Technical Communications Basics: Lab Reports & More

1. Technical Communications Basics: Lab Reports & More Metro Writing Studio October 26, 2011 Instructor: Nancy Passow npassow@fdu.edu

2. Technical Writing & Communication “Communication skills are extremely important. Unfortunately, both written and oral skills are often ignored in engineering schools, so today we have many engineers with excellent ideas and a strong case to make, but they don’t know how to make that case. If you can’t make the case, no matter how good the science and technology may be, you’re not going to see your ideas reach fruition.” George Heilmeier, corporate executive of Bellcore, in “Educating Tomorrow’s Engineers,” ASEE Prism, May/June 1995 (from A Guide to Writing as an Engineer)

3. Overview • Introduction to technical & business writing • Writing resources • Editing & proofreading • E-mail, letters, & memos • Numbers, units of measurement, equations, & abbreviations • Lab reports • Tables, graphs, & illustrations • Technical articles & papers

4. Introduction • Your writing reflects who you are. • It must be readable and understandable. • Know your audience. • Organize, outline, summarize. • Use short paragraphs, sentences, and words. • Use real language – no jargon, buzzwords, or clichés.

5. Guidelines for Good Technical Writing • Focus on why you are writing. • inform • request • instruct • propose • recommend • persuade • record

6. Guidelines • Get to the point: • most important information at the beginning • Letter — opening sentence • Memo & e-mail — subject line • Report — abstract, summary (or conclusion), and/or results (or recommendations)

7. General Advice for Reports • Determine the requirements for the report. • Define the needs & requirements of the audience. • Find out specific requirements from instructor (format, etc.)

8. English (American English) “English is an imprecise, inconsistent, and illogical language that can be frustrating and difficult to use.” Pocket Book of English Grammar for Engineers and Scientists by Leo Finkelstein, Jr.

9. Web Resources • Writing Guidelines for Engineering and Science Students (Virginia Tech & Penn State Univ.) http://www.writing.eng.vt.edu/ • Writing Exercises for Engineers and Scientists http://www.writing.eng.vt.edu/exercises/ • Engineering Communication Centre, The University of Toronto http://www.ecf.utoronto.ca/~writing/handbook-lab.html

10. Web Resources On-line dictionaries: • Merriam-Webster Online (this web site also includes a word a day, word games, and daily crossword puzzles) www.m-w.com • Dictionary.com (this web site also includes a word a day and a daily crossword puzzle) dictionary.com • Increase your vocabulary, subscribe to A.Word.A.Day wordsmith.org

11. Editing & Proofreading • Never send out the first draft—let time elapse. • Make sure draft makes sense. • facts correct • main message stands out • Never rely on spell check or grammar check (or autocorrect) but use them!

12. Editing & Proofreading • Print draft out. • easier to review than on the screen • how does it look printed? • Review with someone else. • Read draft “backwards”. • When it’s really important, hire someone to proofread draft.

13. Editing & Proofreading • Edit at different levels • Check for technical accuracy • Level 1—spelling, punctuation, typos • Level 2—paragraph & sentence length and structure, verbiage, and precise word choice • Level 3—overall format, organization, and appearance

14. E-mail • Maintain a business/professional image. • Use a clear subject line. • Only one topic per e-mail. • Use an e-mail signature. • Limit message to one screen. • Avoid acronyms and Instant Messaging abbreviations.

15. Example of e-mail signature Nancy Passow Adjunct Instructor Fairleigh Dickinson University 201-541-9702 (telephone/fax) www.write4unj.com

16. E-mail (page 2) • When responding to e-mails, include reference. • Don’t forward “chain” e-mails. • Set tone (no emoticons). • Limit number of recipients. • Use “bcc” for large groups. • Limit use of “Reply All”. • E-mails are not private.

17. E-mail (page 3) • Save e-mail into files or folders • Keep copies of e-mail you send • Search e-mail folders • Create and use distribution lists • Use templates • Attach files to e-mail • Proofread and spell check e-mail • Know how to access e-mail on the road

18. Why Use Paper? • Permanent record. • Recipient not comfortable with e-mail. • Complexity of topic, amount of information. • Need to transmit printed item or item with signature.

19. Why Use Paper? • Security • Memos – internal • Letters – external • Faxes – need to show a signature or transmit something

20. General Tips • Write as though talking to recipient • Give your reason for writing in first paragraph • Establish an order for your responses • Use the proper format

21. General Tips • Keep letters and memos short, simple, and structured • stop when you’re through • End with a “call to action”/what comes next • Make the closing simple • Adopt an easy-to-read format • Don’t use “stilted expressions”

22. Memos • To, from, date • Subject – make it descriptive • Address only to person who must take action • Use cc’s & bcc’s for others – list names alphabetically (except for president or CEO) • MS Word provides memo templates

23. Sample Memo To: Technical Communications Class From: Nancy Passow Date: September 18, 2006 cc: Dr. Tan Subject: Sample Memo Memos are used to send information inside of a business or other organization. A memo can be used to ask or answer a question, report on a trip, transmit a report, or for any other type of communication that needs a written record. A full signature isn’t needed on a memo–usually senders sign their initials next to their name.

