write an effective Executive Summary: In business, a formal report starts with an Executive Summary.  Your boss may not have time to read your entire report, so provide a quick-read — one that will actually get read! Here’s a suggested layout: The purpose of your report Summary of what you did Your key findings Your key recommendations This MUST fit all on one page!  A half page may even be enough — keep it short and to-the-point.  This is placed after the title page and before your Table of Contents or first main page. Note :  Unlike an Abstract that only hints at the findings (in order to entice the reader to check out the entire paper), your Executive Summary should include your critical results, especially if you need actions taken or funding to get your job done. A final thought — always write your Executive Summary LAST!   You have to know exactly what’s in your report in order to summarize it properly. See also:   https://www.surveygizmo.com/resources/blog/how-to-write-executive-summary/