Module 24

            Module 24 is titled “Long Reports.”  Formal reports differ from informal letters and memo reports by their length and by their various components.  A formal report is not required to, but may contain all of the following components:  cover, title page, letter of transmittal, table of contents, list of illustrations, executive summary, and report body.  The title page contains four items:  the title of the report, whom the report is prepared for, whom it is prepared by, and the release date.  The writer should use a memo of transmittal if you are a regular employee of the organization for which you prepare the report, and use a letter if you are not.  The transmittal transmits the report and orients the reader to the report, and builds a good image of the report and the writer.  The table of contents list the headings exactly as they appear in the body of the report.  The list of illustrations includes both tables and figures.  Tables include words or numbers, and figures are everything else (bar graphs, pie charts, maps, drawings, photographs, computer printouts, etc.).  An executive summary tells the reader what the document is about.  The writer must know the report’s recommendation and support in order to write the executive summary.  The report body includes an introduction, background or history, and conclusions and recommendations.  The introduction of the report contains a statement of purpose and scope.  It also may contain limitations, assumptions, and methods.  The background and history are not only important for your current audience but also audiences in the future that may review this report.  Conclusions summarize points made in the body of the report, and recommendations are action items that would solve or partially solve the problem.

            One section detailed in Module 24 is “I’ve never written anything so long.  How should I organize my time?  This section recommends that you write parts as soon as you can, and spend most of your time on sections that support your recommendations.  To use your time efficiently, the writer should think about the parts of the report before he begins writing.  Most of the introduction will come from your proposal with only minor revisions.  The bibliography from your proposal can form your first draft of your references or works cited.  This section recommends that the writer save a copy of his questionnaire or interview questions to use as an appendix.  When you tally and analyze the data, prepare an appendix summarizing all the responses to your questionnaire, your figures and tables, and a complete list of references or work cited.  You can write the title page and the letter of transmittal as soon as you understand what your recommendation will be.  Write the important sections first in order to take care of the main substance of your report.