The document discusses the different types of informational reports and provides guidance on writing each type. It covers emails, memos, forms, reports, and web pages as common report formats. The six steps for writing informational reports are to analyze the audience and purpose, research the subject, choose an appropriate format, draft the report, and revise it. It also provides tips for considering multicultural readers, and the five most common types of reports which are directives, field reports, progress and status reports, incident reports, and meeting minutes.

1. Informational reports can take many forms:
• e-mails
• memos
• forms
• reports
• Web pages
Chapter 17. Writing Informational Reports © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 1

2. The writing process for informational
reports includes six steps:
• Analyze your audience.
• Analyze your purpose.
• Research the subject and compile your
information.
• Choose an appropriate format.
• Draft the report.
• Revise, edit, and proofread the report.
Chapter 17. Writing Informational Reports © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 2

3. Consider three questions when
writing reports for multicultural readers:
• How might your readers react to your
informational report?
• Will your readers be comfortable with your
choice of application?
• Do you need to adjust your writing style?
Chapter 17. Writing Informational Reports © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 3

4. You likely will have to write
five types of informational reports:
• directives
• field reports
• progress and status reports
• incident reports
• meeting minutes
Chapter 17. Writing Informational Reports © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 4

5. Use this strategy when writing directives:
• Explain why the new policy is desirable or at
least necessary.
• Present clear, compelling evidence.
• Consider opposing arguments effectively.
• Present yourself as cooperative, moderate,
fair-minded, and modest.
• If appropriate, include arguments that appeal
to readers’ broader goals of security, recogni-
tion, professional growth, and connectedness.
Chapter 17. Writing Informational Reports © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 5

6. Use this strategy when writing field reports:
• Describe inspections, maintenance, and site
studies.
• Explain the problem, methods, results, and
conclusions.
• Deemphasize methods.
• Include recommendations if needed.
Chapter 17. Writing Informational Reports © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 6

7. Answer these six questions in a field report:
• What is the purpose of the report?
• What are the main points covered in the report?
• What were the problems leading to the decision
to perform the procedure?
• What methods were used?
• What were the results?
• What do the results mean?
Chapter 17. Writing Informational Reports © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 7

8. Understand the difference between
a progress report and a status report:
• A progress report describes an ongoing project.
• A status report, or activity report, describes the
entire range of operations of a department or
division.
Chapter 17. Writing Informational Reports © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 8

9. Report your progress honestly when
responding to three common problems:
• The deliverable won’t be what you thought it
would be.
• You won’t meet your schedule.
• You won’t meet the budget.
Chapter 17. Writing Informational Reports © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 9

10. Two organizational patterns are
typical in progress and status reports:
Time Pattern Task Pattern
Discussion Discussion
A. Past Work A. Task 1
B. Future Work 1. Past Work
2. Future Work
B. Task 2
1. Past Work
2. Future Work
Chapter 17. Writing Informational Reports © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 10

11. Project an appropriate tone
in a progress or status report:
• If the news is good, convey your optimism but
avoid overstatement.
• Don’t panic if the preliminary results are not as
promising as you had planned or if the project
is behind schedule.
Chapter 17. Writing Informational Reports © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 11

12. Use this strategy
when writing incident reports:
• Explain what happened.
• Explain why it happened.
• Explain what the organization did or will do to
follow up on the incident.
Chapter 17. Writing Informational Reports © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 12

13. Use this strategy
when writing meeting minutes:
• Be clear, comprehensive, objective, and
diplomatic.
• Report the events of the meeting accurately.
• Do not record emotional exchanges between
participants; the minutes should reflect
positively on participants and the organization.
Chapter 17. Writing Informational Reports © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 13