Organizing and Outlining The Report MiniLecture Presented By
Organizing and Outlining The Report Mini-Lecture Presented By: Thiam Seng Hongyi Hui Teng
Agenda n Various ways of organizing the data n Different sections of the report n Preparing an outline for the report
Organizing the Data n Compare and Contrast n Cause – Effect n Problem Solving n Functional n Geographical n Chronological
Compare and Contrast To identify a suitable restaurant for a Valentine’s Day dinner 1. Location • • Fullerton’s Town Restaurant Raffles Courtyard 2. Quality of Food • • Fullerton’s Town Restaurant Raffles Courtyard 3. Atmosphere • • Fullerton’s Town Restaurant Raffles Courtyard Fullerton’s Town Restaurant is suitable in terms of location, quality of food and atmosphere
Cause - Effect To evaluate the impact of not buying a present for the girlfriend on Valentine’s Day Dead Man Diagram Too busy No ideas Rush Work Dissatisfied Girlfriend Can’t be bothered Consult Friends Not enough money Causes Effect Possible Solutions Not buying a present for the girlfriend on Valentine’s Day would make her dissatisfied
Problem-Solving To evaluate some ways of pacifying the girlfriend effectively 1. Extent of her dissatisfaction (problem) Effects a. b. 2. Causes of her dissatisfaction a. b. Causes 3. Suggestions to pacify her a. b. Possible Solutions Surprising the girlfriend with a present the next day will most likely pacify her
Functional To evaluate the feasibility of sending the girlfriend to and fro The girlfriend demands to be sent to and from work The boss is busy but would like to meet her demands The morning traffic jams might cause the boss to report late for work The boss should only fetch her home from work
Geographical To study the time consumption by ferrying the girlfriend to various locations Legend • Boss • Girlfriend • Home • Head Office • Boss’ Office • Factory • Retail Shop The boss should only send his girlfriend to work if she has to report to her head office
Chronological To examine when would be the greatest time to propose to the girlfriend 1. 0 – 1 Month • Courting process takes place 2. 1 Month to 1 Year • • Puppy love Smooth relationship 3. 1 to 3 Years • • Tend to quarrel more Know each other better 4. More than 3 Years • • Learn to give and take Stabilized relationship The boss should only propose if the relationship with the girlfriend stabilized after more than 3 years
Sections of a Report Title page n Table of Contents n Introduction n Findings n Conclusions n Recommendations n References n
Title Page n Report title n The name (of a person or company) for whom the report has been prepared n Author’s name and the company or university which originated the report n Date completed
Table of contents Shows report organization n Should list each major section n Use additional descriptive headings for a long section n
Introduction n Background n History of the problem n Factors causing the need for the report n Report authorization n Helps readers to understand the report
Introduction n n Purpose n What the report should accomplish n e. g. The purpose of this report is to identify a suitable restaurant for a Valentine’s Day dinner. Scope n States the ground covered by the report n e. g. The two different restaurants to be compared and contrasted are Fullerton’s Town Restaurant and Raffles Courtyard.
Introduction Limitations n Research methods and sources n n n Data collection through primary or secondary sources Report organization n What topics are covered and in what order
Findings The objective presentation of your data through texts, charts, and tables
Findings n Present the data objectively n e. g. √ The number of visits to the cinema has fallen by 60% in 2004 as compared to 2003. X The number of visits to the cinema has fallen drastically. Must reflect your purpose n Able to lead readers toward the conclusion n
Findings n Compare a part to the whole
Findings n n Compare items over time/ shows distribution/ shows correlation Show frequency
Conclusions n n Evaluation of data Summarize your findings and generalize their importance concisely No new ideas should be included May raise unanswered questions and ambiguous data
Recommendations Recommend actions to be taken n Itemize in bullet points for simple situations n Make alternatives clear n Give your rationale after each difficult recommendation n
References n n n What sources did you refer to? Is your data credible? Allows other researchers to build on your research e. g. Anders M. Dale, Bruce Fischl, and Martin I. Sereno. "Cortical Surface-Based Analysis. " pages 179 -194 Neuro. Image Ed. Arthur W. Toga Volume 9 Number 2 February 1999. http: //owl. english. purdue. edu/workshops/hypertext/report. W/intro duction. html
Outlines
Preparation of an Outline § § § What is an outline Importance of an Outline Structure of an Outline Follow the Principles of Outlining Use Appropriate Heading
What is an outline? An outline is a schematic diagram that helps to guide your investigation
Importance of an Outline § To visualize the relationships among the various parts § To prevent omitting critical ideas due to production blocking § To communicate in a more systematic way § To insert transitions so that the message is coherent § To serve as the basic structure of the report
Structure of an outline Using a numbering system: Alpha-numeric I FIRST LEVEL A Second level 1 Third level a) Fourth level Decimal 1 FIRST LEVEL 1. 1 Second level 1. 1. 1 Third level 1. 1 Fourth level
Structure of an outline Using a schematic approach: A message organization chart Main Idea I. Major point A. Evidence B. Evidence III. Major point C. Evidence A. Evidence B. Evidence
Follow the Principles of Outlining § Avoid single subdivisions § Balance the divisions § Avoid too many sub-divisions § Use mechanics to distinguish levels Outline 1. 0 XXXX 1. 1 XXXXXX 2. 0 XXXX 2. 1 XXXX 2. 2 XXXX 3. 0 XXXX 3. 1 XXXX 3. 2 XXXX 3. 3 XXXX 3. 4 XXXX 3. 5 XXXX 3. 6 XXXX 3. 7 XXXX Negative Example
Use Appropriate Headings Topic Heading I. Industry Characteristics A. Annual sales B. Profitability C. Growth rate 1. Sales 2. Profit Talking Heading VS I. Flour milling is a mature industry. A. Market is large. B. Profit margins are narrow C. Growth is modest. 1. Sales growth averages less than 3 percent a year. 2. Growth in profits is flat.
Use Appropriate Headings § Broad yet specific § Concise and clear § Example Ways to Increase Plant Productivity § § § Parallel in structure § Improving Training and Supervision Improving the Flexibility of Workers’ Hours Improving Workers’ Benefits
A Brief Summary § 6 Basic Ways of Organizing Data • • • Compare and Contrast Cause-Effect Problem-Solving • • • Functional Geographical Chronological § 7 Main Sections of a Report 1. 2. 3. 4. Title Page Table of Contents Introduction Findings 5. Conclusions 6. Recommendations 7. References § Preparation of an Outline
Q&A
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