CHAPTER 16

LONG, FORMAL REPORTS

Long, Formal Report?
These reports are documents in which the writer
analyses a situation in depth before drawing one or
more conclusions, sometimes also making
recommendations.
Why Write Long,
Formal Report?
If you are writing a report for upper management or another organization, you will need a

formal report.

In some instances, your subject matter might be so complex that a short report will not

thoroughly cover the topic.

These long reports may:
◦ describe extensive research or an investigation of a problem or unsatisfactory condition,
◦ evaluate alternatives to improve a situation,
◦ study and determine the feasibility of taking certain actions,
◦ propose making a change in methods or procedures.
Reports: Informative,
Analytical and
Recommendation
Reports can provide information, be analytical, and/or recommend a
course of action. Occasionally, you might write a report that only
informs. You might write a report that analyses a situation. You could
write a report to recommend action persuasively.
Usually, however, these three goals will overlap in your long, formal
reports.
Information
When you provide information to your audience,
Focus on the facts. These facts will help your readers
Better understand the situation.

Example:
Nitrous Solutions asked Alpha/Beta Consulting (A/B/C)
to report on backup data storage options for software
archives.

Information
Analysis
When you analyze for your audience, you start
with factual information. However, you expand
On this information by interpreting it and then
Drawing conclusions.

Example: (cont.)
Once A/B/C presented the informational findings
About backup data storage facilities, they
Followed this information with a more in-depth
analysis. Analysis
Recommendation
After providing information and analysis, you can
recommend action as a follow-up to your findings.
The recommendations allow you to tell the
audience why they should purchase a product,
Use a service or follow a course of action.

Example: (cont.) Recommendations

A/B/C presented findings and analyzed information
For its Nitrous Solutions. Based on the analysis,
the consulting company then made a recommendation.
Major components of Long,
Formal Reports
A long Formal reports include the following:
Front matter (title page, cover letter or memo, table of contents, list of illustrations, and an
abstract or executive summary)

Text (introduction, including purpose, issues, background, and problems; discussion; and
conclusion/recommendation)

Back matter (glossary, works cited or references page, and an optional appendix)
 Major Components
(cont.)
1.Title page
The title page tells reader the following:
• Title of the long report
• Name of the company and
writers submitting the long report
• Date on which the long report was completed

If the long report is being mailed outside the

company, you might include on the title page the
audience to whom the report is addressed.
Major Components (cont.)
2. Cover Letter or Memo
It tells the reader the following:
• Why are you writing
• What are you writing about (the subject of this long report)
• What exactly you plan to do next as follow up
• When the action should occur
• Why the date is important

3. Table of Contents
Long reports are read by many different readers, each of whom will have a special area of
interest. So, the Table of Contents should be a complete and accurate listing of the main and
minor topics covered in the report.
Major Components (cont.)
4. List of illustrations
If your report contains several figures or illustrations, provide List of illustrations. This list can be
located below your table of contents, if there in no room on Table of contents page, it can be
placed on a separate page.

5. Abstract
The abstract is a brief overview of the proposal or long report’s key points geared toward a low-
tech reader. To accomplish the required brevity, limit your abstract to approximately one to two
pages.
Major Components
(cont.)
6. Executive Summary
An executive summary, similar to an abstract but generally longer, is found at the beginning of
either a formal report or a proposal and summarizes the major topics covered in the document.
To write the most an effective and concise executive summary, use only the most important
details and supporting statistics or information .
Major Components
(cont.)
7. Introduction
Your introduction should include the following:
• Purpose (why you are writing and what and what you hope to achieve) Limit: 1-3 sentences or short
paragraph
• Background and problem (discussion of the problem) Limit: one to two pages

