Front matter in reports consists of two main parts - the table of contents, followed by the introduction section.
Table of Contents: The table of contents is a list of topics and headings that are included in the report. It serves as a guide for navigating the report. It may include page numbers for each topic, providing an easy way for readers to locate the exact page for a specific section.
Introduction Section: The introduction section of a report includes a brief summary of the document's purpose. It may also include a description of the research or analysis conducted to produce the report, as well as the key takeaways from the analysis. This section should also include the purpose of the report and the context in which it was written.
Other front matter components may include an executive summary and list of abbreviations used in the report.
The executive summary provides readers with an overview of the main points in the report without having to read the full document.
The list of abbreviations is used to clarify the meaning of acronyms used in the report. This section allows readers to quickly understand new terms that they may not be familiar with.
Understanding all the components of the front matter of a report is important to understanding the components of the report itself and how best to interpret the findings.
