Unit  5

Writing Skills

5.1          Notices, Agenda, Minutes of Meeting

Notices

Notice writing is a formal written document. It is one of the common methods of communication. It gives important information regarding something that is about to take place or has taken place.

It is usually meant for a wider audience. It is usually put up in a public place for easy accessibility.

A notice must include:

     What is going to happen.

     Where it will take place.

     When it will take place.

     Who can apply or is eligible for it.

     Who to contact.

Points to remember while writing notices:

     Only include the most important points.

     The sentences must be short and grammatically correct.

     Notices must be presented in the passive voice as much as possible.

     Present the notice in a box.

     The word limit for the body of a notice is 40–50 words

     The information must be clear. It should not cause any confusion.

     A notice must attract the reader’s attention immediately.

     Increase its visual appeal by using bold letters and catchy slogans.

     You can use standard abbreviations.

Format of a Notice:

1. Name of the organization

The name of the organisation or faculty should be written at the very top of the notice.

This is important as it makes it easier for the reader to decide whether the given information concerns them or not.

2.     Title

The title “NOTICE” should always be written on top and must be underlined. Since notices are usually put in public places, they must be easily discernible.

Because public places generally have a lot of posters, pamphlets, etc. a bold title is important for the notice to be conspicuous.

3.     Date

The date on which notice was published is to be mentioned on the left-hand side of the document.

This is a formal document, hence, It is important to mention the date as it stays on record.

4.     Heading

Heading must always precise and clear as it gives a clear idea about the purpose of the notice.

5.     Body

Here one should write the relevant information as briefly as possible. Since a notice is a very short written document,

One should provide all the significant and pertinent information in a precise manner.

The body should cover all the five W’s, i.e., what, where, when, who and whom.

6.     Writer’s name

The name and designation of the writer of the notice should be mentioned in the end.

Agenda

An agenda, sometimes also referred to as a a docket or a schedule, is a list of activities or actions stated in the order they are to be taken up, from the beginning till the adjournment of a meeting. An agenda helps in preparing for a meeting by providing a list of items and a clear set of topics, objectives, and time frames that are needed to be discussed upon.

Format of an Agenda

An Agenda normally includes the following elements −

     Meeting Agenda Title − at the top; preferably center-aligned

     Meeting Information − Description of the purpose

     Objective − description of Agenda

     Date − for maintaining records of correspondence

     Location − the place of meeting

     Time − the actual time of commencement of the meeting

     Meeting Type − brainstorming or Discussion or Assessment

     Time of Arrival − the starting time of the meeting.

     Time of Adjournment − time the meeting ends

     Attendees − the number of people present at the meeting along with their names

     Preparation for Meeting −

     Please Read − instructions to be followed

     Please bring − documents or objects required during the meeting

     Action Items −

     Last Action Responsible Authority Due Date

     New Action Responsible Authority Due Date

     Other notes − supplementary instructions or information to be noted down.

Agenda example

MEETING AGENDA

Date: Aug. 1, 2019

Time: 1 p.m.

Location: Conference Room A

AGENDA DETAILS

Goals: Review the marketing campaigns from last year, identify seasonal slumps in product demand, brainstorm ways to increase demand during these slumps and make sure we’re prepared for the next marketing campaign.

1. Review marketing campaigns from last year.

Time: 15 minutes

Purpose: Share information

Leader: Jamal Adams

a. Present the marketing campaigns from last year.

b. Review the sales numbers after each campaign.

c. Identify the campaigns that have the biggest impact.

2. How should we manage the fluctuating demand for our product?

Time: 30 minutes

Purpose: Decision

Leader: Blair Hanline

a. Review sales numbers from the last four quarters.

b. Identify any trends in sales numbers.

c. Brainstorm ideas on increasing sales during those slump periods.

3. Preparing for the next marketing campaign.

Time: 15 minutes

Purpose: Decision

Leader: Blair Hanline

a. What do we need to prepare for the next marketing campaign?

i. Review the attached marketing campaign materials.

Ii. Identify tasks for each team member.

b. How will we track the effectiveness of this campaign?

c. Review sales goals for this campaign.

4. End of meeting review

Time: 5 minutes

Purpose: Decision

Leader: Jamal Adams

a. What did we do well in this meeting?

b. What should we do differently next meeting?

