iii tes Guidelines for the Nine Parts of Formal Reports guidelines for one commonly used pattern that is acceptable unless you have been instructed to use another: © Use lowercase roman numerals for some or all of the front matter that precedes—and includes—the table of contents. © Use arabic numbers for items that follow the table of contents (all of which ae listed in the table of contents). ‘= Continue the arabic numbering for appendices if they are relatively short. Long sets of appendices sometimes have their own internal numbering (A~1, A~2,A-3. 5B, B2,B-3...) Sce Model 9-9 (pp. 286-301) for an example of this approach to pagination and for ‘an example of guidelines that follow. Dividers, colors on the edges of pages, or tabbed sheets are also good ways to help readers find the report sections that they are interested in. Consider starting each section with a tabbed sheet so that the reader can “thumb” to it easily Cover/Title Page Formal reports are usually bound, often with a cover used for all reports in the writer's organi- zation. (Reports prepared for college courses, however, are often placed in a simple report cover.) Because the cover is the first item seen by the reader, it should be attractive and informa- tive. It usually contains the same four picces of information mentioned in the following list with regard to the title page; sometimes it may have only one or two of these items. Inside the cover is the title page, which should include the following four pieces of information: ‘= Project title (exactly as it appears on the letter/ memo of transmittal) ‘= Your client’s name (“Prepared for . . .”) ‘= Your name and/or the name of your organization (‘Prepared by ...”) © Date of submission “To make your title page or cover distinctive, you might want to place a simple illus- tration on it; however, do not clutter the page. Use a visual only if it reinforces a main point and if it can be done simply and tastefully. For example, assume that M-Global, Inc., submitted a formal report to a coastal city in California, concluding that an indus trial park can be built near the city’s bird sanctuary without harming the habitat —if stringent guidelines are followed. The report writer decides to place the picture of abird on the title page, punctuating the report's point about the industrial park Letter/Memo of Transmittal Letters or memos of transmittal are like an appetizer—they give the readers a taste of what is ahead, If your formal report isto readers outside your own organization, wits @ Iter of transmittal, [fits to readers inside your organization, write a memo of transmit- tal. Models 9-2 and 9-3 on pages 279-280 show examples of both. Use the following gaidelines for constructing this part of your report: >> Transmittal Guideline 1: Place the Letter/Memo Immediately after the Title Page ‘This placement means thatthe letter /memo is ound with the document, to Keep i from becoming separated, Some organizations paperclip this letter or memo tothe front of te report, making ita cover letter or memo. In 0 doing, however, they risk having it become separated from the report. >> Transmittal Guideline 2: Include a Major Point from Report [Remember that readers are heavily influenced by what they read fistin reports. Therefore, take advantage of the postion ofthis section by including a major finding, conclusion, or recommendation from the report—besides supplying necessary transmittal information, >> ‘Transmittal Guideline 3: Acknowledge Those Who Helped You Recognizing those who have been particularly helpful with your project gives them recoB> nition and identifies you as a tear player. It reflects well on you and on your organization. Model 9-2 includes a thank you to members of the client's organization. >> Transmittal Guideline 4: Follow Letter and Memo Conventions Like other leters and memos, letters and memos of transmittal should be easy t0 read, snviting readers into the rest ofthe report. Keep introductory and conctuding paragraphs relatively short-—no more than three to ive lines each. Also, write in ¢ conversational style free of technical jargon and stfly phrases such as “per your requost” OF “enclosed hhorewith.” See the models at the end of chapter 5 for more details concerning Ietter/memo format. For novr here are some highlights about the mechanics of format Letters and Memes «Use single spacing and ragged:-right-edge copy, even ifthe rest of the report is double spaced and fully justified. * Use only one page. Letters « Include company project number with the letter date. « Spell the reader's name correctly.Guidelines for the Nine Parts of Formal Reports | Be sure the inside address includes the mailing address to appear on the envelope. «Use the reader's last name (“Dear Mr. Jamison:”) in the salutation or attention line because of the formality of the report—unless your close association with the reader would make it more appropriate to use first names (‘Dear Bill: - Usually include a project title, as with letter reports. Its treated like a main heading, Use concise wording that matches wording on the ttle page. + Use “Sincerely” as your closing « Inelude a line to indicate those who will receive copies of the report (“ec” for carbon copy, “pe” for photocopy, or just “c® or “copy” for copy). Memos «Give a clear description ofthe project in the subject line of the memo, including 1 project number if there is one. « Include a distribution list to indicate those who will receive copies. Table of Contents ‘Your contents page acts as an outline, Many readers go there right away to grasp the struc ture of the report, and then return repeatedly to locate report sections of most interest to them, Most word: processing programs allow you to generate a table of contents automat ically from tagged headings, but tables of contents ‘generated this way must often be cedited, especially if you have decided to leave out lower-level headings (see guideline 3). Guidelines follow for assembling this important component of your report; see Model 9-4 on page 281 for an example. s+ Table of Contents Guideline 1: Make It Very Readable “The table of contents must be pleasing to the eye so that readers can find sections quickly ‘and sce their relationship to each other. Be sure to ‘© Space items well on the page Use indenting to draw attention to subheadings ss Include page numbers for every heading and subheading, unless there are many head: ings in a relatively short report, n which ease you can delete page numbers forall of the lowest level headings listed in the table of contents s» Table of Gontents Guideline 2: Use the Contents Page to Reveal Report Emphases Choose the wording of headings and subheadings with care. Be specific yet concise so that cach heading listed inthe table of contents gives the reader a good indication of what the section contains. Readers associate the importance of report sections with the number of headings and subheadings listed in the table of contents. I, for example, a discussion section called "De- scription of the Problem” contsins many more heading breakdowns than other sections, you are telling the reader that the section is more important, When possible, its best to