Assignment 1 -types Of Reports

Team: Dr. Duck (Vigneesha, Saravanam, Tan Yu Ling, Mohd Bukhari)

25 Aug., 09

TYPES OF REPORTS 1.

Memo

A memo or memorandum is a document recording events or observations on a topic. Memos have a twofold purpose: they bring attention to problems and they solve problems. They accomplish their goals by informing the reader about new information like policy changes, price increases, or by persuading the reader to take an action, such as attend a meeting, or change a current production procedure. Memos are most effective when they connect the purpose of the writer with the interests and needs of the reader. The audience of memo needs to chosen wisely. The memo is only addressed to those who need to read it. The following is an example of memo:

Memo To: Department Heads From: Debora Lynn Date: December 10, 2006 Subject: Annual Bonus Leave for Employees with Outstanding Performance Starting January 1, we will introduce the following modification in our company policy with regard to annual leave: every year one employee from each department will be awarded special annual bonus leave for outstanding performance. The eligible employees will have additional five (5) days of annual leave credited on January 15. The bonus leave will be accounted for separately and will remain available until used, not withstanding any other limitation of the total number of days of annual leave that may be carried forward. We will have a meeting on December 15 at 10:00 a.m. to discuss the results of the 2006 performance evaluation and approve the final list of employees eligible for the bonus. The announcement to the employees will follow the meeting. If you have any questions or comments, please let me know before the meeting.

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Team: Dr. Duck (Vigneesha, Saravanam, Tan Yu Ling, Mohd Bukhari) 2.

25 Aug., 09

Minutes

Meeting minutes are a record of what happened at a meeting. The meeting minutes serve as a record of what action has been taken in the meeting. Details are not put into a meeting minute. However it includes any motions and decisions made and the key findings of any committee reports. The meeting minutes are prepared for future and outside readers as much as they are for the people present. The following is an example of minutes:

Chapter 388 Executive Board Meeting Monday, 02 July 2009, in Flugenheim Room at CSU Mono Lake Officers in attendance: Jane Smith, President Lee Corrigan, Vice President Maria Fizbin, Secretary/Treasurer Robin Healthy, BUR 2 TL Techie, BUR 9 Absent: Boris Cleanie, BUR 5, away at contract bargaining Robert Bloogle, Organizing Chair, vacation Meeting called to order at 11:31 am -President’s report delivered by Jane Smith. -Motion by Jane Smith to send 3 chapter activists to Women’s Conference at chapter expense; seconded by Maria Fizbin and passed unanimously. -Maria Fizbin reports the mugs and pens ordered by the chapter in May have arrived. They will be distributed at new employee events and bargaining unit meeting. -Chief steward’s report: deferred until next meeting. -Robin Healthy reports she has a Unit 2 meeting scheduled for Aug 13. -TL Techie has scheduled a Unit 9 meeting for Aug 29. -Jane Smith reports Boris Cleanie is working on scheduling both daytime and graveyard Unit 5 meetings, but must wait until the next few bargaining dates are confirmed. Meeting adjourned at 11:57 am

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Team: Dr. Duck (Vigneesha, Saravanam, Tan Yu Ling, Mohd Bukhari) 3.