Minutes of Meeting

Meeting minutes, or mothers (meeting minutes) can be described as a written record of everything that happened during the meeting. It is used to inform people who did not attend the meeting about what happened, or to follow up on appointments during the meeting so that you can repeat it and use it to inform future decisions.

Whether to be entrusted with taking notes of a committee or being appointed as the Minister of the Board of your organization, preparing for meeting minutes doesn't have to be a daunting task. Here are some tips and ideas that will help you get started on writing and preparing for effective meeting minutes, as well as a sample of meeting minutes and meeting minutes template to follow.
This guide on how to record meeting minutes was prepared by Wild Apricot to assist volunteers and / or staff of nonprofit organizations and potential membership organizations in the task of capturing and preparing meeting minutes for committees or Board of Directors.
Please note that as the format, style and content of meeting minutes requirements vary depending on the organization and type of committee or Board, this document provides some general guidelines to help you get started.

Purposes of Minutes of Meeting
 

You should not be intimidated by the word "minutes" because it is actually misleading. After all, your committee or Board does not want or need a record of the proceedings in a minute! But it is important to include the core of the meeting, including details such as:

• decisions made (decisions made, votes, etc.)

• next scheduled steps

• Identification and tracking of activities

The minutes are a visual record of the meeting of their participants and a source of information for members who were unable to attend. In some cases, meeting minutes may serve as a reference point, for example:

• where the results of the meeting influence other collaborative activities or projects in the organization

• minutes can be used to inform (or remind) people of their assigned tasks and / or timelines

Components of Meeting Minutes

As mentioned above, there are five steps involved with meeting minutes:

1. Pre-planning

2. Record the take - at the meeting

3. Minutes to write or write

4. Distribute or share meeting minutes

5. Completion or maintenance of future reference minutes

     Pre-Planning:
A well-organized meeting helps ensure effective meeting minutes. When the Chairman and the Secretary or minutes are working together to ensure that the agenda and meeting are well thought out, it makes the minutes of the process much easier. For example, depending on the structure of the meeting and the tools you are using, the minutes carrier may work with the Chair to create a document format that serves as an agenda and release minutes.

     What is the agenda of the meeting?
Meeting agenda = outline:
At the very least, it is important to get a copy of the meeting agenda and use it as a guide or outline for taking notes and preparing minutes - in order and numbers of items in meeting minutes similar to those of the agenda.

In addition, the agenda and / or notice of the meeting also provides details that need to be included in the minutes, such as:

• the names of all the attendees, including guests or speakers

• Submissions and agenda or presented at the meeting - copies (digital or hard copies) of the offer should be kept together with minutes of the meeting for reference and sharing with those who were unable to attend the meeting (with others as determined by the Chairman of the meeting).

     Expectation Explanation:
When taking on a new role as a minutes manager or Secretary, be sure to ask the chair of the committee or the Board what they expect to do during the meeting, as well as the type of information they expect in minutes. For example, if your Board or committee is going to be considering proposals, or voting on issues / issues, it is clear that you need to provide the names of the decision makers, support them, etc. If you're going to be facing this kind of process, you (and your chair) may want to refer to Robert's Rules of Order.

     What should be included in the minutes meeting?
Before you start taking notes, it is important to understand the type of information you need to record at a meeting. As noted earlier, your organization may need specific content and format that you need to follow, but in general, meeting minutes usually include the following:

• Date and time of the meeting

• Names of meeting participants and those who are unable to attend (e.g., "Regrets")

• Approval or amendment / amendment of previous minutes of the meeting.

• Decisions made about each agenda item, for example:

• Actions taken or agreed to be taken
• Next steps
• Voting results - e.g., (if necessary, details about who did the motives; who is supportive and acceptable or by show of hands, etc.)
• Actions taken or rejected
• Things to be caught on
• New business
• The date and time of the next meeting

     Tips that can help your note take:

• Create an outline -
  as discussed earlier, having an outline (or template) based on an agenda makes it easy for you to write notes, decisions, etc. For each item as you progress. If you handle notes manually, consider inserting a space below each item in your outline of handwritten notes, then print and use this to enter the minute.

