Draft Letter: Negative Message with Positive Emphasis
WRITING THE FORMAL REPORT
FORMAL REPORTS
1. Information Reports • Collect data for reader
2. Analytic Reports • Present and interpret data in terms of
significance/implications
3. Recommendation Reports • Recommend action or solution to an identified problem
STYLE
1. Reports use a fairly formal style, without contractions or slang.
2. With the exception of the memorandum of transmittal, reports rarely use the word you.
3. Reports should be self-explanatory (include all definitions and documents needed to understand the recommendations).
• Note: Repetition is a feature of the formal report. The recommendations, for instance, can appear verbatim in the Memo of Transmittal, the Summary, and the Recommendations section.
FRONT MATTER: TITLE PAGE (Figure 11.8)
1. the title of the report 2. for whom the report is prepared 3. by whom it is prepared 4. the release date
• It should also include the names of the course, section, and professor.
FRONT MATTER: MEMO OF TRANSMITTAL (Page 267)
Paragraph 1: introduces the report
Paragraph 2: offers a context / brief history
Paragraph 3: briefly summarizes conclusions/recommendations
Paragraph 4: points to matters of special interest in the report
Paragraph 5: points out additional research
Paragraph 6: thanks the reader for the opportunity
FRONT MATTER: TABLE OF CONTENTS (page 268)
• Lists all the headings, along with their beginning page numbers, and leaders (line of periods) in the Table of Contents.
• Items appearing before the Table of Contents (the memo/letter) are numbered with Roman numerals; the Table itself--page ii--is not listed.
FRONT MATTER: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (Page 269)
• Logical skeleton of the report, can use the language from the report
• Summary of the highlights of the report
• Typically 10% of the length of the report (in this case, one page, double spaced)
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Organization
• Paragraph 1: Concise recommendation / thesis (one or two sentences)
• Paragraph 2: Brief context
• Paragraph 3: Evidence supporting recommendations (“Because …”)
• Paragraph 4: Recommendations in detail, numbered and bulleted
INTRODUCTION (Page 270)
• Always contains a statement of purpose and scope:
• The purpose statement identifies the organizational problem of the report, the technical investigations it summarizes, and the rhetorical purpose (in this case, to identify the problems, to analyze their cause, and to make recommendations about how to resolve them). It should be concise (a few sentences at the most) but specific.
INTRODUCTION
The scope statement briefly identifies how broad an area the report surveys. It identifies not only what is included but also what is excluded. It functions as a concise—in this case, a single sentence—map previewing the structure of the body.
In this short report, you do not need to include separate statements regarding Assumptions, Methods, or Limitations. This assignment has one conspicuous limitation—its length—but the statement of scope can address this matter.
The Introduction can also include definitions of terms central to your report. Use a separate heading for this section.
BODY: HEADINGS (Pages 271-5)
• Headings are single words, short phrases, or complete sentences that indicate the topic in each section.
Informative or talking heads tell the reader what to expect in each section.
Topic headings are purely structural: vague, less descriptive.
• Headings must be parallel, using the same grammatical structure.
BODY: PARAGRAPH CONSTRUCTION
• Open each paragraph with a specific topic sentence that identifies the subject and makes a claim about it.
• Validate that claim in subsequent sentences by discussing relevant details from the case. Such detail will also make the report useful to future audiences.
• Conclude each paragraph with a sentence that sums up the discussion but that does not simply repeat the topic sentence.
CONCLUSION: RECOMMENDATIONS
• RECOMMENDATIONS: action items which would solve or ameliorate the problem.
• Recommendations can appear in a numbered or bulleted list (concision).
• You can copy and paste the recommendations from the front matter.
BACK MATTER: WORKS CITED
• Works Cited (MLA)
• For short reports: Place the works-cited references on the same page after the conclusions and recommendations.