Section D: Selecting the Right Format

To do:
Choose one type of format to present your formal report.

Not to do:
Do not use more than one type of format in the same formal report.

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When the research and the work planning are done, the author needs to think about the presentation of the formal report before starting writing it. Choosing the right format for the report is an important step; it will improve its comprehensibility and it will be more accessible for the reader. The author will choose the appropriate format according to the subject matter, the intended audience and the intention of the formal report.

REMINDER: a formal report is very long to read, it is important to use layouts and designs to make it easier for the reader to process information.

There are different types of formats:

• The Manuscript Format

This format is generally used for long formal reports. The manuscript format usually starts with the name of the topic, and then it is followed by numerous titles and subtitles. As it is used for relatively long report, formal reports’ writers that are using the manuscript format will print their work on standard paper instead of letter paper.

In order to write a good formal report in the manuscript format, the document has to be enjoyable to read on good quality white paper. To do so, the writer must use font that isilegible, and the size should be around 10 to 14 depending on the font style chosen. Also, the work should be single-spaced and the design of the font (bold, italic and underline) should be kept only for titles and sources.
http://books.google.ca/books?id=caQDQYJwm8YC&pg=PA137&lpg=PA137&dq=writing+manuscript+format+for+reports&source=bl&ots=FDUNVCKn18&sig=t1bls-44b_Hu3ZNtsUe8uHImsYI&hl=en&ei=IzulS4ffMcGAlAfK_ZjHCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CCEQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=writing%20manuscript%20format%20for%20reports&f=false

• Printed or Pre-Printed Forms

The pre-printed forms are formal reports that are easy to read and easy to locate data. The writer often uses templates to write it because it is faster to do. The pre-printed forms are usually used for data that needs to be analysed frequently. Financial reports, performances reports, sales reports and inventories are most common types of formal reports that will use the pre-printed forms. This format is very useful to represent data that need to be compared. By using templates and layouts, it is not complicated to fill massive amount of information into the formal report, and then to analyse it. Also, there are many illustrations and graphs in this format as it is easier to compare the information.
http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:px7gmACBCxQJ:www.capitalpropertyservicesuk.com/Sample-inventory.pdf+inventory+report+sample&hl=en&gl=ca&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEEShbhRGVp0XakV7YXUWrTfCx0w_a190YjtdpzNfPu2_tXNYhyw1vYRtjsNznIby8W3kAVee_LORbYdUCs-EilPU8TMuj5pkxWWnKG1dkjidOYX8BRexR-_d5JgyWU1XR2B7WYBOF&sig=AHIEtbQkzPxGlJC6FVetG29oyaisc6ZOPw

• Digital Format

In the current days, technology is an important part in the business community. Digital format give the opportunity to the writer to present electronic copies of a formal report. With software such as Adobe Acrobat, the report can be in a PDF form so no one will be able to change it. Also, with the software PowerPoint, it is very easy to do a presentation of the formal report. In that case, the formal will be more communicated in a verbal way as the PowerPoint presentation will emphases key points of it. The most common digital types are: Emails, PowerPoint and Fax.

The following website provides software digital forms：
http://www.proforce.net/example_forms.html

• General Guidelines

For additional information about the guidelines, please refer to this website:
http://www.io.com/~hcexres/textbook/final.html

Also, the author of the formal report will have to choose the appropriate writing style; it could be the APA style or the MLA style. The Modern Language Association (MLA) and the American Psychological Association (APA) styles provide different rules of writing to avoid plagiarism. The author usually chooses which style to use according to how it was demanded.

• Formating Guidelines

"Use the following formatting guidelines for the formal report:

• Margins

Left margin - 1 ½”
Right margin – 1”
Top margin – 1” default for all pages except first page of Introduction where top margin is 2”.
Bottom margin – 1” default

• Line spacing

Double space report except for the following items which are single spaced:

Memo or letter of transmittal (double space between parts of memo or letter and between paragraphs)
Title page (blank lines among the sections)
Executive Summary (double space between paragraphs)
References (single space within an entry, and double space between entries)
Lists (double space between items on list)

Indent paragraphs when you double space a report and don’t leave extra blank lines between paragraphs. In other words, double space all the way through.

• Pagination

The preliminary sections of a formal report are often paginated using lowercase Roman numerals and the rest of the report is paginated using Arabic numbers. Based on APA guidelines, page numbers should be placed in the upper right corner. In addition, some pages in a formal report are counted in the sequence but not numbered (no number showing on the page)."

Source and additional information:
Nelson, Sandra J. "Business Report Writing Study Notes." BEIT 336, Business Report Writing. Indiana State University, 2008. Web. 23 Feb. 2010.
http://misnt.indstate.edu/wilhelm/ASBE%20336/NelsonStudyNotes_sp10.doc