Report writing

Part -2
Formal Reports
 The Elements of a Formal Report
 Front Material
 The Body of the Formal Report
 End Material
Formal format presents documents in a way that makes them seem more “official.” Often the
format is used with longer (ten or more pages) documents, or else in documents that establish
policy, make important proposals, or present the results of significant research. Formal format
requires a title page, a table of contents, a summary, and an introduction, in that order.

The title page gives an overview of the report— title, author, date, report number if required,
and report recipient if required. Place all these items, separated by white space, at the left
margin of the page.
The table of contents lists all the main sections and subsections of the report and the page on
which each one begins.
The summary—often called “executive summary” and sometimes “abstract”—presents the
report in brief. The standard method is to write the summary as a “proportional reduction”;
each section of the summary has the same main point and the relative length as the original
section. After your readers finish the summary, they should know your conclusions and your
reasons.
Formal reports are those presented in a special way to
emphasize the importance of their contents. Writers often use
formal reports to present recommendations or results of
research. Other reasons for using a formal approach are length
(over ten pages), breadth of circulation, perceived importance
to the community, and company policy. Although a formal
report looks very different from an informal report, the
contents can be exactly the same. The difference is in the
changed perception caused by the formal presentation.
.The Elements of a Formal Report:
To produce a formal report, the writer uses several elements
that orient readers to the report’s topics and organization.
Those elements unique to the formal report are the front
material and the method of presenting the body. Other
elements—appendixes, reference sections, introductions,
conclusions, and recommendations—are often associated with
the formal report but do not necessarily make the report
formal; they could also appear in an informal report. The
formal front material includes the title page, the table of
contents, and the list of illustrations. Almost all formal reports
contain a summary at the front, and many also have a letter of
transmittal. The body is often presented in “chapters,” each
major section starting at the top of a new page.
Front Material
Transmittal Correspondence :
Transmittal correspondence is a document, usually “that
directs the report to someone. The correspondence
contains
◗ The title of the report.
◗ A statement of when it was requested.
◗ A very general statement of the report’s purpose and
scope. ◗ An explanation of problems encountered (for
example, some unavailable data).
◗ An acknowledgment of those who were particularly
helpful in assembling the report
PROPOSAL FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A SPOUSAL EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
By Rachel A. Jacobson Director, Human Resources
May 1, 2005 Corporate Proposal HRD 01-01-2005
Prepared for Elena Solomonova
Vice-President,
Administrative Affair

(Title page for a formal Report )

◗ Place all the elements at the left margin
(ANSI). (Center all the elements if local policy
insists.)
◗ Name the contents of the report in the title.
◗ Use a 2-inch left margin.
◗ Use either all caps or initial caps and
lowercase letters; use boldface when
appropriate. Do not use “glitzy” typefaces, such
as outlined or cursive fonts.
◗ Include the writer’s name and title or
department, the date, the recipient’s name and
title or department, and a report number (if
appropriate).
Table of Contents
A table of contents lists the sections of the report and the
pages on which they start. Thus it previews the report’s
organization, depth, and emphasis.
Readers with special interests often glance at the table of
contents, examine the abstract or summary, and turn to a
particular section of the report.
Here are some guidelines for writing a table of contents:
◗ Title the page Table of Contents.
◗ Present the name of each section in the same wording and
format as it appears in the text. If a section title is all caps in the
text, place it in all caps in the table of contents.
◗ Do not underline in the table of contents; the lines are so
powerful that they overwhelm the words
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Summary............................................................................................................. 2
Introduction......................................................................................................... 3
Conclusion .......................................................................................................... 4
Recommendation ................................................................................................ 4
Discussion........................................................................................................... 5
Nature of the Problem.................................................................................. 6
Description of the Program.......................................................................... 7
Advantages............................................................................................... 9 Costs
vs. Benefits................................................................................... 10
Implementation.......................................................................................... 13

(Table of contents for a formal report)

List of Illustrations
Illustrations include both tables and figures. The list of
illustrations gives the number, title, and page of each visual aid
in the report.
Here are guidelines for preparing a list of illustrations:
◗ Use the title List of Illustrations if it contains both figures and
tables; list figures first, then tables.
◗ If the list contains only figures or only tables, call it List of
Figures or List of Tables.
◗ List the number, title, and page of each visual aid.
◗ Place the list on the most convenient page. If possible, put it
on the same page as the table of contents
Summary or Abstract
A summary or an abstract (or executive summary) is a
miniature version of the report. In the summary, present
the main points and basic details of the entire report.
After reading a summary, the reader should know:
◗ The report’s purpose and the problem it addresses.
◗ The conclusions.
◗ The major facts on which the conclusions are based.
◗ The recommendations
Follow these guidelines to summarize your
formal report:
◗ Concentrate this information into as few
words as possible—one page at most.
◗ Write the summary after you have written the
rest of the report. (If you write it first, you
might be tempted to explain background rather
than summarize the contents.)
◗ Avoid technical terminology (most readers
who depend on a summary do not have in-
depth technical knowledge)
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................1
II. INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................1
A. Purpose and Scope ...............................................................................1
B. B. Special Terms and Conditions ..............................................................2
C. C. Limitations and Exceptions of Assessment ..........................................2
D. D. Methodology ........................................................................................2
E. 1. Records Review ...............................................................................3
F. 2. Interviews ........................................................................................4
G. 3. Site Reconnaissance ........................................................................4
H. 4. Data Evaluation and Report Preparation .........................................5
I. III. SITE DESCRIPTION ................................................................................5
J. A. Location and Legal Description ...........................................................5
K. B. Site and Vicinity Characteristics ..........................................................5
L. C. Descriptions of Structures, Roads, or Other Improvements .................7
M. D. Information Reported by User Regarding Environmental Liens .........7
N. E. Current and Past Use of the Property ...................................................7
O. F. Current and Past Use of Adjoining Properties ......................................8
P. IV. RECORDS REVIEW ................................................................................8
Q. A. Environmental Records Review ...........................................................8
R. B. Overview of Local Geology and Hydrogeology ..................................9
S. V. INFORMATION FROM SITE RECONNAISSANCE AND INTERVIEWS...... 10
T. A. Site Specific Characteristics ...............................................................10
U. B. Hazardous Substances ........................................................................11
V. C. Unidentified Substance Containers ....................................................12
W. D. Indications of Solid Waste Disposals .................................................12
X. E. Recognized Environmental Conditions ..............................................12
Z F. Data Gaps ............................................................................................12
VI. NON-SCOPE CONSIDERATIONS ........................................................12
VII. CONCLUSIONS .....................................................................................13
VIII. SIGNATURES AND QUALIFICATIONS OF PROFESSIONALS .......14
IX. REFERENCES ........................................................................................15