Report Writing - How to Format a Business Report

Introduction

Report writing is a time consuming business so it is a great shame if, having devoted all that time to writing your report, the quality is such that hardly anyone can be bothered to read it. Quite frankly, most report readers do not actually read all the report; they are too short of time. You might as well know it and accept it -- that is normal. They only read the parts that interest them. Frequently these are the summary, the conclusions and recommendations.

READING GAMES FOR KIDS

Of course, some readers do need all the details you so carefully included, they are specialists, but most do not. Most readers just need two things: that the information they want is where they expect it to be so they can find it, and that it is written clearly so that they can understand it.

It is similar to reading a newspaper. You expect the news headlines to be on the front page; the sports coverage to be at the back; the TV listings on page whatever and the editorial comment in the middle. If what you want is not in its usual place then you have to hunt for it and you may get irritated. So it is with a report.

There is a convention as to what goes where. Stick with the convention and please your readers. Break the convention and people may get slightly irritated - and bin your report.

So what is that convention, the standard format?

Standard Sections

Title Section. In a short report this may simply be the front cover. In a long one it could also include Terms of Reference, Table of Contents and so on.

Summary. Give a clear and very concise account of the main points, main conclusions and main recommendations. Keep it very short, a few percent of the total length. Some people, especially senior managers, may not read anything else so write as if it were a stand-alone document. It isn't but for some people it might as well be. Keep it brief and free from jargon so that anyone can understand it and get the main points. Write it last, but do not copy and paste from the report itself; that rarely works well.

Introduction. This is the first part of the report proper. Use it to paint the background to 'the problem' and to show the reader why the report is important to them. Give your terms of reference (if not in the Title Section) and explain how the details that follow are arranged. Write it in plain English.

Main Body. This is the heart of your report, the facts. It will probably have several sections or sub-sections each with its own subtitle. It is unique to your report and will describe what you discovered about 'the problem'.

These sections are most likely to be read by experts so you can use some appropriate jargon but explain it as you introduce it. Arrange the information logically, normally putting things in order of priority -- most important first. In fact, follow that advice in every section of your report.

You may choose to include a Discussion in which you explain the significance of your findings.

Conclusions. Present the logical conclusions of your investigation of 'the problem'. Bring it all together and maybe offer options for the way forward. Many people will read this section. Write it in plain English. If you have included a discussion then this section may be quite short.

Recommendations. What do you suggest should be done? Don't be shy; you did the work so state your recommendations in order of priority, and in plain English.

Appendices. Put the heavy details here, the information that only specialists are likely to want to see. As a guide, if some detail is essential to your argument then include it in the main body, if it merely supports the argument then it could go in an appendix.

Conclusions and Recommendations

In conclusion, remember that readers expect certain information to be in certain places. They do not expect to hunt for what they want and the harder you make it for them the more likely they are to toss you report to one side and ignore it. So what should you do?

1. Follow the generally accepted format for a report: Summary, Introduction, Main Body, Conclusions, Recommendations and Appendices.
2. Organise your information in each section in a logical fashion with the reader in mind, usually putting things in order of priority - most important first.

Good luck with your report writing!

Author: Tony Atherton
© Tony Atherton 2005)

Report Writing - How to Format a Business Report

About the author: Tony Atherton is a freelance trainer and writer based in England. He has had four books published and about 90 of his articles have appeared in various magazines and journals. After an earlier career in industry he now runs in-company training courses in business writing, report writing (including technical reports) and taking minutes, as well as negotiation skills and time management. Over 6000 delegates have attended his courses. See http://www.tony-atherton.co.uk/reportwriting.htm for details of report writing courses, or see http://www.tony-atherton.co.uk for general information.

