Deck 10: Proposals and Formal Reports

Question 1

What is the best advice when writing a statement of purpose for a formal report?

A) Write a statement of purpose only for external formal reports.
B) Omit limitations because that will make the statement of purpose too negative.
C) Use action verbs in the statement of purpose that tell what you intend to do.
D) Do all of the above when writing statements of purpose.

Answer 1

C
Explanation:In writing useful statements of purpose, choose action verbs telling what you intend to do (analyze, choose, investigate, compare, justify, evaluate, explain, establish, determine, and so on).

Question 2

Primary research data can be defined as

A) information that comes from reading what others have experienced and observed.
B) information gained from firsthand experience and observation.
C) statistics collected during the first stage of research.
D) data you get from the Web.

Answer 2

B
Explanation:Primary data result from firsthand experience and observation; secondary data come from reading what others have experienced and observed.

Question 3

In addition to an introduction, the background information, and the proposal, informal proposals often contain

A) staffing requirements, a budget, and an authorization request.
B) service dates, applicable laws and statutes, and a signed contract.
C) a bill for services rendered and a signed contract.
D) free prizes and other gimmicks.

Answer 3

A
Explanation:An informal proposal may have six principal parts: introduction, background, proposal, staffing, budget, and authorization request. It will not include a signed contract or details that eliminate the need for further service.

Question 4

Although formal reports are similar to formal proposals, a primary difference is that

A) formal reports represent the end product of thorough investigation and analysis.
B) formal reports use a more conversational tone.
C) reports are written for internal audiences only.
D) more formal reports are written than formal proposals.

Question 5

You can make the introduction of a proposal more persuasive if you

A) explain in great detail how much better you are than your competitors.
B) hint at the problem you will solve but avoid explaining the reasons for the proposal.
C) remain as vague as possible to keep the reader intrigued.
D) provide a "hook," such as mentioning a remarkable resource available exclusively to the writer.

Question 6

The main differences between informal and formal proposals are

A) the primary and secondary audiences.
B) the style and need for correctness.
C) identification of resources used and placement of documentation.
D) tone, structure, format, and length.

Question 7

What is the first step in preparing to write a formal report?

A) Analyze your audience.
B) Research primary and secondary data.
C) Define the project and limit its scope.
D) Decide how many pages the report will be.

Question 8

If you decide to include a timetable for a project to be completed in your informal proposal, in which section would you most likely put it?

A) Staffing
B) Authorization
C) Budget
D) Proposal

Question 9

Jeremy has decided to include a deadline for acceptance in his proposal to install energy-efficient workstations for a local manufacturer. In which section should Jeremy place the deadline?

A) Introduction
B) Background
C) Authorization Request
D) Proposal

Question 10

A company might prepare a proposal for which of the following reasons?

A) To show its compliance with Homeland Security rules and regulations
B) To solicit competitive bids for a new building
C) To inform company shareholders of an attempted hostile takeover
D) To bid for a contract to retrofit a local bridge

Question 11

In which part of a solicited proposal would you most likely convince your reader that you understand the problem completely?

A) Introduction
B) Background
C) Authorization
D) Budget

Question 12

Many researchers today begin by looking in electronic databases because

A) they know that all data found in electronic databases is valid and reliable.
B) electronic databases are always a free resource if you have Internet access.
C) it is easy to cite sources found in an electronic database.
D) electronic databases are fast, cheap, and easy to use.

Question 13

An RFP (request for proposals) can best be defined as

A) a document that solicits competitive bids on a project.
B) an offer to provide a service, sell equipment, or solve a problem.
C) an internal report justifying a request for additional staffing and equipment.
D) a persuasive sales presentation emphasizing benefits for the reader.

Question 14

Although researchers are increasingly using electronic data, you should learn to use print resources because

A) electronic sources are never considered as reliable as books and magazines.
B) print sources provide primary data and electronic sources provide secondary data.
C) some data is available only in print.
D) audiences respect only writers who include data from print sources.

Question 15

Which of the following situations would most likely result in the writing of a request for proposals (RFP)?