• Attendants in the lounge -
  if you know the attendees, you can check them out as they arrive, otherwise people will introduce themselves at the beginning of the meeting or spread out a checklist.

• Record decisions or notes on item items in your list as soon as they are sure they are properly recorded

• Request clarification if necessary -
  for example, if a party is proceeding without a formal decision or conclusion, request clarification of the decision and / or next steps involved.

• Don't try to take it all in -
  you can't keep writing down when you write down verbs in conversations, so make sure you write (or type) easily (or type) just decisions, assignments, work steps, etc..

• Record -
  of course, if you care about being able to keep up with the note, consider recording a meeting (e.g. On your refined phone, iPad, recording device, etc.) But be sure to let participants know they are being made. To record. While you do not want to use recording to create a word-for-word transcript of a meeting, the recording can help if you need clarification.

     Meeting Minutes Template: 
Here's a simple template you can refer to next time you need to take meeting minutes. 

5.2           Letter Writing (Formal and Informal)

Formal Letter Writing

In all forms of writing, writing letters can be challenging and challenging, because of all the characters you write you are tried, because they are the personality and personality of all characters. And it is rewarding, because nothing can provide more satisfaction than the feelings of a born-again achievement of effective communication without a face-to-face interaction. Good writing, therefore, is what everyone should read.

Writing letters is an art and a strategy. The latter can be followed by following formal meetings; the former must be nurtured with the care and deepest interest of man. The letters are generally divided into the following four categories: friendly or informal letters, business letters; invitations and responses, as well as the use of functions.

Here we will take only three of these, leaving invitations and answers. Although there are legitimate differences between the three types, some general principles can be imposed that can apply to all. We might call them the essentials of a good book '.

Below are the features/characters of a good formal letter:

     Knowing What to Say:
Nothing is more harmful to good communication than muddle-headedness resulting in not being able to make one's point. Before writing a letter one should be sure of what one wants to say and accordingly one should be in command of all the necessary facts and information arranged logically and systematically.

     Clarity:
Knowing what one wants to say is not enough unless one says it in as clear a Language as possible. Here comes the importance of the right word and the right expression put in a sentence constructed neatly and with precision. It should, however, be remembered that right words and write expressions become relevant only when they occur in the right place. Thus emotional and even flowery language may be apposite to a personal Letter but it will be completely out of place in a business letter.

     Brevity:
A few generations ago, when man enjoyed unlimited space and time, prolixity in language would not have been unwelcome, at Least in certain kinds of correspondence. In the modern age, however, addition of even one extra word cost time and energy most people will like to avoid. It is all the more the business correspondence. It means that all redundancy, be it a quotation illustration, an elaboration, in short, padding of any kind, must be avoided at all costs.

     Accuracy:
Avoidance of redundant helps achieve accuracy of statement. For much unwanted language in letters is the direct result of inaccurate and inconsistent thoughts and statements. A little care, particularly habitual revision of what one has written, will go a long way towards making writing accurate.

     Courtesy:
As remarked earlier, a letter reveals its writer's personality and character. Since there is always a 'you' in every letter, it is necessary that this 'you' or the addressee be shown all the courtesy and respect that language can express. Even when a complaint is lodged or a statement or application rejected, care should be taken that it is couched in polite and civilized language. It is worth remembering that while courtesy costs nothing, there is hardly anything more abrasive than impolite language.

     Good Looks:
Finally, a letter must be a visual attraction to the reader. It can displease either through wrong spelling and punctuation or bad writing and typing. These are not matters merely of form as even a well-thought out-letter, rich in ideas and having all the qualities of clarity, brevity, accuracy and courtesy may not only fail to make proper impact on the reader, but may even defeat its purpose by causing him unnecessary annoyance.

It is convenient to divide all letters into 10 parts:

• Sender's address
• Date
• Direction (address of the person(s) to whom you are writing)
• Salutation
• Reference (not always necessary in intimate, personal letters)
• Body
• Subscription
• Signature
• Postscript (to be as a rule avoided, unless absolutely necessary)
• The envelope.

As these are mostly (except for the body of the letter) matters of form, we will illustrate each one of them. Often there are alternative forms, but you must choose one of them and use it consistently.

