Chicago Style Report Generation Guidelines for StratIQX

Overview

This document outlines the standards for generating professional strategic intelligence reports at StratIQX, ensuring compliance with the Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS, 18th edition) while maintaining the premium, actionable quality expected from top-tier consulting deliverables. These guidelines adapt Chicago's flexible Notes and Bibliography system for business reports, emphasizing clarity, credibility, and executive focus. Designed for AI-orchestrated service reports serving SMBs and individuals, they integrate StratIQX branding and evolve from our Big 3 Consulting Style framework (last updated August 2025; no major revisions needed as of September 24, 2025, though we've refined citation handling for AI-generated content).

Reports generated via our 10-step orchestration must deliver:

• Strategic Rigor: Data-driven insights with transparent sourcing
• Professional Polish: Consistent formatting, including Chicago-compliant cover pages, headers, footers, and citations
• Actionable Excellence: Pyramid Principle structure within Chicago's logical flow

Chicago Style Foundations

Why Chicago for StratIQX Reports?

Chicago's Notes and Bibliography system is ideal for business intelligence documents:

• Flexibility: Supports footnotes for seamless in-text citations without disrupting narrative flow
• Credibility: Bibliography for full sources, including AI methodology and external data
• Business Fit: Allows single-spacing, custom headers/footers, and title pages tailored to enterprise needs
• Evolution from Big 3: Builds on MECE and Pyramid Principle while enforcing CMOS for academic/professional alignment

Core Principles

1. Logical Hierarchy and Pyramid Principle

Align with CMOS Chapter 2 (Manuscript Preparation): Start with conclusions, supported by evidence in a top-down structure. Use footnotes for elaboration.

2. MECE with Chicago Structure

Ensure sections are Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive (CMOS 3.55 on outlines). Cite frameworks (e.g., Porter's Five Forces) via footnotes.

3. Source Transparency

Every claim, data point, or AI insight must be attributable (CMOS Chapter 14). Prioritize footnotes for external/AI sources.

Document Structure Standards

Follow the Big 3 order, adapted for Chicago:

1. Cover Page (Title Page)

CMOS Compliance: Centered layout with title, subtitle, institution, prepared-for, date/ID (CMOS 2.4–2.10). No page number.

StratIQX Design:

• Background: Dark blue (#0A1432) for premium impact
• Title: "Strategic Intelligence Report" (Helvetica, 36pt, white, bold, centered)
• Subtitle: "Annual Analysis and Insights for 2025" (Helvetica, 18pt, white, italic, centered, 0.5cm below)
• Branding: "StratIQX | Strategic Intelligence Amplified" (Helvetica, 14pt, light gold #B8860B, centered, 1cm below)
• Prepared For: "Prepared for: [Client Name]" (Helvetica, 12pt, light gold, centered, 0.5cm below)
• Details: "Generated: September 24, 2025, 10:28 PM EDT | Report ID: SKHAMX9D" (Helvetica, 12pt, light gold, centered, 0.5cm below)
• Decorative Element: Gold rule (0.7\textwidth, 2pt, #B8860B, centered, 1cm below)
• Confidentiality: "Confidential – For Internal Use Only" (Helvetica, 10pt, white, italic, centered, 0.5cm below)
• Spacing: 2cm top margin; generous vertical spacing for readability

LaTeX/PDFKit Note: Use \thispagestyle{empty}; embed as first page.

2. Table of Contents

CMOS 2.11: Hierarchical with page numbers. Include subsections; update dynamically.

3. Executive Summary (1-2 pages)

SCQA structure (Situation, Complication, Question, Answer) with footnotes for sources.

4. Situation Analysis

Current state, market context; cite via footnotes (e.g., SBA data).

5. Key Findings

Data-driven; each finding followed by evidence and implication, with footnote citations.

6. Strategic Recommendations

Prioritized actions; use CMOS tables for roadmaps.

7. Implementation Plan

Timeline, metrics; footnotes for assumptions.

8. Sources (Bibliography)

CMOS Chapter 14: Alphabetical list of all cited works, including AI methodology.

9. Appendices

Supporting data; reference in footnotes.

