Writing Reports: Essentials and Types

Writing Reports - Essentials

• Written with analysis to inform the reader about a topic without personal opinion
• Includes inferences, solid analysis, charts, tables, and data
• Follows a structure that includes introduction, body, conclusion, and summary
• The layout is crisp with a title page, numbered subheadings, bullet points, recommendations, references, appendices, dates, and timings
• Facts must be bias-free and 100% correct, requiring proofreading and fact-checking

Kinds of Reports

• Reports are classified based on special characteristics and purpose
• Examples include informal reports or formal reports
• Ensures the correct structure, format, and language are used for the specific situation

Incident Report

• A formal record of facts related to an accident, injury, or unusual worksite occurrence, especially near misses
• Must be completed ASAP
• Should be circulated internally or sent to insurers, regulatory bodies, or the police
• Should record of any incident involving worker safety, no matter how minor
• Investigation on what happened must be undertaken
• Description should includes the location, list of witnesses, severity of the injury, immediate measures taken, anomalies that contributed, and documentation

Features of an Incident Report

• Detailed Description narrates all events surrounding the incident
• Considers circumstances, date, time, location, details on witnesses and victims, reactionary measures, and aftermath
• Must have corrective actions to reduce the likelihood of another incident
• More specific reports are more useful in informing corrective decisions
• Includes only facts. Reporter is not expected to give opinions
• Must be objective and devoid of emotions
• Should present events chronologically with subheadings and bullet points for readability
• Includes first-hand witness statements clearly marked with quotation marks and information about the witnesses' positions
• Must be formally authorized by the reporter and supervisor officers

Workplace Incident Report

• Profiles physical occurrences impacting an employee's productivity
• Includes workplace injuries, near misses, and accidents
• Labor laws often specify required information
• May highlight concerns with safety practices, security breaches, and workplace conduct
• Examples include reports of sexual harassment or assault at the workplace

Accident Report

• A type of incident report which contains information about an accident or emergency
• May be fatal, ghastly, or minor
• Not restricted to the workplace; can be filed by law enforcement or safety officers
• Highlights the probable causative factors, determines the extent of damage, and supports or refutes insurance claims
• Examples include reports on a fatal plane crash or an explosion on an organization's premises

Safety/Security Incident Report

• Tracks of thefts/losses and security events within specific premises
• Usually filed by security personnel
• Can also cover cases of computer system breaches, unauthorized database access, and compromised user accounts
• Includes both a report of property theft in an organization and a report on a burglary attempt in a neighborhood

Progress/Accomplishment Report

• Explains, in detail, how far you've gone towards the completion of a project
• Outlines activities, completed tasks, and milestones reached vis-à-vis project plan
• Typically written for a supervisor, colleague, or client
• Can be weekly or monthly, or for every 25% project milestone
• Facilitates collaboration and improves transparency/accountability
• When a report is submitted, you've placed it on record to show that you've accomplished a task or explained why results were different than expected after which it will become part of project's official documentation

Progress Reports: Future Planning

• Allows the supervisor to focus on monitoring progress towards the next stages of the project
• Allows the supervisor investigate the problems that hindered progress and take steps to prevent from happening again in the future if a report shows that delays have occurred
• Allows the supervisor adjust timeline, if needed, or instruct teams to double down

Report Language

• Use simple and straightforward language
• Use clear and concise language
• Avoid transforming verbs into nouns
• Specify examples of why you're grateful by mentioning a detail or two about what you enjoyed or are thankful for, and taking the time to personalize the letter in this way will convey your sincerity
• Don't assume that every single person reading the report will understand all the acronyms you use without you spelling them out
• Avoid providing an opinion, unless it's part of the project

Work Report

• A formal document discussing information about a specific job-related topic
• Usually addressed to a manager
• Types include sales reports, daily reports, budget reports, and business data analysis reports

How to Write a Work Report

• Identify target audience
• Purpose of writing the report
• Information to be included
• Structure to be followed
• Tone and use of language
• Proof reading
• Editing
• Present the report professionally

Invitation Letter

• A letter written to invite people to a particular event.
• Can be written for a marriage, engagement, graduation ceremony, exhibition, annual day, etc.
• Can be formal or informal
• Can be written by an individual or an organization
• The objective of this letter is to arrange the number of positions for the guests before some days of the event date
• Should enables the host to achieve their target in managing the event.

Types of Invitation Letter

• Official Invitation Letters are written for inviting officials or distinguished people for their participation in various activities and follow a formal format with meetings, interviews, training, or inaugurations etc
• Personal Invitation Letters are written for inviting friends, peers, relatives, family members, for social occasions or events and are written in a mixture of informal format and formal format

Keys to Writing of an Invitation Letter

• You don't just write a letter straightway and post it. One process is drafting. Drafting ensures that your mistakes and their rectification aren't passed on to the invitation itself
• Politeness requires polite language; begin with a welcome note instead of straightforward information
• Incorporate assistance to the recipient

Letter of Request

• A letter in which one person asks another person or group of people to grant a specific demand, respond to an inquiry, or appeal
• Should be brief, polite and to the point
• Most often used in business situations, such letters can be used for any number of circumstances, including asking for a raise, requesting an interview, soliciting donations and requesting a performance review

Drafting of a Letter of Request

• Include all pertinent information up front
• Be concise but straightforward, including all necessary details
• Aim for the person who receives the letter to say "yes," not to ask follow-up questions you could have addressed in your initial contact

Follow-up Letter

• Follow-up letters show gratitude
• Follow-up letters are posted a week or two after initially sending your job application
• Follow-up letters give you the chance to re-introduce yourself
• In a follow-upp letter, be thankful, concise, strengthen your skills, and be error-free

Appreciation Letter

• Professional note to business contacts to show gratitude
• Can expect to write an appreciation letters at many times in your life
• Likely receive gift, advice, or professional connections from someone
• Can make a positive impact on someone you know.

Writing of an Appreciation Letter

• Start with a greeting
• Write a greeting
• Be prompt
• Specific examples
• Choose appropriate format
• Include any details from interaction/collaboration

Complaint Letter

• A letter written to concerned authorities when not satisfied with there service
• These letters are formal in nature
• If we order a product and it is received defective we may write to the related person or company
• The point of the letter should be understood and clear
• Appropriate action will be taken by the concerned department