EN 314 TECHNICAL REPORT WRITING Jeaneth Balaba Lecturer

EN 314 TECHNICAL REPORT WRITING Jeaneth Balaba, Lecturer ISHRM

Good morning! 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Self-introduction ISHRM Vision and Mission Classroom policy Grading system Other clarifications Trivia information Lesson introduction Lesson proper

CLASSROOM POLICY • Attendance & Punctuality • Classroom Behavior & Language • Grading System • • Attendance Quiz Activity Exams 10% 15% 60% • Overall Rating: Prelims 100%, Pre-finals 100%, MT 70%, Finals 30% • Personal Profile (Index card) – Quiz #1

PERSONAL PROFILE ON A 3 X 5 INDEX CARD Name: 1 x 1 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…

Part 1 Technical Writing The link for good workplace/professional communication

n “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 management n Variety of Readers n Reading for different reasons n

“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

“Differences” ØTechnical 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.

n This Power. Point will: • Explore the differences between academic and technical writing • Explain the components and style of technical writing

Technical vs. Academic Writing

Technical versus Academic n Knowledge • You are the expert n Knowledge • You are still a learner

Technical versus Academic n Audience • Technical background, professional s in the field n Audience • Wide range of academics and general audiences

Technical versus Academic n Criteria for Evaluation • Clear and simple organization, • Visually appealing and easy to follow. n Criteria for Evaluation • Depth, logic, clarity, unity and grammar

Technical versus Academic n Graphics, charts, and numbers are used very frequently to support conclusions ØGraphics, charts, and numbers are sometimes used to help explain and demonstrate knowledge

Characteristics of Technical Writing Clear, Concise and simply organized. n Repetitive in nature. n Highly defined structure/format. • Examples: Lab reports, memos, business letters, technical reports, and proposals n

Compare These Statements: Looking into the azure blue sky one could see the golden orb of sun slip gently beneath the western sky. n n 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: n 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 n 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 n 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 n Place the main point at the beginning of the sentence **Don’t make the reader work to find it.

Sentence Tips n Use one main clause in each sentence **more becomes Confusing.

Sentence Tips n 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 Ø 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

Abstract Nouns n Assessment of- n Classification of- n Computation of- n Development of- n Elimination of- n Requirement of-

Conciseness Tips Focus on strong verbs! Assess n Classify n Compute n Develop n Eliminate n Require n

Conciseness Tips Shorten wordy phrases n Replace long words with short ones n Leave out clichés n Cut out extra words that are redundant n

Language Use Tips n n 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 n 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 n 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. ”

n “Confirmation of the voting results occurred yesterday. ” Revised n “The voting results were confirmed yesterday. ”

Technical Writing n n n 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.

l Report Writing

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

Report writing cont. . . * Some considerations: l 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 l Style: clear, concise English!

Report writing cont. . . l l l Objectivity: - The writer must appear to be neutral. Never use emotive language and always write logically. Back up assertions with evidence

Report Writing Stages l 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. The five major stages of report preparation are Gathering the data Analysing and sorting the results Outlining the report Writing the rough draft Revising the rough draft

Gathering the data l l l 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 l l l 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 l l 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 l SUBJECT l The HND module to Report Writing l SCOPE l covering the fundamentals of organizing, writing, and reviewing reports, l PURPOSE l 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 l

Outlining the report l l 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 l l 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 l l 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 l l 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) l 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 l Be clear, concise and correct. Use: – Familiar words l – l 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. l 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. l Avoid – – – l 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 l Spelling – Word processed material should always use the spell checker l l Word uses the American spelling e. g. formalize not formalise Punctuation – See handout#

Report writing cont. . . Report layout: - Title page: page title of report, name of the person who wrote it, date, reference no. (if applicable), circulation list. - Table of contents: contents with section and page numbers l

Report writing cont. . . - Abstract or summary: Usually written last. Not more than about a 1. 5 spaced, 3/4 of a page of A 4. Should include the main ‘bones’ of the report for ease of reference.

Report Writing l l l - 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: 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, Mc. Graw 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. 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 l Exercise # – Fog index # l 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 l l l 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