25 Aug., 09

Lab Reports

A lab report is an account for an experiment and what was discovered during the experiment. Typically, lab reports present data, discuss results, and provide conclusions. Some lab reports also describe the experiment and the procedures followed. The following is an example of a lab report: Examination of Protozoan Cultures to Determine Cellular Structure and Motion Pattern. Abstract Protozoans are unicellular uekaryotes with either plant or animal like characteristics. Through careful observation, we analyzed various protozoan cultures in order to identify characteristics associated with cell structure and movement of these one celled organisms. We found that Protists exhibit certain characteristics that allow them to be categorized into different groups, mainly determined by their locomotion patterns. Despite differences in locomotion and the varying plant like and animal like organelles, all protists share key characteristics and functions that allow them to feed, grow, and reproduce processes essential for survival and common to complex organisms. Introduction Unicellular eukaryotes belong to the kingdom Protisa, and are often referred to as ‘protists’ or ‘protozoans’. The name “protozoan” means “first animal”, but eukaryotes may display either plant or animal like characteristics, or a combination of both. Although unicellular, they have a nucleus and membrane bound organelles, making them functionally complex despite their small size. Each small protest is a self supporting unit, carrying out all the processes for survival in just one cell. They thrive on moisture and can be found on moist soil and in fresh and marine bodies of water. There are about 30,000 known species of protozoans, commonly classified according to their movement patterns as sarcodines – moving with false feet called pseudopodia or, flagellates – moving with whip like structure known as flagella, ciliates – moving with short hairs known as cilia, and sporozoans – with no movement. They all have varying shapes, sizes, and survival strategies. For example, some may hunt small particles of food such as bacteria or algae; whereas others may be parasitic, inhabiting larger organisms. Despite their differences, all protists have several characteristics in common. In addition to a nucleus or nuclei to house their genetic material, most protists have mitochondria for metabolic functions, and vacuoles for digestion and excretion. With the help of these and other cellular structures, protists may feed, grow, and reproduce. In this lab we observed select examples of protists in order to identify their cellular structures, and determine to which group of protista they belong based on their form of movement. We also made drawings of our observations using light and dissection microscopes to practice proper microscopy skills, including making wet mount slides and cell sizing. By observing, drawing, and classifying protista, we 3

Team: Dr. Duck (Vigneesha, Saravanam, Tan Yu Ling, Mohd Bukhari)

25 Aug., 09

learned about the cell structure and movement patterns of these one-celled organisms. We also learned about the differences and similarities of various protest cells. Since we will observe how protists move, it will be interesting to figure out patterns of locomotion. For example, what happens when the protist encounters an obstacle? Does motion change when the organism is feeding? How does motion relate to where the organism lives? What characteristics do the protists exhibit: plant, animal, or both? Do the plant/animal characteristics influence motion patterns? Methods Three protists were chosen for observation. See the list of protists below to choose three samples. For each of the protists, a pipette was used to extract a few drops of culture from the culture jar. The drops of culture were placed on a clean microscope slide and covered with a slide cover slip. Using a light microscope, each protist was examined at different magnifications until the best field of view was found for identifying cellular structures. The color, shape, and motion cellular structures was noted. Each of the protists was drawn and the drawings were labelled. Field-of-view, magnification, and cell size was noted on the drawings, along with the organism’s name and protist group. Results All protists that were selected had features in common, but they all move differently. The example protists were: Euglena, Paramecium, and Amoeba. Euglena moved with a flagellum and so is classified as a flagellate. Paramecium moved with cilia and so is classified as a ciliate. Finally, Amoeba moved with a pseudopod, and so is sarcodine. All three protists had a nucleus, as expected, but the Paramecium had two nuclei, a micronucleus and a macronucleus. The Paramecium and Amoeba both had food and contractile vacuoles, but these were lacking in the Euglena. All protists had animal like characteristics in terms of their movements and feeding patterns. Of the three, Euglena was the only one that had chloroplasts, an organelle common in plants. Discussions Protists seem to share certain characteristics even when they are classified into different groups. Their organelles are a mixture of animal and plant structures, but they all have nuclei, a feature which distinguishes Protists from other unicellular organisms. The protists motion was consistent with their locomotion organ: cilia, flagella, or pseudopod. This motion was very clear under the light microscope, but interactions of protists with others in the culture jar were better observed using the dissection scope. The Amoeba moves by extending part of its cell. This extruding part is the pseudopod, and allows the Amoeba to drag itself from one place to another. Its movement is slow, and changing directions is just a matter of extending a pseudopod in a new direction. Amoebas do not seem to have a particular shape, with the exception of the pseudopodia that consistently protrude from the cell. This shapeless but ever shifting quality of the Amoeba’s shape allows it to surround, engulf, and ingest its food by a process called phagocytosis. Paramecia are smaller than Amoebas. They move with the help of microscopic hair like structures called cilia, which act like oars to push them through the water. They swim by rotating slowly and changing directions often. If the paramecium comes upon an obstacle, it stops, swims backwards, and then angles itself forward 4

