Writing a formal report

Objectives:

1. Specify writing techniques that enhance the credibility and formal writing style of a report.
2. Identify formal report-writing procedures that are effective for you.
3. Use appropriate levels of headings.
4. Use appropriate documentation methods.
5. Write effective formal reports in an acceptable format and writing style.

• Use sound sources; readers may check your references.
• Transition sentences and paragraphs build bridges between ideas.
• How do headings aid a reader in understanding a report?
• If an outline contains an "A" must it also contain a "B"?
• Two consecutive headings with no intervening text are unacceptable.
• The APA method is widely used in the social sciences.
• What guidelines will help you in documenting your report?
• How does a citation help the reader locate a specific source? What information is included in an in-text parenthetical citation?
• The APA method does not permit the use of footnotes or endnotes.
• Endnotes appear at the end of a report in the order the citations (unperscripted numbers) appear in the report.
• A bibliography is an alphabetized list of sources.
• How do APA and MLA distinguish between a list of sources cited in a report and a list of sources consulted?
• What are the major differences between footnotes/endnotes and entries for the references (work cited)?
• Describe the major differences between APA references and MLA works cited entries.
• What general procedures are used to convert footnotes/endnotes to bibliographic format? Look up the commands for your word-processing program.