Elements of a Formal Report

There are many sections to a formall report. Most of us just think about the report itself, but there are other sections that are equally important. There should be a title page, letter of transmittal, table of contents, glossary, appendices, and a summary. Each has an important role when the report is being submitted to the reader.

Every report needs a title page. This gives the reader the title and the author of the report. There will be no other information on this page and should not be considered as a page of the report. Therefore, it should be identified as page i in the table of contents. Only pages with information pertaining to the topic of the report should be numbered.

Next is the letter of transmittal. When preparing a report for someone specific it is customary to include a letter of transmittal written to the specific reader. If the report is for a small group of people you can write separate letters or write one draft and send it with the report to each person of the group. The first paragraph should be the introductory paragraph that explains why you were doing the report and who requested it.

In the body of the letter you should give credit to anyone that contributed to the report as well as explain any road blocks that may have hindered your ability to gather data. If you have any suggestions from your personal observation then you should mention them in the letter. This is not part of the official report so this is where you should share any personal opinions you have of the project. If the outcome of the report requires immediate action now would be the time to discuss it.

In the conclusion paragraph of the letter you should summarize what you learned from this report and inform your readers that you would be willing to answer any questions they may have. Then you should provide them with the easiest way to contact you.

The table of contents is the next section of a formal report. This will give the reader the...