Report Situation Planning

For an overview of situation planning, see the online textbook.

Situations for report writing are probably as infinite as human social relations. A report situation involves an audience needing or requesting a certain type of report for its specific needs and uses.

As a way of getting started on the process of thinking about the situation of your report topic, try answering the questions below. Fill out the boxes below and then e-mail this information to yourself. Your instructor automatically receives your notes.

1. If you have thought about the topic, report type, or audience of your technical document project, in the box summarize below your ideas so far:
   
2. Summary of latest developments. In this situation, an organization (for-profit company or government entity) or individual needs the "latest" on research and devlopment in some field (technological, medical, architectural, astronomical, etc.). The information must be readable by people not specialized in the field and not slanted for or against the research and development. The information must enable the recipients to make decisions.
   
   Would this situation work for your topic? Explain in the box below:
   
3. Guide on task performance. In this next situation, an organization needs some sort of guide for staff doing certain tasks. The situation might include doing a seminar at the organization and leaving the guide for staff future reference. (This should not be a typical company policy and procedures, which typically contain canned BS.)
   
   Would this situation work for your topic? Explain in the box below:
   
4. Special-interest promotion. In this situation, a national or state interest group wants to promote something about its special interest (for example, green roofs). They need good writers to develop a guide or white paper to present their information convincingly.
   
   Would this situation work for your topic? Explain in the box below:
   
5. Understandable technical summary for students. In this next situation, high school teachers or college teachers of introductory science, medical technology courses need a unit developed that will be effective with non-majoring freshmaen and sophomores.
   
   Would this situation work for your topic? Explain in the box below:
   
6. Understandable technical summary for clients. In this situation, counselors and advisers (high school, college, government agencies) need in-depth but understandable information on a topic so thay can provide knowledgeable advising to clients (students, citizens).
   
   Would this situation work for your topic? Explain in the box below:
   
7. Understandable technical summary for citizens. Similar to the preceding situation, legislators (local, state, national) need in-depth but understandable information on a topic so thay can speak on this topic intelligently and knowledgably to citizens and other legislators.
   
   Would this situation work for your topic? Explain in the box below:
   
8. This process of thinking about the situation of your report topic can cause changes in your thinking about your topic. Describe those changes here. If no changes, just enter "No changes".
   

   

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