Getting started

Depending on the type of document you are writing, you may play different roles in the process. For some reports, you may be the sole author and responsible for every step; for others, you may be writing only a section of the report under the responsibility of someone else who puts the whole document together. Or perhaps you are the person who is responsible for assembling a final document, working with colleagues who are contributing sections. Whatever your role in the overall project, applying the steps of the writing process will help you do it efficiently.

In this module, you will follow through the process as though you are responsible for either the entire report or a specific section within that report (like a chapter). However, along the way we will consider some of the aspects of working collaboratively.

Report and proposal-writing involves many skills:

• determining purpose;
• analysing the audience and writing to a range of readers;
• planning, organizing and focusing;
• determining flow between parts and tying ideas together;
• writing clear, concise, appropriate and accurate text based on quantifiable data;
• selecting appropriate graphics to assist the reader;
• editing and proofreading;
• summarizing (for either actual summaries or for condensing large amounts of information into confined spaces).

© WHO 2011