DuPont's filings with the SEC

In researching DuPont's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, I came across several documents.
The most interesting, and the one that says the most about the company, was the 10-Q earnings report, which listed the company's assets, revenues, expenditures, liabilities and stockholder equity. This report shows just how much money the company earned and spent in the 10-Q and is probably a vital document for stockholders so they can see how the money they invest is spent.
Another part of this document is the CEO Certification. This is a document where the CEO of the company signs off on the 10-Q earnings report and agrees that everything in the report is correct. The company's CFO also signs off on his own document saying the same things.
I also found several statements of acquisitions. This is like a receipt that shows when a person or company purchases stock in DuPont. It lists things such as addresses, company name and the type of form filed.
DuPont also corresponds with stockholders. I found several examples of these correspondences, published on company letterhead, that were sent to stockholders and filed with the SEC.
Reading these documents was like reading a different language. I didn't understand much of what I read, and it is hard to know exactly what to look for when you don't understand the documents. If I'm ever assigned a business beat, I'll have to teach myself how to maneuver the SEC website and research companies, stock filings, acquisitions and mergers and the like if I want to be a good reporter. This assignment really showed me that I still have a lot to learn in terms of research and understanding things outside politics.