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BUSINESS REPORTS:Prefatory Parts, Place of Title Page Items

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Lesson 31
BUSINESS REPORTS
Parts of a Formal Report
A formal reports manuscript format and impersonal tone convey an impression of professionalism. A
format report can be either short (fewer than 10 pages) or long (10 pages or more). It is informational or
analytical, direct or indirect. It may be targeted to readers inside or outside the organization.
There are three basic divisions of a formal report:
1. Prefatory Parts
2. Text Parts
3. Supplementary Parts
1. Prefatory Parts are:
a) Cover
b) Title fly
c) Letter of authorization
d) Letter of acceptance
e) Letter of transmittal
f)  Table of contents
g) List of illustrations
h) Synopsis or executive summer
2. Text Parts
a) Introduction
b) Body
c) Summary
d) Conclusions
e) Recommendations
f)  Notes
3. Supplementary Parts
a) Appendixes
b) Bibliography
c) Index
Prefatory Parts
Cover
Use a cover only for long reports. Use a sturdy, plain, light cardboard with good page fasteners.
With the cover on, the open pages should remain flat. Center the report title and your name four or five
inches from the upper edge.
Title Fly
It is a plain sheet of paper with the title of the report on it.
Title Page
1. the title of the report
2. the name, title and address of the person group that authorized the report prepared for submitted to
3. the name, title and address of the person, group etc that prepared the report, prepared by, submitted
by
4. the date on which the report was submitted.
The title page signals the readers by giving the report title, author's name, name of person or organization to
whom the report is addressed, and date of submission. Choose title information but not long, A Report of,
A Study of, or A Survey of
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Your title promises what your report will deliver by stating the report's purpose and content. A title
in order to be effective must be clear, accurate, comprehensive, specific, concise and appropriately
phrases.
Place of Title Page Items
Do not number your title page, but count it as page (I) of your prefatory pages. Centre the title
horizontally on the page, three to four inches below the upper edge, using all capital letters. If the title is
longer than six or eight words, centre it on two or more lines.
Letter of Authorization and Letter of Acceptance
If you received written authorization (a litter or memo) you may want to include. It usually has
direct request plan. Letter of Acceptance (or memo of acceptance) acknowledges the assignment. It follows
good- news plan confirming time and money restriction and other pertinent detail. This letter is rarely
included in report.
Letter of Transmittal (or memo of transmittal)
It conveys your report to the audience. It says what you'd say if you were handing the report to the
person who authorized you. It has less formal tone.
Depending on the situation, your letter might:
·  Acknowledge those who helped with the report
·  Refer readers to sections of special interest
·  Discuss the need and approaches for follow-up investigations
·  Suggest some special uses of the information
·  Urge the reader to take immediate action
·  Use good news plan
Table of Contents
This table outlines the text and list Prefatory Parts
1. List preliminary items (transmittal letter, abstract) in your table of contents, numbering the pages with
small roman numerals. (List items that appear at the end of the report, such as glossary, appendix, notes and
bibliography section; number these pages with Arabic numerals, continuing the page sequence of the report
proper, where page no. 1ist the first page of your report text.
2. Include no heading in the table of contents not listed as headings or subheadings in the report; your
report text may, however, contain certain sub-headings.
3. Use different types of styles and indentations to show the various levels of heads.
List of Illustrations
For simplicity sake, some reports prefer to include all visual aid as illustration or exhibits.
Put the list of figures and table on separate page if they won't fit on one page with the table of
content.
Synopsis or Executive Summary
A synopsis is a brief overview (one page or less) of report's most important point. It is also called
abstract. Executive summary is a fully developed mini version of the report and is comprehensive.
1. Make your summary able to stand alone in meaning ­ a mini-report
2. Make it intelligible to the general reader. Readers of summaries will vary widely in expertise, perhaps
much more than those who read the report itself. So translate all technical data into plain English.
3. Add no new information. Simply summarize the report
4. Stick to the order of your report
5. Emphasize only major points.
Text of the Report
Introduction
It has a number of functions and covers a wide variety of topics and helps the reader follow and
understands information.
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Body
The section contain information that supports conclusion and recommendation as well as analysis,
logic, interpretation of the information.
Closing
You summarize the main idea of your report highlighting your conclusion or recommendation and
list any course of action. In long report this section may be labeled Summary, Conclusion &
Recommendation.
Supplementary Parts
Appendix/Appendixes
They contain material related to the report but not included in the text because they were lengthy
or not directly relevant.They include:
1. Statistics or measurements
2. Maps
3. Complex formulas
4. Long quotations
5. Photographs
6. Related correspondence (letters of inquiry etc.)
7. Texts of law, regulations etc.
Bibliography
A bibliography is a list of source materials on a particular subject. In a formal report it shows what
books and other library materials were consulted and it includes all the works mentioned in the footnotes.
As part of the reference matter, it follows the appendix or appendices.
