Transcript Supplementing Your Reports: At Look at Front and End Matter

Supplementing Your Reports:
At Look at Front and End Matter
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:
1. Identifies issue or need that lead to the report
2. Offers major findings from the report body
3. 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)
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
The End