Module 2b —
Report Writing
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Writing summaries
Many long reports are written at the ILO; few are read in their entirety. The ability to capture your main points in summary form is the key to getting your message across and achieving your desired response from your reader. A well-written summary will encourage readers to tackle your document or, at a minimum, to find details within it relevant to their needs. A poor summary will minimize your chances of having your work read.
Surprisingly few ILO reports have mandatory summaries. You should consider including summaries wherever possible, even for short reports. A well-written summary prepares your reader for the detail of your report and increases your chances of at least getting across your main ideas if the report is just skimmed. Interestingly, increased use of the web is increasing use of summaries. Many reports are introduced with a summary on a webpage before the report. In a case like this, it is critical that your summary provide a brief but comprehensive rendering of the report.
Other terms similar to summary that you may come across in your report writing work include:
Introduction. An introduction usually relates the topic under discussion to a wider field and gives necessary background information. As you now know, it should clearly state the purpose of the report and give its scope. It should also explain the arrangement or structure of the report in order to give the reader a roadmap or framework with which to read the report. It does not summarize conclusions or recommendations.
Abstract. An abstract specifically refers to a summary of scholarly or academic text.
Synopsis or outline. These are more detailed than an abstract, both retaining the point-by-point ordering of the original. They may be drawn up by either the author or by someone else. A synopsis is common in long ILO reports such as the report of the World Commission, e.g., A fair globalization - Creating opportunities for all (2004). Its synopsis is over 7 pages for a 170 page report.