Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Title page
Title uppercase letters Next: Presented to (or Submitted to) N. AlAlRubaiee Title and organisation of the individual receiving the report Lower on the page is Prepared by (or Submitted by) and the author's name plus any necessary identification. The date of submission
Executive Summary
While the business plans executive
summary is the first thing the readers of your business plan see, it should be the last part of the business plan you write.
Executive Summary
The executive summary will end with a
summary statement, a last kick at the can sentence or two designed to persuade the readers of your business plan that your business is a winner.
Executive Summary
a description of your company, including your
products and/or services your mission statement your businesss management the market and your customer marketing and sales your competition your businesss operations financial projections and plans
Introduction
Include the following: 1. Background: Background: Describe events leading up to the problem or need 2. Problem or purpose: State the need that motivated the report what the main question is that your report will answer.
Introduction
3. Significance: Significance: Explain why the topic is important. You may wish to quote experts or cite newspapers, books and other secondary sources to establish the importance of the topic. Give the reader a road map that previews the structure of the report.
Introduction
4. Authorisation. Authorisation. Identify who commissioned the report. If no letter of transmittal is included. Also tell why, when, by whom, and to whom the report has been written.
Introduction
5. Literature review Summarise what other authors and researchers have published on this topic Describe your secondary sources Explain how you collected primary data.
Introduction
6. Definitions of key terms. terms. Define words that may be unfamiliar to the audience. Define terms with special meanings
Body
The body should deal with facts It presents, discusses, and analyses the research
findings.
Body
This section is usually the longest part of
the report. The material must be presented logically. The type of headings you use to organise the information in the body of your report will depend on the purpose of the report you are preparing.
Body
Make sure the headings and sub-headings subyou choose are informative. Headings should be specific and descriptive NOT vague and general A good rule of thumb is that the heading should be "long enough to be an inclusive label but short enough to be immediately clear"
Body
You should also try to make headings grammatically and
logically consistent for example, if your main heading was
Types of Schemas
Body
Also avoid using headings that are catchy
rather than informative; for example, the following subheadings, although catchy and cute, detract from the serious informative intent of the following report.
Example
4. Key products and services of the McDonald's
corporation
The following outline of McDonald's key products and services will thoroughly examine all aspects of consumer buyer behaviour ..
4.1 The Big Mac: two all beef patties, special sauce,
lettuce, cheese, pickles and onions on a sesame seed bun!
The Big Mac hamburger brand was introduced to the McDonalds's product range in 1968 and has worldwide recognition. The longevity, popularity and recognisability of this product impact on consumer buying behaviour in several ways..
Body
Expands and develops the material in a
logical and coherent manner, reflecting the structure outlined in the Introduction. It contains a description of the findings and a discussion of them. It should also relate the findings to any theory of relevance.
Example
Example
The Keeling plant's production capacity was reached in May this year. In contrast, the Hergort plant has not yet reached 75% of its production capacity (see Table 13).
Decline, decrease, drop, fall, slide Climb, rise, increase Soar, rocket, climb, rise, increase Crash, collapse, plummet, plunge flatten out, hold steady, level off, stabilise Bounce, back, rally, recover fluctuate
Exercise
1. Sales. to 30% last month.
2. Sales at 60 million and then ..in July. 3. Profit at 40% last year.
Exercise
4. Sales of the new product unfortunately in May.
6. Things looked bad at the beginning of the year, but in March sales began to ..
Answers
1.
2. Sales peakedat 60 million peakedat and then fell/decreased/went down/dropped ..in July. 3. Profitlevelled off at 40% last year. Profitlevelled 4. Sales of the new product unfortunatelyplummeted in May. unfortunatelyplummeted 5. In the last six months sales have fluctuated 6. Things looked bad at the beginning of the year, but in March sales began to recover.
Exercise
Decide whether the following statements represent No movement at all, a Slow movement or a Rapid movement. Write N, S or R
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
The plummeting dollar has boosted American exports. Sales have been stagnant There has been a surge in a number of complaints Imports have risen somewhat There has been a slight increase in production costs The glut in the market has caused prices to slump Home sales have slipped back Prices are likely to remain steady overall The price of gold eased back by the end of the day to 423 dollars an ounce 10. Coffee futures edged up yesterday 11. Euro-Disney shares went up sharply to 113p Euro-
Answers
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
The plummeting dollar has boosted American exports. R Sales have been stagnant. N There has been a surge in a number of complaints. R Imports have risen somewhat. S There has been a slight increase in production costs. S The glut in the market has caused prices to slump. R Home sales have slipped back. S Prices are likely to remain steady overall. N The price of gold eased back by the end of the day to 423 dollars an ounce. S 10. Coffee futures edged up yesterday. S 11. Euro-Disney shares went up sharply to 113p. R Euro-
Conclusions
For busy readers; so it has to be well written! The Conclusion should give the main cause(s)
of the problem or opportunity that is the topic of the report
Recommendations
After the Conclusion and before any
appendices.