Sender's address:

(a)  Laxmi Niwas,
52 Mall Road,
Civil Lines,
Kanpur 208 016

(b)  D 64 Press Road ,
Nauroji Nagar,
Mysore 570 006

(c)  Department of Linguistics,
University of Delhi,
Delhi 110 007.

Date:

(a)  October 25, 1988

(b)  25th October, 1988

Direction:

(a)  The Personnel Manager,
Life Insurance Corporation of India,
Bhubaneshwar, 751 006.

(b)  Messrs Atma Ram & Sons,
3B Asaf Ali Roa,
New Delhi 110 001 .

(c)  Professor N. G. Arunachalam,
Department of Civil Engineering,
University Engineering College ,
Hyderabad 500 007.

(d) Ms. Kavita Swaroop,
4/D Indira Colony,
Jawahar Nagar,
Agra 282 005.

(Messrs is used for an unlimited company or partnership of traders) (The same address is to be repeated on the envelope.)

Salutation:

(a)  Dear Sir/Madam,

(b)  Sir/Madam, (in strictly formal letters to and from government departments or officials)

(c)  Dear Sirs/Gentlemen, (in the case of unlimited company, firm or partnership of traders or from a clerk to the Board of Directors, when 'Gentlemen' is preferred)

(d) Dear Mr. Swaminathan,

(e)  Dear Swaminathan,

(f)    My dear Swaminathan/My dear Mr. Swaminathan, ('My dear' shows extra intimacy)

(g) My dear Ravi, (very intimate and friendly)

Reference:( in professional or commercial letters)

(a)  Sale of Old Stock (between salutation and the body of the letter) (usually placed above the direction)   

(b) Our ref...

(c)  Your ref...

Body: (the main part of the Letter, the subject matter of which will differ in each case)

Subscription:

(a)  Yours faithfully. (most common form in formal, official and business letters)

(b)  Yours truly. (somewhat warmer than the above)

(c)  Yours sincerely, (cordial and friendly)

(d)  Yours affectionately. Very sincerely yours, Yours ever, in very intimate personal letter

Informal Letter

An informal letter adds a personal touch to one's thoughts and ideas. This type of letter is very spontaneous in manner. An informal letter format is used when you write a chatty or newsy letter to a friend or relative. The tone of an informal letter is friendly and the content may be emotional. Therefore, these letters are also called social letters.

An informal letter is a letter written to your friends or family members. It may even contain contractions like you're, she's, or he's which are to be strictly avoided in formal letters. All informal letters have to start with an informal salutation such as Dear _____. An informal letter should end on an affectionate note such as yours lovingly, yours truly, or yours affectionately.

Format of an informal letter

A format is a pattern or the structure that is to be followed while writing an informal letter. Unlike the formal letters, informal letters do not have any particular format as such. However, there is a casual pattern or structure that needs to be maintained. Informal letters can be lengthy as compared to the formal ones. Below mentioned is a structure that should be followed while writing an informal letter so that your letter looks attractive to the recipient. These guidelines are basically followed while letter drafting.

1. Address- The very first thing that you need to write is the address of the sender. This is written on the left corner of the paper and is the starting point of the letter. Give your complete address and pin code is a must. Though it is an informal letter and you are sending it to your friends and relatives, it is essential to write the full address so that the recipient can write back to you. If this letter is for someone staying outside the country, do not forget to mention the country’s name.

2. Date- Below the address, the date has to be written i.e. the date when the letter is written. The recipient will know when the letter was written. As far as possible, the date has to be in an expandable form.

3. Greeting- The greeting can be absolutely informal like ‘Dear Mom’ or ‘Dear Alan’. If you are writing a letter to someone of your age, you can mention his or her name after ‘Dear’. If it is for your mother, uncle, aunt or anyone senior to you, you need to write- ‘Dear Uncle’, ‘dear dad’ etc. You can write ‘Mr. Or Mrs.’ for someone who is elder to you. For example, if you are writing a letter to your teacher to enquire about her health, you can write- ‘Dear Mrs. Margaret’.

4. Introduction- After this, you will start writing the actual letter. The first Para in your letter should be an introduction. This will set the tone of the full letter. You should start the letter by asking about the recipient’s health. Or you may write- ‘I hope you are in good health’. This is the opening stage of the letter.

