3.+Rep0rts

 Part A: Reports
 * Reports

Q.A1 What is a report? Provide at least 3 definitions.

1) A report is a systematic, well organized document which defines and analyses a subject or problem, and which may include: -The record of a sequence of events -Interpretation of the significance of these events or facts -Evaluation of the facts or results of research presented -Discussion of the outcomes of a decision or course of action -Conclusions -Recommendations

Source: []

2) A report is a presentation of facts and findings, usually as a basis for recommendations; written for a specific readership, and probably intended to be kept as a record.

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3) A report is a very formal document that is written for a variety of purposes, generally in the sciences, social sciences, engineering and business disciplines. Generally, findings pertaining to a given or specific task are written up into a report. It should be noted that reports are considered to be legal documents in the workplace and, thus, they need to be precise, accurate and difficult to misinterpret.

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Q.A2 What are the possible/basic components or parts of report?

Unlike essays, reports are written in sections with headings and sub-headings, which are usually numbered. Below are the possible components of a report, in the order in which they would appear. ** **** Acknowledgements (usually just in long reports) **** Contents page (always included in reports of 4+ pages) **** Terms of reference (sometimes included) **** Procedure (sometimes included) **** Materials and methods (included if applicable) **** Summary (usually included in longer reports; may be called Executive Summary, Abstract or Synopsis). **** Introduction (always included) **** Main body/findings (always included) **** Results (possibly included in scientific/engineering reports) **** Conclusion (always included) **** Recommendations (sometimes included) **** Appendices (sometimes included) References (always included) Bibliography (sometimes included) **** Glossary (occasionally included) **** Style
 * Title page (always included)

Source: ** ** []

Q.A3 What are some types of reports?

-Laboratory reports -Health and safety reports -Research reports -Case study reports -Field study reports -Cost-benefit analysis reports -Proposals -Comparative advantage reports -Progress reports -Technical reports -Instruction manuals -Financial reports

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Part B: Annual Reports Q.B1  What is an annual report? Provide two definitions.

1)An annual report lists the achievements and failures of an organization. It is a progress report in which every department is accounted for. Source: [] 2)An annual report is a record of a company's financial performance and operations for the year. Publicly traded companies produce annual reports to tell shareholders, prospective investors, customers and others what happened. Source: [|http://www.ehow.com/how_16565_write-annual-report.ht]

Q.B2 What type of report is sn annual report?

Progress report.

Q.B3 What is the purpose of a progress report?

You write a progress report to inform a supervisor, associate, or customer about progress you've made on a project over a certain period of time. The project can be the design, construction, or repair of something, the study or research of a problem or question, or the gathering of information on a technical subject. You write progress reports when it takes well over three or four months to complete a project.

Source: [|http://www.io.com/~hcexres/textbook/progrep.html] ) <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">

<span style="color: rgb(250, 117, 192);">Q.B4 <span style="color: rgb(250, 117, 192);"> Gieve two pieces of advice to someone who wants to write an annual report.

<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">The physical appearance of annual reports is crucial. For that reason they are usually prepared professionally. The cover and the first few pages must attract and then maintain the readers' interest. Make the cover attractive and eye-catching; keep the text well spaced and content not too heavy. Begin with some simple facts about the organisation and what it does. Use short paragraphs with bold print to emphasise the key points. Include illustrations to attract interest and to break up overbearing columns of figures. When you use photographs of people, record their names. Too many reports give the name of their chairperson but then describe a member of staff as 'an engineer', or whatever. Workers, like chairpersons, have names. As a general rule, the shorter the report the better the chances of attracting a fringe readership. So make sure you gather relevant data from all parts of your organisation. Obviously every department will wish to emphasise its successes and gloss over (or simply ignore) its failures. For this reason the use of standard questionnaires is recommended. This will provide only the information you require, and it will be in a uniform format and style. Use this as the basis of the main body of the report.

Source: <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> [] <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';">

<span style="color: rgb(250, 117, 192);">Q.B5 Should the report be short or long?

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">As a general rule, the shorter the report the better the chances of attracting a fringe readership. So make sure you gather relevant data from all parts of your organisation. Obviously every department will wish to emphasise its successes and gloss over (or simply ignore) its failures. For this reason the use of standard questionnaires is recommended. This will provide only the information you require, and it will be in a uniform format and style.

Source: [|**http://www.howtobooks.co.uk/business/reports/annual.asp**] <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">

<span style="color: rgb(250, 117, 192);">Q.B6 Do annual reports include a chairperson's message?

Yes, usually annuals reports include a chairperson’s statement.

<span style="color: rgb(250, 117, 192);">Q.B7 What is an ideal structure of an annual report?

This depends on the nature of the organisation and the readership. Here is one possible format: **
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">contents list **
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">what the organisation does **
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">some of the year's highlights **
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">chairperson's statement **
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">main body (possibly department to department, or task to task) **
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">accounts **
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">appendixes. **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">A standard format is useful for year-to-year comparisons.

Source: <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> [] <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';">

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; color: rgb(250, 117, 192);">Q.B8 <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; color: rgb(250, 117, 192);"> <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; color: rgb(250, 117, 192);">Visit []. What can one find on this website? <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> AnnualReports.com is the leading provider of online annuals reports to individual and institutional investors. Their free service allows users to review an annual report in an easy and convenient manner. Boasting the most complete and up-to-date listings of annual reports on the internet, AnnualReports.com provides instant access to annual reports in their actual format in one single location. For educated investors, corporate annual reports are the most important research tool available. Annual Reports enables investors to stay up to date on a company's yearly outlook. **