BITS Pilani KK Birla Goa

Campus presentation
[Link] Mitra
BITS Pilani Assistant Professor,
Department of Humanities and Management
K K Birla Goa Campus

BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus

 BITS Pilani
K K Birla Goa Campus

TA ZC312:Technical Report Writing

28th August,2012

BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus

 TAZC312

TECHNICAL REPORT WRITING

LECTURE NO.9
SUMMARY OF LECTURES 1 to 8

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 LECTURE 1 to 4
1. Communication : An Overview
2. Nonverbal communication and Communication
barriers
3. Effective writing
4. Art of condensation ( Précis writing)

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 LECTURE 5 to 8

5. Oral Presentation

6. Memorandum and Meetings

7. Group Discussion

8. Technical Proposal

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 Lecture 1
Professional Communication
Chapter -1 of T1 and Part-1 of R1

• Process
• Types
• Network : Formal and Informal
• General and Business
• Ethical, Legal and Global aspects
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Lecture Objectives
• To understand the concept of communication,
the different stages in the communication
process,and its importance
• To discuss its various features, types, flow, and
forms
• To understand the difference between
general and business communication

TA ZC 312: Technical Report Writing

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 Agenda
• Definition
• Process
• Types
• Network
• Characteristics/Features
• Importance

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 Definition
Communication is the art of being understood.
- Peter Usitov
• Communication is a word of Latin origin
Communico or communicare, which means to
share.
• Transmission and interchange of facts, ideas ,
feelings or course of action.
• Most common medium of communication is
language .We ,also, communicate with Non-
verbal Cues such as codes and
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Need for Effective Communication
• Helps network with people.
• Helps collaborate with everyone at workplace
• Helps understand the need for change
• Increases listening ability

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Objectives Of Communication
To educate To entertain
To inform
To raise
morale

To advice
To negotiate

Communication
To order
To reprimand

To counsel
To To persuade
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Communication Process

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Communication Process
Common Frame of Reference

Message Receiver Response

Sender

Sent/Received

Semantic Gap
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 Steps
Sender Receiver

• Ideation • Receiving
• Encoding • Decoding
• Transmission • Action
• Acceptance

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Elements of Communication Process
• Sender- is the person who originates the
message and is therefore the information
source (or encoder )

• Message-is the content or what is

communicated.

• The Medium
1. Written Communication- Letters, Memos etc.
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Elements of Communication Process
2. Oral Communication- Spoken Word,
Telephone etc.
3. Visual Communication- Pictorial Means
4. Non-verbal Communication
• Channel is the carrier through which or by
which the message is transmitted to the
receiver.
The choice of the channel and the type of
symbols is determined by the situation
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Elements of Communication Process
• The receiver is the person to whom the
message is communicated and who interprets
or decodes the message.

• Noise: Any factor which prevents the proper

exchange of information

• Feedback the observation of the receivers

response by the sender is called feedback.
• Semantic Gap:
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What can effect the components
of Communication Process?

Sender -- Culture , Attitude, Communication,

Position

Channel – Institutionalized, Sensory

Message – Content, Presentation

Receiver -- Culture, Attitude, Communication

Position
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Typical features of communication

• Two way process

• Continuous/Ongoing
• Functional
• Commulative process
• Irreversible
• Contextual
• Complex
• Inevitable
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Formal and Informal Communication

 Formal Communication: Communication that

is characterized by certain formal elements
such as hierarchy, organization etc.

 Informal Communication: Communication

that lacks a formal structure and format i.e.
communicating with friends and family

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Types of Communication
Communication

Verbal Non verbal

-Signs
-Symbols
Oral Written
-Body Language
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 ORAL

Face – to – face Conference

Telephonic Panel Discussion
Group Symposium
Meeting Presentation
Seminar Interview
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ORAL COMMUNICATION
Advantages Limitations
• Adjustable • Future ref not
• Imm. Clarification possible
• Time • Not-effective if
• Persuasion & poor speaker
control • Not suitable for
• Formality lengthy details
• Cost • Distortion
• Convenient/reliable
• Poor retention
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 WRITTEN

e – mail Letter
Fax Report
Memorandum Proposal
Notice Research paper
Circular
Press release
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 Written Communication
Advantages Limitations
• Most wanted • Limited only Literates
• Permanent • Costly, tine consuming
• Legal evidence • Formal
• Accurate • Delayed feedback
• Suitable for lengthy
& complicated

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Professional Communication
Use of effective language for conveying a
commercial/ industrial message to achieve a
predetermined purpose

Concerned with business activities

-characterized by certain formal elements
-impartial & objective
-certain complex writing techniques

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Levels of Communication

• Social Communication

• Transformational Communication

• Corporate Communication

• Group Communication
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 Levels of Communication
• Organizational Communication:
The communication in an organization which
takes place at different organizational levels. Is
further divided into Internal Operational,
External Operational and Personal.
• Mass Communication:
This kind of communication is characterized by
Large Reach, Impersonality and the presence of a
‘Gatekeeper’
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Levels of Communication
• Personal/Intrapersonal Communication:
Communication that takes place within the
individual. This kind of communication
pertains to thinking, which is the basis of
information processing. Even when
communicating with other parties, internal
dialogue with oneself continues concurrently.

