Question 1

It is not appropriate to add appendixes to informational reports.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 2

What are two questions to consider when you address an informational report to people from other cultures?

Accepted Answer

A)  How will your readers react to your choice of application? 
B)  How many years of English classes have your readers had? 
C)  How will your readers react to your writing style? 
D)  All responses are correct. 
E)  None of the responses are correct. 
A)  How will your readers react to your choice of application? 
B)  How many years of English classes have your readers had? 
C)  How will your readers react to your writing style? 
D)  All responses are correct. 
E)  None of the responses are correct.

Question 3

You are an independent contractor. The due date for your current project falls fairly close to your vacation, which means you are going to miss a deadline to deliver some work to your client. Which of the following statements in a progress report sent before your deadline is most ethical?

Accepted Answer

A)  I anticipate meeting the deadline. 
B)  Against my protestations, the project manager pressured me to accept an overly aggressive schedule. 
C)  I did not realize how much my vacation would affect my work hours. I might need 1-2 extra days to complete everything. 
D)  I have never missed a deadline with a client. 
A)  I anticipate meeting the deadline. 
B)  Against my protestations, the project manager pressured me to accept an overly aggressive schedule. 
C)  I did not realize how much my vacation would affect my work hours. I might need 1-2 extra days to complete everything. 
D)  I have never missed a deadline with a client.

Question 4

When you are recording meeting minutes and an argument arises, you should record both the argument and its outcome in order to ensure comprehensiveness.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

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 research and more effort on what you learned from it. 
B)  Write fewer words describing how you did the research and more words on what you learned from it. 
C)  Always make sure that your methods section is not the first section. 
D)  None of the responses are correct. 
A)  Spend less effort describing how you did the research and more effort on what you learned from it. 
B)  Write fewer words describing how you did the research and more words on what you learned from it. 
C)  Always make sure that your methods section is not the first section. 
D)  None of the responses are correct.

Question 6

Why is it important to be honest in an informational report when you have to share bad news?

Accepted Answer

A)  Failure to be honest in the short term could lead to more problems in the long term. 
B)  Being honest is the ethical thing to do. 
C)  Sponsors or supervisors of a project have a right to know what is going on. 
D)  All responses are correct. 
A)  Failure to be honest in the short term could lead to more problems in the long term. 
B)  Being honest is the ethical thing to do. 
C)  Sponsors or supervisors of a project have a right to know what is going on. 
D)  All responses are correct.

Question 7

Which of these is NOT a typical field report as described by Chapter 17?

Accepted Answer

A)  a report on a visit to a potential building site for an office for a client 
B)  a report on maintenance performed on a broken piece of machinery in a shop 
C)  a report on an inspection conducted at a customer's site 
D)  a report on an experiment conducted in your company's laboratory 
A)  a report on a visit to a potential building site for an office for a client 
B)  a report on maintenance performed on a broken piece of machinery in a shop 
C)  a report on an inspection conducted at a customer's site 
D)  a report on an experiment conducted in your company's laboratory

Question 8

Chapter 17 notes that in writing meeting minutes, you should be comprehensive and clear. According to the chapter, what else should you do?

Accepted Answer

A)  Be objective. 
B)  Record emotional exchanges between participants. 
C)  Be diplomatic. 
D)  Create a planning document for use in preparing for the group's next meeting. 
A)  Be objective. 
B)  Record emotional exchanges between participants. 
C)  Be diplomatic. 
D)  Create a planning document for use in preparing for the group's next meeting.

Question 9

what does an incident report describe?

Accepted Answer

Events such as workp

Question 10

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 11

What is the difference between a progress report and a status report?

Accepted Answer

A)  There is no difference. 
B)  A progress report communicates the current status of an ongoing project, whereas a status report is an update on the entire range of operations of a department or division of an organization. 
C)  A status report communicates the current status of an ongoing project, whereas a progress report is an update on the entire range of operations of a department or division of an organization. 
D)  A progress report is written for readers outside of the originating organization, whereas a status report is written for readers within the organization. 
A)  There is no difference. 
B)  A progress report communicates the current status of an ongoing project, whereas a status report is an update on the entire range of operations of a department or division of an organization. 
C)  A status report communicates the current status of an ongoing project, whereas a progress report is an update on the entire range of operations of a department or division of an organization. 
D)  A progress report is written for readers outside of the originating organization, whereas a status report is written for readers within the organization.

Question 12

Which of these is NOT an important question to answer when writing an incident report?

Accepted Answer

A)  What happened? 
B)  Whose camera recorded the incident? 
C)  Why did the incident happen? 
D)  What should be done in response to this incident? 
A)  What happened? 
B)  Whose camera recorded the incident? 
C)  Why did the incident happen? 
D)  What should be done in response to this incident?

Question 13

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

Accepted Answer

Directives, field re

Question 14

A status report is usually organized according to task.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

Which of the following people would be most likely to organize a progress or status report according to task? (Select all answers that apply.)

Accepted Answer

A)  a salesperson responsible for selling medical devices in a two-state area 
B)  a project manager overseeing the implementation of new software throughout your company 
C)  an engineer developing a new industrial ceramic compound for a client 
D)  All responses are correct. 
A)  a salesperson responsible for selling medical devices in a two-state area 
B)  a project manager overseeing the implementation of new software throughout your company 
C)  an engineer developing a new industrial ceramic compound for a client 
D)  All responses are correct.

Question 16

which two of the following organizational patterns are frequently used in progress reports?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 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

Question 18

what are the two organizational patterns frequently used in progress reports?

Accepted Answer

The time p

Question 19

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 20

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

Exam 17: Writing Informational Reports

It is not appropriate to add appendixes to informational reports.

What are two questions to consider when you address an informational report to people from other cultures?

You are an independent contractor. The due date for your current project falls fairly close to your vacation, which means you are going to miss a deadline to deliver some work to your client. Which of the following statements in a progress report sent before your deadline is most ethical?

When you are recording meeting minutes and an argument arises, you should record both the argument and its outcome in order to ensure comprehensiveness.

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

Why is it important to be honest in an informational report when you have to share bad news?

Which of these is NOT a typical field report as described by Chapter 17?

Chapter 17 notes that in writing meeting minutes, you should be comprehensive and clear. According to the chapter, what else should you do?

what does an incident report describe?

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

What is the difference between a progress report and a status report?

Which of these is NOT an important question to answer when writing an incident report?

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

A status report is usually organized according to task.

Which of the following people would be most likely to organize a progress or status report according to task? (Select all answers that apply.)

which two of the following organizational patterns are frequently used in progress reports?

which of the following is NOT a typical informational report?

what are the two organizational patterns frequently used in progress reports?

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?

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.

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

Reviewing, Evaluating, and Testing Documents and Web Sites

Writing Correspondence

Writing Job-Application Materials

Writing Proposals

Writing Recommendation Reports

Writing Lab Reports

Writing Definitions, Descriptions, and Instructions

Making Oral Presentations

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