An effective executive summary will be able to stand alone, because decisions may be made based upon the strength of the executive summary alone. The best strategy for writing the executive summary is to organize it according to the sequence of information presented in the full report.
Other things to consider include:- Do not introduce new information that is not in the report.
- Write the executive summary last, after you have completed the report and decided on your recommendations.
- Make the length of the summary proportional to the full report it summarizes, typically 10-15 percent. Most executive summaries are one to two pages.
- Write the summary at the lowest level of technicality, translating specialized terms and complex data into plain English.
- Avoid personal comments such as “this report was very interesting” or “the author seems to think that….
- Organize the summary according to the sequence of information presented in the full report.
- End the summary with a one- or two-line recommendation for action along with the justification for the proposed action using terms the audience will consider important.
Look at first and last sentences of paragraphs to begin to outline your summary. Find key words and use those words to organize a draft of your summary; look for words that enumerate (first, next, finally); words that express causation (therefore, consequently); words that signal essentials (basically, central, leading, principal, major) and contrast (however, similarly, more than, less likely).
Sample Executive SummaryThe following example of an executive summary is from the Colorado State University online Writing Studio:
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Susie’s Cookies began as a small business in Cleveland, Ohio, which has expanded to include 45 stores throughout the Midwest. Plans have already been instituted to expand sales nationwide, using the same “mall-concept” marketing strategy, which has proven successful in the Midwest. Despite these plans, Susie’s Cookies may be in danger of bankruptcy.
Advertising Costs
Susie’s quadrupled its sales in the last two quarters, realizing a profit of $750,000 in the current year, an increase of $250,000 over the previous year, due to its increase in advertising. To realize equivalent sale figures nationwide, however, it is projected that advertising costs will
increase by 200% for the first two years of the national expansions.
Expansion Costs
Further, construction costs for the new stores are estimated to be 20 million dollars. The result of increased advertising and construction costs will put a substantial debt burden on Susie’s cookies, an estimated $750,000 to 1 million a year. Given that sales did not reach current levels in the Midwest until the 45 stores had been operating for five years, projected sales nationally
will not cover expansion costs. As a result, Susie’s Cookies is likely to show a loss of almost $2 million for at least the next five years.
Recommendation
Due to the high advertisement and development costs of national expansion, Susie’s Cookies may not be able to continue doing business in the future. Therefore, we recommend that Mrs. Field’s does not participate in the hostile takeover under consideration because the threat of competition will not be realized.
Mohammed
Guys, does anyone know the answer?
get the detailed report of the whole work prepared in a standard format is called from screen.
Report
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For other uses, see Report (disambiguation) and Reporting (disambiguation).
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Example of a front page of a report
A report is a document that presents information in an organized format for a specific audience and purpose. Although summaries of reports may be delivered orally, complete reports are almost always in the form of written documents.[1][2]
Contents
1 Usage 2 Attributes 3 Standard elements
4 Structure of a report[3]
5 Types 6 See also 7 References 8 Further reading
Usage[edit]
In modern business scenario, reports play a major role in the progress of business. Reports are the backbone to the thinking process of the establishment and they are responsible, to a great extent, in evolving an efficient or inefficient work environment.
The significance of the reports includes:
Reports present adequate information on various aspects of the business.
All the skills and the knowledge of the professionals are communicated through reports.
Reports help the top line in decision making.
A rule and balanced report also helps in problem solving.
Reports communicate the planning, policies and other matters regarding an organization to the masses. News reports play the role of ombudsman and levy checks and balances on the establishment.
Attributes[edit]
One of the most common formats for presenting reports is IMRAD—introduction, methods, results, and discussion. This structure, standard for the genre, mirrors traditional publication of scientific research and summons the ethos and credibility of that discipline. Reports are not required to follow this pattern and may use alternative methods such as the problem-solution format, wherein the author first lists an issue and then details what must be done to fix the problem. Transparency and a focus on quality are keys to writing a useful report. Accuracy is also important. Faulty numbers in a financial report could lead to disastrous consequences.
