Formal Reports by Eusebio Moreno.

“Formal reports are written accounts of major projects. Formal reports contain various components that make up the parts of the report.

1. Title Page. It includes the following information: (1) Full title of the report; (2) name (s) of the writers, (3) the date the report was issued, (4) the name of the organization for which the writer works, and (5) the name of the organization or person to which the report is submitted.

2. Table of Contents. Lists all the headings of the report in their order of appearance, along with their page number.

3. Abstract. Is a condensed version of a longer work that summarizes and highlights the major points.

4. Foreword. Is an optional introductory statement written by someone other than the author that generally provides background information about the publication’s significance and places it in the context of other works in the field.

5. Preface. Is an optional statement used to announce the purpose, background, or scope of the report.

6. Body. Is the section of the report that describes in detail the methods and procedures used to generate the report, demonstrates how results were obtained, describes the results, draws conclusions, and, if appropriate, makes recommendations. It includes the following:
a. An executive summary, that provides a more-complete overview of the report’s primary points.
b. An introduction, that provides your audience with any general information required to understand the details of the rest of the report.
c. The text (including headings, tables, illustrations, and references), it presents the details of how the topic was investigated, how the problem was solved, how the best choice from among alternatives was selected, or whatever else the report covers.
d. Conclusions, this section pulls together the results or findings presented in the report and interprets them in the light of its purpose and methods.
e. Recommendations, they suggest a course of action that should be taken based on the results of the study.

7. Works Cited (or References), this section cites the sources used to create the report.

Remember that the purpose, scope, and complexity of the project will determine which components will be included and how they are organized.” (Alfred, Brusaw and Oliu, p.372-397)

Bibliography:

Alfred, Gerald J., Charles T. Brusaw, and Walter E. Oliu. Writing That Works Communicating Effectively on the Job. 3rd ed., Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2007.