The Report: a suggested structure

Title Page
Make your title informative, ensure it contains all the keywords and use an
appropriate font size to make it stand out.
Other information: author, recipient(s), date.

Contents Page
This is a list of the following:
Introduction
Main body of the report (with chapter headings and sub-headings if
appropriate)
Conclusion
Recommendations
References
Appendices
with their relevant page numbers. The structure of the report should be clear
at a glance.

Summary
This is a concise statement of the purpose, findings, conclusions and
recommendations of the report. It is informative rather than descriptive and
draws the readers attention to the essential information in the report.

Introduction
This is a statement of the purpose, objectives and scope of the report, an
outline of the structure of the report and any necessary background contextual
information.

Main Body of the Report

This is the main section: a series of logically-structured paragraphs, which can
have section headings and sub-headings.
Tables, charts, graphs, diagrams, photographs and other illustrations can help
explain your findings. Insert them close to the relevant part of the text.

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Conclusion
A complete statement of the findings of the investigation that is consistent with
the information presented in the main body of the report and your evaluation
of it.

Recommendations
This is a list of the actions that are required to implement the findings of the
report. All recommendations must be supported by the analysis and
argument in the main body of the report, and the conclusions. An impersonal
style is often used to emphasise that recommendations arise from evaluation
of evidence contained in the report and are not merely personal preferences.

References
Refer to the source of the idea, information, quotation or illustration by using
the Harvard referencing system:
List the references, alphabetically by author, in a Reference List at the end of
the report. Your Reference List should start on a new page.

Appendices
Use appendices for supplementary material, not included in the main body of
the report.

Page Numbering
Number the pages starting with the first page after the Contents page.

Page Layout
Running headers and footers can be useful signposts to the reader. Leave
sufficient space in the margin to have the report hole-punched and presented
in a plastic folder, or bound.
Use a font similar to the one used in this handout (Arial 12pt).
Double spacing gives the marker space for comments.
Sue Peters

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University of Gloucestershire
The Business School

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