Numbered so that it is easy for readers to refer Sub-headings so that it is easy for readers to Subfind the right one;
Recommendations
Refer back to the issue that is addressed:
In the light of , In view of , Given that , Due the fact that , In view of the fact that , Since to
Recommendations
make precise suggestions for actions to solve
the report problem.
Recommendations
It is suggested that we should change our procedures Avoid: We recommend to change our procedures; procedures;
USE: Investment International recommend changing our changing procedures OR: We recommend that we change our procedures.
Recommendations
To describe the results of your recommendations, use
would or will if you are very confident
Charts/Graphs/Maps/Tables
School life expectancy (in years). Primary to tertiary education Country or area Year Total Men Women
Afghanistan
2004
11
Albania
2004
11
11
11
Algeria
2005
13
13
13
Anguilla
2006
11
11
11
Andorra
2006
11
11
11
Argentina
2006
16
15
17
a=national estimation, b= UIS estimation Source: School Life Expectancy (in years). Primary to Tertiary Education.United Nations Statistics Division.
Charts/Graphs/Maps/Tables
School Life Expectancy (in years). Primary to Tertiary Education. Table. United Nations Statistics Division. United Nations. 9 July 2009 <http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/socind /education.htm>. Start with Source: Give the name or title of the chart, graph, map or table State whether the mentioned source is a chart, graph, map or table Provide the title of the book or website Write down the name of the institution or organisation sponsoring or associated with the site Show your access date End with the full URL
Direct Quotations
Copy ONE OR TWO sentence into your report directly
EX. Plagiarism is almost always seen as a shameful act, and plagiarists are usually regarded with pity and scorn. (Gibaldi, 66)
OR
Plagiarism is as old as writing itself and is almost always seen as a shameful act, (Gibaldi, 66) because plagiarists seem to be unable to come up with ideas of their own.
Indirect quotation
Plagiarism is as old as writing itself and has been considered as a shameful behaviour (Gibaldi, 66) because plagiarists seem to be unable to come up with ideas of their own. According to Gibaldi plagiarism is as old as writing itself and has been considered as a shameful behaviour (Gibaldi, 66) because plagiarists seem to be unable to come up with ideas of their own.
BOOKS
1. Authors full name (last name first) 2. Full title of the book (including any subtitle) 3. Edition (if it is a second or later or revised edition; otherwise leave out) 4. City of publication 5. Publisher 6. Year of publication
EXAMPLE
Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook of Writers
of Research Papers. 6th edn. New York: The Modern Language Association of America, 2003.
ARTICLES
1. Authors name 2. Title of the article 3. Title of the journal/magazine/newspaper 4. Volume/issue number (if present) 5. Year/date of publication (exact date if no volume or issue number exists) 6. Page numbers that the article is on
EXAMPLES
Alexander, C.P. The Declining Dollar: Not a
Simple Cure. Time .16 November 1987: 24-28. 24-
INTERNET
1. Authors name 2. Title of the document (if any) 3. Title of the website 4. Date/year of electronic publication (if given) 5. Name of the institution or organisation sponsoring or associated with the site (if applicable) 6. Date when you accessed the source 7. Full URL
EXAMPLE
Thomas, Heather. Power & Government. Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603) (1533(2008) 19 May 2009. <http://elizabethi.org/uk/power>.
Business Correspondence. 1st edn. La Jolla, Correspondence. California: Pearson Educational Publisher, 2008.
Unknown Authors
web Most often web-based Problematic for your bibliography Look then for the next best thing e.g. institute or company Do not use the, a or an for sorting alphabetically. If no mention is made of any kind of institute, company or project then start with the name of the article (or, lacking that, name of the book, magazine, journal or website)
EXAMPLE
Royal Household, The. Buckingham Palace. The Official Website of the British Monarchy (2008/09).14 July 2009. <http://www.royal.gov.uk/TheRoyalResi dences/BuckinghamPalace/Buckinghm Palace.aspx>.
Appendix
Incidental or supporting materials; especially repetitive or lengthy information; validate your conclusions or pursues a related point
should be placed in an appendix (plural appendices). Sometimes part of the data set will be placed in the body of the report but the complete set of information ( i.e. all of the data set) will be included in the appendix. Examples : figures/tables/charts/graphs of results, statistics, questionnaires, transcripts of interviews, pictures, lengthy derivations of equations, maps, drawings, letters, specification or data sheets, computer program information.
Appendix
There is no limit However, must be directly related to the research problem or the
report's purpose. It must be a useful tool for the reader Each separate appendix should be lettered (Appendix A, Appendix B, Appendix B1, Appendix B2, Appendix C, etc). The order they are presented in is dictated by the order they are mentioned in the text of the report. It is essential to refer to each appendix within the text of the report; ex. For the manufacturer's specification, see Appendix B or Appendix C contains the YoY shareholder account growth rates. The rates are high. The increasing growth rate of accounts will significantly affect the valuation of the company.
