EN 314TECHNICAL REPORT WRITING

Jeaneth Balaba, LecturerISHRM

Good morning! 1. Self-introduction2. ISHRM Vision and Mission3. Classroom policy4. Grading system5. Other clarifications6. Trivia information7. Lesson introduction8. Lesson proper

CLASSROOM POLICY• Attendance & Punctuality• Classroom Behavior & Language• Grading System

• Attendance 10%• Quiz 15%• Activity 15%• Exams 60%

• Overall Rating: Prelims 100%, Pre-finals 100%, MT 70%, Finals 30%

• Personal Profile (Index card) – Quiz #1

PERSONAL PROFILE ON A 3X5 INDEX CARDName: 1x1 Photo

Subject and Section:

Course and Year:

Age/Birthday:

Home Location:

E-mail address:

Course expectation: (1-2 sentences)

*Note: Leave the back portion of the index card blank*

ACTIVITY: SHORT ESSAY WRITING

1. Write a personal essay of introduction (1 page only): short biographical sketch, your interests and personal and professional goals, etc.

2. Choose one topic and elaborate on it (1 page only):

• Is education important? Why or why not?• Can young people do without social media? Why or

why not?• Money is the root of all evils. Explain.• Does God exist? Elaborate your thoughts.

Making the connection…

Brainstorm on what technical writing is all about…

Technical Writing

The link for good

workplace/professional communication

Part 1

“Technical” or “Business” writing is very different from “Academic” writing. Each has its unique purpose and format to follow.

Technical writing is done in the workplace and centers around technical topics. Technical writing has unique characteristics and has specific audiences.

Why the Differences?Time managementVariety of ReadersReading for different reasons

“Differences”

Business leaders don’t have the time in their day to sift through many pages, searching for the information they need to know and

Technical writing will have many different readers, reading different parts of the work.

- a project manager, financial officer, CEO, and supervisor might all read parts that pertain to their jobs, then discuss as a team the merits of the proposal.

“Differences”

This PowerPoint will:

• Explore the differences between academic and technical writing

• Explain the components and style of technical writing

Technical vs.

Academic Writing

Technical versus Academic

Knowledge • You are the expert

Knowledge • You are still a learner

Technical versus Academic

Audience• Technical background, professionals in the field

Audience• Wide range of academics and general audiences

Technical versus Academic

Criteria for Evaluation• Clear and simple organization,

• Visually appealing and easy to follow.

Criteria for Evaluation• Depth, logic, clarity, unity and grammar

Technical versus Academic

Graphics, charts, and numbers are used very frequently to support conclusions

Graphics, charts, and numbers are sometimes used to help explain and demonstrate knowledge

Characteristics of Technical Writing

Clear, Concise and simply organized.

Repetitive in nature. Highly defined

structure/format.• Examples: Lab reports, memos, business letters, technical reports, and proposals

Compare These Statements:

Looking into the azure blue skyone could see thegolden orb of sunslip gently

beneaththe western sky.

The sun set in the west.

The left-side description of the sun setting is an example of academic writing and the right-side description is an

example of technical writing.

Notice that the technical description is clear,

concise, and coherent. These three C’s are

trademarks of technical writing.

Assignment:

Find an article out of a Popular Mechanics magazine. Compare the first two or three paragraphs of that article with a passage from one of your favorite novels using the following categories:• Content, Organization, Layout, Intended

Audience, Purpose, Tone.• You should notice a distinct difference in

each of the categories, leading to how each is distinct in its clarity, coherence, and conciseness.

Style in Technical Writing

Writers have unique characteristics.• Sentence structure, word length word

choice, and word order; these are choices we make without being conscious of it. These decisions shape the way we express ourselves

Style is personal choice, there is no right or wrong here

Tone- Expression of an underlying

attitude that can be:

• Casual • Objective• Persuasive

• Enthusiastic• Serious• Authoritative• Friendly

**Always present your material in a positive light. Never let the negative be presented.

The following tips lend themselves to better clarity and cohesion in technical writing.