Writing Style Guidelines

Chicago-Compliant Tone

• Authoritative and Precise: Active voice, 15-20 words/sentence (CMOS 5.4)
• Citation Integration: Use superscript numbers for footnotes (e.g., "Revenue growth of 5% in 2025¹"); avoid parentheticals

Section Templates

Executive Summary:

[Company] faces [situation]¹. Analysis reveals [findings]². Recommendations include [actions] to achieve [outcomes]³.
¹ U.S. Small Business Administration, 2025 Industry Outlook (Washington, D.C.: SBA, 2025).
² Internal AI projection, StratIQX v1.0.
³ Quantified impact: 25% growth.

Recommendations: Structure: Action + Rationale + Impact + Timeline, with footnotes.

Visual Design Standards

Typography and Layout (CMOS 2.19–2.38)

• Fonts: Helvetica/Arial (11pt body, scaled 0.95); bold for headers
• Margins: 1in all sides
• Colors: Strategic Blue (#1f4788) for headers; align with Big 3 palette
• Charts: Titles state insights (CMOS 3.6); source in footnotes/captions (9pt italic, gray #7f8c8d)

Header and Footer Specifics (CMOS 2.12–2.18)

Header (Running Head)

CMOS Compliance: Optional shortened title + page number, upper-right (CMOS 2.15).

StratIQX Design:

• Text: "StratIQX – Page X" (Helvetica, 10pt, black #000000, right-aligned)
• Rule: 0.5pt black line below (optional for separation)
• Placement: 0.5in from top; no header on cover
• Dynamic: Update via AI for client-specific variants

Footer

CMOS Compliance: For metadata/notes (CMOS 2.16); no citations here—use footnotes.

StratIQX Design:

• Text: "Confidential – Internal Use Only | Report ID: SKHAMX9D | Generated: September 24, 2025, 10:28 PM EDT | Methodology: Generated by StratIQX AI, v1.0, 2025" (Helvetica, 8pt scriptsize, gray #666666, center-aligned)
• Rule: 0.5pt gray line above
• Placement: 0.5in from bottom; consistent across body pages

Citations and Sourcing (CMOS Chapter 14)

Notes and Bibliography System

Footnotes: For in-text references (superscript¹); full details first use, shortened thereafter.

• Example: ¹ U.S. Small Business Administration, 2025 Industry Outlook (Washington, D.C.: SBA, 2025), 45.
• AI Insights: ² StratIQX AI, v1.0, "Internal Projections" (generated September 24, 2025).

Bibliography ("Sources"): End-of-document, alphabetical; include all footnote sources.

• Format: Author. Title. Place: Publisher, Year.
• AI Entry: StratIQX AI, v1.0. "Methodology for Strategic Projections." StratIQX, 2025.

When to Cite: External data (e.g., SBA), AI-derived projections, client inputs. No citation for general knowledge.

Tools: In LaTeX/PDFKit, use \footnote{}; dynamically insert via orchestration.

Quality Checklist for Citations

• [ ] All data/claims footnoted
• [ ] First footnote full; subsequent shortened
• [ ] Bibliography complete and alphabetized
• [ ] AI methodology cited consistently

Implementation Guidelines

AI Orchestration Integration

• Prompts: Include "Follow Chicago Notes and Bibliography; use footnotes for sources."
• PDF Specs: 300 DPI; embed fonts; ensure hyperlinks in digital PDFs (CMOS 2.3)

Review Process

• Level 1: Verify CMOS structure (cover, header/footer)
• Level 2: Check citations (footnotes, bibliography)
• Level 3: Executive polish—actionable, quantified

Conclusion

These Chicago Style Guidelines ensure StratIQX reports meet professional standards while delivering AI-powered excellence. By integrating CMOS with our premium design (dark blue cover, balanced header/footer, robust citations), reports position StratIQX as a trusted partner for SMBs and individuals.

Document Version: 1.0
Last Updated: September 24, 2025
Prepared for: StratIQX Platform Documentation
Standards: Chicago Manual of Style (18th ed.) + StratIQX Branding

Disclaimer

StratIQX reports adhere to CMOS for formatting and citations. We are not affiliated with the University of Chicago Press. Our goal: Strategic intelligence with consulting-grade precision.