Despite being taught many examples of how to write a formal report in high school and college, many people reach adulthood and feel intimidated by writing formal reports for their business, company, employees, or the academic community. Unfortunately, numerous styles exist and choosing blindly can be frustrating. The type of report chosen depends on the task itself, and this might be specified by
. the report's recipient.The front matter introduces items that belong before the body of the report itself. These items include the optional front cover, which might have a title, subtitle, name of the author(s), picture, business logo or other printed material that is appropriate to the first glance of a report. After this, a title page is expected, with the exact title and subtitle, the name of the author(s), a date, and if for an academic class, the name of the class and a description of the assignment. Following the title page should be a contents page if the report is long enough, listing the individual sections of the report and their page numbers. Another common section before the report is a summary page or an abstract, either on its own page or at the top of the first page of the report. Sometimes a few of these items are condensed together, depending on the formality and audience of a report.The main text usually contains three major sections: the introduction, the discussion and the conclusion. Sometimes a report divides the discussion into further sections. For example, in a scientific report, sections may be included concerning experimental methods, materials used, data from the actual experiment or background information to illustrate that the research contradicts, confirms, or augments previous research related to the report. The conclusion may mention sections such as the report's relevance to other issues, errors or flaws within the research and suggestions for further research.The back matter to a report's text can include a glossary, appendices, and references, works cited or a bibliography section. The exact nature will depend on the type of report and the formatting method chosen. Many websites cover the writing of reports, including the particular types of formatting, such as the Modern Language Association, American Psychological Association, and the Chicago Manual of Style. Please see the below links for more information. More reference links: http://www.writing.engr.psu.edu/workbooks/reports.html http://owl.english.purdue.edu/
