1. Writing Formal
Reports
The Recommendation
Report
Adapted a presentation from http://www.ais.msstate.edu/AEE/

2. Objectives
• Define recommendation
reports.
• Describe the elements in a
recommendation report.
• Write recommendation
reports.

3. Definition
• Analyze a problem, determine
the best solution, and then
recommend the best
solution(s), if any.
• Present data, draw
conclusions from the data
• Make recommendations based
on the data and conclusions.

4. Must, at Minimum, have
• An introduction
• Background to problem
• Explanation of Method
• Data and visuals
• An Evaluation of the data
• A summary of the data
• A conclusion(s) drawn from
the data
• Recommendations based
upon the data and the
conclusions

5. Sections in a
Recommendation Report
Front Matter
Body
Back Matter

6. Possible Elements in a
Recommendation Report
Front Matter
• Letter of transmittal
• Cover
• Title page
• Abstract
• Executive Summary
• Table of contents
• List of illustrations

7. Elements in a
Recommendation Report
Body
• Introduction
• Methods section
• Results section
• Conclusion(s)
• Recommendation(s)

8. Elements in a
Recommendation Report
Back matter
• Glossary
• List of Symbols (if any)
• Appendices
• Reference list
• Index

9. Transmittal Letter
• Explains the purpose and
content of the report
• Precedes the title page
• Acknowledges those who
helped with the Report (if any)
• Highlights parts of the report
that may be of special interest
• Discuss any problems
• Offer any personal
observations

11. Cover
Purpose is to protect the
contents of the report
Presents the
• Title
• Writer’s name
• Date of submission
• Company’s name and/or logo

12. From http://www.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-080207-048.pdf

13. Title page
Provides the
• Title
• Author(s)
• Intended recipients
• Date the report was submitted
• Make the title as descriptive as
possible

15. Abstract
• Condensed version of the
writing that highlights the
major points covered
• Concisely describes the
content and scope of the
writing
• Reviews the contents in an
abbreviated form
• Abstracts can be descriptive or
informative

16. Descriptive Abstract
Provides
• Purpose
• Methods
• Scope
Dose not provide
• Results
• Conclusions
• Recommendations
• Introduces the subject to the
readers
• Brief (< 100 words)

17. Informative Abstracts
Communicate specific
information from the report
▫ Purpose
▫ Methods
▫ Scope
▫ Results
▫ Conclusions
▫ Recommendations
• Allow readers to decide
whether they need to read the
entire report
• Brief (no longer than 250
words)

19. Executive Summary
Reviews the essential points of
a report
▫ Subject
▫ Purpose
▫ Scope
▫ Methods
▫ Conclusions
▫ Recommendations
• Provides the reader with
enough information to make
an informed decision
• Usually 10% of the length of
the report

21. Table of contents
• List of headings along with the
page numbers
• Helps readers to find what
they want and see the overall
organization and approach of
the report

23. List of Illustrations
• Illustrations along with page
numbers
• Two categories
▫ List of figures
▫ List of tables

24. http://www.rrcc.edu/english/samplereport.html#Introduction

25. BODY
Introduction
Methods
Results or Discussion
Conclusion
Recommendations

26. 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

27. 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

29. Methods
• Tells what you did
• Tells how your research was
set up and why

31. Results or Discussion
• Key data that were found or
created
• Analysis of that data
• Must be organized and
objective

33. 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

34. Conclusion
Must stand on its own
Does not include
▫ Equations
▫ Tables
▫ Figures
▫ References
▫ Appendixes
▫ Undefined symbols
▫ Any new information

36. Recommendations
• Actions to be taken based on
the conclusions of the report

38. Glossary & List of Symbols
• Glossary- alphabetical listing
of key terms in the report
• The definitions are given in
complete sentences with
appropriate citations
List of Symbols &
Abbreviations
• Use standard symbols
• Do not create your own

39. Appendixes
• Additional material that is
useful but not essential to
understanding the body of the
report
▫ Usability test plan
▫ Interview questions, etc.
• Presents the data from which
some conclusions were drawn
and recommendations made
▫ Notes taken during usability
test
▫ Questionnaires filled out (if
any) etc.

40. References
• List of sources
• Use the recommended style
▫ For this report APA but it may
differ in the workplace

42. Index
• Contains more detail than the
table of contents
• Gives specifics along with page
numbers
• May or may not be used;
depends on the requirements
by client
• Usually for reports which are
hundreds of pages long