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CMA Foundation · Fundamentals of Business Laws and Business Communication · Writing and Drafting for Business Audiences

Ravi is drafting a formal report on declining customer retention at a retail chain. He plans these sections: Title page, Contents, Introduction, Findings, Conclusions, Recommendations, Appendix. He then realises he left out a section stating what the study set out to do and the limits of the enquiry. Where does this material most appropriately belong?

The statement of what the study set out to do and its limits belongs in the Introduction, which normally gives the terms of reference, scope and limitations. Putting it after findings or in the appendix breaks the logical flow the reader expects.

  1. AIn the Recommendations, after the conclusions
  2. BIn the Appendix, since it is supporting detail
  3. CIn the Introduction, covering terms of reference, scope and limitationsCorrect
  4. DIn the Conclusions, before the findings are given

Explanation

The introduction of a formal report states the purpose or terms of reference, the scope, and limitations of the enquiry, so the reader knows what to expect. Placing it in the recommendations or conclusions reverses the logical flow, and the appendix is for supplementary data, not the framing of the study.

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