Conclusions and Recommendations

Learning Objectives

Present and evaluate Gadget Presentations Consider some tips for writing report conclusions Consider some tips for writing report

recommendations Review informal report structure – letter or memo

reports Review manuscript reports – the big picture Enlarge on the closing parts – (Glossary),

(Endnotes), Bibliography, Appendix(ces)

Overview of Informal Report Beginning Letter of Transmittal

SummaryTable of ContentsList of Illustrations

Body Introduction PurposeScopeSignificanceSourcesLimitations

Body Facts/FindingsHeadingsInterpretation/EvaluationVisuals

Closing ConclusionsRecommendations (if requested)

Ending GlossaryReferencesAppendix (ices)

Structure of Informal Report

Introduction Body Conclusion Recommendations (if requested)

Introduction

Two or three paragraphs stating:

Purpose Scope Significance Sources Limitations

Body

Divided into logical sections

Each with an appropriate heading or subheading

Contains most visuals(Visuals could also be in Appendices)

Conclusions

All reports include conclusions

Summary of information in the report

No new information

Usually numbered following introductory sentence(s)

Conclusions

Questions to ask

Does the conclusions section: begin with an introductory sentence or

paragraph?

enumerate items in a bulleted list?

discuss each item clearly and concisely?

Does the conclusions section: roughly parallel the information in the report?

summarize the most important findings in the report?

explain the significance of each item? (answering the reader’s implied question "so what"?)

Does the conclusions section: include only conclusions that flow from the

data and discussion presented? show how the report's objectives have been

met and point out areas for more study?

refrain from introducing new material or data?

Notes on writing a good conclusion

Conclusions

drawing conclusions is the main goal of writing your report.

base your conclusions on the evidence you present in the body of your report.

usually begin on a separate page with the title Conclusions

generally use a large bold font and centred on the page

begins with an introductory sentence and then presents a numbered list

Remember to:

address the question / purpose of the report summarize key ideas keep items relatively short. keep the level of technicality relatively low. interpret the overall meaning of your results

for the reader. add no new details.

Do not:

Merely summarize the report.

A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking.

Recommendations

Included only if requested

Bulleted list following introductory sentence(s)

Recommendations

Questions to ask.

Does the recommendations section (if included) begin with an introductory sentence or

paragraph?

present recommendations in a bulleted list?

suggest actions that should be taken or considered as a result of the report's conclusions

Notes on writing a good recommendation

Remember recommendations: usually begin on a separate page with the

title Recommendations

generally use a large bold font and centered on the page

begins with an introductory sentence and then presents a numbered list

Different Styles of Recommendations: some writers put the most important

recommendation first and proceed to least important

others use a chronological order (e.g. do number 1 now, number 2 next week, etc.)

finally, some writers just bullet the recommendations -- this allows the reader to decide which can and cannot be implemented and in which order

Endnotes/Footnotes:

If you chose to use the Chicago Manual of Style to document your report, you must include either footnotes or endnotes

Footnotes appear at the bottom of each page preceded by a line. Each footnote is keyed with a superscripted number to the text you are quoting.

Endnotes:

Endnotes are similar, but are collected together and placed in a section at the end of the report.

Endnotes appear on their own page(s) with the title Endnotes in a large font, centred, and bolded. They are number consecutively.

Bibliography

Depending on the style of documentation you chose, you will have a Bibliography (Chicago), a Works Cited (MLA), or a References (APA) page.

Whichever you use, this section begins on its own page with the appropriate heading in a large font, bolded, and centred.

Follow the format suggested by your text on pages 374-5 and in Appendix C.

Glossary

Include a glossary if your report uses a lot of terminology that is unfamiliar to the reader.

The glossary begins on its own page with the appropriate heading in a large font, bolded, and centred.

Appendices

Put any supplementary information that is nice to know but not essential to the understanding of the report in one or more appendices.

Each appendix has its own page title page, usually titled Appendix A, Appendix B, and so on with an additional sub title that tells what it contains.

Appendices continued:

One fairly common use of an appendix is for copies of the survey used to gather primary data.

Many writers include two copies – one which is blank and another on which the data is compiled.

Levels of Report Headings

REPORT, CHAPTER, AND PART TITLES

The title of a report, chapter heading, or major part should be centered in all caps.

First-Level Subheading

Headings indicating the first level of division are centered and bolded.

It doesn’t matter whether a report is single-spaced or double-spaced, most writers triple-space (leaving two blank lines) before and double-space (leaving one blank line) after a first-level heading.

Second-Level Subheading

Headings that divide topics introduced by first-level subheadings are bolded and begin at the left margin.

Third-level subheading

Because it is part of the paragraph that follows, a third-level subheading is also called a paragraph subheading.

It should appear in boldface print.

Joke

To steal ideas from one person is plagarism; to steal from many is research.

Homework

Write the Conclusions and Recommendations for your Informal Report

Prepare your part of the Chapter Presentation

Work on Chapter Quizzes

Thought of the Day

The main part of intellectual education is not the acquisition of facts, but learning how to

make facts live.

Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.