Team: Dr. Duck (Vigneesha, Saravanam, Tan Yu Ling, Mohd Bukhari)

25 Aug., 09

on a slightly different course. Cilia help the Paramecium move as well as feed. When the Paramecia feed, it does so by drawing its food into a funnel-shaped opening called the oral groove that is lined with cilia. The oral groove is like a mouth, taking food in with the help of cilia, which direct and move the food inward. The Euglena moves rapidly, using its flagellum to propel itself through the water rather quickly, shifting directions with whip-like movements. Unlike the amoeba and the Paramecium, the Euglena has plant-like characteristics. It is sometimes referred to as a ‘plant-like’ protist. The organelle that gives it this plant-like quality is the chloroplast, a green organelle responsible for carrying out photosynthesis in plants. The Euglena senses light with a light-sensitive organelle called the ‘eyespot’, which directs the organism to a light source strong enough for photosynthesis to occur. Since it can undergo photosynthesis, Euglena is able to make its own food just like plants. The three protists examined in this lab are examples of protists that use specialized structures for locomotion. Although the Euglena has some ‘plant-like’ characteristics, all protists mentioned above, exhibit animal-like movements. These protists exemplify the animal-like and motile types of protozoans. As compared to other protists, the animal-like features of the protists we observed allow them to be motile. Their motility comes in handy for moving about their environment and finding food. They may be contrasted to another class of protist, the sporozoans. Sporozoans have no form of locomotion and are primarily parasitic, ingesting their food by absorption through their cell membranes. No matter what type of locomotion a protist uses, all protists must be able to carry out the metabolic functions of multicellular organisms. Based on the observations in this lab, protists are very small yet highly complex. They have all the organelles necessary for a variety of functions such as digestion, excretion, reproduction, respiration, and movement. Protists are self-supporting ‘one cell factories’ churning out all the processes that are usually carried out by a highly-organized network of cells. Conclusions In this lab I learned about the structure and function of the smallest eukaryotic organisms, the unicellular protists. Although very tiny, these organisms are very complex, housing all the necessary life tools in one single cell. This shows that the complexity of an organism is not necessarily related to its size. I also learned to identify and classify different types of protists. I was able to observe locomotion patterns as well as other characteristic features. In doing so, I gained useful microscopy skills such as making wet mount slides, finding the proper magnification for viewing, and drawing microscope observations with all the proper labels.

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Team: Dr. Duck (Vigneesha, Saravanam, Tan Yu Ling, Mohd Bukhari) 4.

25 Aug., 09

Book Report

A book report is completely factual. It includes information on the author, title, place and year of publication as well as a summary of the content of the book. The following is an example of a book report: Title: The Neanderthal should be Classified as a Subspecies of Modern Man Summary: Our author argues, through his thesis, that Neanderthal man is a subspecies of modern humans due to key elements of the Neanderthal physiology, behavior, and culture. The debate regarding Neanderthal man's place in human evolution has continued unabated since the discovery of the first Neanderthal fossil in 1856. One camp believes Neanderthal man is a human ancestor and should be classified as a subspecies of modern manohomo sapien neandertalis. The opposition argues that Neanderthal man is a distinct speciesohomo neandertalisoa species entirely separate from modern humans.

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Team: Dr. Duck (Vigneesha, Saravanam, Tan Yu Ling, Mohd Bukhari) 5.

