Lessons from DraftsLessons from Drafts

FrameFrame the quotations used in your report. the quotations used in your report.

Original:Original: ““But we have another, equally great responsibility to But we have another, equally great responsibility to

police ourselves, our students, and other scholars to police ourselves, our students, and other scholars to maintain the trust and honesty upon which sharing work maintain the trust and honesty upon which sharing work and knowledge depends.”and knowledge depends.”

Use of quotation:Use of quotation: A great point that the author brings up in her article is A great point that the author brings up in her article is

that “we have . . . [a] responsibility to police ourselves, that “we have . . . [a] responsibility to police ourselves, our students, and other scholars to maintain the trust our students, and other scholars to maintain the trust and honesty upon which sharing work and knowledge and honesty upon which sharing work and knowledge depends” (Lanegran 2004).depends” (Lanegran 2004).

Most important lesson:Most important lesson:

Many of you have Many of you have significant work to significant work to do to make this a do to make this a professional, useful professional, useful report, butreport, but

Final Reports are Final Reports are due by 4:00 p.m., due by 4:00 p.m., Mon., 4/23. Mon., 4/23.

You will get the You will get the drafts back by Wed., drafts back by Wed., 4/18.4/18.

Lessons from drafts: title pageLessons from drafts: title pagePlease use this format for Please use this format for titletitle page: page:

Title of reportTitle of report

Prepared for: (name)Prepared for: (name)

Prepared by: (name)Prepared by: (name)

Your affiliationYour affiliation

DateDate

Title page is different from Title page is different from covercover page. page.

SummarySummary Give purpose of project and purpose of Give purpose of project and purpose of

report – why and for whom???report – why and for whom??? MinimizeMinimize description of methodology. description of methodology. Include major findings for ALL failures, Include major findings for ALL failures,

problems, and preventative measures problems, and preventative measures investigated.investigated.

Be as specific as possible.Be as specific as possible. Justify recommendation (if provided) in Justify recommendation (if provided) in

terms of terms of specificspecific problem (s) solved. problem (s) solved.

IntroductionIntroduction

Make authorization clear – under whose Make authorization clear – under whose authority did you conduct the investigation?authority did you conduct the investigation?

If description of methodology is more than about If description of methodology is more than about ½ page, consider creating a major section called ½ page, consider creating a major section called Methodology and placing it after the Intro. Methodology and placing it after the Intro.

Subheadings do help.Subheadings do help. Make the Overview of Report subsection Make the Overview of Report subsection

meaningful. But it can be short.meaningful. But it can be short.

Description and analysis sectionsDescription and analysis sections

Be sure to fully explain the failures and Be sure to fully explain the failures and preventative measures you investigated preventative measures you investigated BEFORE analyzing or evaluating them. BEFORE analyzing or evaluating them.

Clearly separate Clearly separate descriptiondescription of failures from of failures from your your analysisanalysis of how the technical and other of how the technical and other failures interacted. failures interacted.

SeparateSeparate description description of preventative measures of preventative measures from from evaluationevaluation of them based on some criteria of them based on some criteria connected with original problems. Use connected with original problems. Use subheadings or major headings to make the subheadings or major headings to make the distinction.distinction.

Customize your headings.Customize your headings.

Do not use a major heading called Do not use a major heading called AnalysisAnalysis. That heading is too generic. . That heading is too generic. Analysis of what?Analysis of what?

Even Even Analysis of FindingsAnalysis of Findings is too generic is too generic for a major heading.for a major heading.

Consider using subheadings in these Consider using subheadings in these larger major sections. larger major sections.

Introduce all major sections: tell the Introduce all major sections: tell the reader what to expect.reader what to expect.

Evaluation of Preventative MeasuresEvaluation of Preventative Measures

The technical staff evaluated the following measures on The technical staff evaluated the following measures on the basis of two criteria: 1) how well they address the basis of two criteria: 1) how well they address particular problems with management of such disasters particular problems with management of such disasters and 2) compatibility with existing infrastructure.and 2) compatibility with existing infrastructure.

• Enhanced training for contractors Enhanced training for contractors • New legislation requiring stricter stairwell codes for public New legislation requiring stricter stairwell codes for public

buildingsbuildings• Public education in local evacuation plansPublic education in local evacuation plans

This section describes these measures, defines the This section describes these measures, defines the evaluation criteria, evaluates the measures for local evaluation criteria, evaluates the measures for local application, and suggests a method for prioritizing them.application, and suggests a method for prioritizing them.

Enhanced Training for ContractorsEnhanced Training for Contractors

Blah blah blahBlah blah blah

Major heading

Sub-heading

Balance and VisualizationBalance and Visualization

Treat your preventative measures or your Treat your preventative measures or your compared disasters with equal care. Don’t compared disasters with equal care. Don’t spend 1 page describing one measure or spend 1 page describing one measure or disaster and ¼ page describing another.disaster and ¼ page describing another.

If you provide pictures for at least one measure If you provide pictures for at least one measure or disaster, provide pictures for all measures.or disaster, provide pictures for all measures.

Pictures really help us visualize and therefore Pictures really help us visualize and therefore understand what you are describing and understand what you are describing and evaluating. evaluating.

