LONG REPORT WRITING

1.Prefatory Parts
• Prefatory Parts are:
a) Cover
b) Title fly
c) Title Page
d) Letter of authorization
e) Letter of acceptance
f) Letter of transmittal
g) Acknowledgement
h) Table of contents
i) Synopsis
j) Executive summary
a) COVER: Use a cover only for long reports and put the report title in
center.
b) TITLE FLY: It is a plain sheet of paper with the title of the report on
it.
c) TITLE PAGE: Mention title of the report, name and title of the
person submitted to and the one who submits and the date of
submission.
d) LETTER OF AUTHORIZATION: The letter or memo through which you
were instructed to develop a report.
e) LETTER OF ACCEPTANCE: Letter of Acceptance (or memo of
acceptance) acknowledges the assignment.
f) LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL: It conveys your report to the audience.
It says what you’d say if you were handing the report to the person
who authorized you.

g) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Acknowledgements is a page that you add

in the report to thank all those who have helped in carrying out the
research.
h) TABLE OF CONTENTS: This list outlines the text and list Prefatory
Parts.

i) SYNOPSIS: A synopsis is a brief overview (one page or less) of

report’s most important point. It is also called abstract.
j) EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Executive summary is a fully developed
mini version of the report and is comprehensive.
Main Parts:
There are three main parts of a business report:

1. Introduction
2. Text or Body
3. Terminal
 Main Parts (Continued)
2.Introduction
There are 11 elements to consider:

1. Authorization 8. Definitions of terms

2. Plan for presentation or layout 9. Limitations
3. Problem 10. Brief statement of the result
4. Purpose
5. Scope
6. Methodology
7. Background
1. Authorization names the person who requested the report.
2. Plan For Presentation or Layout: states the divisions and sub-divisions of the report and the
order of the topics.
3. Problem, also called issue, proposed, matter, etc.
4. Purpose, also called objective goal, mission, aim, etc.
5. Scope determines the extent of investigation or coverage and the boundary of the report.
6. Methodology indicates the methods of data collection, e.g. reading, interviewing, observing,
or experimenting.
7. Background of the situation being investigated.
8. Definition of terms that have several possible interpretations.
9. Limitations refer to restrictions such as time, money, available data, etc.
10.Brief statement of results suggests the decision to be taken on the recommendations in a
few words.
NOTE:

• The introduction of report needs not include all the elements listed
above, but only the desirable and appropriate ones. For example, a
voluntary report cannot include authorization, or a periodic report may
omit all or many of the elements of introduction.
 Main Parts (Continued) 3.Text

The longest part of any report body

Necessary details are discussed and developed in it
Its title never labeled as “Text” but “Discussion”, “Findings”, “Data” or other
meaningful word.
Instead of only one main title different headings may be used.
Ways to Organize Text Section
The text of the report can be developed in one or more of the following
ways:
1. By criteria or topics:

 It is used for different reasons; e.g. to buy, rent or lease something OR to

open a new branch etc.
 Main headings may be standard, factors, solution option, benefits
characteristics etc.

2. By order of occurrence:
 Usually used in agendas, minutes of meetings, conversation programs,
progress reports and write up of events or procedure etc.
 Chronological arrangement ( may be in minutes, hours, day, season or year.
3. By order of location or space:
 For any orderly description focusing on space or location of units; whether they
are in a house, factory, office building, shopping center or international firm with
branches.
4. By procedure or process:
 Operation of a machine, step by step process or policy of doing something.

5. By order of importance or alphabetization:

 Topics are arranged according to their importance. Most important comes first.
 If the topics are equally important, we may arrange them in alphabetical order.
6. By order of familiarity:
 From known to unknown
 From familiar to unfamiliar
 From simple to complex

7. By sources:
 The topics are ordered by the sources only when the reader is
more interested in knowing about them.

8. By problem solution:
 An initial discussion of the problem followed by a solution
4. Terminal
It may be named as Summary, Conclusions or
Recommendations.
 Summary:
a. The terminal section of an informational report is usually called Summary.
b. It includes the main points of the discussion
c. It may show strong and weak points.
d. Advantages or Disadvantages are summarized
 Conclusions:
a. The terminal section of an analytical report is usually called Conclusions or
Recommendations
b. Unbiased evaluation of facts
c. Some recommendations on the basis of facts discussed

 Recommendations:
a. It suggests a program of action based on the conclusions
b. All the suggestions made through out the report, may be summarized here
5. SUPPLEMENTAL PARTS
1. APPENDIX (pl. APPENDICES):
They contain materials related to the report but not included in the text
because they were lengthy or not directly relevant. They include
Statistics or measurements, Maps, Complex formulas, Long quotations,
Photographs, questionnaires, interview guide etc.

2. GLOSSARY: A list at the back explaining or defining difficult or

unusual words and expressions used in the text.
3. INDEX:
An index is an alphabetical list of names, places and subjects
mentioned in the report, along with the page on which they occur.

4 & 5. BIBLIOGRAPGY AND REFERENCES:

A bibliography is a list of all the reference material you consulted
during your research for the report while a reference list is a list of all
the references cited in the text of your report, listed in alphabetical
order at the end of the report
NOTE:
• It is not necessary to include all parts(elements) in Prefatory or
Terminal sections. Include only those parts which you have been
asked to incorporate in your report.
THANKS!