Section 5.1: Reports

Reports

One of the most common genres you will compose are reports. Reports can cover a lot of ground, and include various types, so this section will introduce you to different types of reports. In this class, we will compose an Evaluation Report, but if you take ENGL 3140: Technical Communication, you will compose a Recommendation Report. While these reports have different names, and different purposes, they may have some similar sections. This is true for many types of different reports. Listed below are a few different types of reports. Each type will include some information about their purpose, context, and typical structure.

Informational Reports

Information reports present factual information to an audience without analysis or recommendations. They often will include data, such as statistics or other numerical data. As in all reports, data will be discussed within the body of the report and also presented as visuals within the report. These types of reports are only meant to inform and not persuade meaning they are objective in their language and details. Common examples of information reports are often related to tracking information, and examples are weekly, monthly, or annual sales reports.

Analytical Report

This type of report examines data and makes recommendations to stakeholders based on the examination or analysis of data. These reports will often include some type of research, such as research you would do in ENGL 3140: Technical Communication during the Recommendation Report on a Usability Study. This is where you will draw on information from users about how well a website performs within a few selected functions or scenarios. Another type of analytical report is a Feasibility Report, which you may complete in an honors section of Technical Communication. A Feasibility Report will look at data surrounding an opportunity for expansion or implementation.

Marketing Report

Marketing reports will examine the data around SEO, or Search Engine Optimization practices, or may look at customer engagement around a product or tool and share data and other analysis. These are written to show how well a product performs based on search engines, customer satisfaction, and social media engagement. Marketing reports may also make recommendations for ways of better reaching an audience need.

Explanatory Report

This type of report will explain a complex concept, tool, or practice in a way a layperson audience can understand. These reports may come in many forms, such as User Manuals or Instructional Guides. In this class, we will discuss Technical Definitions and Descriptions, which is also a term you will learn about and practice more in ENGL 3140. These types of reports will employ technical descriptions to help a layperson audience understand how to do a task or procedure. Explanatory reports are very common and come in many different formats. For example, medical companies write these types of reports to share how to use specific drugs and detail potential interactions or side effects.

Progress Reports

A progress report will share how a product or process has been adapted through its lifecycle. These reports may also report on work that has been completed, and share work that is in progress and/or needs to be completed to make the project successful. Progress reports are often required after a successful grant application, for example, where the group or individual that was funded by the grant must report on work that has been done in relation to the grant funding. This helps to show the funder that their money is going to support the work related to the grant. Progress reports also exist in industry and business where a team may report on the progress of a project prior to its completion.

Recommendation Report

A recommendation report is a report that will recommend a change to a business practice, procedure, or something else based on collected data that was analyzed. For example, in ENGL 3140: Technical Communication, you will work with a team to conduct a usability study on a website or app and make recommendations for changes to that website or app based on results from your testing protocol. Recommendation reports are also highly contextualized to a specific business need, process, or product, which means their data is also highly contextualized to a specific situation and time frame. Recommendation reports are common due to the changing natures of industry needs.

Evaluation Report

An evaluation report is a report that identifies a systemic assessment of a product, service, program, or policy to share how well it performs in that regard, and shares conclusions regarding what improvements could be made. A simpler way to describe this type of report is that it presents the findings, conclusions, and recommendations of an evaluation. You may write an Evaluation Report in ENGL 2140 where you identify a company or business and assess their marketing and outreach strategies toward outside audiences to identify where they can improve. These reports help to determine effectiveness and of a product, service, program, or policy and recommend any potential changes that could increase its effectiveness or impact. Similarly, employees may have a shorter version of such a report given to them annually that documents their productivity and effectiveness in their position.

Conclusion

Many types of reports exist in professional contexts, and chances are likely you will write a few during your professional career, even if you aren’t a technical writer. Reports help to document procedures, processes, and projects for stakeholders. Reports also exist to share data and the growth of a business. Reports can also be an important mechanism to persuade an audience to do something to make positive change in a company or for a product.