5.5 Report Parts – Informal and Formal
Learning Objectives
After studying this unit, you will be able to
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- understand the parts of an informal report
- understand the parts of a formal report
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Introduction
Informal reports differ from formal reports in their length, purpose, and content. Nonetheless, the parts of an informal and formal report can be divided into three components: front matter, the parts of a report that precede the main body and contain introductory and background information that provides the context for the remainder of the report; body, the presentation of facts, statistics, expert opinion and other forms of research that provide the basis for any decisions made; and back matter, the parts of a report that follow the main body and provides the credentials for the data presented and other supplemental information. Figure 5.5.5 organizes the parts of an informal and formal report into the three components.
Parts of Informal and Formal Reports
To understand the function of each part of an informal and formal report consult the Table below. Here the function of each part as well as information on how to compose each part of an informal or formal report is provided.
Table – Common Formal Business Report Elements
| Part | Function | Example |
| Front Matter | ||
| Letter of Transmittal | Optional cover letter that addresses the report’s intended recipients and introduces it | See How to Write a Transmittal or Cover Letter (public.wsu.edu) |
| Cover | Title and image Gives the reader an immediate sense of what the report is all about |
See Papers and Reports templates (Microsoft Office, 2014) |
| Title fly | Title only Optional |
Feasibility Study of Oil Recovery from the X Tarpit Sands Location |
| Title page | Label, report, features title, author, affiliation, date, and sometimes for whom the report was prepared. | Feasibility Study of Oil Recovery from the X Tarpit Sands Location Peak Oilman, X Energy Corporation Prepared for X |
| Table of Contents | A list of the main parts of the report and their respective page numbers. Orients the reader around the scope of the report and helps them find specific information. | Abstract…………….1 Introduction…………2 Background…………3 |
| List of Illustrations | A list of figures and tables to help readers locate them. The list may be included as part of the TOC or as its own separate page. | Figure 1…………….5 Figure 2…………….7 Table 1………………3 |
| Executive Summary | Presents an overview of the entire report for readers who may not have time to read the details of the full report. | Review the steps and an example of well and poorly developed executive summaries. |
| Abstract | Enables the reader to get a sense of the entire report at a glance to make quick decisions based on the findings | Learn the strategy for developing informative and descriptive abstracts. |
| Introduction | Introduces the topic of the report Establishes the context in which the report topic makes sense |
Review these examples