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The Introduction

The Introduction in a formal report is there to introduce readers to what is going to follow in the report. It tells them what led up to the project being undertaken, as well as why it was undertaken.

An introduction to a formal report should always include:

  1. The Background. Describe what events led to the project or the current situation, and why it's necessary.

  2. The Purpose. Tell what the project is supposed to achieve, as well as who authorized the project.

  3. The Scope. The scope should tell any limitations imposed on the project, such as cost or time.

That said, you do not have to write these three aspects in the order we listed above. These are just aspects that should always be included in an introduction, but you should put them in the order that makes the most sense for your report and the information you're conveying. Furthermore, the introduction to your report can be as long as it needs to be, but as brief as it possibly can be.

The Discussion

The Discussion compartment is just that: a compartment in your report. The word "Discussion" should not be used as a heading. Instead, the heading should be the topic of the information in the compartment. You can start the Discussion compartment on the same page as the Introduction if you want, or you can start it on a new page.

It can be argued that the Discussion compartment of a formal report is the most important compartment in the entire report. For that reason, you must keep your audience in mind with every word you write in this compartment. You must anticipate their questions and answer them, and you must predict other questions that will arise from your answers – and answer those, as well. That said, don't let it scare you. If you have taken the time to carefully define your audience, as well as the information that they need and want, putting the Discussion compartment together is simply a matter of organization and writing.

Here are a few things to remember when writing the Discussion compartment:

  1. Your audience wants to know more than the facts. They want to know how the facts were derived, if the facts are important to the main purpose of the report. For example, if you state that manufacturing costs are going to decrease by 33 percent nationwide this year, then cite the reference that provided the fact. References are listed at the end of the report and covered in more depth later in this course. However, to note a reference in your report, mark it with a number in the report. Notice the number one at the end of the sentence below. The actual reference, whether it's a book or article, will be listed at the end of the report, and be listed as reference number one.

  1. Always use references for your facts, and not footnotes. Footnotes are not used in today's reports.

  2. Use a different-sized font for headings and sub-headings. Headings should have a larger font than sub-headings.

  3. Refer to appendixes in the report, but readers should not have to flip to the appendixes to understand the report.



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