Question 1

According to Chapter 17, what is the common goal of all informational reports?

Accepted Answer

According to Chapter 17, which typically refers to a chapter in a textbook or manual about business communication or report writing, the common goal of all informational reports is to provide clear, concise, and relevant information to a specific audience. These reports aim to inform decision-making by presenting facts, data, and evidence without necessarily providing recommendations or analysis. The objective is to enable the reader to understand a situation, process, or set of circumstances based on the information presented. Informational reports are designed to be objective and are often used to keep stakeholders updated on the status of a project, the results of an investigation, or the findings from research. They serve as a tool for communication within an organization, ensuring that everyone has access to the same information and can act or plan accordingly.

Question 2

For routine reports, you can sometimes use sections of previous reports or boilerplate.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False  True

Question 3

In which of the following kinds of reports are you most likely to use graphics extensively?

Accepted Answer

A)  a status report 
B)  meeting minutes 
C)  an incident report 
D)  a directive 
A)  a status report 
B)  meeting minutes 
C)  an incident report 
D)  a directive C

Question 4

According to Chapter 17, what does an incident report describe?

Accepted Answer

An incident report, as described in Chap

Question 5

How can you ensure that readers can easily find any appendixes you create for a report?

Accepted Answer

To ensure that readers can easily find a

Question 6

According to Chapter 17, field reports "explain problems, methods, results, and conclusions, but they deemphasize methods and can include recommendations." What does it mean to deemphasize methods?

Accepted Answer

A)  Spend less effort describing how you did the field study and more effort reporting what you learned from it. 
B)  Write fewer words describing how you did the field study and what you learned from it. 
C)  Always make sure that your methods section is not the first section. 
D)  Describe the methods but explain that they are not important. 
A)  Spend less effort describing how you did the field study and more effort reporting what you learned from it. 
B)  Write fewer words describing how you did the field study and what you learned from it. 
C)  Always make sure that your methods section is not the first section. 
D)  Describe the methods but explain that they are not important.

Question 7

If an argument arises during a meeting, the person taking minutes should record both the argument and its outcome in order to ensure comprehensiveness.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 8

A writer in the research division of Radworth Pharmaceutical, Inc. is preparing a monthly progress report on the development of a new drug. What is the best way to organize the body of the report?

Accepted Answer

A)  by time 
B)  from most important to least important accomplishments 
C)  by task 
D)  based on the budget allocated for the project 
A)  by time 
B)  from most important to least important accomplishments 
C)  by task 
D)  based on the budget allocated for the project

Question 9

According to Chapter 17, which two of the following organizational patterns are frequently used in progress reports?

Accepted Answer

A)  spatial pattern and cause-and-effect pattern 
B)  time pattern and task pattern 
C)  cause-and-effect pattern and progression pattern 
D)  progression pattern and time pattern 
A)  spatial pattern and cause-and-effect pattern 
B)  time pattern and task pattern 
C)  cause-and-effect pattern and progression pattern 
D)  progression pattern and time pattern

Question 10

You are writing a progress report about a project that is going poorly. According to Chapter 17, what should you do?

Accepted Answer

A)  Report on the positive aspects of your progress and save the bad news for the completion report at the end of the project. 
B)  Ask for more time to complete the project. 
C)  Explain objectively what has happened and how the overall project will be affected. 
D)  Defend your work on the project and explain who is to blame for the problems. 
A)  Report on the positive aspects of your progress and save the bad news for the completion report at the end of the project. 
B)  Ask for more time to complete the project. 
C)  Explain objectively what has happened and how the overall project will be affected. 
D)  Defend your work on the project and explain who is to blame for the problems.

Question 11

According to Chapter 17, you should be "clear, comprehensive, objective, and diplomatic" when writing meeting minutes. Which two of these ideal goals have the greatest potential to conflict with each other?

Accepted Answer

A)  clarity and comprehensiveness 
B)  comprehensiveness and objectivity 
C)  objectivity and diplomacy 
D)  comprehensiveness and diplomacy 
A)  clarity and comprehensiveness 
B)  comprehensiveness and objectivity 
C)  objectivity and diplomacy 
D)  comprehensiveness and diplomacy

Question 12

You have been sent by your employer, Madison Construction Company, to a regional conference dealing with ways to improve communication between management and workers in the field. Which of the following would NOT be an acceptable way to submit an informational report on your trip?

Accepted Answer

A)  discussing the trip in your next status report 
B)  issuing a directive 
C)  writing a one-page memo reporting on your trip 
D)  filling out the company's standardized trip form 
A)  discussing the trip in your next status report 
B)  issuing a directive 
C)  writing a one-page memo reporting on your trip 
D)  filling out the company's standardized trip form

Question 13

Whether you have good news or bad news to share, it is important to use a professional, measured tone in an informational report.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

After a minor accident at the laboratory where you work, your manager has decided to institute some new safety procedures. She asks you to write a memo to employees explaining the new procedures. What kind of informational report is she asking you to write?

