Final answer:
You must include documentation for all sources of information and data in your formal report or essay, using both internal and external citations with a proper formatting style like APA or MLA.
Step-by-step explanation:
When documenting within a formal report or essay, you must include documentation for all sources of information and data. Documentation is essential to maintain the credibility of the report and to acknowledge the work of others that has informed your research. Proper citation involves including both internal citations within the text and external citations in the bibliography or references page at the end of the document. Utilizing established formatting styles such as APA or MLA is critical in ensuring that the sources are correctly cited.
Furthermore, a formal report may include a number of other components, such as a title page, abstract, table of contents, as well as sections for the introduction, methods, and results. It is important to organize these components logically and support your claims with proper evidence, which includes statements of fact, statistics, examples, and expert opinions. Also, any visuals like graphs or charts used in the report should be properly captioned and referenced inside the text.