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.

1
Team: Dr. Duck (Vigneesha, Saravanam, Tan Yu Ling, Mohd Bukhari) 25 Aug., 09

2. 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

2
Team: Dr. Duck (Vigneesha, Saravanam, Tan Yu Ling, Mohd Bukhari) 25 Aug., 09

3. 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.

5
Team: Dr. Duck (Vigneesha, Saravanam, Tan Yu Ling, Mohd Bukhari) 25 Aug., 09

4. 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.

6
Team: Dr. Duck (Vigneesha, Saravanam, Tan Yu Ling, Mohd Bukhari) 25 Aug., 09

5. 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

7
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.

8
Team: Dr. Duck (Vigneesha, Saravanam, Tan Yu Ling, Mohd Bukhari) 25 Aug., 09

6. 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

9
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-too-
distant 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
• 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) 25 Aug., 09

7. 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 extra-
provincial 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) 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. Calgary International Airport

2. Edmonton International Airport
3. Lester B. Pearson International Airport (Toronto)
4. Pierre E. Trudeau International Airport (Montréal)
5. 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:

13
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: info@otc-cta.gc.ca

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

14
Team: Dr. Duck (Vigneesha, Saravanam, Tan Yu Ling, Mohd Bukhari) 25 Aug., 09

8. 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:

15
Team: Dr. Duck (Vigneesha, Saravanam, Tan Yu Ling, Mohd Bukhari) 25 Aug., 09

16
Team: Dr. Duck (Vigneesha, Saravanam, Tan Yu Ling, Mohd Bukhari) 25 Aug., 09

17
Team: Dr. Duck (Vigneesha, Saravanam, Tan Yu Ling, Mohd Bukhari) 25 Aug., 09

9. 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:

18
Team: Dr. Duck (Vigneesha, Saravanam, Tan Yu Ling, Mohd Bukhari) 25 Aug., 09

19
Team: Dr. Duck (Vigneesha, Saravanam, Tan Yu Ling, Mohd Bukhari) 25 Aug., 09

20
Team: Dr. Duck (Vigneesha, Saravanam, Tan Yu Ling, Mohd Bukhari) 25 Aug., 09

21
Team: Dr. Duck (Vigneesha, Saravanam, Tan Yu Ling, Mohd Bukhari) 25 Aug., 09

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

22