Phil Druker/Department of English/ University of Idaho

 

Front Matter Comparison:

Phil Druker, Department of English, UI

 Each of the pieces of front matter for the final report has a different purpose, audience, and level of technicality.

 Table 1. Comparison of the letter of transmittal, abstract, and executive summary

 

 

Purpose

Audience

Level of technicality

Letter of Transmittal

+Introduce the report to the funding agency

+Connect the final report with the proposal

+Make personal comments on the project/findings/conclusions /recommendations

Managers

 

Various people requesting the report

Relatively low (depending on the managers that receive the report)

Abstract

+Summarize the whole report for other researchers

Other researchers

High

Executive Summary

+Summarize the whole report for managers or people not directly involved with the project

Managers

People not involved with the project

Relatively low

  NOTES:

1. All of these summaries summarize the same document; therefore, they will necessarily repeat ideas but with a different focus.

2. In the abstract, focus on technical issues.

3. In the executive summary, focus on cost/business issues.