5. Body of the letter- The entire letter tone should be friendly. But you have to change and adjust the words as and when required. When you are writing to your friend, you can easily use informal and flippant style. But when you are writing to your elders or someone respectable, make sure you do not use any disrespectful words or terms. Your use of words will determine the tone you are using in the conversation.

6. Conclusion- At the end of the letter, you should summarize and say and a warm goodbye. Also, make sure you request them to write back to you.

7. Signature- In the end, you need to put your signatures to close the letter. You can sign off as you want- kind regards, Lots of love, best wishes, etc. Choose the greeting as it suits the occasion.

Below is a sample template for an informal letter:

5.3          Email Writing

Emails are basically letters sent electronically. They can be long or short, formal or informal. Although for business purposes only formal emails are considered important.

Emails have become a dominant form of communication. Being able to write polished, relevant email is now a critical skill in college and work.

Formal Email:

• Written for a professor, colleague, manager, etc.

• Must always be professional.

• Accurate grammar, punctuation, and spelling necessary

Example:

Dear Professor Johnson,

I was unable to attend class today due to a doctor’s appointment. If you have a moment, can you let me know what I missed and what homework I need to complete on Friday?

Thank you,

Julia Smith.

Email Format:

• Greetings / Salutation:
  A formal email greeting is similar to a letter greeting. When you write a letter to a stranger, you put the question “Who Can Worry About You”? When applying for a job, you were addressing the person, “Dear Hiring Manager.” If you know the name of the recipient, you put “Mr. Dear Mr.M /. Smith. "For formal greetings, you should not use the recipient's first name or the informal greetings" Hello "or" Hello."

• Physical Categories/ Body Paragraphs:
  It is important to remember that the email needs to be shorter.

     I hope that all goes well for you.

     Thank you for your prompt response.

However, in official emails it is best to understand the point. Depending on the topic, you should have four main roles and each paragraph should have one point. In your last paragraph you should provide a "thank you" or "call to action" depending on the topic of your email.

     Thank you for your help with

     Thank you for your time and look forward to hearing from you.

     Please feel free to call me or email me if you have any questions. If this can be taken care of immediately.

• Closing:
  As a greeting, the closing of the official email can be the same as the closing of the book. However, unlike mourning, there are many ways to close.

     Thank you

     Very humbly

     Sincerely

It is also helpful to add your post (if any) and a phone number under your name in paragraph 4.

For example:
Yours sincerely,
Julia Smith
President of Student Body
Menlo College
(555) 555-5555

• Tips:

     DO NOT use a contract.
Example: no, no, I'm not, I'm not.

     DO NOT write about all the coins.

     Use structured vocabulary and sentence structure. DO NOT use slang.

Close email at least twice and get a second opinion if possible.
 

5.4          Report Writing (Kinds, Structure)

The success of a business or industrial organization lies in doing its job for this purpose, gathering information and passing it on to those who need it is important. In the broader collection and transfer of information is happening all the time in every area of ​​formal life. So scientists, working brokers, testers, journalists, and various professionals, government and private organizations are asked to write and report to their management on important topics at the institution or the person involved.

Reports can be as short as a few sentences and as long as a few large pages. Although reports can be verbal and informal, here we are concerned with written and formal reports.

While writing the following principles must be kept in mind:

Now let's have a few samples of different types of reports and their structures:

Memo Report

A memo report or memorandum is an internal and informal form of communication which is written to inform and to call to action. It is normally used for communicating policies, procedures or other information within the organisation.

Unlike Interpersonal communication a memo report is presented to a large number of people. A memo has to be concise and concrete in terms of providing information.

One of the instances where you could be asked to write a memo report is in a lab. Here the audience for your memo report is your professor who has asked you to conduct an experiment and supply him with appropriate results.

All memo reports consist of two parts: the heading and the body

The Heading

The heading part follows the format given below:

TO:              (The name of the receiver and their designation)

FROM:           (Your name and designation or title)

DATE:             (Current Date)

SUBJECT:           (The purpose of writing the report)

The Body

The body of a memo report, like any technical report, should be concise and to the point. It needs to be properly structured and organised. It should consist of the following elements:

Opening:

This section should consist of 2 to 3 sentences and should state the main purpose of the memo. It should include the main problem with which the memo is concerned with and how it is going to be addressed. A good way to start the opening statement would be “The purpose of this memo is to inform you regarding the recent changes….”

