Information Storage & Retrieval.

Lecture 6: Information Storage & Retrieval.

Report Writing and Form Design
1. Information Storage and Retrieval
2. Reports for Decision Making: Types of Reports
3. General Points of Style
4. Report Formats: the Short Form
5. Report Formats: the Long Form
1. Information Storage and Retrieval: In all areas of our lives, our decisions are
influenced by the facts available to us. We remember that data is gathered and
processed in order to provide information. Data processing involves:
 Duplication: copies are made for those who need the information („public‟
information, such as newspapers, adverts, etc., and business information –
reports, sales documents, etc.)
 Transmission: information is sent to people who need it, in formats
appropriate to their needs, and is properly received/acknowledged by them
(feedback is part of the process of communication!)
 Storage: not all information is needed straight away, or it might be needed
again later, so it has to be filed away for various lengths of time (from
days to years). The same item of information may be stored in different
files, once by each person or group who might need it.
 Retrieval: information on file is obtained for use and further data
processing by „retrieving,‟ or getting it out of file.

Aspects of information storage and retrieval include
 Report writing
 Form design
 Classification and indexing methods
 Filing procedures
 Retention periods (length of time files are kept)
Today we are going to focus on reports as sources of information for decision making. As
we know, people in business need to obtain and utilize information quickly. Report is a
general term for „telling,‟ or „reporting‟ of information, which may be presented in a
variety of formats.