Include the following:
Page 1. TITLE PAGE — The Title Page must include the subject of the report, who the report is for, who the report is by, and the date of submission.
Page 2. ABSTRACT — An Abstract is usually 100 to 200 words and should include the following:
why the report has been written (i.e. what question or problem is it addressing?)
how the study was undertaken
what the main findings were
the significance of the findings
Be specific and precise so that the reader can get a good understanding of the main points without having to read the whole report. The abstract should be on a separate page with the centered heading ABSTRACT in capitals. It is usually written in a single paragraph with no indentation.
Page 3. TABLE OF CONTENTS — The Table of Contents should be on a separate page. It helps the reader to find specific information and indicates how the information has been organized and what topics are covered. The table of contents should also include a list of figures and a list of tables (if any) used in the report.
Page 4-5. INTRODUCTION — The Introduction has three main components.
The Background describes events leading up to the existing situation, what projects have been done previously, and why the project or study is necessary. (i.e. a brief history of intelligence testing)
The Purpose defines what the project or study is to achieve, who authorized it, and the specific terms of reference. (i.e. what institutions or groups still use intelligence testing and why do they use it.)
The Scope which outlines any limitations imposed on the project such as cost, time, etc. (i.e. what are some basic problems or drawbacks of intelligence testing)
Page 5-6. BODY — The Body varies according to the type of report. Basically, it answers the questions — Who? Why? Where? When? What? How? It consists of all the information required to convince the reader that the conclusions and recommendations are valid and reliable. This information must be presented in a systematic way. (i.e. the BODY expands on the material in the INTRODUCTION with summaries, paraphrases, and quotes from the research.)
Page 5-6. CONCLUSION — The Conclusion should be as brief as possible. It should be presented in descending order of importance and should not suggest action. Conclusions should be free from speculation (i.e. ideas for which you have presented no evidence), have no new thoughts or references introduced, and contain no further discussion of points raised. (i.e. only summarize information from the INTRODUCTION and CONCLUSION)
Page 7. RECOMMENDATIONS — The Recommendations should follow naturally from the conclusions. They should be offered in descending order of importance and may be in point form when several recommendations are being made. (i.e. What is your opinion of who, how, when, where, and why standardized intelligence testing should or should not be used.)
Page 8. REFERENCES — The list of References is an accurate listing, in strict alphabetical order, of all the sources referred to. (i.e. Works Cited page)
