CANKAYA UNIVERSITY FOREIGN LANGUAGES UNIT CHAPTER IV FOR

CANKAYA UNIVERSITY FOREIGN LANGUAGES UNIT CHAPTER IV FOR RTW 405 COURSE WEEK 8

CHAPTER IV COMPONENTS OF A REPORT OUTLINE 1. Prefatory Parts (Front Matter) 2. Body - Introduction

COMPONENTS OF A REPORT • Formal reports are generally organized into three major divisions: 1. Prefatory Parts (Front Matter) 2. Body 3. Supplementary Parts (Back Matter) • Formal reports are longer and have more parts than informal reports. • Reports have standardized components. They include: ü Letter of transmittal ü Abstract ü Executive Summary ü Acknowledgements ü Title Page ü Table of Contents ü References or works cited ü Glossary ü Appendices

COMPONENTS OF A REPORT 1. PREFATORY PARTS • Prefatory parts come before the text of the report. • They identify the contents and give credit to the people who created it.

COMPONENTS OF A REPORT 1. PREFATORY PARTS Letter of Transmittal (Memo of Transmittal/Cover Letter) • Letter of transmittal is not a part of report itself but often accompanies it. • It is attached as a separate piece of paper. • It announces what the attached document is and what project it is related to. • It is usually less formal than the report itself.

COMPONENTS OF A REPORT 1. PREFATORY PARTS Letter of Transmittal (Memo of Transmittal/Cover Letter) • The transmittal letter typically 1. announces the topic of the report and tells how it was authorized; 2. briefly describes the project; 3. highlights the report’s findings, conclusions, and recommendations, if the reader is expected to be supportive; 4. Closes with appreciation for the assignment, instructions for the reader’s follow-up actions, acknowledgment of help from others, or offers of assistance in answering questions. • See page 64 for a sample letter of transmittal.

COMPONENTS OF A REPORT 1. PREFATORY PARTS Title Page • Title page is at the front of a text. • It identifies the subject of a report and its recipient, author, and date. • The title page identifies : ü the subject of the report, ü its recipient, ü author, ü date. • See page 66 for a sample title page.

COMPONENTS OF A REPORT 1. PREFATORY PARTS Title Page How To Write Titles • Place the title about one-third from the top of the page followed by the name of the recipient, author, and date. • Use a type size bigger than text size, perhaps 14 -point type or larger. • You should pay attention to two points about titles: ü should be short, preferably on one line only ü should specify exactly what the paper is talking about, not simply name a whole subject.

COMPONENTS OF A REPORT 1. PREFATORY PARTS Title Page How To Write Titles Example: Construction of an Experimental Concrete Road on the Trunk Road D 7 Upbridge Bypass to Determine the Effect of Omitting Expansion Joints. Which one is more effective? Effect of Omitting Expansion Joints in Concrete Roads: Construction of an Experiment on the D 7

COMPONENTS OF A REPORT 1. PREFATORY PARTS Abstract • An abstract is a summary of the entire report short enough to be read in only a few minutes. • It enables readers to digest important information without having to read the whole report. • In fact, it helps the readers decide whether the report is worth reading. • Abstracts should be less than a single page long, single-spaced. • There are 2 basic types of abstracts: indicative and informative.

COMPONENTS OF A REPORT 1. PREFATORY PARTS Abstract The indicative abstract • It indicates the kind of information included in the report. • It is a description rather than exposition. • It outlines what is covered in the report but does not attempt to provide a lot of information. • It usually includes these points: üPurpose üMethod üConclusion üRecommendation

COMPONENTS OF A REPORT 1. PREFATORY PARTS Abstract The informative abstract • It condenses the information in the report into a brief statement. • It makes the reading of the entire document optional. • It provides in condensed form all of the essential information in the report: ü Purpose ü Method ü Scope ü Key sections of the text ( findings, problems, possible solutions, etc. ) ü Conclusions ü Recommendations • See page 68 for the abstract task.

COMPONENTS OF A REPORT 1. PREFATORY PARTS Executive Summary • An executive summary summarizes a long report. • It summarizes a longer report for people who may not have time to read the entire document. • This timesaving device summarizes üthe purpose ükey points üfindings üconclusions • An executive summary is usually no longer than 10 percent of the original document. Therefore, a 20 -page report might require a 2 -page executive summary.

