SAN FRANCISCO STATE UNIVERSITY SPRING 2008

DEPARTMENT OF GEOSCIENCES METR 485/785

Consulting Report

29 Feb 2008

While involved in your research for a contract, you should also begin to be thinking in greater detail about your consulting report. There are really three areas on which you need to concentrate:

1. What information you need to present in the report;

2. How this information will be organized;

3. How the report will appear.

You must get used to the fact that, in some cases, (3) above will be almost as important as the other two areas. This may annoy you as a scientist, but it is reality. In time, you will come to realize that what REALLY annoys you are reports that have absolutely great style (appearance) but NO content.

1. Information Needed to be Obtained in your Research

This is basically what we have been working on the past several weeks.

2. Organization of Report

IN-CLASS DISCUSSION: What sections should appear in a report of this sort?

3. Appearance of Report

IN-CLASS DISCUSSION: How should you style your report?

a. Cover sheet

b. Table of Contents

c. "Executive Summary"

d. Maps (color or not) and Diagrams

e. Font and Font Point Selections