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This guide by Jennifer Bowie outlines the essential elements of writing effective recommendation reports in a business context. It answers the pivotal question, "What should we choose?" by comparing multiple options, presenting and interpreting relevant data, and concluding with actionable recommendations. The report structure is detailed, covering sections from the introduction and background to the evaluation of options and final conclusions. Each part is designed to help professionals make informed decisions based on clear assessments of available choices.
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Recommendation Reports By Jennifer Bowie For Business Writing
What are Recommendation Reports? Recommendation Reports: • Answer the question “What should we choose” • Compare two or more choices • Present and interpret data • Draw conclusions • Make recommendations
What are the parts? Part 1 • Introduction/Overview: brief section (a paragraph or so) providing: • immediate orientation and overview of the report • the background (short summary) • main point and purpose of report • summary of the findings and recommendations
What are the parts? Parts 2 & 3 • Background: provides details about what lead to the report • Requirements and Criteria: • Presents and discusses the requirements of criteria you will use to evaluate your choices • Discusses the relative importance of each criterion
What are the parts? Parts 4 & 5 • Discussion of the Options: • Presents the choices you will be evaluating • Explains how you choose these choices • Provides brief descriptions of the choices • Comparison and Evaluation: • Begins with an explanation of your methods of inquiry • Evaluates the choices by applying the criteria, you may choose to do this criteria by criteria or choice by choice (the former is recommended) • Concludes each evaluation section with either • a summary of the evaluations (if doing a choice by choice comparison) • a statement of the best choice (if if doing a criterion by criterion comparison)
What are the parts? Parts 6 & 7 • Conclusions: Unlike other conclusion sections, this one will probably not be short • Summarizes and restates conclusions so far, starting with the individual conclusions for each evaluation • Settles any conflicts by presenting secondary conclusions, which balance out conflicting individual conclusions • Presents and defends a final conclusion • Recommendations: • Echoes the most important conclusions leading to the recommendation • States the final recommendations • Includes the benefits of the recommendations and any drawbacks