An executive summary, like an abstract, summarizes the content of a paper but in more detail. Whereas abstracts target readers who research, executive summaries targets readers who need some or all the information in the paper in order to make a decision. Many people will also read the executive summary in order to clearly understand the organization and results of a paper prior to reading the paper itself.
For the Executive Summary, you must pretend you are my Graduate Assistant, and I have asked you to read Orwell’s essay. You will write an Executive Summary that will indicate to me whether or not I should use the essay in a Political Science Graduate Seminar on the relationship between Politics and Language.
Requirements on Format:
1-2 pages, double-spaced, Times New Roman, 12 font only (I will deduct points if your Summary exceeds 2 pages), and 1 inch margins.
2- Follow The Political Science Student Writer’s Manual for instructions on title pages (page 65); the summary begins after the title page, and your name should only be included on title page. No heading on the actual summary. For a sample executive summary, please consult page 67.
Tips for writing a strong, effective Executive Summary:
Be Brief: Since an Executive Summary is often intended for a policy maker, decision maker, or evaluator who may not have time to read the original, you must be brief but precise and detailed. Make sure to objectively include an accurate summary of the essay’s intent, approach to supporting its claim and reasons, evidence, and conclusion (do not offer an opinion on the argument itself!).
Be Clear: An Executive Summary should clearly describe the conclusions of the paper at the beginning (BLUF—Bottom Line Up Front) and offer (in one-two sentences) a recommendation at the end of its summary. The Executive Summary must never leave a reader confused as to the paper’s conclusions, significance, or implications for the future. Keep the structure simple and the language easily digestible; your prose needs to be accessible to the needs of the reader. Also remember to write properly and correctly (grammar and syntax) and only include that which is relevant to your task.
