4.05 Apply correct report format.
What is a Report?
Reports are used to present your research on
business and academic topics.
Example:
A business report might be used to present
information to assist in decision—making of
a business related problem.
An academic report would be used to
present information about the United
Kingdom for social studies class.
Types of Reports
Unbound Reports
• Short reports that are prepared
without binders or covers.
• If more than one page, held
together with a staple or paper Left Bound Report
clip.
• Longer reports prepared with
binders.
• Left margin is wider (1.5”) to
accommodate binding along the
Top Bound Report left margin.
• Top margin is wider to
accommodate binding along the
top margin.
Unbound Report
Short reports that are prepared without binders or
covers. If more than one page, held together with a
staple or paper clip. Side margins are the same.
RM and LM are
the same (1 inch).
Left Bound Report
Longer reports prepared with binders. Left margin
is wider (1.5”) to accommodate binding along the left
margin.
1.5 inch LM
1 inch RM
Top Bound Report
Top margin is wider to accommodate binding along
the top margin.
TM is wider to
accommodate
binding.
Formatting an Unbound Business Report
Margins
Title
• Side margins are 1”.
• Top margin of the first page
on a business report is 2”.
Succeeding pages have a 1”
top margin.
• Bottom margin is 1”,
although that may vary as
page-break decisions are
made.
• Center the title of the report
in ALL CAPS for business
reports. Quadruple space
between the report title and
the body of the report.
• If the title has more than one
line, double space between
the main heading and the
sub heading,
WHALES
Multiple Line Title
(DS)
Their Habitat
(QS)
Left Align the body of the report.
Formatting an Unbound Business Report Cont…
Font
• Standard size and style
font i.e. Times New
Roman-12 point.
Paragraphs
• Double space the body
of the report.
• Side Headings should
be keyed at the left
margin, underlined,
and keyed in initial
caps.
Formatting an Unbound Business Report Cont…
Page numbers
• The 1st page is not numbered.
• All pages after the first have page numbers
.5” from the top of the page and right aligned.
Parts of an Unbound Business Report
Report body
Side
heading
•2” Top Margin
•1” Left Margin
•1” Right Margin
•1” Bottom Margin
Title
Unbound Business Report page 2
Side
heading
Page number
Insert the page
number ½ inch
from the top of the
page and right
aligned.
Title Pages
2”
•A title page is the first
page of a report.
•It gives:
TITLE
2” or 2 ½”
•the title of a report
•the name of the writer
•the name of the
school or class
•and the date
Your Name
(DS)
School Name/Class
2” or 2 ½”
Current Date
Format a Title Page:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Use single spacing
Center all lines of text horizontally
Center the page vertically
Set the top margin at 2 inches
Type the report title in all caps and centered
Press ENTER 12 or 15 times (2” or 2 ½“) and center
the author’s name
• Then double space and key the school or class name
• Press ENTER 12 or 15 times (2” or 2 ½”) and key the
current date
Bibliography
List the sources of information
you used in writing a report
Alphabetize sources by author’s
last name
Sources are single-spaced and
formatted with a hanging indent
Leave a blank line between the
sources
If a page number is included,
place it ½ inch from top of the
page
Top Margin 2
inches
Title
Left
Margin 1
inch
Right
Margin 1
inch
Alphabetical
listing of
sources
Bottom Margin 1 inch
Bibliography—Notes to Remember
• The bibliography is a listing of works you cited in the
the report.
• Center the title, BIBLIOGRAPHY, in all caps, and
leave a quadruple space between the title and the
first entry.
• The first line of each entry should be aligned with the
left margin. Continuation lines are indented 5
spaces from the left margin. (Hanging Indent)
• Separate the main parts of an entry with a period.
Bibliography—Notes to Remember Cont…
• Single space entries; double space between entries.
• Alphabetize the entries according to the last name of
the author.
• Underline or italicize book, magazine, and
newspaper titles and place quotation marks around
the titles of articles, poetry, or essays
• The bibliography page is at the end of the report.