This document provides guidance on how to structure a report, including sections on length, components, structure, and formatting. It recommends reports include an introduction, body, and conclusion of specified lengths. Reports should use headings, section breaks, and visuals to present complex ideas clearly. Front matter like a title page, abstract, table of contents, and transmittal document are also recommended.

2. Communicate new information
 Guide decisions
 Present complex materials
 Employ principles of effective page design


3. Length
 Complexity of subject material
 Use of source material
 Standard components


4. Highlight your ability to organize and present
ideas clearly
 Highlight your ability to find information
 Highlight your ability to solve problems
 Highlight your potential to take on additional
responsibility


5. Introduction (about ½ page)
 Body (about 3 pages)
 Conclusion (about ½ page)


6. Text includes headings, section breaks, and
paragraph breaks (which all count toward the
required length).
 Text includes visual or visuals (though they don’t
count toward required length).


7. Context—basic background information
 Purpose—what report is intended to accomplish
 Scope—what report covers (and perhaps what it
doesn’t cover)
 Procedures—how report was compiled (especially
how information was gathered).
 Limitations—problems, shortcomings, items not
covered in report


8. 
Problem
◦ Explanation and breakdown
◦ Background/causes
◦ Negative effects

Solutions
◦ Explanation and breakdown
◦ Implementing the solutions
◦ Benefits

9. Summary of Findings—summary of information
about problem and solutions from body of report
 Recommendations—list of specific steps the
reader should now take to implement solutions


10. Transmittal Document
 Title Page
 Abstract
 Table of Contents
 List of Illustrations
 Glossary


11. Letter or memo that accompanies report
 Brief summary of report context and contents
 Thanks reader for cooperation/interest
 Builds positive relationship with reader
 Uses standard forms


12. Title of report
 Name and title of writer
 Name and title of reader
 Name of company or organization
 Date of submission
 Centered on page


13. Summary of report’s contents and
recommendations
 Designed to stand alone
 Formatted as one paragraph
 Abstract as title


14. List of all headings exactly as they appear in report
and starting page numbers
 Lower case Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, iv, etc.) for front
matter, beginning with list of illustrations
 Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, etc.) for rest of report
 Table of Contents or Contents as title


15. Traditional—headings, page numbers
 Decimal—numbered headings (whole numbers and
decimals), page numbers
1. INTRODUCTION
2. KINDS OF TESTING

2.1. Pre-Employment
2.2. Routine
2.3. Reasonable Suspicion/Post-Accident

16. Lists exact titles of visuals and corresponding
page numbers in report
 Figure 1: Student Support for Renovation of Main
Campus Buildings
 Table 1: Project Costs for Renovation
 Distinguishes between tables and figures


17. Defines all potentially unfamiliar words,
expressions, or symbols
 Need determined by audience
 Alphabetizes terms
 Lists symbols in order of appearance


18. Appendixes
 Bibliography


19. Supplementary material, such as interview
questions, survey questions, additional figures and
illustrations, copies of relevant sources, other
relevant documents (anything that you want the
reader to have access to but that doesn’t fit directly
into your report)
 Includes title listed on Table of Contents
 Each appendix a separate page or pages


20. List of sources
 Title and format depend on specific
documentation format
 APA (American Psychological Association)—
References
 MLA (Modern Language Association)—Works
Cited
