Transcript:
Standard Parts of Formal Reports
Formal reports follow a structure format that adheres to standards used by most businesses. The writer must take their readers into account, have and identify a clear purpose, provide supporting facts and figures from reliable sources, and make the report organized and readable.
The title page should contain the name of the report, the name of the person or group for whom the report was written, the name of the author of the report, and the date the report was published.
A table of contents is necessary so the reader knows what is included in the report. The table of contents lists the major sections and subsections within the report with page numbers.
The executive summary summarizes the main points in the report. This summary should be thorough enough to provide an overview for some recipients who may not read the entire report.
The introduction of the report often covers the history or background that led up to the preparation of the report, the purpose for which the report was written, the scope of the report, definitions of terms that may present problems for certain readers, and the method of gathering information for the report.
The body of the report contains all of the information, data, and statistics you assemble. It is the "meat" of the report. Report types, formats, contents, and wording vary from one company to another, even by departments within the same organization.
Conclusions are the writer's summary of what the reader should take away from the report.
Recommendations are actions the writer believes the reader should take. Both of these should follow logically from the information presented in the body of the report.
If your report contains information from sources you have researched, these sources should be acknowledged in the report.
Citations list the name and author of the source, title, publisher, date of publication, and location of the publisher or online address. It is necessary to provide citations for both print and electronic sources.
Complex reports may contain other elements that help the reader find information and understand the contents. These may include a list of visuals, glossary, and appendix. Formal reports are often bound to make the presentation polished and highly professional.