ConclusionsConclusions Start on new page!Start on new page! Summary of findings and evaluationSummary of findings and evaluation

Findings for analysis of failure (s)Findings for analysis of failure (s) Findings on preventative measures (and their Findings on preventative measures (and their

evaluation, if applicable). evaluation, if applicable).

Formatted in point or bullet form, preferablyFormatted in point or bullet form, preferably But remember to introduce the list with text!But remember to introduce the list with text!

NotNot a recommendation a recommendation No No newnew information information

RecommendationsRecommendations Not aNot a required required section. section. Use active voice:Use active voice:

RCQ Engineering Consulting RCQ Engineering Consulting recommendrecommends that s that Senator Hutchinson’s office work with appropriate Senator Hutchinson’s office work with appropriate federal agencies to allocate funds for a public federal agencies to allocate funds for a public education campaign targeting . . .”education campaign targeting . . .”

May include implementation information, even May include implementation information, even if not included previously.if not included previously. Funding agencies?Funding agencies? Next steps?Next steps?

GraphicsGraphics Check labeling and titling requirements Check labeling and titling requirements

(see Graphics slides)(see Graphics slides) Discuss each one in the textDiscuss each one in the text Be sure you have Be sure you have at leastat least one one original original

graphic.graphic. Cite the source of every “borrowed” Cite the source of every “borrowed”

graphic underneath the title. graphic underneath the title.

LanguageLanguage

Your work is finished – describe what you Your work is finished – describe what you did in did in pastpast tense. tense.

Describe your conclusions in Describe your conclusions in presentpresent tense.tense.

Describe what your report presents in Describe what your report presents in presentpresent tense. tense.

Support your arguments with proofs Support your arguments with proofs and examples every step of the way!and examples every step of the way!

Read Read Reference GuideReference Guide, pp. 28-39., pp. 28-39. Avoid making fallacies in your argument, Avoid making fallacies in your argument,

especially these:especially these: Hasty generalizationHasty generalization Circular reasoningCircular reasoning Doubtful causeDoubtful cause Irrelevant proofIrrelevant proof False analogyFalse analogy

Revising your Revising your Report Draft:Report Draft:good advicegood advice See chapter 6 in See chapter 6 in Introduction to Introduction to Engineering Engineering Communication.Communication.

Revising . . Editing . . ProofingRevising . . Editing . . Proofing The three stages of rewriting.The three stages of rewriting.

RevisingRevising: reorganizing, moving text around, : reorganizing, moving text around, reworking paragraphs and sectionsreworking paragraphs and sections

EditingEditing: making sentence-level corrections: making sentence-level corrections ProofingProofing: making final corrections for word-: making final corrections for word-

choice, punctuation, spacing, format choice, punctuation, spacing, format consistencyconsistency

RevisingRevising: Start with the big picture : Start with the big picture (content and organization)(content and organization)

Are my subsections balanced in length?Are my subsections balanced in length? especially in Analysis and Evaluation sections. especially in Analysis and Evaluation sections.

Is Summary complete?Is Summary complete? Do section headings make sense for Do section headings make sense for mymy report? report?

You might combine technical and additional failures You might combine technical and additional failures into one section.into one section.

You may not have any “Further Investigation” section. You may not have any “Further Investigation” section. In any case, that does not refer to In any case, that does not refer to youryour work! work!

Use print preview to check paragraph lengths.Use print preview to check paragraph lengths.

Editing StrategiesEditing Strategies

Decide whether you are more successful and Decide whether you are more successful and comfortable editing online or in hard copy.comfortable editing online or in hard copy.

Get someone else to read particularly Get someone else to read particularly troublesome sections. Focus their attention.troublesome sections. Focus their attention.

Read out loud.Read out loud. Follow the style sheet you created!Follow the style sheet you created! Use grammar checkers for what they can do.Use grammar checkers for what they can do. Use the spell checker but also proofread.Use the spell checker but also proofread.

Grammar Checkers: do they work?Grammar Checkers: do they work?

TheirTheir is a tavern in the town.is a tavern in the town. Word 6:Word 6: Consider Consider therethere or or theirstheirs

instead of instead of theirtheir Word 98:Word 98: therethere Word 2000Word 2000:: therethere Word 2003Word 2003:: Order of words (their is); Order of words (their is);

consider revising.consider revising. Word XP:Word XP: (changed to “there” without (changed to “there” without

even being asked)even being asked)

Another ExampleAnother Example

And And they’rethey’re my true love my true love sitssits him down. him down. Word 6:Word 6: Consider Consider setssets instead of sits instead of sits

Don’t start sentence with Don’t start sentence with andand..

Consider replacing they’re with Consider replacing they’re with

they arethey are.. Word 98Word 98:: No suggestionsNo suggestions Word 2000Word 2000:: No suggestionsNo suggestions Word 2003Word 2003:: No suggestionsNo suggestions Word XPWord XP:: No suggestionsNo suggestions

Proof Reading with PowerProof Reading with Power

Allow time after editing.Allow time after editing. Check whatever comes in pairs (quotation Check whatever comes in pairs (quotation

marks, etc.).marks, etc.). Remember that mistakes tend to cluster.Remember that mistakes tend to cluster. Turn document upside down to check Turn document upside down to check

spacing.spacing. Consider reading backwards.Consider reading backwards.

Most Important TipMost Important Tip Allow Allow timetime in between revising, editing, in between revising, editing,

and proofreading. Take breaks!and proofreading. Take breaks!