FORMAL REPORT

A report is an extract that provides information; that helps in decisions on crucial matter. A
formal report is an in-depth analysis used to assist leaders of business, industry, and government
in the decision-making process. Formal reports present an analysis of data and other information,
offer conclusions, and provide recommendations to solve an identified problem. Often longer
than ten pages, formal reports are organized into sections to help readers assimilate the
information provided. Formal business reports address complex issues or problems and require
extensive data collection and research. It contains information with more detail and content than
the shorter report forms (memo). It is usually submitted at the end of any major investigation.
Many companies have a standard form that is to be followed when writing a formal report.

Occasions for Use

 To say how a project or task is progressing
 To say that a project or task is finished
 To provide routine information
 To examine a problem

Structure of Formal Report

Front Section: The front section, also called front matter, of a formal report will vary in style
and requirements depending on the industry and purpose of the report, but the front matter will
always include a title page and table of contents.
  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.

 Letter of Transmittal
A transmittal letter, while not technically a part of the report, is included as the first item in the
front section of a formal report. It states the topic and provides a brief, clearly written
explanation of the report. Also called a cover letter, the transmittal letter briefly explains the
importance of the report and follows the format of a business letter, with an introduction, body
paragraph, and a conclusion. 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
 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
 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.
 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 labeled “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 organized and what topics are covered.
 Abstract
A 250-300 word summary of the report 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.

 Main Section of a formal Report

Also called the body, the main section of a formal report will include an executive summary,
introduction, analysis of findings, and conclusion with recommendations.

 Executive Summary
The executive summary provides a more comprehensive overview of the report than the abstract
and should be ten percent of the report's length. Formal in tone, the executive summary should
be free of acronyms, abbreviations, and jargon. Results and descriptions of figures in the report
should be summarized for the reader, but specific references are not mandatory in this section.
As indicated by the title, the audience for the executive summary is executives and managers,
and the purpose of the executive summary is to persuade decision-makers and leaders to read the
entire formal report or proposal. As such, the executive summary would be placed as the first
document in the body of a report and should make sense when read separately from the report
itself.

 Introduction
The introduction provides general information and is intended for an audience of managers and
other stakeholders. It 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.

 Analysis of Findings / Body

Following the introduction, the analysis of findings uses headings and subheadings to present
information in a logical order, explaining complex information. 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. Place any tables and figures after mentioning them in the text with titles and
explanations. The analysis of findings is the longest section of the report and contains data with a
thorough explanation of the research and investigation.

 Conclusions and Recommendations

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). It has no new thoughts or references
introduced and contain no further discussion of points raised. 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.

 Back Section of a Formal Report

The final section of a formal report is the back section and should contain, at a minimum, any
appendices and references.

 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 method of documentation is the American Psychological Association (APA) style.

 Citation

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).

 Reference List

Complete information about the text citations appears in a list of reference 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 [Link],
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:
[Link]
 E-mail
(M.J. Rhiner, personal communication, October 24, 1996)

In shorter reports, the references section should be included at the end of the body. For longer
reports, the references may be included at the end of sections or chapters.

 Appendix/Appendices
They provide additional information to strengthen the report. This information may be too
extensive to include in the body of the report but may still be of interest to decision-makers. The
appendix may include charts, surveys, graphs, data tables, and resumes of the report writers.

 Bibliography
It is an alphabetical listing of all sources used to compile the report. The bibliography differs
from the reference page as it includes all sources examined while researching the report. The
reference page lists only the sources actually used to write the final report.

 Glossary and Index

Optional for inclusion in the back section are a glossary and an index. A glossary provides
simple definitions of terms used in the report. An index may be used as a reference document for
extensive reports and should include page numbers for major topics.

Formal Report Examples

Formal reports can disseminate information, provide an analysis of data, and make
recommendations across a wide range of topics and industries. Some common formal reports
include:

 Inspection Report.
 Safety Report.
 Compliance Report.
 Audit.
 Incident Report.
 Annual Report.
 Situational Report.