Prof. Wozencraft ENG227

1. Recommendation reports
address four kinds of questions:
• What should we do about Problem X?
• Should we do Function X?
• Should we use Technology A or Technology B
to do Function X?
• We currently use Method A to do Function X.
Should we be using Method B?
Chapter 19. Writing Recommendation Reports © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 1

2. Feasibility reports
answer three kinds of questions:
• questions of possibility
• questions of economic wisdom
• questions of perception
Chapter 19. Writing Recommendation Reports © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 2

3. Use a problem-solving method
when preparing a recommendation report:
• Identify the problem or opportunity.
• Establish criteria for responding to the problem or
opportunity.
• Determine the options.
• Study each option according to the criteria.
• Draw conclusions about each option.
• Formulate recommendations based on the
conclusions.
Chapter 19. Writing Recommendation Reports © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 3

4. Use logic boxes to plot a series of options:
Chapter 19. Writing Recommendation Reports © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 4

5. Use a matrix to
compare and contrast options:
Criteria and Weight Options
Ricoh Xerox Sharp
Criterion Weight Rating Score(1) Rating Score(1) Rating Score(1)
Pages/min. 1 9 9 6 6 3 3
Duplex 3 1 3 3 9 10 30
Color 4 10 40 1 4 10 40
Total Score 52 19 73
(1)
Score = Weight x Rating
Chapter 19. Writing Recommendation Reports © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 5

6. Explain your decision matrix:
• Explain why you chose each criterion—or didn’t
choose a criterion readers might have expected.
• Explain why you assigned a particular weight to
each criterion.
• Explain why you assigned a particular rating to
each option.
Chapter 19. Writing Recommendation Reports © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 6

7. You can present your
conclusions in one of three ways:
• Rank all the options.
• Classify all the options in two categories:
acceptable and unacceptable.
• Present a compound conclusion.
Chapter 19. Writing Recommendation Reports © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 7

8. Most recommendation reports
have three major sections:
• the body of the report
• the front matter
• the back matter
Chapter 19. Writing Recommendation Reports © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 8

9. A typical recommendation report
has five body elements:
• introduction
• methods
• results
• conclusions
• recommendations
Chapter 19. Writing Recommendation Reports © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 9

10. An introduction typically
answers nine questions:
• What is the subject of the report?
• What is the purpose of the report?
• What is the background of the report?
• What are your sources of information?
• What is the scope of the report?
Chapter 19. Writing Recommendation Reports © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 10

11. An introduction typically
answers nine questions (cont.):
• What are the most significant findings?
• What are your recommendations?
• What is the organization of the report?
• What key terms are you using in the
report?
Chapter 19. Writing Recommendation Reports © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 11

12. Address the following four questions
when writing the body of your report:
• Methods. What did you do?
• Results. What did you see?
• Conclusions. What does it mean?
• Recommendations. What should we do?
Chapter 19. Writing Recommendation Reports © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 12

13. Consider these four factors
when writing your recommendations:
• content
• tone
• form
• location
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14. A typical recommendation report
contains seven elements in the front matter:
• letter of transmittal
• cover
• title page
• abstract
• table of contents
• list of illustrations
• executive summary
Chapter 19. Writing Recommendation Reports © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 14

15. Understand the difference between
a descriptive and an informative abstract:
• A descriptive abstract describes the kinds of
information contained in the report.
• An informative abstract presents the major
findings.
Chapter 19. Writing Recommendation Reports © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 15

16. Follow these five guidelines
when writing an executive summary:
• Use specific evidence in describing the
background.
• Be specific in describing the research.
• Describe the methods briefly.
• Describe the findings according to your
readers’ needs.
• Ask an outside reader to review your draft.
Chapter 19. Writing Recommendation Reports © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 16

17. A typical recommendation report
includes three elements in the back matter:
• glossary and list of symbols
• references
• appendixes
Chapter 19. Writing Recommendation Reports © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 17