Index
An index is an alphabetical list of names, places and subjects mentioned in the report, along with
the page on which they occur. They are rarely included in unpublished reports.
RESTLESSNESS AMONG WORKERS
Prepared for
Ahmad Hassan
General Manager
ABC TEXTILE Mills
Prepared by
Asad Ali
Manager Cost Accounting Services
ABC Textile Mills Ltd
March 6, 2006
Contents
1. Letter of Transmittal
2. Introduction
3. Present Situation
4. Effect on Business
a)
b)
5. Causes of Restlessness
a)
b)
6. Recommendation
a)
b)
7. Conclusion
Letter of Transmittal
ABC Textile Mills Ltd
Raiwand Road Lahore
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September 16, 2006
Managing Director
ABC Textile Mills Ltd.
Raiwand Road, Lahore
Dear Sir
Subject: Report on Restlessness among Workers
This has reference to your letter no. 11 of September 3 in which I was asked to compile a report on
the restlessness now prevalent among our workers. I have completed my investigations, and my findings
with recommendations are given in a detailed report which is enclosed.
I would be obliged if I could have your comments after you have gone through the report. If, in the course
of your reading, you would like to discuss some points with me, I shall be happy to do so at any time
convenient to you.
Respectfully submitted
Yours truly
Asad Ali
Manager cost accounting services
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Table of Contents:
  1. COMMUNICATION:Definition of Communication, Communication & Global Market
  2. FLOW OF COMMUNICATION:Internal Communication, External Communication
  3. THEORIES OF COMMUNICATION:Electronic Theory, Rhetorical Theory
  4. THE PROCESS OF COMMUNICATION & MISCOMMUNICATION:Message
  5. BARRIERS IN EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION /COMMUNICATION FALLOFF
  6. NON- VERBAL COMMUNICATION:Analysing Nonverbal Communication
  7. NON- VERBAL COMMUNICATION:Environmental Factors
  8. TRAITS OF GOOD COMMUNICATORS:Careful Creation of the Message
  9. PRINCIPLES OF BUSINESS COMMUNICATION:Clarity
  10. CORRECTNESS:Conciseness, Conciseness Checklist, Correct words
  11. CONSIDERATION:Completeness
  12. INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION
  13. INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION:Education, Law and Regulations, Economics
  14. INDIVIDUAL CULTURAL VARIABLES:Acceptable Dress, Manners
  15. PROCESS OF PREPARING EFFECTIVE BUSINESS MESSAGES
  16. Composing the Messages:THE APPEARANCE AND DESIGN OF BUSINESS MESSAGES
  17. THE APPEARANCE AND DESIGN OF BUSINESS MESSAGES:Punctuation Styles
  18. COMMUNICATING THROUGH TECHNOLOGY:Email Etiquette, Electronic Media
  19. BASIC ORGANIZATIONAL PLANS:Writing Goodwill Letters
  20. LETTER WRITING:Direct Requests, Inquiries and General Requests
  21. LETTER WRITING:Replies to Inquiries, Model Letters
  22. LETTER WRITING:Placing Orders, Give the Information in a Clear Format
  23. LETTER WRITING:Claim and Adjustment Requests, Warm, Courteous Close
  24. LETTER WRITING:When The Buyer Is At Fault, Writing Credit Letters
  25. LETTER WRITING:Collection Letters, Collection Letter Series
  26. LETTER WRITING:Sales Letters, Know your Buyer, Prepare a List of Buyers
  27. MEMORANDUM & CIRCULAR:Purpose of Memo, Tone of Memorandums
  28. MINUTES OF THE MEETING:Committee Members’ Roles, Producing the Minutes
  29. BUSINESS REPORTS:A Model Report, Definition, Purpose of report
  30. BUSINESS REPORTS:Main Features of the Report, INTRODUCTION
  31. BUSINESS REPORTS:Prefatory Parts, Place of Title Page Items
  32. MARKET REPORTS:Classification of Markets, Wholesale Market
  33. JOB SEARCH AND EMPLOYMENT:Planning Your Career
  34. RESUME WRITING:The Chronological Resume, The Combination Resume
  35. RESUME & APPLICATION LETTER:Personal Details, Two Types of Job Letters
  36. JOB INQUIRY LETTER AND INTERVIEW:Understanding the Interview Process
  37. PROCESS OF PREPARING THE INTERVIEW:Planning for a Successful Interview
  38. ORAL PRESENTATION:Planning Oral Presentation, To Motivate
  39. ORAL PRESENTATION:Overcoming anxiety, Body Language
  40. LANGUAGE PRACTICE AND NEGOTIATION SKILLS:Psychological barriers
  41. NEGOTIATION AND LISTENING:Gather information that helps you
  42. THESIS WRITING AND PRESENTATION:Write down your ideas
  43. THESIS WRITING AND PRESENTATION:Sections of a Thesis (Format)
  44. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY:Studies Primarily Qualitative in Nature
  45. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY:Basic Rules, Basic Form, Basic Format for Books