Your research report should have all the parts of a formal report: letter of transmittal, title page, abstract, table of contents, list of illustrations (optional), general introduction, body, conclusions and recommendations, references, and at least one attachment, a copy of your most frequently cited print source. The report should be long enough to cover the subject thoroughly. Limit your topic so that you can be "thorough" in about 10-12 typed pages of double spaced text, including illustrations, counting from the Introduction through the Conclusions and Recommendations. Your report may be a little longer than that (maximum 4000 words), but should not be significantly shorter (minimum 2500 words).

The following format requirements apply to the research report you submit as the final report on your project. The list is numbered in order of each item's appearance in the final report.

1. Manila Envelope and Letter of Transmittal-- Place your bound final report in a manila envelope addressed to me. Write a cover letter to go along with the report. This letter is the official "letter of transmittal" for your project. It is also your last chance to prepare me for your report and to explain any omissions, oddities, or discrepancies in your report.

• Use any standard memo format. Don't forget to single space and sign your memo.
• Address the memo to me and use this three-part structure:

       1) introductory orientation--give report title, course, deadline, and main finding(s).

       2) descriptive abstract--indicate purpose and main parts of report.

       3) catch-all paragraph(s)--for acknowledgments, explanations of peculiarities, etc.

2. Cover--Bind the report in such a way that it can be conveniently handled. A staple is sufficient; a paper clip is not. If you use an opaque cover, be sure to label the cover. Do not use slippery plastic binders.

3. Title Page--Minimum information is report title, your name, the course title, and the date submitted. Also common are the name of the person or agency to whom the report is submitted (client) and the name of the company or organization the author represents. This page is not numbered but counts as page i.

4. Informative Abstract--1 page or less; may be single spaced. Counts as page ii. Abstracts are of two kinds, "informative" and "descriptive." A descriptive abstract helps readers decide whether to read a report. An informative abstract substitutes for the report; i.e., it is for readers who will not read the report itself. Duplicate copies of this informative abstract are required as a class handout on the day of the oral report.

5. Table of Contents--Lists and gives the page number for:

• front matter (everything after the Contents page and before the Introduction)
• all first order headings (minimum; may list second order headings too)
• back matter (References, Bibliography, appendices, attachments, index

The table of contents need not bear a page number, but counts as page iii.

6. List of Illustrations (optional) --This may be a List of Tables or a List of Figures or some variation. The list gives the exact title or caption of all figures and tables, with page number. Your report need not include illustrations, but if contains more than five illustrations (any combination of tables and figures) you must provide a list in the front matter. Make this a separate page, following the Table of Contents.

7. Introduction--Counts as page 1 of the report. Use the word INTRODUCTION as your first-order heading. Should be only a page or so establishing the context, purpose, and plan of organization of the report.

8. Body--Begins with the first main heading. This need not start a new page (use your judgment). Avoid generic, say-nothing headings like "Collected Data" and try to construct meaningful headings that guide a hurried reader through the report. Use as many headings as seem useful and appropriate, seeking a layered approach for the reader scanning the report.

9. Conclusions and Recommendations--Begins a new page, using a first order heading. If your conclusions are essentially recommendations, then call this Conclusions and Recommendations. If you have conclusions that lead to separate recommendations, you may want to use two separate sections, one for Conclusions, another for Recommendations. It is usual to list and number specific conclusions and recommendations.

**IMPORTANT**: Introduce no new information under these headings. All conclusions and recommendations need to be derived from facts and arguments from the body of the report.

10. References and Bibliography--References are the sources you refer to in a report. (MLA calls these "Works Cited" and lists them in alphabetical order.) A bibliography is an alphabetical list of works used in preparing a report, whether they are referred to in the report or not. For your report, references are required (15 print sources minimum); a bibliography is optional. In addition to print sources, your references may include interviews, private papers, unpublished lecture notes, etc. If you include a complete bibliography of works identified or consulted, place it after the References, and give it a meaningful title (e.g., "Comprehensive Listing of Published Research on Online Help Conversions").  Use Chicago style for documentation and reference style.

11. Appendix (Optional)--Follows the bibliography. An appendix provides supplemental information that is not essential to the report but was prepared for the report. Each appendix bears a label and letter (e.g., Appendix A, Appendix B), and pages of each appendix are usually numbered separate from each other and from the report (e.g, A-1, A-2, B-1, B-2).

12. Attachments (1 required, photo-copy of a key print source). Attachments are standalone documents (not written by the author and not part of the report) included for the reader's convenience. They follow all appendices, and are numbered rather than lettered (e.g., Attachment 1, Attachment 2). Label your required attachment as follows: "Attachment 1: Key Source, _____" and fill in the title of the print source you chose to include to enable me to quickly check the quality of your documentation and paraphrase.