A) Your consulting firm has openings for two sales reps.
B) Your consulting firm wants to attract new clients.
C) Your consulting firm wants to completely renovate its offices.
D) Your consulting firm, which specializes in global business communication, wants to start branching out into other specialty areas.

Question 16

Which of the following is the best tip to fight writer's block when writing proposals?

A) Drink a lot of coffee to make your mind sharp.
B) Begin by making a bulleted list of what the customer wants and needs.
C) Start with a list of personal benefits to the writer of receiving the contract because you know what these are.
D) If you experience writer's block, you can't write proposals because proposals must adhere to deadlines.

Question 17

Your boss asks you to write a formal report on the impact of smoking on employee healthcare costs. Like nearly every writer of a research project, you should begin your research by

A) reviewing secondary data in the library or on the Internet.
B) interviewing your colleagues on how they feel about the topic.
C) preparing a questionnaire to distribute to your colleagues.
D) conducting a field experiment.

Question 18

The budget included in a proposal should

A) reflect careful research because a proposal is a legal contract.
B) provide only rough estimates so that you can raise the price later if costs increase.
C) never itemize hours and costs but offer only a total sum.
D) include a disclaimer to ensure that the budget is not legally binding.

Question 19

What may be included in the staffing section of an informal proposal?

A) Credentials and expertise of project leaders
B) Size and qualifications of support staff
C) Resources such as computer facilities
D) All of the above may be included in the staffing section

Question 20

Searching the Web requires a(n)

A) e-mail address.
B) Web browser.
C) handheld wireless device.
D) master's degree.

Question 21

If you are responding to a request for proposals (RFP), avoid using the same language of the RFP as doing so will show a lack of creativity.

Question 22

Secondary data come from reading what others have experienced and observed.

Question 23

Which of the following statements about documenting data is not accurate?

A) Documenting data can strengthen your argument.
B) Documenting data protects you from charges of plagiarism.
C) Documenting data is not necessary if you put the information in your own words.
D) Documenting data helps the reader pursue the topic further.

Question 24

Which of the following statements would need to be documented in a report?

A) Hurricane Ike caused extensive loss of property and lives in Texas.
B) You can get an idea of how dangerous a hurricane is by its rating.
C) Damaging wind and flooding rains, common in strong hurricanes, caused problems for Texas during Hurricane Ike.
D) The Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale rates hurricanes with wind speeds of 114 to 131 knots as Category 4 storms.

Question 25

In a solicited proposal, your goal is to convince the reader that a problem exists.

Question 26

Which of the following is the best advice when using graphics in reports?

A) Don't overuse color because too much color can be distracting and confusing.
B) Good graphics communicate clearly and need no further explanation in the body of the report.
C) Misleading graphics in a report if their inclusion was unintentional.
D) All answer choices are good advice when incorporating graphics into reports.

Question 27

The Discussion of Findings section of a report should do all of the following except

A) use graphics to illustrate key points.
B) use first-person pronouns.
C) analyze and interpret the research findings or solution.
D) present evidence to justify your conclusions.

Question 28

Surveys to collect firsthand data have advantages including that

A) those who respond to mailed or online surveys exactly represent the overall population.
B) respondents can be relied on to respond openly and truthfully to anonymous surveys.
C) data can be gathered economically and efficiently.
D) return rates for online and mailed surveys are typically over 90 percent.

Question 29

Don't include a deadline for acceptance in the budget section of a proposal because doing so puts too much pressure on the reader.

Question 30

The goal when writing business proposals and formal reports is to make them accessible and useful to your readers.

Question 31

Which of the following is the best advice about using direct quotations in a report?

A) Beware of overusing quotations because you may appear as if you have no ideas of your own.
B) If you use a direct quotation, don't dilute its impact by summarizing it or introducing it in your own words.
C) Place the direct quotation in quotation marks, but change a few words to show you have your own ideas.
D) Direct quotations do not need to be placed in quotation marks if the audience is already familiar with the quote, such as, "The buck stops here."

Question 32

Most proposals begin by explaining briefly the reasons for the proposal and by highlighting the writer's qualifications.

