WRTG394 Advanced Business Writing
Week 5 Discussion
DQ1 Analyzing a sample report, “Evening Shades”
In this discussion, you will re-write a sample executive summary by applying the style and structure from the Victoria Business School Report (from Week 3). You will also critique the summary’s use of research. Provide feedback for two classmates’ answers.
Please examine the sample research-based report, Evening Shades.”
Then answer the following questions.
1. Examine the executive summary.  Please re-write the executive summary using the example from the Victoria Business School from week 3.  In other words, read over the executive summary from the report in the document from the Victoria Business School.  Then rewrite the executive summary for the “Evening Shades” report in similar fashion to that of the Victoria Business School report.
2. Look at the sources listed.  How could the sources be improved upon?  You can write one or two sentences in answering this question.
DQ2 Preparing to write the Research-Based Report
This discussion asks you to review course materials, and then answer questions regarding the format of your upcoming business report, its research needs, and its length. Provide feedback for two classmates’ answers.
NOTE: This is not a writing assignment.  This is a discussion topic designed to help prepare you for writing assignment #4, the Research-Based Business Report. . To complete your assignment, you will go to the Assignments area and review the assignment directions, then complete and submit your draft of the assignment in your assignment folder.
For week 5, you will want to review the following reading materials.
From Business Communication for Success, Chapter 9, section 9.4, “Report”
“How to write a business report,” from Victoria University of Wellington.  Click here to access this document.
Colorado State University offers a fine website on advice for writing business reports.  Click here to access it.
From the eReserves in our class: Forsyth, P.K. (2013), Making numbers clear, in How to write reports and proposals, third edition.
In addition, please watch the video, Writing a Formal Business Report.  The video is linked to at the top of the Content list for this week.
After perusing some of these materials and observing the video, please answer the following questions:
1. Do you understand the format of your research based report? Look at the list of seven sections that your assignment directions state your report must contain. State briefly which section you think will be easiest to write, which section you think might give you trouble, and which, if any, section(s) you are not sure you understand.
2.  You must use seven (7) sources for this assignment.  Three (3) of these must be scholarly journals. Explain the difference between a scholarly journal and any other type of source.
3.  Your report must be 2000-3000 words long. How many pages would that be (you should probably think in terms of 12 point Times New Roman type)?