Sample Executive Summary
Executive Summary
The purpose of an executive summary is to summarize a report. Executive
summaries are written for executives who most likely do not have time to read the
complete document. Therefore, the executive summary must cover the major points and
be detailed enough to mirror the content yet concise enough for an executive to
understand the substance without reading the entire report.
An executive summary differs from an abstract. Readers use an abstract to
decide whether to read the complete document. They read an executive summary to
obtain information without having to read the report in full.
The executive summary should be written as a document that can stand on its own
and is usually written on one or two pages, depending on the length of the report. It
restates the purpose of the report and describes any results, conclusions, or
recommendations made in the report so that the reader understands the reasons for the
conclusion or recommendations. Acronyms, symbols, and abbreviations must be written
out. Tables and figures in the report should not be referred to by number in the executive
summary.
The audience for an executive summary is receptive to the message, so the writer
should assume that the audience wants to know and understand the message. It is written
in a formal tone using an impersonal style and eliminating first person pronouns (I, we,
our, etc.).
Use the following guidelines when writing an executive summary:
• State clearly the purpose of the report.
• Present the major points in the same order they are written in the report.
• Summarize the results, conclusions, or recommendations made in the report.
• Write headings, as needed, for clarity, but word headings differently from the
headings used in the report.
• Format the executive summary the same way as the complete report.
Following is an Executive Summary of a report prepared by Sonoma Consultants
for Jones Williams, a stock brokerage firm that specializes in long-term, stable
investments for an upscale client base. Sonoma conducted a study of the most efficient
means to recruit new investment clients to the firm.
There is no APA standard for the writing of an Executive Summary. APA is designed to prepare documents for
publication, and does not provide requirements on the correct format or content of an Executive Summary. This sample is
to provide basic guidelines for the writing of Executive Summaries, and in the event that the faculty member’s standards
differ from the sample, the faculty member’s own standards will always prevail.
February 2006
Page 1/4
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