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Levels of Communication

• Interpersonal Communication
Refers to the sharing of information among
people. In this kind of communication, few
participants are involved, the interactants are
in close proximity to each other and the
feedback is immediate.

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Communication: The Key to
better things in Life
Qualities of an effective Communicator
 Emphatic Listening
 Structure and Focus
 Clarity and Consistency
 Unambiguity
 Distribution
 Purposefulness
 Positivity
 Proper Body Language
 Non- Judgmental
 Honesty and Sincerity
 Time Factor

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Communication Networks

There are five common communication

networks in formal communication in an
organization

[Link] Network
2.Y-Network
[Link] Network
[Link] Network
[Link] Channel Network
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Communication Networks

The Informal Communication Channels are:

1. Single Strand
2. Gossip
3. Probability
4. Cluster

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Communication Networks
Formal Networks
D1

Chain Y-Network D2

Wheel Circle
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Communication Networks
Formal Networks
D1

Chain Y-Network D2

Wheel Circle
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Communication Networks
Informal Networks

C C
B B D
A E
A O
Single F
Strand Gossip

E
D
C B
A Cluster
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Characteristics of Professional
Communication
 Open communication climate
 Committed to ethics
 Perception of multicultural
 Proficiency in CT
 Audience awareness
 Efficient flow
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Characteristics contd…..

 Clear – unambiguous
 Concise – direct, precise
 Correct – specific, accurate
 Complete – self contained
 Courteous – cordial, polite
 Impartial and objective
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Importance of Professional
Communication
 Life line of business
 Measure of the success, growth

 Link within & outside

 Tangible product of the work

 Valuable repository of information

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Importance of Professional
Communication
 Develops desirable qualities

 Reveals gaps in thinking

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Difference between General
and Professional Communication
General Communication Technical Communication
Contains a general message Contains a technical message
Informal in style and approach Mostly formal
No set pattern of communication Follows a set pattern
Mostly oral Both oral and written
Not always for a specific audience Always for a specific audience
Doesn't involve the use of technical Frequently involves jargon, graphics,
vocabulary or graphics, etc. etc.

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Communication Flow
 Information flows in an organisation both
formally and informally. Information of various
kinds flowing through formal channels, such as
policy or procedural changes, order,
instructions , etc. is classified as formal
communication.

 Such types of communication can flow in

various directions –downwards, upwards,
lateral, diagonal or radial.
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Downward Communication
• Downward communication flows from a
manager, down the chain of command. When
mangers inform ,instruct, advise, or request
their subordinates, the communication flows
in a downward pattern.
• Such communication increases awareness
about the organization among subordinates
and employees and enables managers to
evaluate the performance of their
subordinates.
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Upward Communication

• When subordinates send reports to inform

their superior or to present their findings and
recommendations, the communication flows
upward.

• This type of communication keeps mangers

aware of how employees feel about their jobs,
colleagues and the organization in general.
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Impediments of Upward Flow
 Less chance of open communication
 Fear of reprisal
 Lack of adequate communication skills
 Differing frame of reference

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Lateral or Horizontal Communication
• This form of communication takes place
among peer groups or hierarchically
equivalent employees.

• Such communication is often necessary to

facilitate coordination, save time, and bridge
the communication gap among various
departments.
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Horizontal Flow and Obstacles
 Poor Communication skills
 Prejudice
 Ego
 Avoiding Communication
 Diagonal or Cross-wise Communication
 Diagonal flows in all directions and cuts across
functions and levels in an organisation.

When a sales manger communicates directly

with the Vice President(Production) , who is
not only in a different division, but also at a
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Horizontal Flow and Obstacles
higher level in the organization, they are
engaged in diagonal communication.

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 Informal Flow

 Grapevine
 An important source of information
 Precautions: verify from other sources

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 Sample Questions
(i) Explain the following with two examples each:
• Grapevine communication
• Horizontal communication
(ii) Discuss in about 100 words each:
• A communication process is incomplete
without feedback
• There is no difference between the forms of
general and business communication

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Nature of Communication
Global Aspect

Ethical Aspect

Legal Aspect

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 Nature of Communication
Global Aspect

 Communication is Culture Specific

 Avoid Cross Cultural Conflicts: Be Open-

minded, tolerant, courteous and keenly
perceptive of the non-verbal clues

 Treat your Foreign Counterpart not as you

want but rather as he would like to be treated
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 Nature of Communication
Global Aspect
Examples of Cross-Cultural Misunderstandings:

[Link] Gift of a clock to a Chinese would offend him

as it is supposed to bring bad luck to the receiver.
Thus a gift meant as a goodwill symbol acts as a
barrier to communication.
[Link] Latin America, it is the norm to spend some
time socializing before an important meeting.
[Link] India, a ‘quick response’ is usually action in
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Nature of Communication
Global Aspect
two-three days whereas in the Western
Countries, it means generally the same day.
[Link] Indian Culture, social greetings generally involve
a Namaste or shaking of hands with the other
person whereas in countries like the United
States, friends usually greet each other with hi-
fives, hearty pats on the back (men) and a kiss on
the cheek (women)

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Nature of Communication
Ethical Aspect


 Ethics is a person’s ability to
make a judgement about what is
right and what is wrong.