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The World's Five Worst Olympic Countries

1. Cuba- Drugs & Scandals

Unfortunately, Cuba is already a nightmare in the Olympic Movement. Why? Since 1964, Cuba has produced athletes with a huge superiority complex and strong anti-American feeling. They have showed this anti-Olympic feeling many times. Angel Volodia Matos Fuentes, a Cuban taekwondo athlete, is the only athlete in the Olympic history that has hit a referee. This sportsman kicked a referee in the face after he lost a match at the 2008 Olympics. "We didn't expect anything like what you have witnessed to occur. I'm at a loss for words. This is an insult to the Olympic vision, an insult to the spirit of taekwondo and, in my opinion, an insult to mankind", said Yang Jin-suk (World Taekwondo Federation secretary). Angel won a gold medal at the Summer Olympic Games in 2000.

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In Atlanta in 1996, the Cuban's women's volleyball team quarreled with the Brazilian team during the semi-finals. This is why Regla Radameris Torres Herrera, who has received several offers to become a top fashion model in Italy, was suspended and could not play for several months. Cuban players of women's volleyball are famous for their aggressiveness against rivals.

Cuba's Javier Sotomayor Sanabria will be remembered as one of the worst examples in the world sports community. In 1988, Prensa Latina -Cuban news agency- announced that in its annual poll of sportswriters Javier Sotomayor was named "Cuban Athlete of the Year". He beat out Felix Savon (boxing), Jorge Fis (Judo), and Ana Fidelia Quirot (track & field). Javier, known as "Soto", was one of the most successful athletes in the history of the Cuban Revolution.

On September 8, 1988, Javier -whose country had boycotted the Summer Olympics in 1988- set a world record in the high jump. A year later he set another world record (2.45 m / 8' 1/2"). Under the direction of Jose Godoy, a Soviet-educated professor, he won almost all his competitions in the 1990s.

In 2001, Javier Sotomayor, in one of a series of exhibitions tournaments, tested positive for a muscle-building steroid. "The decision to let him compete again is like a hit in my face", said Arne Ljungqvist (vice president of the IAAF).Two years ago, Javier also had tested positive for drugs at the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg (Canada). However, he had been exonerated by the Cuban Olympic Committee. Furthermore, Fidel Castro Ruz -Cuba's dictator- denied that Javier had taken cocaine. In an article in Granma (Communist party daily), Javier said " I'm innocent. I have only seen that substance in the movies. I´m the victim of maneuver, a dirty trick".

Unlike Ben Johnson and Linford Christie, Javier received a special treatment by the IAAF. He was banned by the IAAF for only 11 months. Thanks to this, Javier Sotomayor could compete at the 2000 Olympics, where he won a silver medal. Three European countries, Norway, Finland and Denmark, criticized this controversial decision. "If you test positive and get suspended, you shouldn't get a reduced sentence just because you're a famous track athlete", said Patrick Sjoberg, a former world record holder in men's high jump.

2. Myanmar- Sports & Dictatorships

Olympic sport can unify a country like Myanmar -an Asian country which has many ethnic conflicts. However, it -pop. 52 million- has one of the world's worst Olympic teams. In the last fifty years, three dictatorships have destroyed the Olympic spirit in this land of friendly people. For unknown reasons, Myanmar did not compete at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Canada. In 1980, Sue Khin finished in 47th place in the marathon at the Moscow Summer Games. Four years later, Myanmar -it officially changed its name from Burma in 1989- sent 1 athlete (boxer) to Los Angeles (USA). In 1996, Myanmar was represented by only 3 athletes (athletics and shooting).

At the 2006 Asian Games in Qatar, Myanmar finished 27th in the unofficial team standings (behind China, Bahrain, Hong Kong, Mongolia, Jordan, Lebanon, etc). In an interview, Khin Maung Lwin, secretary of the Myanmese Olympic Committee, said "Our NOC has worked in close collaboration with the respective national sports federations to make all the necessary preparations for participation in Doha 2006. We have selected the athletes who showed their best form and achieved top results from that 23rd SEA Games for the 15th Asian Games Doha 2006. As a founding member of the Asian Games Federation in 1949 and the Olympic Council of Asia, we believe the Asian Games is a very important tool for the development of the youth of Asia and for the promotion of international respect, friendly and goodwill..."

