or proposal Introduction ; it is assumed that the first part of your report body is the introduction For further explanation and examples of these things to remember, see your Communication 1213 textbook, class notes, or the APA Manual. Setting the Margins The right, top, and bottom margins should be set to one inch (2.54 cm). The left margin should be set at 1 ¼ inches. The left margin is set wider to allow for binding or for report covers. Attracting Attention: Things to Consider When Using Visual Aids A well-designed visual aid can make complex information understandable and easily accessible for your reader. Think about what kind of information you want to display in graphic form, where you should place the visual for the best effect, what the visual aid should look like, and how you are going to identify the source of the graphic(s). Choosing the Best Place for Graphics You should put your visual aids where they will be of the most use in your text. Visuals are supposed to help your reader understand the information you are presenting to them, so why stuff them in the back of the report? Try to place each visual aid right beside or right below the paragraph it illustrates so that readers can consult the visual and the explanation at the same time (make sure you finish the explanation first and then place the visual). Sometimes, if the visuals are large, this may not be possible, but you should work to put them as close to the explanation as possible. 10

11 Also, make sure that you clearly refer to the visual (for example: As shown in Table 2... ) in the text of your report. This will help the reader make the connection between the text and the graphic. Formatting Your Visuals When it comes to labelling the visual aids, you have two options. Some report writers will refer to all types of visual aids as exhibits (whether they are tables, photographs, graphs, and so on) and number them consecutively through the report. If the report is a short one, and if you have only a few visuals, this may be the option for you. If the report is long and involves both tables and figures (all the other types of visual aids such as charts, pictures, and maps), writers will often separate the visuals into two categories: Tables (and number them consecutively throughout the report) and Figures (numbering them consecutively throughout the report, too). Option 1: Identify All Visuals as Exhibits. Your visuals should have both a number and a title, for example, Exhibit 3: Sales of Smart Cars in the Maritimes by Province, The number and the title are placed above the visual. Exhibit 3: Sales of Smart Cars in the Maritimes by Province, st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr 4th Qtr Nova Scotia New Brunswick PEI Option 2: Separating Visuals into the Two Categories of Tables and Figures. Tables are numbers or words arrayed in rows and columns; figures are all the other types of visuals. All the tables need to be labelled with a number and a title (for example, Table 12: Commonly Used Acronyms and Abbreviations in IM). All figures need to be labelled with a number and a title too (for example, Figure 8: Frequently Used Emoticons in IM) The numbers and titles for both Tables and Figures are placed above the visual aids. 11

12 Table 12: Commonly Used Acronyms and Abbreviations in IM Abbreviation/Acronym NP BBL BRB LOL ROFL CYA IC L8R AFK Meaning No problem Be back later Be right back Laugh out loud Rolling on floor laughing See ya I see Later Away from keyboard Identify the Source of Your Visual If you use information from another person, organization, book, journal, newspaper, report, magazine, government document, and so on, you need to let your reader know. Visual aids are no exception. If you have taken the visual/graphic from somewhere else (like a government report), you need to say so. The same is true if you have just taken the information from a source and created your own graphic. In general, the citation (the identification of the source) is placed at the bottom of the visual and is preceded by the word source. A colon would follow Source. When you do create your citation, make sure it is complete and structured like an entry in a reference list (see the example below). One more thing the citation is usually in a smaller font than the rest of the document. Table 1: Make Sure You Give Your Visual a Title Source: Reiner, R. (2009). Naming the visual aids (5 th edition). Camden, ME: Finn Publishing. 12