Dubal

Report Guideline

Prepared by: Al Ghanem Net

Report Layout: General Guidelines The following elements should appear on every report, regardless of the report type. Each Report must contain the following:

Prepared by: Al Ghanem Net

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13.

Dubal Logo Report Main Title Report Information Report Sub Title Report Information Header Divider Footer Divider Footer 1 Footer 2 Bottom Margin Left Margin Top Margin Right Margin

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1.

Dubal Logo Logo Height = 16 point Alignment = Left Report Main Title Font = Verdana Type = Bold Font Size = 14 Alignment = Centre Report Information Font = Verdana Type = Bold Font Size = 10 Alignment = Left Report Sub Title Font = Verdana Type = Bold Font Size = 12 Alignment = Centre Report Information Font = Verdana Type = Bold Font Size = 10 Alignment = Left (set tab as per requirement) Header Divider Size = 1 point Footer Divider Size = 1 point Footer 1 Font = Verdana Type = Bold Font Size = 8 Alignment = Left Footer 2 Font = Verdana Type = Bold Font Size = 8 Alignment = Left (set tab as per requirement) Bottom Margin Point from Edge = 24 Left Margin Point from Edge = 24

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12. 13.

Top Margin Point from Edge = 24 Right Margin Point from Edge = 24

Note: If the report is required to be filed or bound, for portrait keep additional 24 point margin from the edge, on the side, which will be used for binding or filing. For report to be printed on both sides of the paper adjust the margin on odd and even pages respectively.

Additional Guidelines: The Dubal reports may be printed in Portrait and Landscape. Permanent Header must include the following: 1. Dubal Logo 2. Report title and Sub title 3. Report No. 4. Report Date: Permanent Footer may include the Following: 1. Page No. (Use format */*, or * of *) 2. Author(s) ID Note: Other than the Title, Subtitle, Report No, and Report Date all other captions can be included either on the header or footer. Such as: Type of Report Period Covered Department or Organization Name or Code End Note & Footnote: 1. Use bold font for the caption 2. Use 8 or 9 points text Shading: 1. For shading use between 10% and 20%, never use greater than 25% shade. 2. Shaded cells should use bold fonts Tables & Lines 1. Use 1 point line for headers 2. use or point line for rows and columns Do Nots: 1. Do not use text effects. 2. Do not use Italics. 3. Do not use more than 3 fonts in a single report

Prepared by: Al Ghanem Net

General Information: There are no standard guidelines for creating reports, what has been mentioned in the pages above are at best recommendations. Design choices often come down to individual tastes, so there is rarely one right answer. Your job is to stay focused on the choices that maximize clarity and make the report as accessible and attractive as possible. Before creating a report get answers to the questions below. Who will use the form or report? What is the purpose of the form or report? When is the form or report needed and used? Where does the form or report need to be delivered and used? How many people need to use or view the form or report?

The Fundamentals To create a report in-house, be mindful of the fundamental rules of good design. They will help to ensure that your audience can find its way through the material and that your message comes across loud and clear. These basic rules apply to both print and electronic formats, although the specific application may vary. Font Size and Type Use a font size and type that are easy to read. Use Common fonts such as Verdana, Tahoma, etc as users are easy to read and users are familiar to these fonts. Try to limit the number of font types in a single document to two or three, although it's okay to use a few different styles within the same font family (e.g., versions of the same font type that are bolder, thinner, or more or less compressed). Choose font types that contrast but still look good together. Use bold type for highlighting important words and phrases, but remember that too much bold can be distracting. The size of the font can have a major impact on readability. Since the "ideal" size for a font is a function of the font type, the line length, the space between lines and the visual acuity of readers, the best strategy is to choose a size that seems readable and test it with your audience.

White Space White space is space on the page that is empty of both text and graphics. It helps the reader get oriented on the page and focus on the information that is important. Use white space to break up the page and make certain items (such as tables) stand out. It is better to have a longer document than a document that has very little unoccupied space. White space between paragraphs makes it easier for the reader to skim and focus on manageable chunks of information. The space between lines also

Prepared by: Al Ghanem Net

affects readability: if the space is too narrow, the eye sees only a block of text; if it is too wide, the eye has to work too hard to jump from line to line. Page-to-Page Consistency Although each page in your report may have different content, the basic design should be consistent. Page numbers and section titles, for instance, should always be in the same place on every page. Each style of text you use (e.g., titles, headings, bulleted lists, footnotes) should look the samein terms of font type, size, and colorthroughout the document. This kind of consistency orients the readers, facilitates skimming, and enables them to navigate easily through the document.