Standard elements[edit]
Reports use features such as tables, graphics, pictures, voice, or specialized vocabulary in order to persuade a specific audience to undertake an action or inform the reader of the subject at hand. Some common elements of written reports include headings to indicate topics and help the reader locate relevant information quickly, and visual elements such as charts, tables and figures, which are useful for breaking up large sections of text and making complex issues more accessible. Lengthy written reports will almost always contain a table of contents, appendices, footnotes, and |references. A bibliography or list of references will appear at the end of any credible report and citations are often included within the text itself. Complex terms are explained within the body of the report or listed as footnotes in order to make the report easier to follow. A short summary of the report's contents, called an abstract, may appear in the beginning so that the audience knows what the report will cover. Online reports often contain hyperlinks to internal or external sources as well.
Verbal reports differ from written reports in the minutiae of their format, but they still educate or advocate for a course of action. Quality reports will be well researched and the speaker will list their sources if at all possible.
Structure of a report[3][edit]
A typical report would include the following sections in it:
Title page Executive summary Table of contents Introduction Discussion or body Conclusion Recommendations Reference list Appendices.
Types[edit]
US President Donald Trump hears the military report from the commander of the 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards.
Some examples of reports are:
Annual reports Auditor's reports Book reports Bound report Retail report Census reports Credit reports Demographic reports Expense report Experience report Inspection reports Military reports Police reports Policy reports Informal reports Progress reports
Investigative reports
Technical or scientific reports
Trip reports White papers Appraisal reports
Workplace reports[4][]
See also[edit]
Customer relationship management
Data quality
Decision support system
Enterprise application integration
Enterprise resource planning
स्रोत : en.wikipedia.org
Research Reports: Definition and How to Write Them
Research reports are recorded data prepared by researchers or statisticians after analyzing information gather by conducting organized research. Learn all about research reports definition, components, and tips on writing research reports.
Research Reports: Definition and How to Write Them
Research Reports: Definition
Research reports are recorded data prepared by researchers or statisticians after analyzing information gathered by conducting organized research, typically in the form of surveys or qualitative methods.
Reports usually are spread across a vast horizon of topics but are focused on communicating information about a particular topic and a very niche target market. The primary motive of research reports is to convey integral details about a study for marketers to consider while designing new strategies. Certain events, facts and other information based on incidents need to be relayed on to the people in charge and creating research reports is the most effective communication tool. Ideal research reports are extremely accurate in the offered information with a clear objective and conclusion. There should be a clean and structured format for these reports to be effective in relaying information.
A research report is a reliable source to recount details about a conducted research and is most often considered to be a true testimony of all the work done to garner specificities of research.
The various sections of a research report are:
Summary
Background/Introduction
Implemented Methods
Results based on Analysis
Deliberation Conclusion
Learn more: Quantitative Research
Components of Research Reports
Research is imperative for launching a new product/service or a new feature. The markets today are extremely volatile and competitive due to new entrants every day who may or may not provide effective products. An organization needs to make the right decisions at the right time to be relevant in such a market with updated products that suffice customer demands.
The details of a research report may change with the purpose of research but the main components of a report will remain constant. The research approach of the market researcher also influences the style of writing reports. Here are seven main components of a productive research report:
Research Report Summary: The entire objective along with the overview of research are to be included in a summary which is a couple of paragraphs in length. All the multiple components of the research are explained in brief under the report summary. It should be interesting enough to capture all the key elements of the report.Research Introduction: There always is a primary goal that the researcher is trying to achieve through a report. In the introduction section, he/she can cover answers related to this goal and establish a thesis which will be included to strive and answer it in detail. This section should answer an integral question: “What is the current situation of the goal?”. After the research was conducted, did the organization conclude the goal successfully or they are still a work in progress – provide such details in the introduction part of the research report. Research Methodology: This is the most important section of the report where all the important information lies. The readers can gain data for the topic along with analyzing the quality of provided content and the research can also be approved by other market researchers. Thus, this section needs to be highly informative with each aspect of research discussed in detail. Information needs to be expressed in chronological order according to its priority and importance. Researchers should include references in case they gained information from existing techniques.Research Results: A short description of the results along with calculations conducted to achieve the goal will form this section of results. Usually, the exposition after data analysis is carried out in the discussion part of the report.
Learn more: Quantitative Data
Research Discussion: The results are discussed in extreme detail in this section along with a comparative analysis of reports that could probably exist in the same domain. Any abnormality uncovered during research will be deliberated in the discussion section. While writing research reports, the researcher will have to connect the dots on how the results will be applicable in the real world.Research References and Conclusion: Conclude all the research findings along with mentioning each and every author, article or any content piece from where references were taken.