Findings:

While writing a technical report it is crucial to include a summarized version of your findings regarding the concerned topic. It should include key points so that the reader can understand the purpose of the memo immediately. This section can also be labelled as “summary” or “recommendations”

Discussion:

This is the longest section in the memo which deals with all the information and evidences you have collected to support your arguments. This section can be subdivided into four subsections namely, Methods (any experiments or calculations involved), Analysis (the analysis of collected data), Results (summary of results obtained from methods and analysis) and Commentary (your objective views on your findings)

Conclusion:

After discussing your research, you should summarize the main elements of your finding in 2 or 3 sentences that should reiterate all the implications in the memo.

References:

All citations and bibliography are to be mentioned in the references section.

Progress Report

A progress report is a type of report which is written in order to inform a supervisor, associate, or customer about progress you’ve made on a project over a certain period of time.

A progress report must answer the following questions:

• What percentage of the work is complete?
• Which part of the work is currently being performed?
• Which sections of the work are yet to be completed?
• What unexpected problems have arisen in the project?
• What is the overall status of the project?
• How much more time will be required to complete the work?

A progress report can be structured in three different ways:

a)     Memo – An informal memo report to be sent to someone within the organization.

b)    Letter – An informal or formal letter to be sent to someone outside of the organization.

c)     Formal Report – A formal report to be sent to someone outside the organization

You should choose the type of progress report depending upon your requirements.

A progress report has no specific structure but should always include the following elements:

• The title and the words “Progress Report” on top of the document
• Section headings to simplify the reading process.
• The name of the writer along with their designation and the receiver’s name and designation.
• The opening should be titled “scope and purpose” where the introduction defines the purpose of the report.
• Two sections titled “Progress….” And “Remaining work” should always be included. The former defining how much work has been successfully completed and the latter describing what part of it is yet to be done.
• A section projecting results and the tentative timeline of completion should also be included.
• The paragraphs should be short and concise and the tone respectful.

Status Report

A status report is an informative piece of writing which keeps the clients, project managers, supervisors and team members up to date regarding a certain project.

It comprises of the efforts, progress and risk associated with a project. A project status report can be a weekly, monthly or quarterly formulated report.

A project status report may be used to:

• Streamline communication efforts across the organization and stakeholders
• Make it easier to gather and disseminate information about key elements of the project
• Ensure stakeholders have all necessary information for decision-making
• Amplify key messages and goals around the project
• Act as a logbook for past key events and actions

What is included in a status report:

• Summary of Work Completed
• A Plan for What Comes Next
• Updates on Budget and Timeline
• Any Action Items/To-Dos
• Report on Risks, Issues, and Mitigation

Below is the format of a status report:

1. Project Name / Client Name

This section should contain the title of the project along with the name of the client. Make sure you record WHO the report is for and WHAT the report entails (ie. What project).

2. Project Vision

Here the main objectives of the project are to be listed in a clear and to the point manner. This is the only static unchanging section of a status report.

Examples:

Drive qualified customers to “purchase” mobile devices based on an improved UI.

With this project, we hope to increase online sales through the implementation of a drip email marketing campaign.

Launch a website by June 2018 that allows customers to purchase the highest quality & best-tasting product in its category.

3. Project Health

Here the health status of the project can be highlighted. The use of colours could be very helpful for notifying the health status for example, green for successful, yellow for a few complications and red for issues requiring immediate and critical attention. A note to support is always helpful.

Examples:

Green: We’ve obtained approval on drip email designs. No budget concerns at this time.

Yellow: The drip email designs need significant revisions, therefore the final delivery date has been delayed by 1 week.

Red: The drip email campaign has drastically shifted direction since starting. We need to set-up a meeting to establish a wants/wishes for the project.

4. What We Completed This TIMEFRAME

These should be listed in bullet format. Keep these short & simple. Don’t explain the “how” just what.

Example:

Obtained approval for 3 drip email designs

5. What We Plan to Complete Next TIMEFRAME

This section should include what is planned in clear and precise bullet points.