25 Aug., 09

Progress Report

A progress report is an informational report on the progress of a specific project. Most organizations use progress reports to track the various projects underway at any given time. In small organizations, many project reports are delivered orally. Those working on the project provide their progress at the end of the day, the end of the week, or at some other convenient time. Progress reports help management track what is going on and determine whether resources are being allocated appropriately to ensure the timely completion of various projects. When research is involved, progress reports frequently contain preliminary findings and tentative conclusions. The content of progress reports will also vary depending on who is going to receive the report and how the information will be used. The following is an example of progress report:

Wolfe Construction Date: 3 October 2006 To: Thomas S. Wolfe, President From: Jack Evans, Project Manager Subject: Progress on Hillcrest Apartments for September Construction on the Hillcrest Apartment Complex began on 17 August and fell behind schedule almost immediately because of the heavy rain that month Current Status We have not been able to make up time lost in August because of the continuing rain in September. Close supervision and some overtime have prevented us from falling farther behind. We are currently 18 days behind schedule, assuming crew size remains the same and overtime is limited to emergencies only. The foundation for the entire complex is complete. Framing on the 14 townhouses is complete, and the farmers will begin work on the two-bedroom units on Monday, 6 October. The electrical and plumbing subcontractors will also begin work on Monday

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Team: Dr. Duck (Vigneesha, Saravanam, Tan Yu Ling, Mohd Bukhari)

25 Aug., 09

Expected Progress If the weather holds through the rest of this month, I expect to be finished with framing, roofing, and siding by mid November. That will allow us to begin work on the interior before the winter rains begin.

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Team: Dr. Duck (Vigneesha, Saravanam, Tan Yu Ling, Mohd Bukhari) 6.

25 Aug., 09

Justification Report

Justification report presents a problem and then provides the evidence required to justify a recommended solution to that problem. Unlike most reports, which are written at the request of management, justification report is often initiated by the writer, who has observed a problem and wishes to suggest a solution. They employ deductive structure and begin with a clear statement of purpose or a problem to be solved. The following is an example of justification report: To:

Executive Committee, Board of Directors

From:

Jamie Smith, Development Manager

Date:

July 5, 2007

Subject:

Website Expansion

In response to your request, my staff and I have investigated the possibility of expanding into e-commerce. After studying our customer-base, our competition, and recent development in electronic retailing, we recommend that we immediately expand into web-based retailing because of the following: •

We can expand our online presence,

•

We can engage an outside consultant who specializes in web design for retailers, and

•

We can integrate our online efforts with our store-based and mail-order operations EXPAND OUR WEBSITE

Although our competitors sell low-interaction products (mostly books) that require very little inspection before purchasing, our customers like to interact with our products before deciding which items to purchase. Allowing our customers to interact with our products electronically Our competitors are beginning to include web-based commerce into their day-to day activities. The initial steps that our competitors have already taken have

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Team: Dr. Duck (Vigneesha, Saravanam, Tan Yu Ling, Mohd Bukhari)

25 Aug., 09

placed us at a disadvantage among shoppers who are already comfortable buying things online. Today’s disadvantage will be a major weakness in the not-toodistant future. For example, •

Online sales are increasing

•

Younger consumers have grown up with the Internet, and they will be reaching our prime demographic (age 25-45) early next year

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The Internet is wiping any geographical advantage retailers may have

HIRE A CONSULTANT WHO IS A WEB-BASED COMMERCE SPECIALIST Implementing an effective retailing site online will take anywhere from 1,000 to 1,500 man-hours for design and programming. Some of our in-house people are knowledgeable, but these people are currently involved with upgrading our store information systems. Hiring a web design consultant or firm will help us by doing all of the design and programming. INTEGRATE OUR WEB-BASED RETAILING WITH EXISTING OPERATIONS The studies that we reviewed showed that the most successful web retailers were careful to integrate their online retailing with their in-store and mail-order retailing. Companies that failed to carefully integrate carefully found themselves with higher costs, confused customers, and websites that didn’t generate much business. SUMMARY Based on our research, we recommend immediately expanding into web-based retailing for these three reasons: 1. Begin immediately to expand our web presence because research shows that significant growth and profits will come from online operations. 2. Using the services of a seasoned web designer is paramount because we currently lack the time and personnel. 3. Integrate the website with our existing operations. 10

Team: Dr. Duck (Vigneesha, Saravanam, Tan Yu Ling, Mohd Bukhari) 7.

