Deck 8: Technical Reports

Question 1

Readers who do not have time to read your entire report will typically read only the…

A) Introduction
B) Significance
C) Summary
D) Results

Answer 1

C
Explanation: None of your readers will read your entire report unless it's a single page. Different readers will read different sections of your report according to their needs. Almost all your readers will read the summary-make sure this section exemplifies clarity and conciseness. The busier your reader, particularly those who receive dozens and hundreds of documents daily, the more important are directness, clarity, and conciseness if you want this reader to read your document. If a report doesn't have a concise, readable summary, readers will flip to the end to find the conclusions. If they can't find those easily, they likely will not read any portion of the report.

Question 2

What does a recommendation report focus on?

A) Creativity
B) Providing statistics.
C) Providing recommendations.
D) Providing information for instructions.

Answer 2

C
Explanation: Analysis reports go beyond just providing information. Analysis reports generally evaluate data, draw conclusions, and provide recommendations based on the data analysis. There are several different types of analysis reports, each serving a specific purpose.
Recommendation report - Focuses on a recommendation.

Question 3

A report that describes and evaluates work being done on a project, money expended, and other information associated with the project is what type of report?

A) Evaluation report
B) Status report
C) Progress report
D) Both b and c are correct.

Answer 3

D
Explanation: Analysis reports go beyond just providing information. Analysis reports generally evaluate data, draw conclusions, and provide recommendations based on the data analysis. There are several different types of analysis reports, each serving a specific purpose.
Progress report (status report) - Informs and analyses by describing and evaluating the work done on a project, the money expended, and problems encountered.

Question 4

A report that analyzes a problem and presents possible solutions to the problem, criteria for determining the best solution, and expresses the best solutions based on the criteria determined is what type of report?

A) Conciseness
B) Readability
C) Images
D) Both a and b are correct.

Question 5

If you recently travelled for a work event and was asked to report on what you discovered at the event, what type of report would you be writing?

A) Evaluation report
B) Trip report
C) Recommendation report
D) Feasibility report

Question 6

A report that analyzes a problem and presents possible solutions to the problem, criteria for determining the best solution, and expresses the best solutions based on the criteria determined is what type of report?

A) Conciseness
B) Readability
C) Images
D) Both a and b are correct.

Question 7

What category of reports do internal communications fall under?

A) Formal
B) Professional
C) Category report
D) Informal

Question 8

What element of a memo heading refers to a previously written report, company policies, or to items such as engineering specifications and legal issues?

A) Refers To
B) Action Items
C) Required Reading
D) References

Question 9

What memo heading displays what you need your readers to do after reading the memo?

A) To Do Task
B) What Is Required?
C) Subject
D) Action Required

Question 10

What is a common section of an informal technical report?

A) Subject
B) Summary
C) Discussion
D) All of the above.

Question 11

In what section of a technical report do you support each point you stated in the introduction?

A) References
B) Conclusion
C) Discussion
D) Introduction

Question 12

What do the prefatory elements of formal report allow your reader to do?

A) Skip reading your report entirely.
B) Get redirected to the online version of the report.
C) Understand the topic of your report and the rhetorical purpose of the report.
D) Obtain the complete results of your study.

Question 13

Who should you address the letter of transmittal to?

A) Always the CEO
B) Every individual who will ultimately receive the report.
C) The individual who will initially receive the report.
D) All of the above.

Question 14

What two pieces of informaiton should a letter of transmittal ALWAYS contain?

A) Statement of transmittal and Reason for the report
B) Subject and Topic
C) Recipient's name and Title
D) Subject and purpose of the report and Letter of Transmittal

Question 15

What is the most important prefatory element in a formal report?

A) Title page
B) Table of Contents
C) Abstract and Summary
D) Letter of Transmittal

Question 16

In a formal report, what are you trying to persuade your readers?

Question 17

Although you can arrange your main body of a formal report by topic or in a chronological order, but each paragraph in your discussion follows clear structure. Briefly explain how effective paragraphs should be written in a formal report.

Question 18

Briefly explain the two ways the body of a report can be organized.

Question 19

If you were asked to lead a team writing a formal report, what tasks would you set for yourself during the all-important planning stage?

Question 20

What items are usually found in the heading of Informal Reports and what are their functions? Answer this question as an Informal Report.

Question 21

What function do reports serve in the workplace?

A) They provide recommendations.
B) They provide analysis data.
C) They provide conclusive data.
D) All of the above.

Question 22

A report that analyzes a problem and presents possible solutions to the problem, criteria for determining the best solution, and expresses the best solutions based on the criteria determined is what type of report?

A) Credibility report
B) Leasing report
C) Feasibility report
D) Comprehensive report

Question 23

A report that may evaluate personal data, financial options, and possible solutions to problems is what type of report?

A) Evaluation report
B) Conclusive report
C) Encouraging report
D) Recommendation report

Question 24

As a supervisor at work, you are required to submit reports of employees' performance and provide suggestions for improving their performance; in this case, what type of report are you writing?

A) Personnel report
B) Feasibility report
C) Evaluative report
D) Personal report

Question 25

What is an economic justification report?

A) A report that analyses a problem and provides solutions; based on available resources, determines criteria against which to measure possible solutions as well as methods of applying criteria and analyzing solutions against the criteria.
B) Another name for a status resport.
C) A report that explains the cost of a project or action and then argues for the cost-effectiveness of the project.
D) A report that describes the demographics of an economy.

Question 26

For what audience is a formal report written for?

A) Doctors only
B) Readers outside of an organization.
C) Readers inside the organization if the report regards a major project.
D) Both a and c are correct.

Question 27

The arrangement of a report's components depends on what you believe your readers…

A) Can handle
B) Want
C) Willingness
D) Passion

Question 28

How many pages is a typical formal report?

A) At least 5 pages
B) 10 pages or more
C) 25 pages at a maximum
D) 50 pages

Question 29

In what section of a technical report do you state what your report is about?

A) Introduction
B) Summary
C) Subject
D) Both a and c are correct.

Question 30

All formal reports include a

A) Prefatory Elements
B) Abstracts
C) Discussion or Body section
D) All of the above.

Question 31

What is a descriptive abstract?

A) An abstract that is used as a literature review.
B) An abstract that includes the research objectives and methods, findings and principal results, but cannot be used as a substitute for reading the complete report.
C) An abstract that contains links to external information.
D) An abstract that includes all of the content areas or topics covered in a report or article. It states what the topics of the full report contains.

Question 32

The "Introduction" in a formal report should include all but one of the following:

A) All necessary attachments.
B) The purpose for sending the report.
C) Background that will help the reader understand the topic.
D) A clear statement of the subject.

Question 33

Which statement is correct about the conclusion of a report?

A) It is basically an appendix and seldom read.
B) It restates or summarizes the ideas covered in the discussion.
C) It may contain additional information that has not been presented yet in the report.
D) It paragraphs the literature review.

Question 34

In a formal report, the introduction and summary

A) are combined in many reports.
B) are combined in all reports.
C) are never combined.
D) should not be combined.

Question 35

Reports provide all but one of the following:

A) Information
B) Analysis
C) Opinion
D) Recommendations

Question 36

Who is the audience of an executive summary?

Question 37

What is the purpose of a progress report?

Question 38

What are the two types of abstracts?

Question 39

List the prefatory elements of a formal report and explain the importance of each to the success of the report.

Question 40

Name and describe one kind of analysis report and a scenario in which you would write this type of report.