Transcript Learning Outcomes from Report

Learning Outcomes from the
Analytical Report Unit
• Understand what makes reports effective
(in general)
• Be able to articulate a purpose statement
• Be able to create a structure for decision
making
• Be able to engage in critical analysis and
to draw conclusions from your analysis of
data
• Be able to create a report and include its
necessary components
Analytical Reports Are about Thinking
Your ability to engage in “critical anslysis”
implies that you can do the following:
• Articulate questions
• Search appropriate sources to address
those questions
• Articulate your evaluative criteria
• Evaluate and interpret your findings
• Draw conclusions and make
recommendations
Class Activity
Think about an important, recent purchase
you made. How did you go about making
the decision?
Information vs. Persuasion vs. Analysis
• An informational report simply relays information
– No problem to be solved except the need for more
information
– Contextless, audienceless = fictional
• A persuasive report implies a lack of context
– Consider how an outcome will be different depending
on its context
– Persuasive reports usually involve hypothetical ideal
situations
• An analytical report provides a foundation for
decision-making.
– Who cares about the information in the report?
– Why do they care?
Analytical reports are all about coming
up with the best course of action in any
given situation.
Why are purpose statements
important?
• They clearly identify the subject and scope
of your report.
• They indicate the report’s purpose to its
readers.
• Provides a “clear focus” for your report
• Allows you to define the content and
organization of the report
• Tells readers how the report will fulfill their
need(s) for information
The format of a purpose statement
•
You should articulate your purpose
statement in a single sentence.
– “The purpose of this report is . . .”
•
•
Make reference to the problem you
address in the report
Explain how your report will address the
issue at hand.
• Canadian geese are interesting birds.
• Canadian geese are interesting birds.
• Canadian geese are remarkable for their
ability to fly and honk simultaneously.
• Canadian geese are interesting birds.
• Canadian geese are remarkable for their
ability to fly and honk simultaneously.
• Canadian geese are causing problems for
cities and golf courses.
• The purpose of this report is to
recommend strategies that cities and golf
courses can take to deal with the problem
of the increasing Canadian geese
population.
Class Activity: Identify the true
purpose statement(s).
1. LED lighting is a feasible alternative to
fluorescent lighting.
2. In this report, I evaluate the feasibility of
LED lighting as an alternative to fluorescent
lighting.
3. LED stands for light-emitting diode.
4. The purpose of this report is to consider
whether LED lighting is a reasonable
alternative for fluorescent lighting.
Class Activity: Identify the true
purpose statement(s).
1. Yucca Mountain is the United States’ best
option for the disposal of nuclear fuel
wastes.
2. Nuclear fuel waste should be stored
underground.
3. I don’t think we should use nuclear fuel.
4. The purpose of this report is to consider
alternatives for nuclear fuel waste disposal
and to recommend that the U.S. move
forward with its plans to bury nuclear fuel
waste in Yucca Mountain.
Class Activity: Identify the true
purpose statement(s).
1. The purpose of this report is to recommend
that MSU use student fees to support the
proposed new campus recreation facilities.
2. MSU should use student fees to support the
proposed new campus recreation facilities.
3. The purpose of this report is to evaluate the
feasibility of MSU’s proposal to build new
campus recreation facilities.
4. Students cannot bear the additional costs
proposed by MSU’s administration.
• MSU parking
• Gage Complex
cafeteria food
• Chronic wasting
disease
• Samuel Alito
• Nutrasweet
• Skateboards and
sidewalks
• Employee
absenteeism
• Green construction
• Dual processor
systems
• Christopher
Columbus
•More . . .
Class Activity
• Write two purpose statements on the
same subject. One statement should be
for an informative or persuasive report and
one statement should be for an analytical
report.
Class Activity: Identify key words in
purpose statements that indicate
an analytical report
The Structure of Decision-Making in
Analytical Reports
• NOT pro/con
• NOT hypothesis-based
• An analytical report implies an openness
to discovery, which hypotheses and
pro/con decision-making structures do not
accommodate
– What is the reason?
