Formal reports may be informational or analytical. The logic and general structure is the same as with informal reports discussed earlier in this chapter. What changes is the depth of each part of the formal report.

Informational Reports

Informational formal reports typically follow the same broad structure introduced with the informal report: introduction or background, support or reasons, and summary. However, in formal reports each of these primary sections likely have their own subsections (as discussed in the previous pages).

Remember, despite the length of a formal report, its purpose is to present a synthesis of main ideas from the research, not simply to compile large quantities of data. If more detailed data is needed, it can be included in the back matter.

Analytical Reports

Analytical formal reports typically follow the same broad structure introduced with the informal report: introduction or background, support or reasons, recommendations, and conclusion or summary. However, in formal reports each of these primary sections likely have their own subsections (as discussed in the previous pages).

The order of the sections in analytical reports varies by likely reaction of the reader. Remember, if your audience is expected to react neutrally or positively to your message, then your conclusion or recommendation should be offered near the beginning of the report. If the audience is expected to react negatively to your message, then the conclusion or recommendation is offered towards the end of the report.