Writing the First Draft

1
Writing the First Draft

• ENGL 3100
• Dr. Shelley Thomas
• Based on Dr. Brenda Orbells
• original presentation

2
Report Writing

• Structure of Report Body
• Introduction Context for reading the report
• what the report is about
• why the report is significant to the client
• how the report is structured

3
Report Writing

• Structure of Report Body
• Body Results and Discussion
• vary according to type of report being
  investigated
• order should be chosen for understanding of
  analysis (and sometimes for rhetorical effect)
• basic content
• description of problem, solution, criteria
• results of analysis
• discussion of what it means

4
Report Writing

• Structure of Report Body
• Conclusions, Recommendations, Plan of Action
• present a summary of the findings (often by
  criterion) and what they mean for solving the
  problem
• recommend a decision or plan of action that
  follows logically from the conclusions

5
Is Solution X a feasible solution for Problem Y?

• Introduction
• Description of Problem Y
• Description of Criteria Required for Effective
  Solution
• Methodology
• Description of Solution X
• Analysis of Solution X
• Criterion 1
• Criterion 2
• Criterion 3
• Conclusions
• Recommendation

6
Is Solution X or Z a better solution for Problem
Y?

• Introduction
• Description of Problem Y
• Description of Criteria Required for Effective
  Solutions
• Description of Solutions X and Z

• Analysis of Solution X
• Criterion 1
• Criterion 2
• Criterion 3 ...
• Analysis of Solution Z
• Criterion 1
• Criterion 2
• Criterion 3
• Conclusions
• Recommendation

7
Is Solution X or Z a better solution for Problem
Y?

• Introduction
• Description of Problem Y
• Description of Criteria Required for Effective
  Solutions
• Methodology
• Description of Solutions X and Z
• Analysis of Solutions by Criterion 1
• Solution X
• Solution Z

• Analysis of Solutions by Criterion 2
• Solution X
• Solution Z
• Analysis of Solutions by Criterion 3
• Solution X
• Solution Z
• Conclusions
• Recommendations

8
Why is Problem Y occurring and what can be done
about it?

• Introduction
• Description of problem
• Needs assessment
• Methods used to analyze problem
• Analysis of what is happening
• Issue 1
• Issue 2

• Analysis of why Y is happening
• Cause 1
• Cause 2
• Conclusions
• Recommendations or plan of action for solving
  problem
• Action 1
• Action 2

9
First Draft of Recommendation Report

• Length (at least 3 single-spaced pages per team
  member) text only, save graphics for later
• Clear structure (use one of the outlines
  provided)
• Paragraphs (not one long paragraph for each
  section)
• Provide page numbers

10
First Draft of Recommendation Report

• This draft needs to contain as much of the report
  body as you can write.
• Remember this is a DRAFT you may leave questions
  for me, notes for yourself, or place holders for
  graphics.
• I will award points based on page length. Your
  team may want to divide up the report information
  into logical chunks. You will have time to put
  the report together when you revise.