Writing Formal Reports

The Recommendation Report Body

Adapted a presentation from http://www.ais.msstate.edu/AEE/

Sections in aRecommendation Report

Front Matter

Body

Back Matter

BODY

Introduction

Methods

Results or Discussion

Conclusion

Recommendations

BODY: Introduction

A discussion of the subject, purpose, organization and scope

Strategies•Concisely identify the

subject•Identify the aim/purpose –

Tell why the report was written: why they should read the report; what benefits it will have for them

•Identify how the report is organized and the approach

Introduction

•Give the major sections of the report and the order in which they will be covered

•Give the scope and limitations of the report

Methods

•Tells what you did

•Tells how your research was set up and why

Results or Discussion•Key data that were found or

created

•Analysis of that data

•Must be organized and objective

Conclusion

•A concise interpretation of the facts that are covered in the body of the report

•Covers only what the data the body of the report will support

•There should be no conclusions drawn that are not derived from or built from the data in the body

Conclusion

Must stand on its own

Does not include▫Equations▫Tables▫Figures▫References▫Appendixes▫Undefined symbols▫Any new information

Recommendations

•Actions to be taken based on the conclusions of the report