– Which is the best?
– Is this a good idea?
Situation: you’re in the choir and you’ve
volunteered to do some work to consider
the possibility of having the choir
participate in a European tour in 2007.
Consider how the following decision-making
structures impact the results of the report:
• Pro/con
• Hypothesis
• Is a 2007 European tour feasible (i.e. a
good and practical idea)?
Choir trip: Pro/con argument
Pros
Cons
Would give choir
members a chance to
broaden their
boundaries.
Would increase the
stature of MSU’s choir.
Expensive
Would be a good
experience for the
members and directors.
Next year’s seniors
wouldn’t be able to
participate.
The choir’s last trip was
to Europe.
Choir trip: Hypothesis
Hypothesis:
The MSU choir should participate in a
European tour in 2007.
Decision-making structure:
Reason #1 it should participate.
Reason #2 it should participate.
Reason #3 it should participate.
Choir trip: Feasibility
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Is Europe the best place to go?
Is 2007 the best time to go?
When in 2007 would we tour?
Which choirs would participate?
How would we fund the trip?
Are members and directors in support of the idea?
Are there any political problems involved in having
the choir take a 2007 European tour?
8. Where, in Europe, would we perform?
Types of Reports for Decision-Making
The text identifies three types of reports for
decision-making:
1. Causal analysis (why does “x” happen?)
2. Comparative analysis (is “x” or “y” better?)
3. Feasibility analysis (is “x” a good idea?)
Each of these types of reports is driven by
different key questions.
Structure of a Causal Report
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Why does “x” happen?
Identify the problem.
Identify possible causes of “x”
happening.
Evaluate those causes.
Identify the most likely cause.
Recommend a course of action.
Scenario: Employee morale at Company
Yuck is low. Why? And what can the
company do to increase morale?
Structure of a Comparative Report
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Is “x” or “y” better?
Identify the problem.
Identify “x” and “y” (and “z” . . .)
Identify evaluative criteria.
Evaluate “x,” “y,” and “z” according to
your criteria (see p. 639, #4).
Recommend “x,” “y,” or “z.”
Scenario: Company Yuck plans to purchase
a new die-cutting machine. Which
machine will be best?
Structure of a Feasibility Report
1.
2.
3.
4.
Is “x” a good idea?
Identify the problem.
Identify “x” as a prospective solution.
Evaluate “x” according to as many
criteria as seem relevant/important.
Recommend “x” – or not.
Scenario: Company Yuck is considering
implementing a wellness program for its
employees. Should they?
See page 639 for incredibly useful
“Guidelines for Reasoning through an
Analytical Problem.”
Making a Compelling Argument
• Avoid bias
• Present an accurate and balanced argument by
fairly and ethically considering the data you find in
your investigation.
• Explain why your criteria/questions/possible causes
are important – why they’re the right criteria.
• Weigh criteria/questions/causes evenly, giving each
the same consideration/critical evaluation.
• Make sure that your recommendation is consistent
with your findings. Don’t conveniently disregard
disagreeable data as you formulate your
recommendation.
Analytical Report Format:
Introduction
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Engage and orient the audience
Provide brief background
Identify your topic’s origin and significance
Define or describe the problem or issue
Explain the report’s purpose
Briefly identify your research methods
Explain data omissions
List working definitions but if you have more than two or
three, place them in a glossary
• List the topics you have researched
• Briefly preview your conclusion
Analytical Report Format: Body
• Describe and explain your findings
• Present a clear and detailed picture of the
evidence, interpretations, and reasoning
on which you will base your conclusion
• Divide topics into subtopics
• Use informative headings as aids to
navigation
• (See page 639 and the previous slides for
decision-making structures)
Analytical Report Format:
Conclusion
• Summarize to accurately reflect the body
of the report
• Offer an interpretation consistent with the
findings in the summary
• Present recommendations that are
consistent with the report’s purpose,
evidence, and interpretations.
• Do not offer new facts in the conclusion.