Line Justification In general, it is easier to read text that is ragged rather than justified on the right. (In justified text, the right margin is a straight edge; ragged means that the right margin is uneven.) Justification can throw off the spacing between words, interfering with the way people read.

Basic Guidelines for Using Color Because colors are so powerful, you need to be sensitive to their impact and use them sparingly. You will be better able to draw the reader's attention if you use colors purposefully. You cannot rely on color alone to convey differences in text or graphics. For example, you would not want to use circles with three different colors unless you are absolutely sure that your audience will perceive the contrast in the colors: yellow, for instance, would appear very light compared to a dark blue. Some readers may be colorblind. Readers may also photocopy your report, so the black and white version has to be as informative as the color version.

Highlighting Information Use sparingly to draw user to or away from certain information Methods should be consistently selected and used based upon level of importance of emphasized information

Displaying Text Display text in mixed upper and lower case and use conventional punctuation Use double spacing if space permits. If not, place a blank line between paragraphs Left-justify text and leave a ragged right margin Do not hyphenate words between lines Use abbreviations and acronyms only when they are widely understood by users and are significantly shorter than the full text

Displaying tables and lists Labels

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All columns and rows should have meaningful labels Labels should be separated from other information by using highlighting Redisplay labels when the data extend beyond a single screen or page

Formatting columns, rows and text Sort in a meaningful order Similar information displayed in multiple columns should be sorted vertically Columns should have at least two spaces between them Allow white space on printed reports for user to write notes Use a single typeface, except for emphasis Use same family of typefaces within and across displays and reports Avoid fancy fonts

Formatting numeric, textual and alphanumeric data Right-justify numeric data and align columns by decimal points or other delimiter Left-justify textual data. Use short line length, usually 30 to 40 characters per line Break long sequences of alphanumeric data into small groups of three to four characters each

Basic Guidelines for Chart Design Here are some basic guidelines for designing clean, readable charts: Avoid unnecessary lines and boxes. They clutter up the page and distract the reader's eye. Be cautious with shading; it is useful for highlighting differences, but can make text hard to read (especially for older readers and those who are visually impaired). Be careful about using alternating colors in bars or tables. Readers often think that the colors mean something, e.g., that rows with a background that is colored rather than white are more important. Also, colored backgrounds can make the same symbol look different. Line up titles, headings, and the left edges of graphics to create a clean look. Look for opportunities to create "white space" on the page and around graphic elements and text (White space is empty space that contains no graphics or text). To make text easier to skim, align the tops of column headings and the left sides of row headings. To make groups of symbols easier to read, keep the symbols close together so they create a visual "block". Also, rather than centering the symbols, leftjustify them so that it is easy to see which groups are larger than the others (i.e., so that reading the symbol blocks is like reading a bar chart). To make the text in the graphic easy to skim, vary font sizes, use bold type, and insert line breaks that separate the main text from subpoints. liminate distracting details in the text and in the graphics. Don't vary the width of related columns (e.g., the columns for each health plan) even if some have more text than others.

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Use Tables for reading individual data values

Use Graphs for providing a quick summary of data trends over time comparing points and patterns of data forecasting reporting vast amounts of data when only impressions are to be drawn

Note: Reports that contain large number of pages or may include written text, graphics, mathematical, and statistical materials, at a minimum should contain the following: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Conclusion: Meaningful titles clear and specific titles revision date or code to distinguish from prior versions current date to show when form or report was generated Meaningful information only needed information should be displayed information should be provided in a manner that is usable without modification Balanced layout balanced on screen or on page adequate spacing and margins all data and entry fields should be clearly labeled Title page (see attached) Table of Contents and a separate list of Tables and Figures Abstract Executive Summary Introduction/Statement of Purpose Main body of report, [nature of issue(s); alternatives to address the issue(s); and issue resolution] Conclusions/Significance to Planning/Recommendations Footnotes/Endnotes Bibliography, references, interviews, etc. Appendices as needed

Prepared by: Al Ghanem Net

Some Corrections: Do not use dashes to create lines in a report Do not use lines unless needed If possible use a group header for each group

Do not put legends, captions, between labels and contents. Always align group headers, with the group, either left or centre. Numeric column should be right aligned Use column lines where necessary Use standard format for header and footer Always use line to divide a footer, to avoid confusion between content and footer

Prepared by: Al Ghanem Net