Sometimes, it is really difficult

to decide what is ethical and
what is unethical
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 Lecture 2
Nonverbal Communication
(Ch. 3)
• Kinesics ( appearance, eye contact, facial
expressions, posture, gesture)
• Paralinguistics ( vocal cues)
• Proxemics : formal, Informal, Public
• Chronemics : Time

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Non Verbal Communication
INTIMATE SPACE: 0-18 inches

PERSONAL SPACE: 18 inches-4 feet

SOCIAL SPACE: 4-12 feet

PUBLIC SPACE: > 12 feet

“Body Bubble” Concept

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 Sample questions (Nonverbal)
• A number of nonverbal cues play an
important role in oral communication—
discuss in about 200-250 words.
• Describe how a person can express the
following feelings through his body
language alone:
Affection, friendliness, dislike, anger
• Human voice is a powerful tool of
communication--Elaborate
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 Lecture 2
Barriers to Communication
(Ch. 4)
• Cultural and linguistic
• Psychological
• Interpersonal
• Physical
• Organizational

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 Chapter Objectives:
• Measures to rectify communication failure
• Types of communication barriers
• Tips for Effective Communication

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 Communication Barriers
• Communication barriers between people:
a).Intrapersonal
b).Interpersonal
• Organizational barriers

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 [Link]
• Baseless Assumptions
• Differing Perceptions
• Differing Backgrounds
• Wrong inferences
• Impervious categories
• Categorical thinking and rambling

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 Baseless Assumptions
• Inadequate knowledge
• Lack of empathy

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 Differing Perception
• Unique perception

• Same event – experienced differently

• Selective perception

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 Differing background
• Culture, education, status, age, sex,
environment, education,language

• Low status – may be very cautions

• High Status – may distort ; may not be

ready to lower their status

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 Wrong Inferences

• Facts and Inferences

• Inferences: Your judgment
Your conclusions
• Facts are fixed
• Inferences can vary

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Impervious Categories

• Rigid/inflexible/Fixed/
• Immutable
• Reject, distort, avoid—if does not
match
• Mindset—not able to accept any
deviation
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Categorical Thinking
• Rambling/ not paying attention
• Know-it-all
• Strong words—all, always, everyone, none,
never, etc.

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 2. Interpersonal
 Incongruity of verbal and nonverbal cues
 Emotional outbursts
 Communication Selectivity
 Cultural and Linguistic variations
 Poor Listening
 Disturbances in channels
 Confused Presentation.

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 Incongruity
 Stark difference between verbal and nonverbal
responses
 Wrong interpretations
 Ignoring nonverbal cues

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 Emotional Outburst
 Positive and Negative emotions
 Be Moderate
 EI
 Be patient

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 Communication
Selectivity
• Paying attention to part of message
• May not be able to get total perception
• May be with sender or receiver

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 Cultural and Linguistic Variations
• High context/Low Context
• Language
• Habits and customs

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 Poor Listening
• Listening/Hearing
• Active/Passive
• Lack of empathy, concentration
• Listen and react

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 Disturbances in Channels
• Visual
• Audio-visual
• Physical/Material barriers
• Psychological barriers

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 Confused Presentation
• Faulty emphasis
• Wrong ordering of material
• Wrong timing of the message
• Including irrelevant material
• Poor choice of words
• Bad delivery of speech
• -Ve statements if too many

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 Organizational Barriers

• Information Overload
• Message Complexity
• Message Competition
• Lack of Trust
• Incorrect Choice of medium
• Inappropriate transfer stations
• Closed Communication Climate
• Physical Distortions
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 Information Overload
• Can’t concentrate effectively on the most
[Link]
• Ignore some messages
• Delay responses
• Answer only part of some messages
• Answer inaccurately to certain messages
• React only superficially to all messages

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 Message Complexity
• Your conflicts about the content
• The dry & difficult nature of the subject

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 Lack of Trust
• Org. members are apprehensive whether you
support or not

• Fear of superiors

• Unethical communication

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 Incorrect choice of Medium
• Media Richness
• To convey a message using more
than one cue
• To facilitate feedback
• To establish personal focus
• Techno phobia

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 Richer

Face to face
Telephone e-mail

Addressed Document

Un addressed Document

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 Inappropriate transfer stations
• Formal restriction affect communication

• Too few formal channels block effective Communication

• More vertical links – messages distorted, lost, delayed

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 Unethical Communication

Relationships within & outside depends on

trust & fairness.