25 Aug., 09

Compliance Report

Compliance reports are reports to government agencies: the periodic compilation and submission of information about its activities that government agencies require a business or organization to undertake. The following is an example of compliance report: Multiple Format Policy Compliance Report The Canadian Transportation Agency is responsible for ensuring that undue obstacles to the mobility of persons with disabilities are removed from federally regulated transportation services and facilities, which include air, rail, and extraprovincial ferry and bus transportation. It seeks to remove such obstacles by: • • •

developing regulations, codes of practice and standards; communicating with the transportation industry and the community of persons with disabilities; resolving individual accessibility-related disputes; and by ordering corrective measures as required.

The Agency follows the federal government's policy of setting standards using alternatives to regulations and therefore develops voluntary codes of practice and other standards. In 2004, the Agency released its Code of Practice: Removing Communication Barriers for Travellers with Disabilities (Code), which aims to improve the communication of transportation-related information for persons with disabilities. This Code was developed through consultation with industry and groups representing persons with disabilities. Carriers in the air, rail and ferry modes of transport, and airports, passenger rail stations and ferry terminals were to be compliant by June 2007. Interprovincial bus operations are covered by a code of practice administered by Transport Canada and, as such, are not subject to the Communication Code. Section 1.1 of the Communication Code states that service providers were to develop and follow their own multiple format policies. Multiple format policies help to ensure that information related to travel by persons with disabilities is available in a format they can use, such as large print or electronic files. This report is on compliance by carriers and terminals operating air, rail and ferry passenger services with section 1.1 of the Code. Process of the Agency's Compliance Initiative The multiple format policy initiative is a multi-step project designed to increase the number of transportation service providers who develop and follow a multiple format policy. At the time that the Code came into effect, none of the transportation service providers subject to the Code had a multiple format policy. The project, which began in 2007, consisted of a series of measures: 11

Team: Dr. Duck (Vigneesha, Saravanam, Tan Yu Ling, Mohd Bukhari) • •

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25 Aug., 09

reminding carriers, airports, passenger rail stations and ferry terminals of the need to develop multiple format policies providing assistance by way of multiple format policy templates that could be customized to meet the specific operational needs of the carriers and terminal operators providing assistance by way of consultation with Agency staff.

While all 55 transportation service providers subject to the Communication Code were included in the above-noted measures, the Agency decided to focus its subsequent compliance efforts on the following ten key transportation service providers operating services in the 3 modes of transportation (i.e. air, rail and ferry). 1. Air Canada and Air Canada Jazz 2. WestJet 3. VIA Rail 4. Northumberland and Bay Ferries 5. Marine Atlantic 6. Lester B. Pearson International Airport (Toronto) 7. Vancouver International Airport 8. Pierre E. Trudeau International Airport (Montreal) 9. Calgary International Airport 10. Edmonton International Airport Factors considered in deciding to focus on these transportation service providers were: • •

the key transportation service providers collectively provide 75% or more of the passenger services for the particular mode of transportation the nature of many of the other carriers' operations is such that they either do not offer their services to the general public (i.e. they serve corporate clients) or the size of their operations is such that they do not produce written information for the public.

Findings: Compliant Transportation Service Providers As of March 13, 2009, the following key transportation service providers have developed and submitted Multiple Format Policies that meet the objectives of the Code: Air Terminal Operators 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Calgary International Airport Edmonton International Airport Lester B. Pearson International Airport (Toronto) Pierre E. Trudeau International Airport (Montréal) Vancouver International Airport

Air Carriers 1. Air Canada and Air Canada Jazz 12

Team: Dr. Duck (Vigneesha, Saravanam, Tan Yu Ling, Mohd Bukhari)