3. Albania - Enver Hoxha's Legacy

What is the reason why Albania does not produce world-class athletes? Albania is well-known for its indifference to sports. It is one of the few European countries that have not Olympic champions. Albania was one of the most unsuccessful countries at the 2008 Summer Olympics in the People's Republic of China.

Like Mao Tse-tung (Chinese dictator, 1949-1976) and Pol Pot (Cambodian tyrant, 1975-1979), Enver Hoxha did not support friendly relations with the International Olympic Committee. From 1950 to 1985, Enver Hoxha -one of the bloodiest dictators of the 20th century- gained a reputation as an anti-Olympic leader in the world. During his Maoist dictatorship, Albania boycotted seven Olympic Games (Rome '60, Tokyo '64, Mexico City '68, Montreal '76, Moscow '80, Los Angeles '84, Seoul '88), seven Mediterranean Games (Beirut '59, Naples '63, Tunis '67, Izmir '71, Algiers '75, Split '79, Casablanca '83) and other international events (Winter Games, World University Games, World championships, European tournaments). In 1985, two weightlifters had defected to Yugoslavia (currently Serbia).

Since 1991, the new government does not have interest in sports and recreation. This European nation is losing its best athletes, who are choosing to live abroad, and not returning to Albania. Many Greeks athletes have Albanian descent: Leonidas Sampani (weightlifting), Sawa Lika (track and field), Pyrro Dimas (weightlifting / Olympic champion, 1992, 1996, 2000), Mirela Manjani (athletics). At the World Championships in 2003, Mirela won a gold medal. Albania has been a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) since 1959.

4.Taiwan is not Ethiopia

Who was the last world-class athlete of Taiwan? Her name: Chi Cheng (1959-1972). This Olympic ambassador has been called "the Eastern Flying antelope". At the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, in October, she, who studied and trained in California, won a bronze medal in the 80 meter low hurdles. Two years later, she broken the world records in the 100m (11,00 seconds) and 200m (22,44 seconds) in July 1970, but she failed in the Olympic Games in 1972. Unexpectedly, she had an injury. Chi Cheng was the favorite to win the gold medal in the 200m. To prepare for the Munich Games, she competed in Asia, Europe and the United States. In 1972, she announced that she was retiring from athletics. In 1971, she was elected "World Athlete of the Year" by the Associated Press. In this election, she beat Edson Arantes do Nascimento, one of the greatest athletes of all time. Since 1972, Taiwan continues to celebrate Chi Cheng's world records.

Unfortunately, Taiwan can not produce world-class athletes.

This Asian country -also known as ROC, Chinese Taipei, Republic of China on Taiwan or Free China- has 10,000 stadiums, 1,850 swimming pools, 1,420 tennis courts, 14,252 sports parks, more than 762 gymnasiums, nearly 9,100 basketball and handball courts, and 87 cycling tracks. With more than double the budget of Jamaica, Ethiopia and North Korea, Taiwan only has won two gold medals (1960-2008). At the 1996 Games, Chinese-Taipei sent 71 athletes and won one silver medal (tennis table).

They have not learnt the experience of South Korea, whose athletes have won 85 gold medals-its best unconventional diplomacy in the world. A good example for a country which does not have full diplomatic relations with 180 nations. Chinese Taipei -one of the developing world's most successful democracies- is only recognized by 23 countries: Belize, Burkina Faso, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Gambia, Guatemala, Holy See, Haiti, Honduras, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Nicaragua, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, Solomon Islands, Sao Tome & Principe, Swaziland, Tuvalu.

5. Iceland- A country without Olympic Champions

Iceland - a nation in the North Atlantic near the Arctic Circle- has never won an Olympic medal in the Winter Games. It is one of the oldest Olympic countries in the world (IOC member since 1921). Ranked by the United Nations as one of the richest countries in the world, Iceland has several sports facilities- indoor stadiums, winter Olympic arenas, sports parks and swimming pools. Many people can not believe that one of the richest nations in Europe can not win a winter Olympic medal. Unlike Iceland, Liechtenstein -an area the size of District of Columbia- has won two Olympic titles and 58 World championships. Iceland -it is slightly larger than South Korea- took part in 15 editions of the Winter Games between 1948 and 2006. Glíma, a traditional wrestling, is the national sport of Iceland.