8. Discussion
The discussion section of your long report constitutes its body. In this section, you develop the
detailed content of the long report. As such, the discussion section represents the major portion
of the long report, perhaps 85 percent of the text.
 Major Components
(cont.)
Discussion (cont.)
Your discussion should include any or all of the
following:
9. Conclusion/Recommendation
Sum up your long report in a page or two.
age and
Conclusion/Recommendation include: p e rcent
c -state
• Implications of your analysis
e s p ecifi amount
• Your solutions B
• Benefits
• Next course of action
• When this action to be done and why important
You can also use highlighting techniques in this section.
Major Components
(cont.)
9. Glossary
A glossary is an alphabetized list of high-tech terminology placed after your
conclusion/recommendation.
10. Ethical considerations when documenting Sources in a Long, Formal Report
If you use research to write your long report, include a works cited or references page.
This page documents sources(books, periodicals, Interviews, computer software, internet sites,
etc.) you have researched and from which you have quoted or paraphrased.
11. Appendix
A final, optional component is an appendix. Appendices allow you to include any additional
information(survey, results, tables, figures, etc.) that you have not built in your long report text.
CHAPTER 17

PROPOSALS
Why Write a proposal?
When you write a proposal your intent is to sell your idea.
In composition, especially in business writing and technical writing, a proposal is a document
that offers a solution to a problem or a course of action in response to a need.
As a form of persuasive writing, proposals attempt to convince the recipient to act in accordance
with the writer's intent and includes such as examples as internal proposals, external proposals,
grant proposals, and sales proposals.
Internal proposal
Internal proposals are written to management within your company.
An internal proposal or justification report is composed for readers within the
writer's department, division, or company and are generally short in the form of
a memo with the intention of solving an immediate problem.
External proposal
External proposals are written to sell a new service or product to an audience
outside your company.
External proposals are designed to show how one organization can meet the
needs of another and may be either solicited, meaning in response to a request,
or unsolicited, meaning without any assurance that the proposal will even be
considered.
Request for Proposals
Many external proposals are written in response to requests for proposals(PFPs).
Criteria for proposals
To guide your readers through a proposal, provide the following:
1. Title page
2. Cover letter (or cover e-mail for electronic submission of proposals)
3. Table of contents
4. List of illustrations
5. Abstract or executive summary
6. Introduction
Each of these components is same as
7. Discussion (the body of proposal) for Long, formal reports and is covered
8. Conclusion/recommendation in Chapter 16
9. Glossary
10. Work cited (or reference)
11. Appendix
Special information for
Proposals
Abstract
The abstract limited to approximately three to ten sentences, presents the problem leading to
your proposal, the suggested solutions, and the benefits your audience will derive.
Special information for
Proposals (cont.)
Introduction
• Purpose (one to three sentences)
• Tell reader the purpose of report.

• Problem (Needs Analysis)

To clarify the audience why this proposal is important, explain the problem leading to your
suggestions.
 Special information for
Proposals (cont.)
Discussion
When writing text for your proposal:
• Sell your ideas persuasively
• Develop your ideas thoroughly
• Organize your content
• Use graphics
Communicating persuasively
To write persuasively, accomplish the following:
• Arouse audience involvement
• Give proof to develop your content, through research and proper documentation
• Urge action- motivate your audience to act upon
Special information for
Proposals (cont.)
Researching Content for proposal
This can include primary and secondary sources such as:
• Interviewing customers, clients, vendors, staff members
• Creating a survey and distributing it electronically or in hard copy
• Visiting job sites to determine audience needs
• Using the internet
• Reading journals, books, newspapers etc.

Communicating Ethically in proposals

To write an ethical proposal, provide accurate information about credentials, pricing,
competitors, needs assessment, and sources information and research.
Special information for
Proposals (cont.)
Organizing your content
Use any mode of organization given below:
◦ Comparison/contrast
◦ Cause/effect
◦ Chronology
◦ Analysis

Using Graphics
Graphics, including tables, graphs, and figures, can help you emphasize and clarify key points.
Special information for
Proposals (cont.)
Conclusion/Recommendations
Sum up your proposal, providing your readers closure.
The conclusion can restate the problem, your solutions, and the benefits to be derived.
Your recommendation will suggest next course of action.