Executive Summaries are much like any other summary in that their main goal is to provide a condensed version of the content of a longer report. Show
The executive summary is usually no longer than 10% of the original document. It can be anywhere from 1-10 pages long, depending on the report's length. Executive summaries are written literally for an executive who most likely DOES NOT have the time to read the original.
Types of SummariesSummaries written in order to recommend a specific course of action are executive summaries. Summaries that highlight the major points of a long piece are called abstracts. The purpose of an abstract is to allow readers to decide whether or not they want to read the longer text. Standard summary only refers to a summary of someone else's published work and is written for a variety of purposes. Processes for Writing an Executive SummaryExecutive summaries are typically written for longer reports. They should not be written until after your report is finished. Before writing your summary, try:
Questions to Ask Yourself as You Write
Concise StatementAs a cover sheet to your document, an executive summary need not go into ANY mention of how you conducted your analysis and/or what you're basing your conclusion on. Instead, begin with a concise statement of the conclusion you reached after conducting your analysis and/or research is the paper that will be attached. For example, after a comparison of what other schools like CSU do about personal calls for faculty, you conclude that the CSU is charging for calls most other institutions do not. How you word the conclusion will differ depending on your audience and what they care most about. The following examples illustrate how the wording must change given an audience's needs.
Writing RecommendationsAfter beginning with a summary statement of your findings, the executive summary should go on to provide a specific recommendation for action geared toward your audience. For example, the report on charging for personal calls was requested by the president's office, not the individual departments and colleges who actually determine policy. As a result, the recommendation for action is geared toward what the president's office should do, not the other departments involved. To learn more about writing recommendations: After summarizing the entire article and/or research report(s), an executive summary ends with a one or two line recommendation for action. Simple FormulaExecutive summaries frequently make use of transitional phrases to encapsulate the preceding information in the same sentence as the recommendation. The format can almost be envisioned as a formula: [transitional word] + [concise statement of information provided in summary], I recommend that [corporation, office, person in question] do [recommendations]. More Complex RecommendationsIn other cases, the recommendation might be complicated enough to justify a summary of causes for the recommendation. In this case, the recommendation paragraph usually begins with a summary of how the writer reached the recommendation.
JustificationFinally, an executive summary provides an analysis and/or justification for the proposed action in terms the audience will consider important. In many cases, this might involve a monetary analysis as in the example to the right, but actions can be justified many ways, depending on the concerns of the audience and the topic of the report (e.g. for CSU these might include increase in student learning, better relationship with the community, etc.).
justification for the recommendation by referring to information summarized. A recommendations justification is usually based on a reference to material already provided in the summary. In other cases, the justification for the recommendation might be complicated enough to justify a summary of causes for the justification. In this case, the recommendation paragraph usually begins with a summary of how the writer reached the conclusion that leads to the justification.
Citation InformationDonna LeCourt. (1994-2023). Executive Summaries. The WAC Clearinghouse. Colorado State University. Available at https://wac.colostate.edu/repository/resources/writing/guides/. Copyright InformationCopyright © 1994-2023 Colorado State University and/or this site's authors, developers, and contributors. Some material displayed on this site is used with permission. Which of the following is true about the executive summary?The correct answer is B. While the executive summary comes near the front of the report, it should actually be written last.
What is an executive summary in a research report?An executive summary is a one-page statement of the problem, the purpose of the communication, and a summary of the results, conclusions, and recommendations. The same considerations of readers and situation should guide your executive summaries.
What should be included in executive summary of research?What is included? An executive summary should summarize the key points of the report. It should restate the purpose of the report, highlight the major points of the report, and describe any results, conclusions, or recommendations from the report.
What is the purpose of an executive summary in a research paper?An executive summary is a thorough overview of a research report or other type of document that synthesizes key points for its readers, saving them time and preparing them to understand the study's overall content.
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