Sentence Tips Place the main point at the beginning of the sentence

**Don’t make the reader work to find it.

Sentence Tips Use one main clause in each sentence

**more becomesConfusing.

Sentence Tips Examine your copy to

make sure you vary the sentence length –but aim for 15-20 words per sentence. If you use the same length sentences, the text becomes tedious to read

Conciseness Tips Avoid the repeated use of

pronouns, this confuses the reader. Only use a pronoun immediately following the noun it represents. Try to use specific nouns such as the person’s name, or the specific piece of equipment, etc. In place of abstract nouns

Assessment of-

Classification of-

Computation of-

Development of-

Elimination of-

Requirement of-

Abstract Nouns

Conciseness TipsFocus on

strong verbs! Assess Classify Compute

Develop Eliminate Require

Conciseness Tips Shorten wordy phrases Replace long words with short ones

Leave out clichés Cut out extra words that are redundant

Language Use Tips Distinguish facts from opinions

Include supportive statements when necessary

Choose your words carefully

Avoid using words like “always” and “never”—these box the writer in and create finality

Active Voice Active voice—emphasizes the

doer or the subject“Joe delivered the pizza within the

specified time frame.”

Active voice uses one verb “delivered” compared to passive voice which uses a form of the verb “to be” + the verb---”was delivered”

Almost all technical writing should be done in the active voice, except lab reports.

Active Voice helps:

• Create less wordy sentences

• Places emphasis on the subject—e.g. company or person’s name

Passive Voice Passive voice—emphasizes

the recipient of the action• Verbs with the “to be” form• Emphasize the receiver of the action

• Avoid repetitious use of “I” and names

Is it the roses or the receiver of the roses that is important to the giver?

Examples of editing for

conciseness

• “the passage of the levy was accomplished through long and hard negotiations, and door to door canvassing.”

Revised:• “The levy pass through long

and hard work.”

“Confirmation of the voting results occurred yesterday.”

Revised “The voting results were

confirmed yesterday.”

Technical Writing Provides clear

communication in the workplace

Has unique formats and a specific style of writing

Creates clarity, conciseness and coherency in writing

Closure

Welcome to a new style of writing. Hopefully the handouts that accompany these Presentations will help you take your first steps to become a Technical Writer.

Report Writing

Report writing

Before writing a report, the writer should ask What is the purpose of the report? What action is it intended to trigger? Who will read the report? How many people will read it? What do they need to know? What is their current level of knowledge?

Report writing cont...

* Some considerations: Assembling data:

- Direct - look, ask, send a questionnaire, conduct experiments or tests

- Personal - who can you write to, speak to, phone, with relevant experience/ knowledge

Style: clear, concise English!

Report writing cont...

Objectivity:

- The writer must appear to be neutral. Never use emotive language and always write

logically. Back up assertions with evidence

Report Writing Stages

The five major stages of report preparation are

1. Gathering the data

2. Analysing and sorting the results

3. Outlining the report

4. Writing the rough draft

5. Revising the rough draft

Gathering the data

Plan what information/results you are going to need

Maintain orderly records as the data is gathered

The little extra effort required to record the results carefully can be of great value later

Analysing and sorting the results

During this review, conclusions should be drawn

This is best done by first writing down all significant results in no particular order and then sorting them so that the results pertaining to a common factor are grouped together.

Once the conclusions are drawn, list them in descending order of importance.

Analysing and sorting the results

Sort through the information and select only the Relevant data

Too much irrelevant information will confuse the reader

Do not discard information that contradicts your ideas

Consider how to represent your data

Analysing and sorting the results

Before writing the outline report - Create a limiting sentence

SUBJECT The HND module to Report Writing SCOPE covering the fundamentals of organizing, writing, and

reviewing reports, PURPOSE was written to improve the writing skills of HND

students and the overall quality of their reports.This focuses your attention on the scope of the report

Outlining the report

In the sorting stage concentration is on what results should be presented in a report.

In the outlining stage attention is directed to how these results should be presented.

Outlining the report

The outline should contain descriptive headings of each significant part of the report.

It should show the complete scope of the report, the relation of the various parts of the work discussed, the amount of space to be given each part, the places for inclusion of illustrations, and the conclusions

Outlining the report

Descriptive headings provide a means of ready reference and aid clarity.

