Writing a recommendation report usually involves describing a situation, evaluating possible alternatives and proposing a solution to a problem. The final report should include clear, precise and evidence-based fndings and recommendations. Whether you’re writing a project, performance or risk assessment, clearly stating the facts makes it easier for others to reach a decision based on your research. Show
Selecting a FormatA comprehensive recommendation report typically includes a table of contents, executive summary, data acquisition methodology, options and conclusions. You can download a business recommendation template or create your own document or presentation format. Additionally, you can provide attachments with details or include links to websites with relevant information. Select a format that is best suited to the type of report you are writing. Describing the SituationThe goal of the recommendation report is to outline helpful recommendations that can fulfill a need or resolve a vexing problem, according to the University of Arkansas. When writing a recommendation report, start by clearly stating what you’re evaluating. This sets the tone. For example, if you need to create a report on absenteeism at your company, start by listing statistics about the problem. Then add commentary about its impact. For example, absenteeism might lead to decreased productivity, missed deadlines and lowered customer satisfaction. Conducting ResearchIn your recommendation, you need to define the methodology used to collect data. For example, you might create an online survey, conduct focus groups, complete interviews or read literature on the subject. This activity helps you find out what other people think about the topic and what actions they may be taking based on their own experiences. For example, you might discover that employees at your company may miss work repeatedly due to caregiver obligations, poor health or transportation problems. Analyze the situation thoroughly before drawing any conclusions. For instance, you can use analysis techniques such as drawing a fishbone diagram to determine the root cause of the problem. Qualifying AlternativesAfter you lay out the problem, you may go on to suggest viable solutions, as explained by professor T. Miles at West Virginia University. In writing research recommendations, recall what factors should be considered For example, when writing a recommendation report about employee development needs, list options for developing professional skills, such as effective communication, negotiation and decision making. Your recommendation report may also include details about past interventions and results. Summarizing FindingsSummarize your findings from your research using concise charts, lists and diagrams. This makes it easier for your superiors to interpret your recommendation and draw their own conclusions. For example, you may find that employees fail to recognize the impact of their absenteeism. Promoting awareness can increase attendance and maintain appropriate coverage. Your recommendations should have specific, measurable and achievable actions defined. They should also be realistic and time constrained. A recommendation might suggest design, distribution and display by the end of the month of posters in the workplace that highlight incentives and punishments, for instance. Making decisions requires the vigilant evaluation of options. A recommendation report proposes multiple potential solutions to a problem and concludes by recommending the best one. Compared to white papers, recommendation reports are more overtly persuasive, since they make a final recommendation that is informed by research and evidence. Read our advice all the way to end to download our free recommendation report template. Or better yet, if you’re ready to level-up your professional writing game, definitely check out our expert-crafted recommendation report template pack—an exclusive item in our Templates for Busy Professionals™ series. Watch our video about the reasons why you should write a recommendation report plus get a sneak-peak into our templates. If you’re ready to propel your professional potential, be sure to check out our online, on-demand writing course, Wordsmith: A Grammar & Writing Course for Busy Professionals. Now let’s jump into recommendation reports…  What sections are typically included in a recommendation report?Executive SummaryBegin with an “executive summary” that briefly introduces and summarizes your purpose for writing this report. This section establishes reader expectations for what is to follow. Make sure to state clearly here your reasons for writing this report, and what is contained within the report. Problem StatementAll recommendation reports address a real and important problem. The Problem Statement is perhaps the most important part of the report because it articulates this problem clearly, providing a strong sense of need for the options you will explore in the rest of the report. The Problem Statement is where you justify the purpose of this report. To justify the options you recommend, you must first understand the specific needs of the business, organization, or stakeholders you are writing for (i.e. What does the organization need? Why? What is the background of this problem? Who are the major stakeholders? What has been tried in the past? Why didn’t it work?). Your Problem Statement will serve as your introduction to the options discussed in this report. Description of OptionsThis is the heart of a recommendation report. In this section, you describe a set number of possible ideas (typically 3) for solving the problem cited at the beginning of your report. Your ideas should be creative and well-planned. Each option (which should be described in 1-2 paragraphs) should include the following information:
Evaluation Criteria & Evaluations of Each OptionAfter describing the three options, you should outline criteria for evaluating those options. The criteria should be based on the information outlined in your Statement of Need. After listing and justifying evaluation criteria, you should evaluate each option based on its ability to answer your criteria. Final RecommendationAfter describing and evaluating your options, you will recommend the one you think is best and provide a discussion of the reasons why you recommend it. In other words, defend your recommendation thoroughly in this section. ConclusionThe conclusion to a recommendation report should re-emphasize the final recommendation and offer suggestions about how the audience/reader could move toward implementation. Works CitedRecommendation reports sometimes require in-depth research that can range from conducting interviews and surveys to reading peer-reviewed journal articles or other related documents. You should cite this information so that future readers can find the articles and resources you used. The citation style you use should be based on the industry you’re writing for; the chemical industry will expect ACS Style, medical professionals will expect AMA, humanities audiences will expect MLA, social sciences will expect APA, and so on. Point of View: Should I Use Third Person or First Person?Like most business reports, this should be written professionally. This usually means avoiding too much personal narrative, and instead relying on third person. For example (third person): “This report overviews three options for community partnership with Feed My Starving Children.” However, it is perfectly fine to use the collective first person sparingly throughout the report, especially to indicate something practical that you did. For example (collective first person): “We designed this campaign with a special emphasis on bold color in order to draw the viewer’s attention to the innocence of childhood imagination, and in order to contrast that with the hopelessness of hunger.” OR “In this report, we overview three options…” Notice that these three examples are not opinionated (as one might fear when using first person). Instead, they merely acknowledge that a real, living, breathing human wrote this report and developed these options. For this reason, first person is great when it’s used for these rhetorical purposes. Get Our Recommendation Report Templates!If you’re ready to start building a professional-quality recommendation report, be sure to get our Recommendation Report Template Pack—a robust set of highly designed report templates with expert writing advice built right in. If you’ve ever found yourself needing to argue for a specific course of action in your organization, a recommendation report will help you analyze a problem, product, population, or process and make clear recommendations about the best path forward. Recommended ReadingsHere are some of our favorite resources on recommendation reports:
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Content Marketing Nailing Your Message-Market FitFind your message-market fit to ensure that even in a sea of content, you stand out with validated claims and evidence-based insights. Read More ›Entrepreneur 3 Tips for Building a Strong Innovation PitchBased on our research and work helping innovators build their pitch narratives, here are our 3 Tips for Building a Strong Inovation pitch. Read More ›Innovation Innovation Storytelling Framework: The Hero’s JourneyThe Hero’s Journey story framework details a journey that transforms the main character and the world they impact. See how it’s used in innovation. Read More ›Innovation Storytelling Fuels Every Type of InnovationThere’s more to innovation than developing cutting-edge products. But, no matter the industry or type of innovation, storytelling is key. What is the purpose of recommendation in research?The goal of the recommendations is to make clear, specific, and realistic suggestions to future researchers before they conduct a similar experiment. No matter what area your research is in, there will always be further research to do.
What is the purpose of recommend?to suggest that someone or something would be good or suitable for a particular job or purpose, or to suggest that a particular action should be done: I can recommend the chicken in mushroom sauce - it's delicious.
What sections are typically included in a recommendation report?What sections are typically included in a recommendation report?. Executive Summary. ... . Problem Statement. ... . Description of Options. ... . Evaluation Criteria & Evaluations of Each Option. ... . Final Recommendation. ... . Conclusion. ... . Works Cited.. What are the four sections of a recommendation report?For most recommendation reports, the main line of thought would include a discussion of 1) the problem, 2) the solution, 3) the benefits of the solution, and 4) specific recommendations (if not already made clear in the solution section). Table of Contents.
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