Completing this document will help you to plan and design a more effective Formal Report, because you will know exactly what information your reader needs to understand the issue and take appropriate action.
As with the Instruction Sheet, to complete this assignment simply type the prompt (in green below) and then insert your response.
Primary Audience: Who is the designated reader for your Formal Report? What is their official title (if relevant)? Why have you chosen them as your reader? Do they have responsibility and/or authority to take action or make a decision about this issue?
Audience Purpose Statement: State as clearly as possible what your report will “do” for your reader. Will you help the reader to understand a situation better? Help them to take action to improve something or solve a problem? Help them to make a decision?
Background Knowledge: What does your reader already know about this topic/issue? How knowledgeable are they about this topic? Is it possible that your reader has knowledge about this topic that you don’t have? How might that affect their response to your report? How can you still persuade them to take your recommendations?
Information Needs: What information does your reader not have about this topic that your report will provide? How do you think (or hope) that this information will affect your reader?
Probable Questions: What questions do you anticipate your reader might have about your topic? Are you prepared to address these potential questions in the report?
Visuals: What are your current plans for the images you will use in your Formal Report? (Remember that visuals are required.)