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 Closed Communication Climate

• Environment influenced by
mgmt. style

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 Effectiveness
Perception Precision

Credibility

Control Congeniality
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 Why for “YOU”
Communication skills are essential for
• Job placement
• Job performance
• Career advancement
• Success in the new world of work

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 Today’s workplace
• Flattened management hierarchies
• More participatory management
• Increased emphasis on teams
• Heightened global competition
• Innovative communication technologies
• New work environments
• Focus on information as a corporate asset

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 Global Aspects
• MNCs
• Heterogeneous – diverse culture,
language, social norms
• Ethnocentrism
• Avoid stereotypes

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 Intercultural Variations
Individual National
•Education
•Law and regulation
•Chronemics •Economics
•Proxemics •Religion
•Food •Social Norms
•Dress •Politics
•Manners •Language
•Decision making

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 Ethical / Unethical ?
• Writing your resume so that an embarrassing 2-year
lapse won’t be obvious
• Saying nothing when you witness one employee
taking credit for another’s successful idea
• Buying one software package for use by 3 computer
operators
• Calling in sick because you’re taking a few days off
and you want to use up some of the sick leave
you’ve accumulated

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 Ethical Aspects

• Part of organizational culture

• Code of ethics / Framework
• Act ethically
• Quality and integrity

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 Legal Aspects
• Abide by rules and regulations
• Consult
• Be careful about libel
• Respect confidentiality
• Examine the legality of contracts, deals

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 Measures to rectify communication
failure:

• Identify the problem

• Find the cause
• Work on alternative solutions
• Opt for the best solution
• Follow up religiously

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 Tips For Effective
Communication
• Create an open communication environment
• Always keep the receiver in the mind
• Avoid having too many transfer stations
• Don’t communicate when you are emotionally
disturbed
• Be aware of diversity in culture, language, etc
• Use appropriate non-verbal cues
• Select the most suitable medium
• Analyze the feedback
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 Sample Questions (Barriers)
• Discuss with an example each of the terms
“ Semantic Gap” and “ Emotional
Outbursts” with special reference to
communication barriers.
• Distinguish between interpersonal and
psychological barriers
• Give 3 examples from your experience
when your communication had failed
because of cultural differences.
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 Lecture 3

Effective Writing (Ch. 19)

• Words and Phrases ( precision, Conciseness,
Plainness, Clichés, Jargons, Foreign words)
• Sentences
• Paragraphs
• Readability

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EFFECTIVE WRITING
Style is the dress of thoughts….
Lord Chesterfield

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 Technical Style

• Style refers to the way something is said

rather than what is said.
• [Link] talking to friend your style tends to be
personal and subjective.
• [Link] writing a project report or giving an
oral presentation you tend to be impersonal
and objective.

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 Factors Affecting Style
• The Audience: the same message when
addressed to a superior is expressed more
tactfully and diplomatically, but when
addressed to subordinates it is more direct
and forceful.
• The Communicative Context: conveying
routine information and making requests
communicating good or bad news, conveying
goodwill or trying to persuade someone.
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 Elements of Effective Writing

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The Seven Cs

a).Courtesy
b).Clarity
c).Concise
d).Concrete
e).Correct
f).Considerate
g).Complete

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17 BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus
ELEMENTS OF EFFECTIVE
WRITING
Words and Phrases
Sentence structure
Paragraph structure
Readability

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WORDS AND PHRASES

PREFER
 Concrete to abstract
 Plain and Familiar to Pompous and unfamiliar
 Verbs to nouns
AVOID
Clichés
Excessive use of jargons
Redundancy and circumlocution
Foreign words and phrases

TA ZC 312: : Technical Report

Writing
1 BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus
WORDS and PHRASES
Concrete and Specific
A significant loss A 53% loss
In the near future By noon
Thursday
Substantial amount Rs.50,000
• This company has produced many publications
this year.
---has brought out 3 newsletters, 2 manuals and
25 reports in 2002.

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 Adaptability

Audience Level Choice of Words & Example

Phrases
High -Tech Use jargon, or HCL corrodes pipes.
abbreviation without
explanation.
Low -Tech Use jargon, acronyms or HCL (Hydrochloric acid)
abbreviations with corrodes pipes.
parenthetical definition.

Lay Avoid jargon, acronym Concentrated acid

and abbreviation damages the pipes.

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 Accuracy: It demands exactness and precision.
Precision is the quality of being exact, accurate
and definite.

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 Brevity/Economy
It can be achieved by avoiding wordiness and
repetition.
[Link] a low ebb-------exhausted
[Link] one’s own trumpet-------self praise
[Link] mud at -------abuse

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 Wordy Style
A computer performs several important
functions, which include performing fast and
accurate calculations.
Concise Style
A computer performs fast and accurate
calculations

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 Clarity
It is the quality of being unambiguous and easily
understood. It can be achieved by using direct
language, specific and concrete words and clear
expressions.

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 Guidelines for
Effectiveness
Use Simple and Familiar Words:
Abandon ------ give up
Abashed ------ embarrassed
Antiquated machinery was utilized for
experimentation.
Old machines were used for the test

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 Guidelines for
Effectiveness
• Use Concrete and Specific Words
Furniture– arm chair
The majority—73%
In the near future– By Monday noon.

• Use Abbreviations sparingly

• Avoid cliches
The engineer left no stone unturned to construct the bridge in
time.
The engineer worked very hard to construct the bridge in time.

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 Guidelines for
Effectiveness
• Avoid excessive use of jargons

• Avoid foreign words and phrases

Tete-a-tete– personal interview/talk
Vide supra– see above

• Avoid redundancy and circumlocution

Basic fundamentals, return back, adequate enough, resume
again, the month of May, few in number, true fact, detailed
perusal and so on

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 Guidelines for
Effectiveness
• Avoid Discriminatory Writing
A student in Bits does his homework well before
coming to the class
A student in Bits does his/her homework well before
coming to the class
Students in Bits do their homework well before coming
to the class

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 Writing Effective Sentences

 Choose appropriate sentence patterns:

Use concrete and specific sentences to focus
on meaning and clarity. Abstract sentences
should be avoided. Two sentences should not
be connected using a comma. To ensure
readability , each sentence should include only
one to two ideas.

