Summary

One of the first challenges in writing your report is to bring out the logic that you established in your planning and outlining. The report introduction and headings help you meet this challenge: they establish your logic and guide your readers through your report.

An effective introduction quickly leads your readers to the main message of your report. This gives your introduction a particular importance because it is the place where your reader will first encounter your main message. Therefore, you need to set up your introduction in a way that makes your main message clear to your reader.

A good introduction contains a number of components. Not all of them will appear in every introduction, but components should be chosen that give guidance about the direction of the report. The following list shows components of introductions, in the order in which they typically appear. Only the context and main message are essential components.

  • Context (essential)
  • Scope
  • Relevance to the reader
  • Purpose
  • Methodology
  • Summary of findings
  • Main message (essential)
  • Road map (the only component that may come after the introduction)

After the introduction, use headings to guide your reader through your document. These headings are based largely upon the questions and answers that you have determined through your pyramid building process. When the reader skims your headings, they should understand the organization and hierarchy of your ideas in the document.

“I want a document to be easy for me to read.
Make it easy for me to understand
what you’re trying to say.”

Sector Manager