Parts of a Position paper

• Informal report


  • INFORMAL
• Formal report


  • FORMAL
• Informational report


  • INFORMATIONAL
• Recommendation report


  • RECOMMENDATION
• Report


  A major form of technical/business/professional communication. A description of an event by a person who witnessed it to somebody else who was not actually present on the scene. A description of the conditions that did exist, that do exist, or that are likely to exist. Formal in nature and is written for a specific purpose and audience.
• Informal report


  • Functions to inform, analyze, and recommend. Usually takes the form of a memo, letter, or a very short international document like a monthly financial report, monthly activities report, research and development report.
• Informal report


  • Differs from the formal report in length and formality. Written according to organization style and rules, but usually does not include the preliminary (front) and supplemental (back) material. More controversial in tone and typically deals with everyday problems and issues addressed to a narrow readership inside the organization.
• Types of informal reports


  • Progress Report
  • Sales activity report
  • Personnel evaluation
  • Financial report
  • Feasibility report
  • Literature review
  • Credit report
• Formal report


  • Collection and interpretation of data and information. Complex and used at an official level. Often a written account of a major project. Subject matter include new technologies, the advisability of launching a new project line, results of a study or experiment, an annual report, or a year-old review of developments in the field.
• Informational report


  • Present results so readers can understand a particular problem or situation. Present information on the status of current research or of a project. Present an update of the operation in your division. Explain how your organization or division does something. Present the results of a questionnaire or research.
• Analytical report


  • Goes a step beyond presenting results. Attempt to describe why or how something happened and then to explain what it means. Can be formal or informal. Explain what caused a problem or situation. Explain the potential results of a particular course of action. Suggest which option, action, or procedure is best.
• Recommendation report


  • Advocates a particular course of action. Identical to analytical report. Example: Your analytical report suggests using treatment X is more efficient than treatments Y and Z. However, that does not mean that you will use treatment X as cost and other considerations might recommend treatment Y.