Question

When creating an executive summary, what questions should the summary answer? (Select all that apply.)

A) Who is the target audience?
B) What are the key findings or recommendations?
C) How was the research conducted?
D) What challenges were faced during the project?
E) What is the background information?
F) What is the conclusion?

Answer 1

An executive summary should clearly outline the key findings or recommendations, background information, and conclusion of a document, giving readers a concise overview.

Step-by-step explanation:

When creating an executive summary, it should answer several key questions to provide a concise overview of a longer report or document. The questions the summary should answer include:

• B) What are the key findings or recommendations?
• E) What is the background information?
• F) What is the conclusion?

While the executive summary should be succinct, it's essential to convey the objective, scope, and key takeaways of the document. It's not typically concerned with details such as who the target audience is or the challenges faced during the project unless those directly relate to the conclusions or recommendations. The summary also serves to inform readers quickly and help them decide whether they need to read the entire document.

Answer 2

An executive summary should primarily answer key questions about the report's key findings or recommendations and the conclusion, while other details such as the target audience, research methodology, challenges faced, and background information may supplement the summary depending on the context.

Step-by-step explanation:

An executive summary should succinctly answer several key questions relevant to the underlying report or document. Firstly, it should identify what the key findings or recommendations (B) are as these provide immediate insight into the purpose and outcome of the document. It also needs to articulate what the conclusion (F) of the document is, summarizing the final position or decision based on the preceding content. While it is beneficial to understand the target audience, how the research was conducted, the challenges faced, and the background information, these may not be necessary for all executive summaries and will depend on the context and purpose of the document. Typically, the audience (A) and the background information (E) provide context, but they are not the central focus of an executive summary. However, depending on the audience and purpose, including a concise explanation of the methodology (C) and any significant challenges (D) that inform the findings can sometimes be appropriate.