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 Writing Effective Sentences
Avoid Awkward Sentence Structures:

 The student finds it exhaustive and appropriate and has gone

through the structure of the Artificial Intelligence module.
(Incorrect)

 The student has gone through the structure of the Artificial

Intelligence module and finds it exhaustive and appropriate.
(Correct)

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 Writing Effective Sentences
Avoid sentence fragments:
A covalent bond is the force of attraction. Which arises due to
the mutual sharing of electrons between the two atoms.
(fragment)

A covalent bond is the force of attraction that arises due to the

mutual sharing of electrons between the two atoms. (Improved
version)

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 Writing Effective Sentences
Avoid fused sentences:
• We would appreciate it if you could send the item immediately
we are starting the new branch of our company on March 10,
2005. (Fused sentence)

• We would appreciate it if you could send the item immediately

as we are starting the new branch of our company on March 10.
2005.(Improved Version)

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 SENTENCE COHERENCE
Use of connectives:
•When an object is placed on one side or the
other of a converging lens and beyond the focal
plane, an image is formed on the opposite side.
•Land pollution is due to solid wastes.
•Fresh water is a renewable source , but its
distribution is uneven.

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 Length Of Sentence
• Length of sentences should be adjusted
according to the readers, the subject matter,
and to the demands of style.

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 SENTENCE EMPHASIS
Placing the Sentence Theme
1. Acid rain causes water pollution.
2. Plastics can be classified into two groups,
according to their behaviour when heated.
3. The behaviour of plastics when heated can
be the basis of classifying them into two
groups.

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 SENTENCE EMPHASIS
Correct Subordination

The principal idea should be placed in the main

clause while the subordinate ideas may be
put in independent clauses.

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 SENTENCE EMPHASIS
• The ozone layer of the atmosphere absorbs
most of the deleterious ultraviolet rays from
the sun as it protects living organisms from
extinction. (Incorrect emphasis).

• The ozone layer of the atmosphere protects

living organisms from extinction as it absorbs
most of the deleterious ultraviolet rays from
sun. (Improved)

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 Some Guidelines for Effectiveness
• Be stringent with words.
• Avoid cluttering phrases.
I take this opportunity to tell you that you are an
excellent leader.
You are an excellent leader.

• Owing to the fact---Because

• In the meantime---meanwhile

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 Some Guidelines for Effectiveness
• Avoid Roundabout Expressions.
If there are any points on which you require
explanation or further details, we shall be glad to
furnish such additional as may be required by
telephone.
If you have any questions, please contact us over
telephone.
• Avoid Needless Repetition

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 Some Guidelines for Effectiveness
• Prefer Active to Passive Voice
My first visit to your organization will always be
remembered.
I will always remember my first visit to your
organization
Our implementation of this new procedure is required
by the board of directors.
The board of directors requires us to implement this
new procedure

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 Some Guidelines for Effectiveness
• Avoid Ambiguous Sentences
• Word as Modifier
The delay in transit nearly drove the manager frantic.
The delay in transit drove the manager nearly frantic.

• Phrase as a modifier
Quick Information Systems has brought new computer chairs for
the programmers with more comfortable seats.
Quick Information Systems has brought new computer chairs
with more comfortable seats for the programmers.

TA ZC 312: Technical Report

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 FOG Index
For example: if you average 20 words to a sentence, and ten
complex words in every 100 words, your total is 30. Four-
tenths of this is 12. That is your Fog Index.
Readers Digest has a Fog Index of between 8 and 9. Time
Magazine is about 11. If you're higher than 13 you're hard to
read. Churchill's quote below has a Fog Index of 3.2. Except
when quoting others, The Learning Revolution has a Fog
Index between 8 and 10.
"We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France. We shall
fight in the seas and oceans. We shall fight on the beaches,
in the fields, in the streets, and in the hills. We shall never
surrender." (Winston Churchill)

TA ZC 312:Technical Report
5 Writing BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus
FOG INDEX CALCULATOR

[Link]

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 Sample questions

• It is necessary to use concrete and specific words/ phrases rather

than abstract and general ones in your technical writing.
• What’s a cliché? Why should it be avoided in your formal writing?
• Rewrite the following sentence for effectiveness:
There are records which contain statements made
by men who were employees of the company in
the past, and these statements do not support the
claims made by the company.

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 Paragraph Writing

A paragraph deals with a single controlling

idea.

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 Lecture 4
Paragraphs and Précis (Ch. 32)
• Unity
• Coherence
• Development
• Steps to writing a précis
• Dos and Don’ts of précis writing
• Samples

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 Principles Of Paragraph Writing

[Link] Length
[Link]
[Link]
[Link] Development of ideas

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 • Develop the following topic sentence into
a complete paragraph (around 150 words)
using the most appropriate type of
organization. Follow all the rules of
effective writing.
Effective communication requires audience
awareness
• Write a précis of the passage given on
pages 438-439 ( Passage IV)
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Use of the Précis

• This technique of writing can be used in several areas - viz.

