Gap filling: Chap 9

Analytical reports: Reports that analyze data, draw conclusions, and typically try to persuade the reader to accept the conclusions and act on the recommendations. 

Business reports: Varying greatly in length, content, form, and formality level, they all have one or more of the following purposes: to convey information, answer questions, and solve problems.

Conference reports: Also referred to as trip reports, they often inform management about business trends, new procedures, innovative equipment, legal requirements, or other information that would affect their products, operations, and service.

Executive summary: A condensed version of a long report, proposal, or business plan, concentrating on what management needs to know from a longer report. 

Feasibility reports: Examines the practicality and advisability of following a course of action.

Formal writing style: Characterized by objectivity, authority, and impartiality, it is appropriate for proposals and long research reports. 

Functional headings: One- or two-word labels that show the outline of a report but provide little insight about the contents.

Infographics: Visual representations of data or information.

Informal writing style: Characterized by a friendly tone, first-person pronouns, and shorter sentences, it is often used to send short internal business reports to familiar audiences on noncontroversial topics.

Informational reports: Present data without analysis or recommendations.

Internal proposals: Reports distributed within a company that justify or recommend something, such as buying equipment, changing a procedure, hiring an employee, consolidating departments, or investing funds; also called justification/recommendation reports. 

Interim reports: Also known as project reports, they describe the status of continuing projects.

Justification reports: Reports that justify or recommend actions, such as buying equipment, changing a procedure, filling a position, consolidating departments, or investing funds; also called recommendation reports or internal proposals.

Letter format: Contains a date, inside address, salutation, and complimentary close and usually longer and more carefully organized than typical letters.

Manuscript format: Usually printed on plain paper without letterhead or memo header, they begin with a title followed by systematically displayed headings and subheadings.

Meeting minutes: Summarize the proceedings of meetings.

Memo format: Reports that begin with essential background information, using standard headings: Date, To, From, and Subject and differing from regular memos in length, use of headings, and deliberate organization.

Portable document format (PDF): A file type, invented by Adobe, that condenses documents while preserving the formatting and graphics.

Primary data: Results from firsthand experience and observation.

Problem statement: Helps clarify the task and defines the report’s purpose and scope.

Progress reports: Also known as interim reports, they describe the status of continuing projects.

Purpose statement: Defines the focus of a report and provides a standard that keeps the project on target.

Recommendation reports: Reports that justify or recommend actions, such as buying equipment, changing a procedure, filling a position, consolidating departments, or investing funds; also called justification reports or internal proposals.

Secondary data: Comes from reading what others have experienced or observed and recorded.

Slide deck: A digital slideshow.

Summary: Compresses the main points from a book, report, article, website, meeting, or convention.

Talking headings: Designed to provide information and spark interest.

Templates: Digital forms usually made available on the company intranet or the Internet and suitable for repetitive data, such as monthly sales reports, performance appraisals, merchandise inventories, and personnel and financial reports.

Trip reports: Also referred to as conference reports, they often inform management about business trends, new procedures, innovative equipment, legal requirements, or other information that would affect their products, operations, and service.

Yardstick reports: Examines problems with two or more solutions to determine the best