References

-Agacino, Ricardo. "30 años", Cuba Internacional, Habana, diciembre de 1988
-Almanaque Deportivo Mundial 1976, editorial America, Panama,
1976 - "Castro defends fighter facing ban", The Miami Herald, August 26 2008
-Encyclopaedia Britannica Book of the Year: 1977, 1981, 1984, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Chicago
-The World Almanac and Book of Facts: 1975-2007, The World Almanac Books, New York
-Guevara Onofre, Alejandro. Enciclopedia Mundototal, editorial San Marcos, Lima, 1999
--------"La silenciosa caída del deporte cubano" (The silent fall of the Cuban sport ). Lima, 5 de septiembre del 2005
-Human Development Reports: 1996-2007
-Martinez Perez , Pedro. "Desarrollo deportivo en Cuba", Granma, Habana, 28 de mayo de 1978
-The Republic of China Yearbook. Taiwan 2002
-Urbano, Fernando."Del Batos a Montreal", Cuba Internacional, Habana, junio de 1978
------"Derecho al deporte", Cuba Internacional, Habana, julio de 1976
-2004 Athens Official Report Volume 1, International Olympic Committee, Lausanne, 2005
-2000 Sydney Official Report Volume 2, International Olympic Committee, Lausanne, 2001
-1984 Los Angeles Official Report Volume 2, International Olympic Committee, Lausanne, 1985
-1980 Moscow Official Report Volume 2, International Olympic Committee, Lausanne, 1981
-1976 Montreal Official Report Volume 1, International Olympic Committee, Lausanne, 1977

The World's Five Worst Olympic Countries

Alejandro Guevara Onofre: He is a freelance writer. Alejandro is of Italian, African and Peruvian ancestry. He has published more than seventy-five research paper in English, and more than twenty in Spanish, concerning the world issues, olympic sports, countries, and tourism. His next essay is called "The Dictator and Alicia Alonso". He is an expert on foreign affairs. Alejandro is the first author who has published a world-book encyclopedia in Latin America.

He admires Frida Kahlo (Mexican painter), José Gamarra (former president of the Bolivian Olympic Committee ,1970- 1982), Hillary Clinton (ex-First Lady of the USA), and Jimmy Carter (former President of the USA). Alejandro said: "The person who I admire the most is José Gamarra . He devoted his professional and personal life to sport. José played an important role in the promotion of Olympism in Bolivia -it is one of the Third World`s poorest countries- and Latin America. His biography is interesting". The sportspeople he most admire is Olympic volleyball player Flo Hyman. "This African-American sportswoman is my idol... "

READING GAMES

Tips From an LSAT Tutor - The Logic Games

During my experience as an LSAT Tutor, I have gotten to teach dozens of students. Some students excel at reading while others quickly grasp the complex logic behind the logical reasoning section, each student has different strengths and weaknesses. Despite this, I have rarely met a student who was naturally gifted in the LSAT logic games. Of the three multiple choice sections, more students find the logic games section the most difficult than the other two combined. From years of experience, the most effective strategy I have found for conquering the LSAT logic games are listed below.

Understanding the LSAT logic games

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While the logical reasoning and reading comprehension sections are difficult, the logic games are unique to the LSAT. Some students have been exposed to logic, both formal and informal, but the logic games are specifically created for the LSAT. This being the case, I recommend that my students begin by fully understanding the logic games uniqueness and approaching the games with a clear mind. There are four games per section, usually ordered from easiest to hardest, that must be completed within 35 minutes. The LSAT only uses correct answers for determining the score, so guessing is recommended if you are stuck.

Approaching the Setup

In my opinion, at least 90 seconds should be spent making a thorough reading of the scenario and rules. The scenario describes the game and is applicable to each question, accordingly, an understanding of the scenario is necessary to understand the game. A student should extract the variables from the scenario and use it as the basis for their diagram. You should have each variable set marked before you the rules are approached. Each rule should be refined through a shorthand, do this for each of the rules. Once all the rules have been identified, the inherent rules which are not blatantly identified must be found. The questions will typically test your knowledge of the deductions, so spend time understanding the rules. Once the inherent rules have been identified and condensed students may now begin answering the questions.