Learn more: Qualitative Observation
15 Tips for Writing Research Reports
Writing research reports in the manner can lead to all the efforts going down the drain. Here are 15 tips for writing impactful research reports:
Prepare the context before starting to write and start from the basics: This was always taught to us in school – be well-prepared before taking a plunge into new topics. The order of survey questions might not be the ideal or most effective order for writing research reports. The idea is to start with a broader topic and work towards a more specific one and focus on a conclusion or support, which a research should support with the facts. The most difficult thing to do in reporting, without a doubt is to start. Start with the title, the introduction, then document the first discoveries and continue from that. Once the marketers have the information well documented, they can write a general conclusion.
स्रोत : www.questionpro.com
Formal Report: Format, Parts & Effectiveness
A formal report is the amalgamation of all of the information of an important circumstance or happening that needs to be communicated formally....
Business Courses / Course / Chapter
Formal Report: Format, Parts & Effectiveness
Instructor Kat Kadian-Baumeyer View bio Expert Contributor Sean Harrington View bio
A formal report is the amalgamation of all of the information of an important circumstance or happening that needs to be communicated formally. Learn more about formatting, the different parts and their usage, importance and effectiveness. Updated: 11/03/2021
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Formal Report
A formal report is an official report that contains detailed information, research, and data necessary to make business decisions. This report is generally written for the purpose of solving a problem.
Some examples of formal reports include:
Inspection Report Safety Report Compliance Report Audit Incident Report Annual Report Situational Report
There are two categories of formal reports: informational and analytical reports. The informational report gathers data and facts used to draw conclusions. The analytical report contains the same information as the informational report, but it also offers recommendations to solve a problem.
Now let's take a look at the format and parts of a formal report. Think of the formal report as divided into three sections: front section, main section, and back section.
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Front Section of a Formal Report
The front section contains the title page, transmittal letter, and the table of contents. The title page should contain:
Company name
Name and title of the party for whom the report was prepared
Name and title of the preparer
Date
The transmittal letter is a letter informing the recipient that a report has been included in the packet. It may also state the purpose of the report. The letter also identifies any other documents that may be included.
The last part of the front section is the table of contents so that the reader can locate information by page number.
Main Section of a Formal Report
The main section contains an executive summary, introduction to the problem, analysis of findings, and conclusions and/or recommendations:
The executive summary is a summary of the formal report. It should contain the basic facts without being too wordy. Think of it as a condensed version of the entire report.
The introduction statement states the purpose of the report, identifies the problem, its scope, and the method the writer plans to employ to solve the problem. The method may be to provide conclusions only as with an informational report, or it may be to provide conclusions and recommendations as with an analytical report.
An analysis of findings is probably the longest section. This section will reveal what facts you discovered and the details of the investigation. When drafting this section, remember to present information in the easiest and clearest way that points your reader to your conclusions or recommendations.
At the end of the main section, you will include a conclusions section in an informational report or a conclusions and recommendations section in an analytical report. Conclusions are findings based on your research data, such as emerging trends or patterns. Recommendations are directives or advice based on the research and conclusions. Remember, only an analytical report contains this section.
Back Section of a Formal Report
We end the formal report with the back section. Here you will place references and the appendix.
References are any document that you believe strengthens the findings, conclusions, or recommendations. These can be citations from journals, periodicals, websites, and studies.
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Additional Activities
Formal Report Exercise:
In this lesson, you learned what a formal report is and what forms of reports can be created. Additionally, you learned about the different components involved in creating a well-structured formal report. Answer the following questions to test your knowledge on this subject.
Questions
What is the general purpose of creating a formal report?
What are the two main types of formal reports? What is the key difference between these two types of reports?
What are the three major sections of a formal report?
What is the important information to include in the front section of the report?
What is the purpose of the executive summary in the main body of the report?
What is the importance of conclusions and recommendations?
Who is the main audience for a formal report? Will this vary based on the type of report being written?
How does the main audience for the formal report impact how the report should be structured?
Should you assume the reader of the report understands all of the technical information provided? If not, why?
Answer Key
The general purpose of a formal report is to provide information to stakeholders and decision-makers to make decisions.
Reports can be purely informational or analytical. Informational reports provide information. Analytical reports provide opinions and recommendations to decision-makers.
स्रोत : study.com