1. Long Reports: An Introduction

2. Importance Highlight your ability to organize and present ideas clearly Highlight your ability to find information Highlight your ability to solve problems Highlight your potential to take on additional responsibility

3. Similarities to Short Reports Communicate new information Guide decisions Present complex materials Employ principles of effective page design

4. Differences Length Complexity of subject material Use of source material Standard components

5. Text of Report Introduction Body Conclusions and Recommendations

6. Introduction Purpose—what report is intended to accomplish Scope—what report covers (and perhaps what it doesn’t cover) Procedures—how report was compiled (especially how information was gathered) Context—overall issue being addressed, circumstances surrounding report Limitations—problems, shortcomings, items not covered in report

7. Body Presents findings of report Organized roughly into problem (including causes and effects) and solutions (including how and why) May include visuals

8. Conclusion and Recommendations Conclusion: Summarizes main points of report Recommendations: Summarize actions to be taken, often in list format

9. Front Matter—prefaces report Transmittal Document Title Page Abstract Table of Contents List of Illustrations Glossary

10. Transmittal Document (1 page) Letter or memo that accompanies report Brief summary of report context and contents Thanks reader for cooperation/interest Builds positive relationship with reader Uses standard forms and direct or indirect approach

11. Title Page (1 page) Title of report Name and title of writer Name and title of reader Name of company or organization Date of submission Centered on page

12. Examples Not—Preliminary Site Investigation (Which site? What about it?) Instead—Investigation of Coal Gasification Site #1, First Street, Chalmers, New York

13. Computer Availability (Where? For whom?) Compute This: Student Access to Computers at IVCC (Too cute/clever. May turn off some readers.) The Need for Extended Student Computer Lab Hours at Illinois Valley Community College

14. Abstract (1 paragraph) Summary of report’s contents and recommendations Designed to stand alone Formatted as one paragraph Abstract as title

15. Table of Contents (variable length) List of headings exactly as they appear in report Lower case Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, iv, etc.) for front matter, beginning with list of illustrations Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, etc.) for rest of report Table of Contents or Contents as title

16. Types Traditional—numbered, indented, dotted lines to page numbers Contemporary—no numbering, indented, no dotted lines Decimal—numbered (whole numbers and decimals), indented, dotted lines optional

17. List of Illustrations (variable length) Lists exact titles of illustrations and corresponding page numbers in report e.g. Figure 1: Student Support for Renovation of Main Campus Buildings Distinguishes between tables and figures Typically its own page(s)

18. Glossary (variable length) Defines all potentially unfamiliar words, expressions, or symbols Need determined by audience Alphabetizes terms Lists symbols in order of appearance

19. Back Matter—follows report Appendixes Bibliography

20. Appendixes (variable length) Supplementary material, such as interview questions, survey questions, additional figures and illustrations, copies of relevant sources, other relevant documents—anything that you want the reader to have access to but that doesn’t fit directly into your report Includes title listed on Table of Contents (e.g. Appendix A: Interview Questions for Bill Gates) Each appendix a separate page or pages

21. Bibliography (variable length) List of sources Title and format depend on specific documentation format APA (American Psychological Association)— References MLA (Modern Language Association)—Works Cited