Creating and Managing Text

Considering ways to create and manage text is an important skill you will need when you begin planning and writing reports. Important elements include:

 
• Collecting and Grouping Information
 
• Planning Content Development
 
• Reports with Standard Arrangement Patterns
 
• Topical Arrangement
 
• Specific Reader Needs
 
   
• Chronological Arrangement
   
• Persuasive Arrangement and Development
 
 
• Strategies for Developing Content
 
• Organization and Content Development
 
• Other Types of Development

In developing a report, first know the topic. Then think about how to organize the information:

 
• How you will arrange the ideas.
 
• Where you will place material within specific sections.
 
• How you will decide "what goes where."  

Then, you will need to focus on developing the content within each section:

 
• Collect and group information.
 
• Gather your research.
 
• Group your material and notes into specific categories.
 
• Label these categories.
 
• Develop your report around main sections:

 
• introduction
 
• informational categories ordered in terms of report purpose

How you design your report will depend on:

 
• The kind of report you write.
 
• Your readers' information needs.
 
• The purpose of the report.

In many situations, the plan of the document you will write is predetermined by:

 
• The kind of report you write.
 
• Many government funding agencies require that all reports submitted follow a specific plan.
 
• Many organizations also have a standard plan for their policies--what sections must be included and the order in which they appear.

Sometimes you the writer must decide how to present your research or the information you need to convey. Two basic formats are:

 
• topical arrangement--logical and inclusive
 
• chronological arrangement--presents information sequentially

Persuasive Arrangement and Development  

 
• Know your readers' objections.
 
• Anticipate the perspective of readers.

Strategies for Developing Content

Technical writing explains, describes, defines by using several different methods:  

 
• definition of terms
 
• description
 
• background (history) of the concept
 
• visual and verbal illustrations
 
• analogies
 
• examples
 
• cause/effect analyses
 
• comparison and contrast

Make Use of Organization to Reveal Content

Present logical, carefully organized, visually accessible chunks of information

Allow readers to enter/exit the document easily, depending on their information needs

Use various approaches to develop reports. For example:

 
• Determine your purpose.
 
• Develop a list of questions that your readers will want answered.
 
• Plan your report around the questions.
 
• Draft an introduction.
 
• Develop the body of the report to answer the questions.