Writing an Executive Summary
Editor(s)
Walsh, MartinPublication date
2015-11-05Subject
Approach and methodologyKeywords
Development methodsResearch methods
Training
Development research
Executive summary
Tools for writing
Metadata
Show full item recordPublisher(s)
Oxfam GBSeries
Oxfam Research GuidelinesDocument type
Guidelines and toolkitsDescription
An executive summary is one of the most crucial parts of a report. It represents a chance for the author to grab the reader’s attention and draw them in to the main document. When readers are pressed for time, it may be the only part of the report they read, so a well-written summary is vital. Unfortunately, summaries are often an afterthought for authors, and are frequently written in haste.
Part of Oxfam’s Research Guidelines series, this guideline gives a short overview of how to write an engaging executive summary that conveys the most important information from the main report in a clear, concise way. It provides tools for thinking about how to get the most out of your summary, as well as examples from academia and business, plus tips on things to avoid.