Essay Preparation,Note-Taking,Document Based Questions
Research Papers
• It will take you some time to master the art of writing the
précis. However don't give up; this technique is invaluable as
you prepare to write a Historical Essay and Document-Based
Questions.
• Use of the précis increases skills in reading and in precision
and economy of expression. The techniques of the précis are
apparent in the following:
A. Newspaper headline
B. Opening paragraph of newspaper story, lecture, notes and
lots more. TA ZC 312:Technical report
Writing6 BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus
 Précis Writing
• Definition: A précis is a clear, compact logical summary of
a passage. It preserves only the essential or important
ideas of the original. It is a kind of shorthand in your study
of history.

• Précis (pray-see, pl. pray-seez) writing is a basic

and very useful skill. It has been variously referred to as
'abbreviation', 'subtraction', 'abstract', 'summary', and
'condensation'

TA ZC 312:Technical Report
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 Characteristics of a good précis:

• Completeness
• Clarity
• Conciseness
• Grammatical Accuracy

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Requirements:
1. Concentration and alertness
2. Sensitivity to word meanings and the author's
viewpoint.
3. Ability to distinguish between major and
minor points.
4. A sense of proportion and emphasis.
STEPS IN READING A PASSAGE FOR THE PRECIS.
(Also useful for note-taking)

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6 BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus
 Requirements:
1. Read the whole passage attentively.
2. Begin to recognize the author's tone and
viewpoint.
3. Re-read the passage several times if necessary
for clear comprehension (understanding) of ideas.
4. Note and disregard parts of the author's work
that are introductory.
5. Underline key phrases, make notes in the margin.
6. Observe the emphasis or approach used by the
author. TA ZC 312:Technical Report Writing
6 BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus
 Requirements:
7. Assume the importance of ideas that the author
develops with the use of supporting facts and
examples.
8. Do not use the specific examples, figures of speech
or quotations cited by the author in developing your
précis.
9. When you are selecting ideas from a passage, ask
yourself the
following question: If this idea were omitted, would
the fundamental meaning of the passage be
changed? TA ZC 312:Technical Report Writing
6 BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus
 How to write good précis ???

•By substituting a phrase for a sentence or a clause.

E.g.
So that he may keep fit he walks to his office everyday.

Revised: To keep fit he walks to his office everyday.

TA ZC 312:Technical Report
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 How to write good précis ???

• By removing superfluous and ornamental words.

E.g.
We might further state that we would be glad to supply any of
these machines on a trial basis.

Revised: We would be glad to supply any of these machines on

trial.

TA ZC 312:Technical Report
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 How to write good précis ???
• By substitution and generalization. E.g.
Before you accept such statements you should carefully verify
them.

Revised: You should accept such statements after verification.

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 Points to remember

• Read the passage carefully, put down the main

theme in a sentence or a phrase and think of a
suitable title.
• Read the passage again to ensure that no point has
been left out.
• Select the essential points and reject the rest.
• Write the first draft.

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 Points to remember

• Compare the first draft with the original

to check any omission.
• Check the length to ensure that it is one third of the
original.
• Read the revised draft paying attention to grammar,
punctuation and spelling.

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 Points to remember

• Prepare the final draft and write the number of

words at the right hand corner.
• Write rough on the top of your draft and the list of
points you have made and cross them out.

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Abstract
Because on-line search databases typically contain
only abstracts, it is vital to write a complete but
concise description of your work to entice
potential readers into obtaining a copy of the full
paper. This article describes how to write a good
computer architecture abstract for both
conference and journal papers. Writers should
follow a checklist consisting of: motivation,
problem statement, approach, results, and
conclusions.
TA ZC 312:Technical Report Writing
8 BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus
Following this checklist should increase the
chance of people taking the time to obtain
and read your complete paper.
Introduction
Now that the use of on-line publication
databases is prevalent, writing a really
good abstract has become even more
important than it was a decade ago.
Abstracts have always served the function
TA ZC 312:Technical Report Writing
8 BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus
of "selling" your work. But now, instead of merely
convincing the reader to keep reading the rest of
the attached paper, an abstract must convince
the reader to leave the comfort of an office and
go hunt down a copy of the article from a library
(or worse, obtain one after a long wait through
inter-library loan). In a business context, an
"executive summary" is often the only piece of a
report read by the people who matter; and it
should be similar in content if not tone to a
journal paper abstract. TA ZC 312:Technical Report Writin
8 BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus
Checklist: Parts of an Abstract
Despite the fact that an abstract is quite brief, it
must do almost as much work as the multi-
page paper that follows it. In a computer
architecture paper, this means that it should in
most cases include the following sections.
Each section is typically a single sentence,
although there is room for creativity. In
particular, the parts may be merged or spread
among a set of sentences. Use the following as
a checklist for your next abstract:
TA ZC 312:Technical Report Writin
8 BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus
 Motivation:
Why do we care about the problem and the
results? If the problem isn't obviously
"interesting" it might be better to put motivation
first; but if your work is incremental progress on
a problem that is widely recognized as important,
then it is probably better to put the problem
statement first to indicate which piece of the
larger problem you are breaking off to work on.
This section should include the importance of
your work, the difficulty of the area, and the
TA ZC 312:Technical Report Writin
impact it might have if successful 8 BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus
Problem statement:

What problem are you trying to solve? What is

the scope of your work (a generalized approach,
or for a specific situation)? Be careful not to use
too much jargon. In some cases it is appropriate
to put the problem statement before the
motivation, but usually this only works if most
readers already understand why the problem is
important.

