Reports and Other Longer Documents Continued (pg 207-275)

Reports and Other Longer Documents Continued (pg 207-275)

Creating Visuals (Oliu, Brusaw, and Alred)
-Plan visuals as you are drafting (incorporate them into your outline)
Criteria for Visuals
-Have a reason for a visual
-Eliminate unnecessary arrows, labels, boxes, etc.
-Define all acronyms, add a key if needed. Keep terminology between text and visual consistent.
-Give units where needed
-Keep lettering readable; have concise captions.
-Assign a figure number for documents with 5 or more illustrations; also include a list if five or more following the table of contents.
-Refer to figure number in text of document.
-Place visuals as close as possible to the text where they are discussed.
-Let the visuals stand out by putting white space around them.
Tables
-Table number, title
-Boxhead-column headings with units
-Stub-left vertical column and includes all items to be shown in body
-Body-data
-Rules/Lines-used to separate table into various parts; don’t use vertical rules to enclose sides of table?
-Source line-below table and states where you got the data
-Footnotes-used to explain items in the table
-Continuing tables- if continue to next page repeat headings with a continued label as well
-Ethics- have to get permission to use copyrighted illustrations
Graphs
-They present numerical data in visual form showing trends and distributions better than tables.
-Less accurate than a table so often accompanied by a table, which gives exact numbers.
Line Graph
-Shows the relationship between two or more sets of figures
-Vertical axis represents amounts usually, while horizontal usually represents increments of time
-Have a zero point where the axes intersect, and equally proportioned divisions for horizontal and vertical (increase by 5 each time, etc).
-Include enough points, gridlines, and a source line.
-Ethics- Don’t distort data!
Bar Graph
-Often used to show different types of information during different periods of time; quantities of the same kind of information over different periods of time; quantities of different information during a fixed period of time; and quantities of the different parts that make up a whole (examples 217-20).
Pie Graph
-Shows part of a whole; circle often equals 100 percent.
-Try to begin at 12 o’clock position and go from largest fraction to smallest.
-Make each wedge distinct (shaded, striped)
-Provide the percent value for each wedge.
Picture Graph
-Modified bar graphs that use pictures to represent the item for which data are presented.
-Easy for nonexpert audiences to understand
-Each symbol should represent a specific number of units, and show larger quantities by increasing the number of symbols and not the size of the symbol.
Dimensional-Column Graphs
-Complicated appearance so can be harder to interpret.
-Can obscure information depending on appearance.
Drawings
-Useful when reader needs an impression of object’ appearance or overview of a series of steps or directions.
Flowcharts
-Diagram that shows the stages of a process from beginning to end.
-Flow left to right or top to bottom in order in which steps occur.
Organizational Charts
-Show how components of an organization are related to one another.
Maps
-Can be used to show specific geographic features (roads, rivers) or to show information according to geographic distribution (houses, populations).
-Make sure to include a scale and indicate direction.
Photographs
-Used to show surface appearance or to record an event or the development of a phenomenon over time.
-Color can help communicate important information (medical books).

Strategies of Persuasion (Ewing)
Rules for Persuasion
1. Consider Whether Your Views Will Make Problems for Readers
-use empathy and tact

2. Don’t Offer New Ideas, Directives, or Recommendations for Change Until Your Readers are Prepared for Them
-Depends on extent of your audience’s resistance to change, the amount of change you are asking for, the uncertainty in the readers’ minds as to your understanding of the situation, and the “perceived threat” of your communication.
-Use common sense but remember you must be explicit in writing because it lacks expressiveness and visual

3. Your Credibility with Readers Affects Your Strategy
-Two types of credibility: given and acquired.
-Given may result from position in organization.
-Acquired credibility is earned by thoughts and facts in the written message. Can cite authorities to gain credibility.

4. If Your Audience Disagrees with Your Ideas or Is Uncertain about Them, Present Both Sides of the Argument
-Shows you are objective
-Treats readers as a mature, informed individual.

5. Win Respect by Making Your Opinion or Recommendation Clear
-Don’t maybe this or maybe that-because in that case nothing gets done.

6. Put Your Strongest Points Last if the Audience is Very Interested in the Argument, First if It Is Not so Interested
-Should be either first or last not in the middle.
-First is primacy and last is recency

7. Don’t Count on Changing Attitudes by Offering Information Alone
-Depends on conditions.

8. “Testimonials” Are Most Likely to Be Persuasive if Drawn from People with Whom Readers Associate
-People’s attitudes and opinions are strongly influenced by the groups to which he
or she belongs (churches, social clubs, ethnic associations, etc.)

9. Be Wary of Using Extreme or “Sensational” Claims and Facts
-Write in terms of the real world as you and your readers perceive it.
-Outlandish comments gain attention but provoke distrust and suspicion.

10. Tailor Your Presentation To the Reasons for Readers’ Attitudes, if You Know Them.
-Especially important if you are trying to change the readers’ attitudes.

11. Never Mention Other People without Considering Their Possible Effect on the Reader
-Mentioning another person can alter your relationship with readers.
-The person could be a friend or an enemy, and the readers will begin thinking
about how your communication will impact their relationship.
-Be careful who you copy reports to as well.

Be Knowledgeable about your readers and remember they are real people.

Proposals (Kolin)
Guidelines for Writing a Successful Proposal
1. Approach proposal as problem solving activity- Solve a problem that affects the reader. It will keep you on track.
2. Regard your audience as skeptical readers-Don’t be overconfident.
3. Research your proposal carefully- Concrete examples persuade readers, unsupported generalizations don’t.
4. Prove that your proposal is workable- No if statements; shouldn’t exceed capabilities.
5. Be sure that your proposal is financially realistic- especially in today’s economy.
6. Package your proposal attractively- Appearance can determine acceptance.

Internal Proposals
-Help company run more efficiently and economically.
-In house message so informal and brief.
-Remember audience
-Parts include: Intro, Background of Problem, Solution/Plan (workable/cost effective), Conclusion.

Sales Proposals
-External proposal, and it is used to sell products or services.
-Audience-business executives; how does it meet requirements (“you attitude”)
-Parts include: Intro (purpose and background of problem), Description of the Proposed Product or Service, Timeable (show can do it in right time), Costs, Qualifications of Your Company, Conclusion

Writing Proposals with Style (Richard Johnson-Sheehan)
-Style works at different levels from sentence to paragraph to document, etc.
-Write plain sentences-use appropriate sentence structure (subject, verb)
-Avoid excessive prepositional phrases
-Sentence should be spoken in one breath.
-Plain Paragraphs- transition sentence, topic sentence, support sentences, point sentence
-Given/New Method: sentences should contain something readers know and something new.
-Appropriate to use passive voice when readers don’t need to know who or what is doing something in the sentence and the subject of the sentence is what the sentence is about (ex. 273).