The Questions

For many students who have not taken the initial time to prepare for the game, answering each question can be a challenging endeavor. Every new question presents its own struggle, siphoning off critical seconds. With a complete and accurate initial diagram, most answers should be easily identifiable. A typical LSAT logic games has 4 to 8 questions associated with each scenario, making the time spent diagramming more than justifiable. Taking the steps above provides a strong base for each question, sometimes eliminating all the work for an entire question due to an already solved deduction. If new assumptions present themselves, students should take the time to condense the assumption and add it to the initial setup. If the question stem adds an additional rule that is only applicable to that question, students should produce a miniature diagram that is only associated with that question. Once that question is done, the student should forget about the assumptions as well as the diagram that they have made.

Following these three steps makes the LSAT logic games section much more manageable. These steps are by no means complete, but in essence they capture the necessary steps for acing the logic games section.

Tips From an LSAT Tutor - The Logic Games

When Denise was interested in law, she used an LSAT Tutor. While she didn't pursue law school for personal reasons, an LSAT personal Tutor is a great investment.

READING GAMES

Games Online

Have a look at the online games on the Internet for free software, video games and computer games for kids. Try virtual online wrestling, hot and funny games, freeware downloads, sexy girls online and play online arcade games. Play the top 100 games, games online from Digital Planet from the best seller series Diablo 2 Expansion and Star Wars, and try the best PC games 2007. There are games for your personal computer, and mobile device.

Before you buy, read the reviews and ratings on the computer games. The World of Warcraft game has been widely described as a friendly game. Everything from the colorful art style to the endearing player animations, to the many different characters. High calibre quality not be missed. This online game is an inviting experience. Blizzard's passion for gaming joy is infectious, and its sense of humour disarming. Here is the role playing computer game you should play, no matter who you are.

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The Warcraft games bring out all the best aspects of this style of gaming, they also feature many of the specific characteristics that have made Blizzard's previous games so entertaining, memorable and successful. The World Of Warcraft game has a brisk pace to it, recovery times between battles are minimal and the battles quick. Yet the pacing of the combat seems to strike a perfect balance, because you do not end up feeling overwhelmed.

Did you know it's possible to level from 1-70 in just a few days of playtime? Apparently, some people spend months levelling their character. Read a levelling guide for hints and tips. You will also find best sellers, customer reviews and features of the Warcraft games on Amazon. Enjoy this role playing online computer game! Would you like a new angle on the game? See through the wall, so you can see your enemies and wait for them to come to you. Allow your character to go to places that are off-limits to other players, with WOW hacks.

Games Online

Online games [http://www.pc-software-world.com/online-games.html]

World Of Warcraft [http://www.pc-software-world.com/world-of-warcraft.html]

READING GAMES

The Reading Site Official Review

You've probably heard of The Reading Site, predicted to soon to be dominating the e-Reader niche. For a relatively low one off payment of .95 you are given access to unlimited downloads of ebooks, comics and newspapers - and as part of the special offer that is currently running, they are also giving access free satellite TV and games!

Does it sound too good to be true? Read on to find out more.

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The Reading Site novels are currently only in the English language, although they are planning to branch out into other languages soon. Anyone from around the world can subscribe though, the books will just be in the English language.

Despite this language barrier, which isn't much of a problem to most of us, The Reading Site does actually deliver the free ebook downloads that it advertises.

Of course, you can get some of the books off the internet if you are willing to look hard enough. But not only is that a time consuming operation, you also risk downloading a harmful virus. The books are written by well-known authors, both classics and latest are available. The newspapers are actual real-life newspapers, and the comics cover all known areas (Marvel, Manga, etc). It also saves you time having all these items available in a single place for easy access.