COMPONENTS OF A REPORT 1. PREFATORY PARTS Executive Summary What is the difference between an abstract and an executive summary? • An abstract is shorter and after reading, the reader decides if the report is worth reading. • An executive summary is longer and is written for people who don’t have time to read the whole report.

COMPONENTS OF A REPORT 1. PREFATORY PARTS Executive Summary • General Guidelines: ü Present the goal or purpose of the document being summarized. Why was it written? ü Highlight the research methods (if appropriate), findings, conclusions, and recommendations. ü Omit illustrations, examples, and references. ü Organize for readability by including headings and bulleted or enumerated lists. ü Include your reactions or an overall evaluation of the document if asked to do so. • See page 69 for a sample executive summary.

COMPONENTS OF A REPORT 1. PREFATORY PARTS Acknowledgements • An acknowledgement is a statement of credit given to a person or people who have assisted the writer of the report. • It names the person credited, the contributions s/he has made, and the effect of his/ her contribution. • An acknowledgement is placed on a separate piece of paper and follows the abstract of the report.

COMPONENTS OF A REPORT 1. PREFATORY PARTS Table of Contents • The table of contents shows the headings in a report and their page numbers. • It lets the readers find specific information easily. • It also gives the readers an overview of the content and structure of your report. • You should wait to prepare the table of contents until after you have completed the report. • The first item in the contents will most probably be the abstract or executive summary. • Do not mix table of contents with the” list of tables and figures”. • The visuals are not included in table of contents page.

COMPONENTS OF A REPORT 1. PREFATORY PARTS Table of Contents • Suggestions For Writing Table of Contents: ü Include sub-headings as well as main headings ü Write full and informative headings ü Use decimal numbering system, indentation, and varying weight of type

COMPONENTS OF A REPORT 1. PREFATORY PARTS List of Tables and Figures • You may list tables and figures (visual display of data) on a page following the contents page. • This list is most useful when there are many visuals and your report is long. • There is less need for this page in a 10 -page report because readers can easily skim to locate the visuals. • If you include the list, format it in the same way you formatted the table of contents page. Include: 1. The label and number ( Figure 1) 2. The title of the visual 3. The page number • See page 74 for a sample table of contents and list of figures.

COMPONENTS OF A REPORT 2. BODY OF REPORT • The main section of a report is the body. 1. Beginning (introduction) ü introduces the issue 2. Middle (discussion of findings) ü presents the results of investigation 3. Ending (summary & recommendations) ü applies the results to the problem to show whether and how the problem is solved.

COMPONENTS OF A REPORT 2. BODY OF REPORT Introduction • It describes the problem or purpose that has occasioned the report. • It answers the questions of üwho üwhat üwhere üwhen üwhy ühow in order to establish the context for the problem and its significance. • It also forecasts the rest of the report by showing how the report will develop and what its major sections are. • A literature review may be a part of the introduction as a way of establishing the problem.

COMPONENTS OF A REPORT 2. BODY OF REPORT Introduction • A good report introduction typically covers the following elements: Background Problem or purpose Significance Scope Sources and methods Summary Organization

COMPONENTS OF A REPORT 2. BODY OF REPORT Introduction 1. Background: Describe the events leading up to the problem or need. 2. Problem or purpose: Explain the report topic and specify the problem or need that motivated the report. 3. Significance: Tell why the topic is important. You may wish to quote experts or cite secondary sources to establish the importance of the topic. 4. Scope: Clarify the boundaries of the report, what will be included or excluded. 5. Sources and methods: Describe your secondary sources. Also explain how you collected primary data. 6. Summary: Include a summary of findings, if the report is written directly. 7. Organization: Preview the major sections of the report to follow, thus providing coherence and transition for the reader.

COMPONENTS OF A REPORT Introduction Rating Scale for Introduction - Page 7 Sample Student Portfolio - Outline - Page 117 Topic: • Choosing the Best Franchising Opportunity: Comparisons Between Starbucks and Kahve Dünyası Are there any problems with the sample ? • Numbering & Heading: • Problem • Significance • Scope & Organization • Sources & Methods • Summary

NEXT WEEK PORTFOLIO TASK 3: INTRODUCTION (in-class) • Bring a copy of the assignment sheet on page 10.