Question 33

Proposals may be internal or external, but most proposals are external.

Question 34

In her letter to policyholders, Min Yi needs a graphic depicting the procedure a policyholder follows when filing a claim. Which of these would be most appropriate?

A) Organizational chart
B) Flowchart
C) Illustration
D) Table

Question 35

Informal proposals are often presented in short (two- to four-page) letters.

Question 36

Like proposals and informal reports, formal reports begin with a definition of the project.

Question 37

What is the best advice for conducting a Web search?

A) When connecting to a search tool for the first time, always read the FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions), Help, and How to Search sections.
B) Use one search tool only so that you can master it.
C) Use all uppercase letters for your searches.
D) Include articles and prepositions in search phrases to make searches more specific.

Question 38

External proposals may be solicited or unsolicited, but most proposals are unsolicited.

Question 39

Brittany is writing a business report about protecting workplace data and will be conducting an interview with a data security expert. What is the best advice you can give her?

A) Call before the interview to confirm the arrangements, and then arrive on time.
B) Learn about the individual she is interviewing, and research the background and terminology of the topic.
C) Use open-ended questions rather than yes-or-no questions to draw the expert out.
D) Brittany should do all of these things.

Question 40

Tyler is writing a report that analyzes the GlobalCom, Inc., market share of cell phone subscriptions worldwide by region. He will probably organize his report

A) chronologically by the date the cell phone subscriptions reached their maximums.
B) around extensive secondary data to assure the reader that he conducted adequate research before he wrote the report.
C) using a functional arrangement to show types of subscriptions globally.
D) geographically, with sections representing each region's market share.

Question 41

The title page is a prefatory part of a business report.

Question 42

In the _____________ section itself, discuss the plan for solving the problem. In some proposals this discussion is tricky because you want to disclose enough of your plan to secure the contract without giving away so much information that your services aren't needed.

Question 43

Probably the most frequently used visual aid in reports is the table.

Question 44

The ___________ section promotes the credentials and expertise of project leaders and support staff.

Question 45

Both observation and experimentation produce firsthand data to clarify cause and effect.

Question 46

Regardless of the referencing format used, citations include the author, title, publication, date of publication, page number, and other significant data for all sources used in the report.

Question 47

Businesses should avoid using social networking sites because they are for entertainment and leisure only.

Question 48

Documenting data is necessary only when writing long reports and proposals.

Question 49

If you are worried about plagiarizing from your source, you can avoid the problem if you use the grammatical structure of the original and just replace words with synonyms.

Question 50

_____________ are written offers to solve problems, provide services, or sell equipment.

Question 51

The planning of every report begins with a statement of ____________ that describes the goal, significance, and limitations of a formal report.

Question 52

Most writers agree that the clearest way to show the organization of a report is by recording its divisions in an outline.

Question 53

If you find information on the Web, you can be assured that it is reliable.

Question 54

The body of a formal report typically includes an introduction; the discussion of findings; and a summary, conclusions, or recommendations.

Question 55

Katrina has decided to organize her business report using the direct organizational pattern. Therefore, she should begin the report with her conclusions and recommendations.

Question 56

An advantage of secondary data over primary data is that secondary data are easier and cheaper to develop.

Question 57

A _____________ is a collection of information stored electronically so that it is accessible by computer and digitally searchable.

Question 58

Because Web sites are used so often for research, you need provide only its URL when documenting a Web site.

Question 59

The major advantage of line charts is that they show changes over time, thus indicating trends.

Question 60

Books provide historical, in-depth data, whereas periodicals provide limited but current coverage.

Question 61

Using the ideas of someone else without giving credit is called __________ and is unethical.

Question 62

A __________ tool is a service such as Google that indexes, organizes, and often rates and reviews Web pages.

Question 63

A __________ is collaborative software, typically a collection of Web pages, that a group of users can edit.

Question 64

Business reports often rely on __________ data from firsthand experience, such as surveys, interviews, observation, and experimentation.

Question 65

An online diary or journal that allows visitors to leave public comments is called a weblog or __________.