Considering that most ebooks cost at least to purchase, you can potentially save hundreds of dollars over several months by just paying a single one-off payment. Furthermore, they offer all their downloads in a format that can be converted and read from any e-Reader out there. So, if you have an iPhone, but wish to upgrade to an iPad, you can easily switch between iPhone and your new iPad!

There is also a dedicated customer service team, who endeavour to return all communications within 12 hours.

I was a bit sceptical at first I must admit, but now I recommend the service to everyone with an iPad, iPhone or Kindle. In fact, if you have any e-Reader, whether it be iPad, iPhone, Kindle or anything else, a membership to The Reading Site is excellent value for money.

The Reading Site Official Review

Learn more about The Reading Site, visit The Reading Site eBooks Review.

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Make Money Online - Start Reading Emails

How it works

Paid to read campaigns are a great way to make money online - that's if you know how it works. Usually any site that launches a new paid to read campaign will also need to hunt for advertisers who pay the site to send their emails to members. That is the reason when you register for a paid to read campaign you are asked to select topics that interest you. This is nothing but targeted forms of advertising - companies are basically selling whatever interests customers. This is a great way to make money online for the person reading the email. The site that owns the campaign pays the reader for every email read - usually around 1 cent for an email opened for 15 to 45 seconds.

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What's the catch?

Just like any make money online or get rich quick scheme this one too has its drawbacks. The reader is expected to read a minimum number of emails before being qualified for the payment. One thing to avoid if you wish to make money online quickly - is going for a campaign that requires a high number of emails to be read before payment. Also avoid the campaigns which offer a very high payment rate for each email. Most likely these also have a huge number of emails to be read before qualifying for payment. This is because the owner typically cannot afford such high payments and that's why makes the entry criteria very strict. If you want to ensure success and guaranteed payments in your make money online venture - it is best to join a campaign that has a minimum payout of less than 10 dollars.

Before you start out

Paid to read email campaigns are great ways to make money online and have served as a lucrative source of additional income for many people. However before you register for such a campaign you need to create a dedicated email ID just for receiving these emails - the reason being that from the very next day you're going to be bombarded with emails. The trick to ensuring quick ways to make money online is by signing up for more than one paid to read campaign. This in turn will also get you other paid to read campaigns from advertisers. Thus you can sign up for these as well as start to make money online even faster! While paid to read campaigns may sound too good to be true, fact is they do serve great use to make money online. The best thing is that they are easy, quick and do not demand too much effort.

Make Money Online - Start Reading Emails

Are you a fast reader? If so, you can turn that into your 'work from home' opportunity. Start making money online today. It's easy and you can do it right from you comfort zone. Why step out when you're on your way to success. Check out Make Money Online or Make Money now.

READING GAMES

A Variety of Online Reading Games for Free

Educational games online are starting to grow in selection and in popularity as people start to realize that they can grow a child's mind with these games and it is a way to motivate a child to learn. Reading is perhaps one of the skills that some children find difficult to learn but it is important for them to learn the skill. This is where online reading games can be of service.

The Benefit of Reading Games

READING GAMES FOR KIDS

These online reading games can help the child in various ways to learn the skill. They help in learning the alphabet, learning new words, learning pronunciation and many other aspects of reading. They even assist in the comprehension skills. They can help a child catch up to their grade level or they can present a learning challenge to a child who is ahead of their reading level.

The Variety of Games Available

To cater to the many different needs of children, there are multitudes of these online reading games available. There are those for the very first beginners to learn their alphabet and the reading levels range all the way up to high school and college levels. There are many different topics available to prevent a child from getting bored or to help them expand their knowledge and abilities.

Games for Free

Instead of paying a tutor for these services or having the child spend extra hours at school, the parent or guardian can save time and money but finding these games online at free websites. There are sites developed by professional educators specifically to provide these games to assist children with their reading skills. There are no subscription fees or any other charges to worry about.

Helping the Children

With the free use of these reading games, a person not only saves money, but the children are helped greatly. There is no limit to the topics that are available that are appropriate for children and they can learn so much from this wonderful variety of reading materials.

A Variety of Online Reading Games for Free

Author writes for online reading games.

READING GAMES FOR KIDS