Your report must:
be 12-15 pages in length (including all components)
follow an appropriate format for a business report at the highest level (you may or may not use a template for all or a few of the components)
be free from errors
be submitted as one, complete document – multiple files will not be accepted
Be sure to review Writing Assessment Grading Rubric for the standards and protocols for excellent writing.
Your report must include the following research (all items required):
1) Information from 7-10 secondary sources
Sources judged on validity and appropriateness
Sources must be incorporated using MLA or APA standards
GALILEO is the recommended search tool (not Google)
2) Information from primary sources
Survey questions created by the student (the survey must have no fewer than 15 responses and 3-5 survey questions)
1-3 Interviews (should be cited on works cited page)
3) Must include at least 3 charts, graphs, or other visuals appropriately labeled, inserted, and titled
Required Elements
Remember that adding what is required at the base level is regarded as meets expectations not exceeds expectations. To receive a higher grade, you should go above and beyond what is listed as required.
Letter of Transmittal
Letter of transmittal should be written to your intended audience
Should be the first page of the report and written following business letter standards
Should be written in full block format and include:
An explanation of why the report was completed
Key recommendations and reasons for those recommendations
A request for feedback
Title Page
Your name and title/rank
your company name (if applicable)
date of submission
name of the company or organization for which you have prepared
your document
a full and accurate title
Table of Contents
Pagination should begin after the table of contents (see optional module 8 readings for a “how to” video)
Can be very detailed or show the larger categories – the choice is yours.
Should include the preliminary material paginated correctly with lower-case Roman numerals
Abstract
The word abstract should be centered as the title
The abstract should be approximately 150 words and should summarize the document as a whole.
Introduction
Background and any historical information
Statement of the problem (your reason for writing the report)
Purpose statement (what you hope to accomplish by writing this report)
Scope of your report (what you will cover in the report)
Discussion section
The longest portion of your report (at least 900 words)
Provide information about your topic in this section
Use your research, interviews, and data to develop your ideas
Show different options for recommendations
Use headings, formatting, and transitions to help guide your reader
Written mostly like a research paper
Provide a budget (if money is needed)
Provide a timeline (if needed)
Either a budget or a timeline must be included as a chart
Conclusion and Recommendations
Can be separate sections if desired, or can be combined
Wrap up information found in the report
Don’t start something new in this section; you should have referenced the information at least initially in the previous sections
Recommendations are traditionally numbered
Works cited page
List all sources cited and consulted in the report
Remember that citations should be included to show that you used someone’s idea, even if you did not necessarily use their words. Quotation marks, however, are needed if you have used someone’s words.
In-text citations must be used throughout and correctly, in addition to providing works cited page.
Citations may follow APA or MLA format, but the style must be consistent throughout
Appendix (see module 8 readings for a “how-to” video)
You must have at least one piece of information listed in the appendix
Ideas for the appendix:
Additional charts or graphs that do not fit within the report but may add more context
Glossary of unfamiliar terms (useful if you are writing for a business that uses a lot of jargon or acronyms)
An annotated bibliography of useful sources for your intended audience.
A press release
