Formal Reports An overview

The distinctions between formal and informal reports The distinctions between formal and informal reports are often blurred: a formal report is usually written to someone in another company or organization. Occasionally it is written for a senior manager in the same company, or for someone with whom the writer has little regular contact. Usually it is longer than an informal report and requires more extensive research.

The distinctions between formal and informal reports Informal Formal Reader often internal often external or distant within organization Length usually short usually long sections and several sections subsections Tone personal more impersonal Title appears as subject line appears on separate in memo heading title page Transmittal page optional covering letter or memo Contents page none useful if report is over 5page

Structure of a formal report

1. Title page The Title Page must include the subject of the report, who the report is for, who the report is by and the date of submission.

2. Letter of Transmittal A letter of transmittal is a covering letter, given in letter or memo form, depending on whether it is going to someone outside or inside the writer’s organization. A covering letter is usually brief and follows this pattern: • an opening statement,“transmitting” the report to the reader and stating its title or purpose (for example,“Here is the report you requested on . . .”) • a brief outline of the major conclusions or recommendations 202 Impact: A Guide to Business Communication • a statement of thanks for any special help received from other employees • a goodwill close that looks forward to future discussion or opportunities to Help. Occasionally, a fairly extensive summary of the report in the covering letter will substitute for a summary at the beginning of the report. Sometimes, if the writer is an outside consultant hired for the job, the letter of transmittal expresses appreciation for the opportunity of working on the task.

3. Abstract An abstract is usually 100 to 200 words and should include the following: • why the report has been written (i.e. what question or problem is it addressing?) • how the study was undertaken • what the main findings were • what the significance of the findings is. Be specific and precise so that the reader can get a good understanding of the main points without having to read the whole report. It is usually written in a single paragraph with no indentation.

4. Table of contents This is useful if the report is over five pages. It follows the letter of transmittal and has no page number. It may be labelled “Table of Contents”or simply “Contents.” List the sections of the report in a column on the left, using the same system of numbering used in the body of the report. If the report has subsections, list these as well. (Subsection headings may be indented a few spaces from the section headings.) In a column at the right of the page,list the appropriate page numbers. If the report itself contains a number of tables or figures, list them with an appropriate label—for example,“List of Tables.” The Table of Contents should be on a separate page. It helps the reader to find specific information and indicates how the information has been organised and what topics are covered.

5. Introduction The Introduction has three main components: 1. The Background which describes events leading up to the existing situation, what projects have been done previously, and why the project or study is necessary. 2. The Purpose which defines what the project or study is to achieve, who authorised it and the specific terms of reference. 3. The Scope which outlines any limitations imposed on the project such as cost, time…etc.

6. Body The Body varies according to the type of report. Basically, it answers the questions — Who? Why? Where? When? What? How? In an investigative report, it would consist of all the information required to convince the reader that the conclusions and recommendations are valid/reliable. This information must be presented in a systematic way.

6. Conclusions The Conclusions should be as brief as possible. They should be presented in descending order of importance and should not suggest action. Conclusions should be free from speculation (i.e. ideas for which you have presented no evidence), have no new thoughts or references introduced and contain no further discussion of points raised.

8. Recommendations The Recommendations should follow naturally from the conclusions. They should be offered in descending order of importance and may be in point form when several recommendations are being made.

8.References If you have referred in your report to any facts or figures that are not general knowledge or part of the organization’s internal operation, you should give the source in a reference. The most common methods of documentation is the American Psychological Association (APA) style. 1. Citations Parenthetical citations are used in the body of the report, giving only the author’s last name and the date of publication, for example (Soames, 1995). If you are referring to a page or section of the source material, your citation should include this information, for example (Henderson, 1993, p. 49) or (Shelley, 1992, chap. 3).

8.References -continued 2. Reference List Complete information about the text citations appears in a list of references attached at the end of the report. The references are listed alphabetically by the author’s last name. Some examples of common items in a reference list are: Book: Elliott, D.W. (1994). The effects of free trade on Canadian business. Scarborough, Ontario: Prentice-Hall Canada. Journal article: Patrick, N. L. (1990).The role of ergonomics in contemporary business practice. Business Psychology,82, 675–83. Electronic reference: Jacobson, J.W., Mulick, J.A., & Schwartz,A.A. (1995).A history of facilitated communication: Science, pseudoscience, and antiscience: Science working group on facilitated communication. American Psychologist,50, 750–765. Retrieved January 25, 1996, from the World Wide Web: http://www.apa.org/journals/jacobson.html E-mail (M.J. Rhiner, personal communication, October 24, 1996) Newsgroup (Ellen Jones, newsgroup posting, March 17, 1997) Discussion list (Paul Prentiss, discussion list posting, April 7, 1997)

9. Appendix/Appendices Appendix/Appendices contain important data, explanatory and illustrative material not included in the text.

Fonts and Spacing In general, use a serif font (i.e. one with tails on it). They are more comfortable to read. Fonts should be a minimum of 12 point and 1.5 line spacing is recommended unless otherwise specified. Titles and headings may be in a bold sans serif font. A blank line, but no indentation, is used between paragraphs.

Tables and figures Tables, graphics and photos are placed immediately after where they are first referred to in the text. The reader should also be referred (by number) to the diagrams at the appropriate time in the text and the most important features pointed out to them. Tables, and graphics and photos (called figures), should be sequentially numbered. In large reports with many chapters, they are sequentially numbered in each chapter (i.e. for Chapter 2 you will begin from Table 2.1, Figure 2.1). Titles for tables are centred above the table. Titles for figures are centred below the graphic. The source of the table or figure should also be included. The source is usually in a smaller font (e.g. 10 point) and aligned on the left hand margin under a table, and under the title of a figure.

Finishing Touches After putting a lot of time and effort into a formal report, make sure that its appearance complements the content. Here are some suggestions: Consider using coloured paper. If you are producing a long report, different colours of paper will help to separate the different sections visually. A conservative organization, however, may prefer uniform white paper (alongwith a uniform dark blue or grey suit on the writer). In this case, at least consider using a colour to highlight the summary page. Provide an attractive cover that will give your report a distinctive appearance and make it immediately identifiable. If the report is long, have it bound. You will have the confidence of knowing that the report looks well put together and will stay together if it is circulated