Formal report writing

Directions: Choose at least TWO challenges affecting your career field and write a 5-7 page, double-spaced, formal researched report on the topic.
Examples of possible challenges:
adequate funding
government policies or procedures
health and safety risks
sales opportunities
toxic work environments
disgruntled consumers or patients
scheduling problems
stress
the economy
continuous changes in products
lack of employment opportunities
time management or time required
communication
adequate and proper training
workloads
NOTE: Although I prefer you to discuss challenges associated with a specific career field, if you are still undecided about a career, you may discuss two challenges affecting college students today.
The report should be geared toward specific readers. In the workplace, reports may be read by multiple readers who have different levels of technical knowledge. You may choose to write for others in your career field, those who are still students, majoring in your career, or for a lay audience. I am considered a lay reader and may not be part of your intended audience, so if the report is geared toward a technical audience, you will need to define terminology and provide more background about the issue.
The report will contain the following information (The names of some of the basic features of a formal report have been bolded):
Introduction that identifies the research question
Methodology that explains step-by-step how the research was conducted
General, background information on your career field
Summary of results of the TWO challenges you selected
Discussion of at least TWO different options to overcome the challenges, ease the challenges, tolerate the challenges, whatever may be most appropriate considering your chosen career field
Discussion indicating your personal perspective on the available options
Conclusion indicating your personal perspective on which option you feel is best
The research included in this report should help you examine and analyze the challenges in your career field.
And please do not wait to begin conducting research for your topic! Start NOW! You cannot conduct research and successfully write the report with all required components a day or two before it's due.
NOTE: Please keep in mind that this is a formal report. Although you may have some personal experience relevant to the topic and will be presenting your personal perspective on the available options to overcome, ease, tolerate, etc. challenges, you should refrain from including excessive personal experience. In other words, the use of first person point of view ("I") should be very limited.
Requirements:
Research:
Must include a minimum of five (5) resources for the researched report.
No more than two web sites.
Encyclopedias and dictionaries may be used but CANNOT be counted as part of the minimum five (5) required sources.
Wikipedia cannot be used due to unreliability.
Transmittal Correspondence: The report must be accompanied by an appropriately formatted and designed memorandum that provides an introduction of the report to the intended reader.
Cover Page:
The first page of the report must be a cover page.
Must give the title of the report and the writer’s name and position.
Must indicate the designated reader of the report as well as the reader’s position and the date the report is submitted.
Table of Contents:
The table of contents lists all elements and sections of the report that follow it, giving the page on which each part of the report begins.
Each page after the title page before the introduction is numbered with lowercase Roman numerals (ii. iii)
Must locate the parts of the report by page.
Must give each section heading a title that accurately describes the contents of that section.
Executive Summary:
The report should contain a summary, (a miniature version of the report) that provides a brief, concise, well-organized overview of your report.
Must be 1/4th the length of the report.
Must occur on a page by itself.
Must be single-spaced.
Text:
Must be 5-7 pages.
Must be broken down into sections and sub-sections with headings. (See the breakdown of the main sections required in the report indicated above and restated below).
Must be double-spaced and should use a size 12 font.
Must include an introduction that identifies the research question
Must include methodology that explains step-by-step how the research was conducted and gathered
Must include general background information on your chosen career field
Must include a summary of results of the TWO challenges you selected
Must include a discussion of at least TWO different options to overcome the challenges, ease the challenges, tolerate the challenges, whatever may be most appropriate considering your chosen career field
Must include a discussion indicating your personal perspective on the available options
Must include a conclusion indicating your personal perspective on which option you feel is best.

Page Numbering:
The prefatory elements of the report (cover page, table of contents, executive summary) must be labeled with lower-case Roman numerals. (The title page counts as lowercase Roman numeral page one ( i ). However, the title page is not numbered).
As previously mentioned, each page after the title page before the introduction is numbered with lowercase Roman numerals (ii. iii).
The first page of the body of the report that begins with the introduction is numbered with Arabic one (1), and each page thereafter is numbered consecutively. Be sure to reflect these page numbers correctly in your table of contents.
Placement of page numbers:
May place the page numbers in one of three places on the page: the upper right-hand corner, lower-right-hand corner or centered at the bottom of the page.
Must be consistent in placement.
Descriptive Headings:
Must appear in the text exactly as they are listed in your table of contents.
Must not title sections of your text with vague, general titles, such as “Body” or “Discussion.”
Must break your report into sections and give each one a heading that describes the contents in the the section that follows it.
Must break up long chunks of information under main headings with sub-headings.
Visual Aid(s):
Must contain at least ONE visual aid in the body of the report.
Must be prepared neatly and labeled appropriately as a Table or Figure and given a title.
Must include a citation for where the visual was obtained directly below the visual aid.
Each visual must be located with the text it illustrates, not later.
Must discuss each visual in the report.
Parenthetical Citations: Citations are a required part of the researched report. They document your use of quotes, paraphrases, unusual or unique information, or the opinions of others.
Only MLA 8 parenthetical (in-text) citation format is acceptable.
Works Cited: A list of all sources actually used in the report must be included at the end of the document.
Must be included as the last page of your report.
Must be formatted using MLA 8 style documentation.
Must be arranged in alphabetical order by the last name of the author. If no author is listed, entries are arranged by the first important word in the title.
Must not be numbered.
Optional Components: All optional components must be labeled in the Table of Contents.
An Appendix can include materials useful to the reader’s understanding of the report that must be located at the end of the report after the Works Cited page.
if the report contains many technical terms, a glossary must be created. The Glossary is also located at the end of the report.