TA ZC 312:Technical Report Writing

8 BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus
Approach:

How did you go about solving or making

progress on the problem? Did you use
simulation, analytic models, prototype
construction, or analysis of field data for an
actual product? What was the extent of your
work (did you look at one application program
or a hundred programs in twenty different
programming languages?) What important
variables did you control, ignore, or measure?
TA ZC 312:Technical Report
Writing8 BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus
Results:

What's the answer? Specifically, most good

computer architecture papers conclude that
something is so many percent faster, cheaper,
smaller, or otherwise better than something else.
Put the result there, in numbers. Avoid vague,
hand-waving results such as "very", "small", or
"significant." If you must be vague, you are only
given license to do so when you can talk about
orders-of-magnitude improvement. There is a
tension here in that you shouldTAnot provide Report Writin
ZC 312:Technical
8 BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus
Results:

numbers that can be easily misinterpreted, but

on the other hand you don't have room for all
the caveats.

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8 BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus
Other Considerations

An abstract must be a fully self-contained, capsule

description of the paper. It can't assume (or
attempt to provoke) the reader into flipping
through looking for an explanation of what is
meant by some vague statement. It must make
sense all by itself. Some points to consider
include:
Meet the word count limitation. If your abstract
runs too long, either it will be rejected or
someone will take a chainsaw to it to get it down
TA ZC 312:Technical Report Writing
8 BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus
Other Considerations

to size. Your purposes will be better served by

doing the difficult task of cutting yourself,
rather than leaving it to someone else who
might be more interested in meeting size
restrictions than in representing your efforts in
the best possible manner. An abstract word
limit of 150 to 200 words is common.

TA ZC 312:Technical Report Writing

9 BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus

Other Considerations

Any major restrictions or limitations on the

results should be stated, if only by using
"weasel-words" such as "might", "could",
"may", and "seem".
Think of a half-dozen search phrases and
keywords that people looking for your work
might use. Be sure that those exact phrases
appear in your abstract, so that they will turn
up at the top of a search result listing.
TA ZC 312:Technical Report Writing
9 BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus
Other Considerations
Usually the context of a paper is set by the publication it
appears in (for example, IEEE Computer magazine's
articles are generally about computer technology). But, if
your paper appears in a somewhat un-traditional venue,
be sure to include in the problem statement the domain
or topic area that it is really applicable to.
Some publications request "keywords". These have two
purposes. They are used to facilitate keyword index
searches, which are greatly reduced in importance now
that on-line abstract text searching is commonly used.

TA ZC 312:Technical Report Writin

9 BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus

Other Considerations
However, they are also used to assign papers to
review committees or editors, which can be
extremely important to your fate. So make
sure that the keywords you pick make
assigning your paper to a review category
obvious (for example, if there is a list of
conference topics, use your chosen topic area
as one of the keyword tuples).

TA ZC 312:Technical Report Writing

9 BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus
Conclusion

Writing an efficient abstract is hard work, but

will repay you with increased impact on the
world by enticing people to read your
publications. Make sure that all the
components of a good abstract are included in
the next one you write.

TA ZC 312:Technical Report
Writing
9 BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus
Writing a Summary

A summary is condensed version of a larger

reading. A summary is not a rewrite of the
original piece and does not have to be long nor
should it be long. To write a summary, use your
own words to express briefly the main idea and
relevant details of the piece you have read. Your
purpose in writing the summary is to give the
basic ideas of the original reading. What was it
about and what did the author want to
communicate?
TA ZC 312:Technical Report
Writing
9 BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus
Writing a Summary

While reading the original work, take note of

what or who is the focus and ask the usual
questions that reporters use: Who? What?
When? Where? Why? How? Using these
questions to examine what you are reading
can help you to write the summary.

TA ZC 312:Technical Report
Writing 9 BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus
Writing a Summary

Sometimes, the central idea of the piece is stated

in the introduction or first paragraph, and the
supporting ideas of this central idea are
presented one by one in the following
paragraphs. Always read the introductory
paragraph thoughtfully and look for a thesis
statement. Finding the thesis statement is like
finding a key to a locked door. Frequently,
however, the thesis, or central idea, is implied or
suggested. Thus, you will have to work harder
TA ZC 312:Technical Report Writing
9 BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus
Writing a Summary

to figure out what the author wants readers to

understand. Use any hints that may shed light
on the meaning of the piece: pay attention to
the title and any headings and to the opening
and closing lines of paragraphs.

TA ZC 312:Technical Report
9 Writing BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus
Writing a Summary
In writing the summary, let your reader know
the piece that you are summarizing. Identify
the title, author and source of the piece. You
may want to use this formula:
In "Title of the Piece" (source and date of piece),
author shows that: central idea of the piece.
The author supports the main idea by using
_____________________ and showing that

TA ZC 312:Technical Report Writing

9 BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus
Writing a Summary

Do not rewrite the original piece.

