Chapter13CompletingReportsandProposalsLearningObjectives.ppt

. * . * . * Supplementary parts follow the text of the report and provide information for readers who seek more details and discussion. Supplements are more common in long reports than in short ones, and typically include the appendixes, bibliography, and index. An appendix contains materials related to the report but not included in the text because they are too lengthy or bulky or because they lack direct relevance. Frequently included in report appendixes are sample questionnaires and cover letters, sample forms, computer printouts, statistical formulas, financial statements and spreadsheets, copies of important documents, and complex illustrations or graphics; a glossary may be put in an appendix or may stand as a separate supplementary part. You have an ethical and legal obligation to give other people credit for their work. A bibliography is a list of secondary sources consulted when preparing the report. An index is an alphabetical list of names, places, and subjects mentioned in the report, along with the pages on which they can be found. An index is rarely included in unpublished reports. * Formal proposals contain many of the same components as other formal reports (see Figure 13.3). The difference lies mostly in the text, although a few of the prefatory parts are also different. With the exception of an occasional appendix, most proposals have few supplementary parts. As always, if you’re responding to an RFP, follow its specifications to the letter, being sure to include everything it asks for and nothing it doesn’t ask for. * The cover, title fly, title page, table of contents, and list of illustrations are handled the same as in other formal reports. However, other prefatory parts are handled quite differently, such as the copy of the request for proposals (RFP), the synopsis or executive summary, and the letter of transmittal. Instead of having a letter of authorization, a formal proposal may have a copy of the RFP, which is a document solici