Item
Checklist for Formal Research ReportChecklist for Formal Research Report
To ensure your researched report is effective, use the following checklist to make sure the report contains the following components:
_____ The body of the report is a minimum of five pages in length and is double-spaced.
_____ The report uses a minimum of 5 varied sources (All sources should not be the same type i.e. all books)
_____ The report contains a minimum of one visual aid that is labeled and titled appropriately
_____ Transmittal Correspondence is included
¨ Written in memorandum format
¨ Contains the following:
a) contains the title of the report
b) has an opening to remind reader of report’s purpose and who has requested or authorized it
c) explains when the report was requested
d) provides a brief summary of the report’s findings
e) expresses appreciation to those who were helpful in assembling the report or providing information
f) offers to clarify any information or follow up on the report
¨ Length of correspondence is no longer than 2-3 paragraphs
_____ Title page is included in the report and contains:
¨ A clear specific title that tells reader what report is about
¨ Name and position of person(s) receiving report
¨ Your name and position
¨ Date of submission
_____ Table of Contents follows Title Page.
¨ Includes any prefatory matter (abstract, list of illustrations, glossary) in lower case Roman numerals
¨ Lists the name of each section of the report in the same wording and format as body of report
¨ Indents subsections of major sections
¨ Lists only the page number on which the section begins and uses Arabic numerals
_____ List of Illustrations is included if three or more visuals are used in the body of report
¨ Each visual is numbered and titled with page numbers provided
¨ The List of Illustrations may be written on the same page as the Table of Contents or on a separate page following it
_____ Executive Summary or Summary follows the Table of Contents
¨ Is a miniature version of the report (presents main ideas of the report without including details or supporting points)
¨ Is single-spaced
¨ Length ranges from one paragraph to ½ typed page
_____ Glossary is included if necessary (Assume you are writing for a lay audience. If you use terminology in the report that would be unfamiliar to a lay person, you must use a glossary to define the words.
_____ Report contains an Introduction section, which is the first section of the body of the report, that contains the following (sub-headings may be used):
¨ Identifies the research question and explains the report’s purpose
¨ Indicates the intended readers of the report
¨ Includes a plan of development that outlines the major sections of report
_____ Body of report:
¨ Is divided into major sections and sub-sections that are set off from rest of text (bold, underline, italicize)
¨ Is well-organized, adopting the most logical sequence for the information:
Methodology that explains step-by-step how the research was conducted
General, background information on your career field
Summary of results of the TWO challenges you selected
Discussion of at least TWO different options to overcome the challenges, ease the challenges, tolerate the challenges, whatever may be most appropriate considering your chosen career field
Discussion indicating your personal perspective on the available options
¨ Is clear, accurate, and sufficiently detailed to satisfy the needs of the intended audience
¨ Incorporates facts, figures, and expert opinion from a variety of sources
¨ Uses clear, simple language
¨ Maintains an appropriate tone: objective (not emotional), formal (not conversational)
¨ Employs appropriate visuals that are introduced in the text and explained. Visuals should be labeled as Tables or Figures. Full MLA citation of source directly below.
_____ Report contains a Conclusion indicating your personal perspective on which option you feel is best
_____ Report includes full documentation of all sources used according to MLA 8 format
¨ Contains a Works Cited page following the conclusion of the report
¨ Uses parenthetical citations throughout the body of the report
_____ The report should use an Appendix if you are including supplemental information that may be helpful to intended readers but is not necessary to understanding the report itself.
(Examples: survey questionnaires, list of references for additional reading, list of useful addresses or phone numbers for resources, interview questions and responses)
_____ The report has been proofread and edited for typographical and mechanical errors in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar.