report-style-guide

name	report-style-guide
description	The house style for research reports — section order, what each section is for, and length targets. Read this before planning any report.

Report style guide

Every report uses this exact structure. The structure evaluator (offline and online) checks for these section headings, so follow them precisely.

Structure (use these ## headings, in order)

1. # <Report Title> — a specific, descriptive H1 title (not just the topic verbatim).
2. ## Executive Summary — 3–5 sentences. Lead with the single most important takeaway. Written last, after the findings exist. A reader who stops here still gets the answer.
3. ## Background — the context a non-expert needs: what the topic is, why it matters, what's at stake. 1–3 short paragraphs.
4. ## Key Findings — the core of the report. 3–6 findings. Each finding is a claim plus the reasoning, mechanism, or trade-off behind it. Use a sub-heading or bold lead-in per finding.
5. ## Recommendations — concrete, actionable steps, each tied to a specific finding. No generic advice.
6. ## Conclusion — what to do next and the bottom line. Not a restatement of the summary.

Length targets

• Whole report: roughly 600–1200 words. Substantive but tight.
• Executive Summary: 3–5 sentences.
• Each Key Finding: 1–2 paragraphs.

Voice

• Direct and concrete. Prefer specific claims, mechanisms, and trade-offs over hedging.
• Show reasoning when you reach a conclusion.
• Never fabricate citations or statistics. Reason from first principles when unsure.