The final outline should show the exact form, wording, and value of the headings to be used in the report. The headings, although brief, must serve as a reliable guide to the included material

Writing the rough draft

Concentrate on what you want to say rather than how to say it. Keep writing down the thoughts as they flow into your mind, following your outline

Then review this version—but only for its technical content. Are all of the ideas you wanted to express included? Have you included irrelevant ideas? Does the report organization still seem logical?

Revising the rough draft

1. The first review is of the material in the report. In this check ask yourself these questions:

Are the conclusions valid? Is sufficient information given to support the conclusions? Is enough background information given to explain the results? Have all irrelevant ideas been deleted? Are the illustrations pertinent and necessary?

Revising the rough draft(2)

The second review is of the mechanics and organization.

Are the subject and purpose clearly stated? Does the report flow smoothly from topic to topic? Are the relations between topics clear? Is each illustration clear and properly labelled? Are all required parts of the report included?

Revising the rough draft(3)

The third review is of spelling and grammar.

Is each sentence written effectively? Are the sentences varied in length and complexity to avoid monotony? Are the words specific rather than vague? Have all unnecessary words been deleted?

Language

Be clear, concise and correct. Use:– Familiar words

technical terms should be defined within the text– Active verbs for majority of the report

Avoid– Ambiguity– Loaded words– Clichés e.g. ‘a can of worms’– Jargon

Language cont.

Avoid:– Superfluous words and phrases e.g. in order to = to,

in the event that = if– Tautology - saying the same thing twice with

different words in the same sentence e.g. the brevity of the notice given was far too short

– Split infinitives e.g. to boldly go– Double negatives; not never = sometimes

Language cont.

Avoid– Joining two sentences which are not logically

related– Sentences ending with prepositions e.g. to put up

with– Long sentences

Professional report may have to be written in the third person

Spelling and punctuation

Spelling– Word processed material should always use the

spell checker Word uses the American spelling e.g. formalize not

formalise

Punctuation– See handout#

Report writing cont...

Report layout:

- Title page: title of report, name of the person who wrote it, date, reference no. (if applicable), circulation list.

- Table of contents: with section and page numbers

Report writing cont...

- Abstract or summary:

Usually written last. Not more than about a 1.5 spaced, 3/4 of a page of A4. Should include the main ‘bones’ of the report for ease of reference.

Report Writing

- Introduction: Background to the report; specify the purpose of the research; terms of reference; reference to similar work being done

elsewhere; acknowledgement of any help and cooperation.

Report writing cont...

- Methods of investigation: Specify your methods used. If you are writing a systems analysis and design report for example, you may wish to specify the methodology used here.

- Findings: The results of your investigation- Conclusions: Your assessment of these findings

and their implications

Report writing cont...

- Recommendations:- Your suggestions for following up the research

contained in the report

Report Writing

- References: a complete list of material directly referred to in the main text. After a quote in the main body of the text you may put (Jones, 1994:78) = author of book used, date of publication, page number.

In your references at the back, the entry for this would be:

Jones, M A (1994): An introduction to SSADM, McGraw Hill, Maidenhead.

Report writing cont...

- Bibliography: A complete, alphabetical list of all sources consulted.

- Appendices: Detailed information which could have cluttered up the main body of the report, i.e. charts, graphs, tables of figures, supplementary information...

Report writing cont...

- Use a numbering system:

This can be either decimal or a mixture of numerals and letters. The example on the next slide is the decimal system.

Report writing cont...

1. Main section

2. Main section

2.1 first subsection of 2

2.2 second subsection of 2

3. Main section

3.1 first subsection of 3

3.1.1 first subsection of 3.1 etc...

Report writing

Exercise #– Fog index #

An indicator that sentences are too long and there are too many long words

– Calculate average number of words in a sentence– Calculate the percentage of words of two or more syllables

– How would you write these differently?

Summary

Remember the 5 stages of report writing Good planning is essential Clear well presented style Subject, Scope and Purpose - limiting

sentence Well referenced Recommendations

END OF INTRODUCTION