25 Aug., 09

2. WestJet Rail Carriers 1. VIA Rail* Ferry Carriers 1. Marine Atlantic* Although subsequent follow-up by the Agency to encourage compliance was limited to the key transportation service providers, the following also developed and submitted multiple format policies and are compliant with the Code: Air Terminal Operators 1. Charlottetown Airport 2. Greater Moncton International Airport 3. Halifax Stanfield International Airport 4. Kelowna International Airport 5. London International Airport 6. Jean Lesage International Airport (Quebec City) 7. Regina International Airport 8. Saint John Airport 9. Saskatoon John G. Diefenbaker International Airport 10. Thunder Bay International Airport 11. Victoria International Airport 12. Erik Nielsen Whitehorse International Airport 13. Winnipeg International airport 14. Yellowknife Airport Air Carriers 1. Air Creebec 2. Air Inuit 3. Air Transat 4. Calm Air 5. Corporate Express Air 6. First Air 7. Hawkair Aviation Services 8. Skyservice Airlines 9. Sunwing Vacations 10. Transwest Air Findings: Non-Compliant Transportation Service Providers As of March 13, 2009, the Agency has not received a Multiple Format Policy that meets the objectives of the Communication Code from the following key transportation service provider:

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Team: Dr. Duck (Vigneesha, Saravanam, Tan Yu Ling, Mohd Bukhari)

25 Aug., 09

Ferry Carrier 1. Northumberland and Bay Ferries* Future Action The Agency will continue to work with the key transportation service providers that have not yet developed a multiple format policy to ensure that they can provide information to persons with disabilities in accessible formats. The Agency will, upon request, also provide assistance to other transportation service providers that wish to develop multiple format policies. The Agency will update this compliance report as additional transportation service providers submit multiple format policies that meet the objective of the Code. To help transportation service providers, a generic Multiple Format Policy is available in Appendix A of the Communication Code on the Agency's Web site. For further information: Canadian Transportation Agency Ottawa, ON K1A 0N9 Tel: 1 888 222-2592 TTY: 1 800 669-5575 Web: www.cta.gc.ca Email: [email protected] Endnotes *

While this transportation service provider operates terminals, it is primarily a carrier. As such, it is only required to file one multiple format policy for all of its operations

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Team: Dr. Duck (Vigneesha, Saravanam, Tan Yu Ling, Mohd Bukhari) 8.

25 Aug., 09

Annual report

An Annual report is a comprehensive report on a company’s activities throughout the preceding year. Annual reports are intended to give shareholders and other interested persons information about the company’s activities and financial performance. Most jurisdictions require companies to prepare and disclose annual reports, and many require the annual report to be filed at the company’s registry. The following is an example of annual report:

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Team: Dr. Duck (Vigneesha, Saravanam, Tan Yu Ling, Mohd Bukhari)

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Team: Dr. Duck (Vigneesha, Saravanam, Tan Yu Ling, Mohd Bukhari)

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Team: Dr. Duck (Vigneesha, Saravanam, Tan Yu Ling, Mohd Bukhari) 9.

25 Aug., 09

Policies and Procedures

Policies and procedures are a set of documents that describe an organization’s policies for operation and the procedures necessary to fulfil the policies. Typically the format includes a purpose, persons affected, scope, sometimes a background section, a policy section, definitions, responsibilities, and a procedure section. The following is an example of policies and procedures report:

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Team: Dr. Duck (Vigneesha, Saravanam, Tan Yu Ling, Mohd Bukhari)

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Team: Dr. Duck (Vigneesha, Saravanam, Tan Yu Ling, Mohd Bukhari)

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Team: Dr. Duck (Vigneesha, Saravanam, Tan Yu Ling, Mohd Bukhari)

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Team: Dr. Duck (Vigneesha, Saravanam, Tan Yu Ling, Mohd Bukhari)

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Reference http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/590/01/ http://csea.csusb.edu/resources/minutes.html http://non-profit-governance.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_take_meeting_minutes http://core.ecu.edu/engl/snyderh/3880/justrptinfo.html http://homepages.wmich.edu/~bowman/rpttypes.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annual_report

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