Accepted Answer

A)  a directive 
B)  a lab report 
C)  an incident report 
D)  a field report 
A)  a directive 
B)  a lab report 
C)  an incident report 
D)  a field report

Question 15

A directive should include the reasoning behind a new policy or procedure so that readers will be persuaded that the new policy or procedure is desirable or at least necessary.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

According to Chapter 17, what is the primary purpose of a directive?

Accepted Answer

As your question refers to "Chapter 17,"

Question 17

What are the five basic formats for informational reports discussed in Chapter 17?

Accepted Answer

The five basic formats for informational

Question 18

In writing a set of meeting minutes, you should interpret the events of the meeting for your readers.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 19

Chapter 17 discusses three common problems that you might need to explain in a progress report. Which of the following is NOT one of those common problems?

Accepted Answer

A)  You won't meet the budget. 
B)  You won't meet your schedule. 
C)  The deliverable won't be what you thought it would be. 
D)  Key personnel have left the project. 
A)  You won't meet the budget. 
B)  You won't meet your schedule. 
C)  The deliverable won't be what you thought it would be. 
D)  Key personnel have left the project.

Question 20

According to Chapter 17, which of the following is NOT a typical informational report?

Accepted Answer

A)  an incident report about the response of your company's security team to an unauthorized visitor on your property 
B)  a proposal to study why a piece of your company's machinery failed at a customer's site 
C)  a directive about where employees should park while a construction crew will be blocking some parking spaces 
D)  meeting minutes recording decisions reached during a committee meeting 
A)  an incident report about the response of your company's security team to an unauthorized visitor on your property 
B)  a proposal to study why a piece of your company's machinery failed at a customer's site 
C)  a directive about where employees should park while a construction crew will be blocking some parking spaces 
D)  meeting minutes recording decisions reached during a committee meeting

Exam 17: Writing Informational Reports

According to Chapter 17, what is the common goal of all informational reports?

For routine reports, you can sometimes use sections of previous reports or boilerplate.

In which of the following kinds of reports are you most likely to use graphics extensively?

According to Chapter 17, what does an incident report describe?

How can you ensure that readers can easily find any appendixes you create for a report?

According to Chapter 17, field reports "explain problems, methods, results, and conclusions, but they deemphasize methods and can include recommendations." What does it mean to deemphasize methods?

If an argument arises during a meeting, the person taking minutes should record both the argument and its outcome in order to ensure comprehensiveness.

A writer in the research division of Radworth Pharmaceutical, Inc. is preparing a monthly progress report on the development of a new drug. What is the best way to organize the body of the report?

According to Chapter 17, which two of the following organizational patterns are frequently used in progress reports?

You are writing a progress report about a project that is going poorly. According to Chapter 17, what should you do?

According to Chapter 17, you should be "clear, comprehensive, objective, and diplomatic" when writing meeting minutes. Which two of these ideal goals have the greatest potential to conflict with each other?

You have been sent by your employer, Madison Construction Company, to a regional conference dealing with ways to improve communication between management and workers in the field. Which of the following would NOT be an acceptable way to submit an informational report on your trip?

Whether you have good news or bad news to share, it is important to use a professional, measured tone in an informational report.

After a minor accident at the laboratory where you work, your manager has decided to institute some new safety procedures. She asks you to write a memo to employees explaining the new procedures. What kind of informational report is she asking you to write?

A directive should include the reasoning behind a new policy or procedure so that readers will be persuaded that the new policy or procedure is desirable or at least necessary.

According to Chapter 17, what is the primary purpose of a directive?

What are the five basic formats for informational reports discussed in Chapter 17?

In writing a set of meeting minutes, you should interpret the events of the meeting for your readers.

Chapter 17 discusses three common problems that you might need to explain in a progress report. Which of the following is NOT one of those common problems?

According to Chapter 17, which of the following is NOT a typical informational report?

Introduction to Technical Communication

Understanding Ethical and Legal Considerations

Writing Technical Documents

Writing Collaboratively

Analyzing Your Audience and Purpose

Researching Your Subject

Organizing Your Information

Communicating Persuasively

Emphasizing Important Information

Writing Correct and Effective Sentences

Designing Print and Online Documents

Creating Graphics

Evaluating and Testing Technical Documents

Corresponding in Print and Online

Applying for a Job

Writing Proposals

Writing Recommendation Reports

Writing Lab Reports

Writing Definitions, Descriptions, and Instructions

Making Oral Presentations

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