A long report is the culmination of many weeks of hard work. It differs from a short report in purpose, scope, format, and, many times, audience. A long report provides an in-depth view of an issue and may discuss not just one or two current events but a long history. It requires much more research than a short report does (although information gathered for a series of short reports may be used to prepare a long report). A long report is too detailed and complex to be adequately organized in a memo or letter format. It may take weeks or even months to write. The audience for a long report is generally broader and higher up in an organization's hierarchy than the audience for a short report. Finally, long reports are written collaboratively more often than short reports are.

The Process of Writing a Long Report
View writing a long report not as a series of isolated tasks but as an evolving project. Identify a broad yet significant topic for your report. Expect to confer regularly with your supervisor and to revise your work often. Your revisions may be extensive, depending on what your superior recommends; be sure to share all major changes with your supervisor. Keep the order flexible at first; a long report is not written in the order in which it will finally appear. Use both a calendar and a checklist to track your progress, checking off major parts of the report as you finish them.

Parts of a Long Report
A long report consists of front matter, the report text, and back matter. The front matter may include a letter of transmittal, a title page, a table of contents, a list of illustrations, and an abstract. The report text consists of an introduction, the body, a conclusion, and recommendations. The introduction includes background information, defines the problem the report addresses, and describes the report's purpose and scope. The body, or discussion, is the longest part, making up as much as 70 percent of the report. It should be carefully organized around a coherent, well-defined plan. The conclusion ties everything together by presenting your findings. The recommendations tell readers what should be done about the findings described in the conclusion. The back matter may include a glossary, a list of references, and one or more appendixes.