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At Look at Front and End Matter. Supplementing Your Reports:. by Jennifer L. Bowie Information from Lannon 16 & Kolin 16 . Purpose of Supplements. Makes a long document more accessible Accommodates readers with various issues Allows readers to refer to or skip/avoid, according to needs.
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At Look at Front and End Matter Supplementing Your Reports: by Jennifer L. Bowie Information from Lannon 16 & Kolin 16
Purpose of Supplements • Makes a long document more accessible • Accommodates readers with various issues • Allows readers to refer to or skip/avoid, according to needs
Types of Supplements These are listed in the correct order you should have them in • Front Matter (if numbered use lower-case roman numerals): • Cover (optional) • Title page • Letter of Transmittal • Table of Contents • List of Tables and List of Figures • Abstract (not needed for this class) • End Matter (use Arabic numbers): • Glossary (not needed for this class) • Appendixes (as needed) • Works Cited or Bibliography
Letter of Transmittal • Tailored to a particular audience (the audience of the report) • Gives a brief and personal overview of entire project • Acknowledges those who helped • Refers to sections of interest to reader(s) • Discusses the limitations and problems • Discusses the need and approaches for follow up • Describes personal/off-record observations • Suggests special uses for the info • Urges immediate action • May be attached to report or handed in with report, numbered separately from report (if longer than 1 page) <Sample: http://www.rhetcomp.gsu.edu/~jbowie/Samples/transmittal.doc>
Cover • Simple front of report • Is like a book cover in that is has very limited information (often just report tile and author’s names) but looks very professional (may be on heavier paper, have color, and so on) • No number and not counted in numbering
Title Page • Announces report’s purpose and subject • Replaces cover for shorter reports • Lists report tile, author’s names, name of person(s) or organization to whom the report is address, and date of submission • Title should be clear, accurate, comprehensive and specific • No page number on page, but counted as first page in numbering
Table of Contents • Lists front matter with lower-case roman numerals and end matter with Arabic • Includes all headings of the levels chosen to be included (say all level 1 and level 2 headings, but no level 3) • Includes no headings not listed in the report (although the report may have additional levels of subheadings) • Phrases headings exactly as the appear in the report (make sure heading levels are parallel) • Lists headings at various levels in varying type sizes and indentions (each level has it’s own visual identity) • Uses leader lines (……) to connect headings to page numbers • Has page nubmer(s)
List of Tables and List of Figures • Follows TOC in the report • Same page if less than 4-5 figures • New page if more than 4-5 figures • Applies the TOC formatting with leader lines • Lists tables and figures in order as they appear • Has page number(s)
Informative Abstract • Stands alone in terms of meaning • Written for a general audience • Adds no new information • Presents information in this sequence: • Identifies issue or need that lead to the report • Offers major findings from the report body • Includes a condensed conclusion and recommendations (if any) • Has page nubmer(s)
End of Front &Beginning of End Here goes your report The report is the beginning of the Arabic numbering and each page is numbered Report!
Glossary • Makes definitions of key terms available to laypeople • Must have 5+ terms, if not use working definitions in the report • Defines all unfamiliar terms • Defines all terms with special meanings • Lists terms in alphabetical order, highlights each term and use a colon • Defines only terms needing explanation (when in doubt over defining is safer than under) • Numbered
Appendixes • Catch-all for important items that are hard to integrate into the report such as maps, complex formulas, sample interviews, transcripts, photos… • Includes only relevant material (used sparingly) • Uses a separate appendix for each item • Titles each appendix clearly • Limits appendixes to a few pages • Mentions appendix in the introduction and refers reader to it in the report where relevant (includes a distillation of essential facts from the appendix) • Numbered
Works Cited or Bibliography • Uses MLA, APA, CBE, or other approved format • Lists outside references in alphabetical order • Numbered