Use of passive voice Few personal pronouns Neutral verbs are used, i.e. non-emotive nonverbs
Use of active voice Use of personal pronouns, e.g. I, you, we Verbs that show feelings, e.g. I think, we
feel, I am pleased
It focuses on the subject and the action. action. It is often used in informal communication,
e.g. personal letters.
Exercise: Identify the phrasal verbs and give the formal alternative
1. Data management systems can help out users to 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
diagnose problems. Research expenditure has gone up to nearly 350 million Researchers have found out that this drug has serious side effect. Researchers have been looking into this problem for 15 years. The issue was brought up during the investigation. Engineers can come up with better designs using CAD The program was set up to improve access to medical care.
Answers
1. Data management systems can assist users to 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
diagnose problems. Research expenditure has increased to nearly 350 million Researchers have determined/discovered that this drug has serious side effect. Researchers have been investigating this problem for 15 years. The issue was raised during the investigation. Engineers can create better designs using CAD The program was established/initiated to improve access to medical care.
Use of pronouns
Compare
We have estimated that approximately 80% of SMS text messages are sent by people under the age of 30.
It has been estimated that approximately 80% of SMS text messages are sent by people under the age of 30.
Exercises
1. We have analysed the research data 2. We consider that price competitiveness
is also a key marketing strategy. 3. We predict significant growth in the offshore agricultural market. 4. We do not know when we will complete the project.
Answers
1. The research data has been analysed 2. Price competitiveness is also considered
a key marketing strategy 3. Significant growth is predicted in the offshore agricultural market 4. It is not known when the project will be completed.
Structure of a paragraph
a topic sentence: beginning (or end, rarely
in the middle)
Topic sentence
Decide what the paragraph is going to be about, and write a general statement about it. It has to be inclusive; it has to cover every aspect you are discussing in your paragraph.
Supporting sentences
Outline points that will support the topic sentence. A paragraph should generally be less than 12 lines. If it has more, check to see if there is more than one topic, and break the paragraph into 2. Place each point in a sentence and use evidence, references etc to support the argument.
Concluding sentence
Write a final sentence that concludes or summarizes the paragraph. The main point can be restated again for emphasis. Try to paraphrase; use other words to sum up your paragraph
Example
There are severe health hazards directly linked to smoking. The link between smoking and cancer is well known. However, smoking is linked to other diseases such as emphysema and bronchitis. It is also proven that smokers have an increased chance of developing heart disease later in life. In the USA, smokers have been awarded damages from tobacco companies in recent court cases. Further there is evidence that even passive smoking can lead to increased health risks. Clearly, smoking is a dangerous habit and should be avoided.
2. A paragraph is a group of connected sentences that develops a single idea or theme. It has a topic sentence that tells the reader what the paragraph is going to be about. It has other supporting sentences that go on to further develop the central idea or theme. The sentences need to be coherently and cohesively linked together. Paragraphs are the building blocks of an essay.
3. Students often think multiple choice questions are easy so they dont need to study. However, multiple choice questions have a number of challenges associated with them. Firstly, the questions are often wide ranging and sometimes not arranged in any particular sequence, perhaps even covering a whole years work. Secondly, the questions may reword the ideas you learned in class in a different way. Thirdly, multiple choice questions often include negative statements or distracters, or deliberately confusing choices. Furthermore, they are not necessarily a test of simple recognition of basic ideas as you often need to use many ideas to answer one question. For example, you may need to answer a problem solving question which covers applying knowledge from a number of topics. Clearly it is not enough to be familiar with the subject matter to do well in multiple choice questions, you really need to understand the subject.
Answers
1. The internet is a useful educational tool. Students can 2.
find and access information from around the world with the click of a button. A paragraph is a group of connected sentences that develops a single idea or theme. It has a topic sentence that tells the reader what the paragraph is going to be about. Students often think multiple choice questions are easy so they dont need to study. However, multiple choice questions have a number of challenges associated with them. Firstly, the questions are often wide ranging and sometimes not arranged in any particular sequence, perhaps even covering a whole years work.
3.
Analyse
Leadership qualities are a prerequisite for achievement in coaching. A leader is one who is respected for what he says and does, and who is admired by his team. The coach gains respect by giving respect, and by possessing knowledge and skills associated with the sport. There are many successful coaches who are domineering, forceful leaders, gaining power more through fear and even hatred than through respect. These military-type men are primarily militaryfrom the old school of thought, and many younger coaches are achieving their goals through more humanistic approaches.
Answer
Leadership qualities are a prerequisite for achievement in coaching. A leader is one who is respected for what he says and does, and who is admired by his team. The coach gains respect by giving respect, and by possessing knowledge and skills associated with the sport. There are many successful coaches who are domineering, forceful leaders, gaining power more through fear and even hatred than through respect. These military-type men are primarily from the old school militaryof thought, and many younger coaches are achieving their goals through more humanistic approaches.