Example:

Develop the three emails

Perform internal QA & testing

Pass off to client QA & testing

6. Issues/Roadblocks

This is where you can raise any red flags or obstacles keeping you from moving forward.

Example:

If we do not obtain client feedback by 06/02, we will be in jeopardy of not being able to send the email to consumers the same day as the product will be available in stores.

7. Upcoming Tasks & Milestones

This should include a set of goals to be achieved in the near future. Is there anything that the viewer should review? and what’s coming up next?

Examples:

Dd/mm: Client QA & Testing

Dd/mm: Email Deployment

Survey Report

A survey report is a document which elaborates the findings of a survey in an objective manner. Survey reports usually consist of detailed statistical analysis of the surveyed data divided into various sections. A survey report has no specific format and is curated as per the requirements of the surveyor.

Surveys can be conducted by means of questionnaires, door to door information gathering or by using internet surveying facilities. A survey report may be presented in factual form (numbers, percentages and proportions) along with its implications.

Like other reports, a survey report can also be broken up into several headings namely,

• To
• From
• Survey
• Date
• Purpose
• Introduction
• The Body
• Conclusion

Below is a basic survey report sample:

To: Mrs Joanna Brown

From: Liam Black Subject:

Survey "Ban on using and selling fireworks".

Date: 1st January 2008

Purpose

The aim of this report is to present results of the survey carried out to find out what is people's opinion on public displays and selling fireworks. That will help to decide if using and selling fireworks should be banned. The survey was carried out among people aged 25-50.

Ban on public displays of fireworks

Seventy two per cent of people asked if there should be a ban on public display of fireworks were of the opinion that public displays should not be banned five per cent were for banning public displays of fireworks while three percent were not sure of their opinion. The facts stated above suggest that people do not mind public displays of fireworks and they would not want any limits on them.

An overall ban on sale of fireworks

The majority of people asked if there should be an overall, ban on sale of fireworks replied 'yes'. One fifth of interviewed said 'no'. One out of ten reported that they would rather ban sale of fireworks while a small portion of people (5 per cent) answered that they would rather not ban the sale of fireworks. Seven per cent did not have any opinion on the subject. It shows that over half of viewers are for banning sale of fireworks.

Children buying and using fireworks

A significant percentage of people (eighty-three) asked if they would allow their children to buy and use fireworks responded "no". The rest of interviewed said "yes". That shows that there should be absolute ban on selling fireworks to children as it may be very harmful and dangerous for them.

Conclusion On the basis of the findings above, it would seem that majority of people find fireworks dangerous and they would claim a definite ban on selling them, especially to children. People also do not trust displays of fireworks which should be banned. They also suggest that government should take some actions to restrict laws associated fireworks and sale of fireworks.

Trip Report

A trip report is an informative document provided to one’s supervisor after their business travel. It includes the collection of events during the trip, the expenditure accrued during the trip and information regarding the purpose of the trip.

A trip report should be curated with the following elements in mind:

1. Purpose: The purpose of a trip report is to justify the purpose of the trip and the money that was spent by the travelling individual. Because trip reports provide proof of expenses, it is imperative that they are accurate and provide a clear explanation of the trip.

2. Audience: Trip reports are targeted towards one's immediate supervisor; however, the report may become a portion of a larger report, or it may be forwarded to other managers, accountants, and even CEOs. Trip reports eventually provide company accountants with information for yearly reports, projected annual budgets, and crucial information for tax filing.

3. Mode: While trip reports can be written as a letter, memo, or e-mail, you should remember that trip reports are official documents that should always be written in a formal tone. Whichever mode of communication that you choose or that you are instructed to use as a means for providing your information, you should plan, organize, and write your report following the convention of business genre and following correct writing conventions (grammar, punctuation, and usage).

It is essential to organise and structure the trip report into different headings and subheadings so as to make it easily readable.

4. Formatting and Elements of the Report:

A. Subject line: On the subject line, you should include the destination, purpose, and date of the trip.

B. Statement of purpose: The first line of the text of your report should be your statement of purpose or the purpose of the trip—be specific. Depending upon your position in the company, it may be necessary to include the name of the person who approved the travel.

C. Introductory summary: The summary can be divided into sections, depending upon the reason for the trip. In each section, you should elaborate so that your company will have information for a follow-up trip.

