Case Project 1: Preparing an Executive Summary

...

will be your executive summary.

Sections of the Executive Summary (on official memo template):

• Background: Tell your audience the following: where you found the article, who wrote the article, where it was published, when it was published, and why you chose this particular article.

• Introduction: explain the difference between objective and subjective; explain what a summary is and why it is useful in the workplace

• Summary: summarize main points and supporting evidence.

• Reflection: reflect on the article’s argument. Do you agree? Disagree? Provide evidence from the article in the form of quotations or statistics. “Unpack” the quotation or statistics: explain the evidence’s relevance to the article and to your audience (the professor, classmates, fellow students in your discipline).

Do you find the evidence persuasive? Lacking? Anything you think about the article is valid to talk about in your reflection.

• Conclusion: Your conclusion should, at the very least, include the following: thank the reader for their time, offer to answer any questions, and provide an email address where you can be reached.

Audience: Your audience is your instructor, classmates, and students in your discipline.

Format: Your executive summary should be on the official class memo template, and should come out to around 500-700 words.

• Utilize highlighting techniques to visually organize information within your summary

• Dutifully record all the author’s main points

• Provide evidence—where applicable—to back up your assertions about the text (in your reflection, for example).

Your project is due via turnitin.com. Please include the following components combined in one word document:

1. Your executive summary

2. A link to the article you summarized