Executive Summaries
Executive Summaries are much like any other summary in that their main goal is to provide a condensed version of the content of a longer report.
Definition of Executive Summary
The executive summary is usually no longer than 10% of the original document. It can be anywhere from 1-10 pages long, depending on the report's length. Executive summaries are written literally for an executive who most likely DOES NOT have the time to read the original.
• Executive summaries make a recommendation
• Accuracy is essential because decisions will be made based on your summary by people who have not read the original
• Executive summaries frequently summarize more than one document
Types of Summaries
Summaries written in order to recommend a specific course of action are executive summaries.
Summaries that highlight the major points of a long piece are called abstracts. The purpose of an abstract is to allow readers to decide whether or not they want to read the longer text. View our Writing Guide about Abstracts
Standard summary only refers to a summary of someone else's published work and is written for a variety of purposes. View our Writing Guide about Standard Summaries Processes for Writing an Executive Summary
Executive summaries are typically written for longer reports. They should not be written until after your report is finished. Before writing your summary, try:
• Summarizing the major sections of your report. You might even copy text from your report into the summary and then edit it down.
• Talking aloud or even tape recording yourself summarizing sections of your report.
Questions to Ask Yourself as You Write
• What is your report about?
• Why is it important?
• What is included in the report?
• What is included in each section?
Concise Statement
As a cover sheet to your document, an executive summary need not go into ANY mention of how you conducted your analysis and/or what you're basing your conclusion on. Instead, begin with a
Definition of Executive Summary
The executive summary is usually no longer than 10% of the original document. It can be anywhere from 1-10 pages long, depending on the report's length. Executive summaries are written literally for an executive who most likely DOES NOT have the time to read the original.
• Executive summaries make a recommendation
• Accuracy is essential because decisions will be made based on your summary by people who have not read the original
• Executive summaries frequently summarize more than one document
Types of Summaries
Summaries written in order to recommend a specific course of action are executive summaries.
Summaries that highlight the major points of a long piece are called abstracts. The purpose of an abstract is to allow readers to decide whether or not they want to read the longer text. View our Writing Guide about Abstracts
Standard summary only refers to a summary of someone else's published work and is written for a variety of purposes. View our Writing Guide about Standard Summaries Processes for Writing an Executive Summary
Executive summaries are typically written for longer reports. They should not be written until after your report is finished. Before writing your summary, try:
• Summarizing the major sections of your report. You might even copy text from your report into the summary and then edit it down.
• Talking aloud or even tape recording yourself summarizing sections of your report.
Questions to Ask Yourself as You Write
• What is your report about?
• Why is it important?
• What is included in the report?
• What is included in each section?
Concise Statement
As a cover sheet to your document, an executive summary need not go into ANY mention of how you conducted your analysis and/or what you're basing your conclusion on. Instead, begin with a