I. Contains the reason for the trip.

II. Who you met. You should always provide full names, titles, and conversations

That related to your trip.

III. What you accomplished. A work trip is planned for achieving a specific task which should be mentioned in detail.

D. Summary of actions: A description of the events that took place on the trip.

E. Depending on the report, you may be asked to provide recommendations based on your findings from the trip.

F. Outcomes: Describe any results of the trip.

G. Spreadsheet: Provide a detailed list of expenditures, and photo copied receipts. (Do not highlight the receipts. Highlighting can impair the quality of the copy.)

Complaint Report

Many companies encourage the use of complaint reports as the proper method of formally stating a complaint. These reports are usually used to address unsatisfactory transactions or conditions concerning a company. Writing a complaint report properly is key to getting your concern heard and the problem remedied.

A complaint report consists of the following elements:

The Heading

The heading part follows the format given below:

TO:              (The individual or company to whom the complaint is addressed)

FROM:           (The individual registering the complaint)

DATE:             (Current Date)

SUBJECT:           (The main purpose summed up in one sentence)

The Body

The body must contain an introduction where you should write the purpose of your report and what is the primary concern of the report. It should then include the main subject, in this case the complaint. The issue at hand should be properly discussed and you should try to provide reasonable solutions to the problem. The tone should not be aggressive at it would make it more difficult to find a suitable resolution to your grievances. The concluding sentence should sum up the report in 2-3 sentences, try to reiterate the key points you have mentioned earlier and try to suggest a few measures that would help in solving your issue.

Joining Report

A joining report is a report written to the immediate supervisor or manager in the event of returning to work after a leave or vacation. These reports are the shortest kinds of report only intimating the supervisor of one’s return to the job. A joining letter on the other hand refers to a letter written by an individual to confirm his position where he is newly appointed to work at an organisation.

There is no set format for a joining report but it can follow the template given below:

JOINING REPORT

I hereby report myself for duty after returning from leave from this day on ……………….. (forenoon/

Afternoon).

I have availed the following kinds of leave.

Earned leave for ……………………….. Days (from ……………… to ………… )

Half Pay leave for ……………………… days (from ……………… to ………… )

Commuted leave (MC) for ……………... Days (from ……………… to ………… )

EOL (with/without MC for …………days (from ……………… to ………… )

With permission to prefix/suffix holidays on ……………………..)

Signature: ……………

Name in block letter:

Designation: ………….

Laboratory Report

A laboratory report is a formal, analytical and concise record of an experiment. The discussion of the experiment, the various procedures and the subsequent results obtained should be clear and specific enough that a reader could easily replicate the experiment. One of the main purposes of writing a laboratory report is to communicate the work done in the laboratory to the management on a regular basis. Another reason for writing a laboratory report is to record an experiment for the future and archive it.

Format

Although most laboratory reports will include the following sections, some experiments will require a

Different format. All reports should be tailored so as to meet the requirements laid down by the experiment.

Abstract: The abstract should contain a brief informational synopsis of your experiment. It is advisable to keep the abstract under 200 words. While writing the abstract, assertive or declarative sentences should be used rather than writing a long descriptive prose.

Introduction: Here the background of the experiment which is to be undertaken is explained in a few lines. The introduction should explain the objectives you hope to achieve from the experiment. When appropriate, the background should indicate theoretical predictions.

Procedures (or Methods): This section includes a detailed set of instructions of how the experiment is ought to be conducted. Each instruction should be so precise that the reader should be able to replicate it if he so desired. There should be no ambiguity and error when it comes to numbers and quantities. All statistical information should be well organised.

Results and Discussion (sometimes presented as separate sections): This section must convey results relevant to the goals of the experiment. Here the analysis of the results obtained from the experiment must be carried out along with its implications. All possible sources of error should be acknowledged with potential solutions if any. Results can also be presented in the form of graphs and tables if the experiment needs it.

Conclusions: Here you should place the specific results acquired into the context of the experiment as a whole. The discussion section should serve as sufficient conclusion if the experiment and report is short. Remember to evaluate the results you obtained in light of the objectives stated in the introduction.

Appendices: This section must include the information which is too extensive or tangential to warrant inclusion in the main body of the report, but necessary as procedural or analytical evidence.