Chapter 5: Writing Informal Reports
Chapter Learning Objectives
In this chapter you will
- examine when proposals are used;
- identify various types of proposals and typical proposal contents;
- explore when and how incident and inspection reports are written;
- determine the purpose and organization of feasibility/recommendation reports; and
- identify the purpose and format of progress reports.
Chapter Overview
Sometimes, more complex information, including some findings based on observations, inspections, and/or research must be conveyed in longer documents, called reports. Since reports are decision-making documents, it is critical that the information conveyed in such documents is supported by evidence and delivered with precision. Reports are often categorized as internal or external as well as informal or formal. You will format your report accordingly, depending on the writing context and your audience.
This chapter will inform you of the different types of informal, short reports—including proposals, incident reports, inspection reports, feasibility/recommendation reports, and progress reports—and the purpose each type serves within technical contexts.
