I have focused on noticing how Rand formats their pieces. The formatting of the leaked document has some features present in Research Reports, some present in the Executive Summaries, and some that in neither.
An important attribute is that “Research Reports” and “Executive Summaries” are different things in Rand’s documents, and they are labeled as such. For example, here is another executive summary that is clearly marked “Executive Summary” at the cover. This allegedly leaked document is labeled first as a “Research Report” on the cover, but then suddenly becomes an “Executive Summary”.
Then, it is very strange that they jump from the title page into the executive summary page and begin using roman numerals. The roman numerals are used by them only in the preface sections, before the table of contents. Not before the Executive Summary. And why would there not be a table of contents?
Formatting in general is somewhat similar, but is different in the details and lacks headers and footers. This ‘leaked’ copy is supposed to be a ready-to-publish version, not a draft. If it were a draft, it would not have the formatting that it has already. It is also so much shorter, less data-backed, and overall lower quality than their usual executive summaries. Why would they submit lower quality work to important clients than what is available through their site?
I read through it, it is interesting, but I don’t think that it is authentic.
I have skimmed through a few of the published reports from Rand.org. For example, this one is a Research Report, and this one is an Executive Summary.
I have focused on noticing how Rand formats their pieces. The formatting of the leaked document has some features present in Research Reports, some present in the Executive Summaries, and some that in neither.
An important attribute is that “Research Reports” and “Executive Summaries” are different things in Rand’s documents, and they are labeled as such. For example, here is another executive summary that is clearly marked “Executive Summary” at the cover. This allegedly leaked document is labeled first as a “Research Report” on the cover, but then suddenly becomes an “Executive Summary”.
Then, it is very strange that they jump from the title page into the executive summary page and begin using roman numerals. The roman numerals are used by them only in the preface sections, before the table of contents. Not before the Executive Summary. And why would there not be a table of contents?
Formatting in general is somewhat similar, but is different in the details and lacks headers and footers. This ‘leaked’ copy is supposed to be a ready-to-publish version, not a draft. If it were a draft, it would not have the formatting that it has already. It is also so much shorter, less data-backed, and overall lower quality than their usual executive summaries. Why would they submit lower quality work to important clients than what is available through their site?