24. Letters • Company logo &/or address and date • Correct name, title, & address • Attention line – if actual recipient isn’t known • Reference line – refer to previous letter • Subject line

25. Letters • Salutation • use Mr. or Ms. (or Dr. or other honorific) • if not sure of gender, use full name or else title • Dear Terry Smith: • Dear Supervisor Smith: • can use first name after relationship established • Body of letter

26. Letters • Close • Sincerely, • Regards, • Signature • professional name typed • can sign with first name if recipient is addressed by first name

27. Letters • Reference initials • author’s initials, capitalized; typist’s initials lowercase • End notations • enclosure • cc and bcc

28. Letter Format • Block Style • 80% of all letters • all elements flush against the left margin • Modified Block Style • date and signature block start at center of page • other elements flush against left margin

29. Sample Letter – Block Style October 24, 2005 Mr. Arthur H. Bell Barron Educational Series 250 Wireless Boulevard Hauppauge, New York 11788 Dear Mr. Bell: I’ve just finished reading your book Writing Effective Letters & Memos and want to thank you for writing such a useful book! Your book is not only very informative but fun to read. It will have a prominent spot on my reference shelf. To show you what I learned, here is an example of a Block Letter Style. Normally this would be printed on my letterhead. Sincerely, Nancy R. Passow

30. Sample Letter – Modified Block Style October 24, 2005 Mr. Arthur H. Bell Barron Educational Series 250 Wireless Boulevard Hauppauge, New York 11788 Dear Mr. Bell: I’ve just finished reading your book Writing Effective Letters & Memos and want to thank you for writing such a useful book! Your book is not only very informative but fun to read. It will have a prominent spot on my reference shelf. To show you what I learned, here is an example of a Modified Block Letter Style. Sincerely, Nancy R. Passow

31. Sample Letter October 24, 2005 Barron Educational Series 250 Wireless Boulevard Hauppauge, New York 11788 Attention: Customer Service Department Please send me 10 copies of the book Writing Effective Letters & Memos by Arthur H. Bell. Enclosed is a check for $70.00 to cover the cost of the books and shipping. Thank you very much. Sincerely, Nancy R. Passow Enclosure: check #560 cc: Arthur H. Bell

32. Numbers • Write out all numbers below 10. • exceptions • time – 5 pm; 9-second delay • units of measure – 3 inches; 1 pound • money -- $7 • dates – August 2 • page numbers – page 8

33. Numbers • numbers that can go either way • age • percentages • proportions • ordinals (first, third, etc.) • spell out single words – first, fourteenth • write others as numerals – 21st, 93rd

34. Numbers • When two or more numbers appear in a sentence or paragraph, be consistent. • If a number begins a sentence, write it out (or rewrite the sentence to change the order). • Millions can either be • 2 million or 2,000,000

35. Numbers • Place a zero before the decimal point for numbers less than one (but don’t use “trailing” zeros unless they indicate precision). • 0.72 • 1 • 6.30

36. Numbers • Write fractions as numerals when they are joined by a whole number, connecting them with a hyphen. • 2-1/2 • 5-1/16 • For very large or small numbers, use scientific notation. • 0.0036 = 3.6 x 10-3 • 135,000 = 1.35 x 105

37. Numbers • Place a hyphen between a number and unit of measure when they modify a noun. • 15,000-volt charger • Use the singular when fractions and decimals of one or less are used as adjectives. • 0.9 pound

38. Numbers • In a listing of numbers, align decimal points vertically. 133.4 27.06 0.345 • Spell out one of two numbers that appear consecutively. • four four-color photos/four 4-color photos • 12 60-ohm resistors/ twelve 60-ohm resistors

39. Units of Measurement • Be consistent. • English (inch, feet, Fahrenheit, pound) • Metric/SI (Système International) • can use both (second in parentheses) • Use commonly accepted abbreviations. • Leave a space between the number and measurement unit.

40. Units of Measurement • Use the correct symbol; remember a symbol may stand for more than one thing. • C degree Celsius or C coulomb (electric charge) • Units of measurement derived from a person’s name usually not capitalized, even if abbreviation is. • amperes A kelvins K • volts V webers Wb

41. Units of Measurement Prefixes 1018 exa- E 1012 tera- T 106 mega- M 103 kilo- k 10-1 deci- d 10-2 centi- c 10-3 milli- m 10-6 micro- μ 10-9 nano- n

42. Units of Measurement • Dictionary of scientific terms • Only use the terms, symbols, etc., if you and your audience know what they mean. • Can define them in the text

43. Equations • Define your audience, if non-technical, keep equations to a minimum. • Many word processing programs can write equations in text. • If writing long-hand, make sure it is legible and accurate.

44. Equations • Center equations on page. • Number equations sequentially for reference. 5 + 7 = 12 (1) 27 – 13 =14 (2) • Align plus, minus, multiplication, and division signs with equal sign.

45. Equations • For a series of equations, align equal signs vertically. • Leave a space between text and an equation and between lines of equations. • Leave a space on both sides of the signs. • Microsoft has an Equation Editor

46. Abbreviations • computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing = CAD/CAM • spell abbreviations out the first time • initialisms (initializations)—first letter from each word and pronouncing as initials (GPA, IBM) • acronyms—first letters or sounds but pronounced as a word (AIDS, ROM, NASA)

47. Laboratory Reports • Present the data from an experiment. • Present the conclusions that can be drawn from the data. • Present the theory, methods, procedures, and equipment. • Reader should be able to replicate the experiment.

48. Lab Reports – Contents & Organization • Title page • name of experiment • names of lab partners • date • Abstract – 200 words max. • purpose • key results • significance • major conclusions

49. Lab Reports – Contents & Organization • Introduction & background • objective • important background or theory • show why you are doing this work • Methods & materials or equipment • list (accurate & complete) • may be able to reference lab manual or standard procedure

50. Lab Reports – Contents & Organization • Experimental procedure • describe process in chronological order • note any changes from planned method • Observations, data, findings, or results • what happened? • collect data, organize it, & present it • use tables, graphs, or charts