Final answer:
When writing a report, the goal is to establish a credible ethos, or a sense of trustworthiness and authority, by including reliable sources, presenting evidence, and potentially sharing relevant personal experience.
Step-by-step explanation:
When writing a report, you are aiming to establish a credible ethos. This refers to creating a trustworthy and authoritative voice in your writing that elicits your audience's trust. Ethos, an appeal to ethics, helps to establish the writer's credibility by invoking the writer's character and qualifications on the subject. To effectively use ethos, you would include reliable sources, present evidence in the form of facts and statistics, and may also share relevant personal experience to reinforce your authority on the subject matter. By targeting emotional concerns in an appropriate and professional manner, ethos can also be naturally strengthened, as credibility is often enhanced by demonstrating understanding and respect for the audience's values and beliefs.