Chapter 13 Smartbook

Which of the following sentences should be rewritten to be more appropriately fact-based and precise?

- If the company invests in this venture, profits are sure to increase. - Hardly anyone has a negative opinion of the company's products.

Although positivity is important in a business report, what are some common drawbacks of too much positivity?

- It can make the report seem unprofessional. - It can impair the writer's judgment. - It can make the report seem too enthusiastic.

What should you do when designing a business report for a busy executive?

- Make it easy for the executive to navigate quickly through the document. - Assume that the executive will not read all of the text.

In which of the following cases could a sentence that a writer takes directly from someone else's writing be considered plagiarism?

- None of the words are placed within quotation marks, and no words are altered. - Only half of the sentence is placed within quotation marks, and no words are altered. - None of the words are placed within quotation marks, and a few of the words are altered.

When you design a business report, you should bear in mind which of the following?

- People will read the document in various ways. - The document should be easy to navigate. - Some readers will not have enough time to ponder everything in the document.

What are the last steps in preparing a report?

- Proofread the document. - Seek final feedback from colleagues. - Check for fairness.

Which of the following are conditions for choosing to use a direct quotation?

- The text is worded in an especially compelling way. - The text highlights the credibility of the person being quoted. - The text flows well with the document you are writing.

Which of the following statements about business proposals are true?

- They may vary in length and format. - They address the allocation of resources for business activities.

Which of the following are items in a business report that tend to increase the effectiveness of the author's recommendations?

- a rationale - clear steps that would help achieve an objective - the cost and other implications

Which of the following actions are plagiarism?

- any literary theft - stealing and passing off the ideas of someone else as your own - copying a text word-for-word and passing it off as your own

Excellence in thinking leads to reports that

- are accurate. - document all facts.

Which of the following elements are part of the basic documentation of a book used as a source according to APA style and MLA style?

- author name - book title - year of publication

A report without a problem statement is likely to

- be considered unimportant. - wander aimlessly.

Which of the following actions tend to increase the credibility of a business report?

- being precise when citing facts - including details that support the report's conclusions - citing research sources

Which of the following are often included in the appendixes of a business report?

- biographies - marketing materials - financial statements

Which of the following are typically used to document sources for a business report?

- citations - a reference list

Which of the following requires a source citation?

- direct quotation - paraphrase - ideas borrowed from a secondary source

Documenting sources for a business report helps decision makers

- have confidence that the data was collected in a methodical way. - trust the researcher's findings. - assess the quality of the data.

Headings are used in reports to

- help readers navigate rapidly through the document. - reveal the basic logic of the document. - indicate the contents of each section.

To support the story line of a report, you should

- include charts only for statistics that are directly related to the central theme. - use charts to simplify complicated numerical information.

Which of the following are essential features of a thorough, detailed approach to research?

- methodical analysis - documentation of sources

All business trend reports should have which of the following characteristics or features?

- objectivity - easy navigation - documentation

Which of the following are examples of what needs to be documented to avoid plagiarism?

- other people's ideas that you borrow or reference - the exact wording of text that you quote - text that you paraphrase

After compiling data for a report, you should

- recommend actions based on the facts and conclusions in the report. - draw conclusions based on the facts in the report.

Which of the following might a business report's table of contents include?

- second-level headings - first-level headings

"Objectivity" in business means providing information, analysis, and recommendations that are which of the following?

- sound - reliable - unbiased

Which two of the following would likely benefit from being presented as a list with bulleting or numbering in a business report?

- summaries of five surveys, with statistical information and source citations - the top 10 innovations that made our company the industry leader this year and how much profit each generated

A preview statement should

- summarize the report's key messages. - give the reader a general idea of what the report covers.

Which two of the following have reliable guidelines for documenting sources in a business report?

- the Purdue Online Writing Lab - the APA style website

A business report problem statement should establish

- the purpose of the report. - the value of the report.

In a business report, bulleting is used for which of the following?

- to group information visually for easier comprehension - to break up dense blocks of text

What are several of the key features that should be included in all business reports?

- value to decision makers - documentation - precision

When your report is almost finished, you should review it to make sure that

- you have been fair to yourself and your readers. - the report is as effective as possible.

Which of the following recommendations is the most specific and actionable?

Our company should expand delivery capability by purchasing a new tanker truck and hiring three additional drivers.

The conclusions and recommendations in a business report should be focused on

a clear business problem.

Reference lists should be placed

at the end of the report.

If the structure of a report is familiar to decision makers, then it will

be easier to navigate.

Which of the following should be provided throughout your business report to indicate any information taken from other sources?

citations

Text taken word-for-word from a source is called a(n)

direct quotation.

True or false: In business reports, positivity is more important than objectivity.

false

A table of contents is usually included in a business report if the document

is more than 10 pages long.

The purpose of an executive summary is to highlight

key findings and recommendations.

Documenting sources and including data to support your conclusions will tend to make a business report which of the following?

more credible

In general, how long should an executive summary be?

one page for every 10 to 20 pages in the report

When you weave together information gathered from a variety of sources and think up your own ideas, reach your own conclusions, and make your own recommendations, you are demonstrating

originality of thought.

Which component of a business report frames the overall message in order to help decision makers follow the text?

preview statement

A document that explains why a business goal is beneficial and details how resources and funds will be allocated to meet the goal is known as a business ____________

proposal

The appendixes of business reports commonly include

reference materials.

As a general guideline, a report that is fewer than 5 pages

requires at least first-level headings.

What is included in the reference list of a business report?

sources for all of the facts that were cited

What is the primary purpose of charts and tables in a business report?

to fit into the story line of the report

True or false: Citations should be used throughout your business report.

true

True or false: Researchers should clearly show how their recommendations are connected to the facts in their report.

true

If a report is based on secondary research, it is appropriate to

use information from numerous sources to reach new and perhaps unique conclusions.