Keep your summary short.
Use your own wording.
Refer to the central and main ideas of the original
piece.
Read with who, what, when, where, why and how
questions in mind.

TA ZC 312:Technical Report Writing

10 BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus
Writing a Summary

• Do not put in your opinion of the issue or

topic discussed in the original piece. Often,
instructors ask students to put their opinions
in a paragraph separate from the summary.

TA ZC 312:Technical Report
Writing
10 BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus
 Lecture 5
Professional Presentation
Defining Purpose
Analyzing Audience and Locale
Organizing Contents
Preparing outline
Understanding Nuances of Delivery
Understanding Kinesics and Paralinguistics
Using Appropriate Visual Aids

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 • Eye contact and Posture are two significant
aspects of body language and are very important
for communicating effectively.--Discuss this
statement in about 200 words with special
reference to Professional Presentations.
• Visual aids when appropriately used enhance the
effectiveness of professional presentations.
• Vocal cues are very important to make the
professional presentations lively, interesting and
effective.

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 LECTURE 6
Memos and Minutes ( Ch. 26,27)
• Memorandum
Purpose
structure & Format
Types
• Meetings
Purpose
Planning & Preparation
Conducting meetings
Preparing minutes

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 CONTENTS
 Purpose
 structure & Format
 Types
 Sample

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 Introduction
Memo writing is technical writing with its
sleeves rolled up.“
 A memo is a no-nonsense professional
document, designed to be read quickly and
passed along rapidly, often within a company
or work group.
Interoffice memorandum

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 Purposes

• To convey information and decisions

• To make short requests
• To present short reports
• To ensure quick and smooth flow of
information
• To maintain good business relationship
• To establish accountability ( record for
reference in future)
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 Structure and Format
• Heading ( Sending organization)
• Designation of the receiver
• Designation of the sender
• Reference
• Date
• Subject
• No salutation / complimentary close
• Only signature
• Organizations have different elements and formats
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 Structure and Format

Oracle Corporation Ltd.

155, Airport Road, Goa-403726
Interoffice Memorandum
To: Sales Manager Ref: MO/T/12
From: Personnel Manager Date: 18 Jan 2012
Subject : Feedback on Product No.120

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 Style

 Informality depends on mgmt. Style &

relationship
 More personal, informal appealing,
motivational
 Use 1st , 2nd person, we etc.

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 Style

We’ll have a meeting next Tuesday Jan

11, Exert every effort to attend this
meeting Plan to make intelligent
comments regarding the new quarter
projections
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 Style

Let’s meet next Tuesday. Even if you’re

late, I appreciate your meeting. By doing
so you can have an opportunity to make
an impact on the new quarter
projections. I’m looking forward to
hearing your comments.

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 Body of the memo

Introduction
-Purpose, scope, context, background,

Discussion
-message to be conveyed ( information/ decision/
request)
Conclusion
- any additional information

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 Body of the memo report

Introduction
-Purpose, scope, context, background,

Discussion
Topics- two / three ( Findings / Analysis / Points of
discussion/ Details of the project/ Significance of findings/
Recommendations / Suggestions /
Conclusion
- any additional information

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Sample questions (Memo)

• As the MD of a company, write a memo to

the Divisional heads, announcing the
appointment of a person from outside for
the post of Personnel manager.
• Prepare a memo for circulation among to
all employees of your organization
announcing a change in the working hours
and explaining the reasons for the change

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Sample questions (Meetings)
• Surat Chamber of Trade wishes to hold its
fifteenth meeting to discuss the details of the
Shopping Festival 2012. Prepare the agenda
and minutes of this meeting. Invent all
necessary details.

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 • At a meeting of the Staff Council of Acharya
Polytechnic, Bhopal, the following business was
transacted : minutes of the last meeting,
introduction of the tutorial system, special classes
for weak students, better facilities for sports,
organization of the community lunch and
entertainment and other matters. Assuming that
you are the Secretary of the Council, write the
minutes of the meeting. Invent necessary details.

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 CONTENTS
 Purpose
 Planning & Preparation
 Procedure
 Preparing minutes

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 FORMS OF
GROUP COMMUNICATION
• Meetings
• Seminars
• Group Discussions
• Symposia
• Panel Discussions
• Conferences
• Conventions
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 Differences among the
Major forms
• Objectives
• Intensity of structure
• Degree of formality
• Extent of Use of Body Language
• Level of Interaction

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 MEETINGS
• Purposes
• Planning and preparation
• Procedure
• Minutes

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 Meetings (Purpose)
• Informational
Communicate info., explore new ideas, provide
feedback, receive report, gain support
• Decision-making
Reach a group decision, solve a problem,
reconcile, negotiate, win acceptance

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 Meetings(Planning)

• Time
• Duration
• Agenda
• Participants
• Venue and Setting
• Notice

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 TIME
• Morning Hours
• Start at an unusual time
( 9.50, 10.20)
• End at a natural break point (lunch, close)
• Well before

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 DURATION
• Appropriate to agenda
• Greater participants: Lesser time
• Long meetings—breaks
• Specify in advance

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 AGENDA

• Business to be transacted
• To be decided in advance
• Specified in notice
• To be strictly adhered to
• To be numbered
• Limit the number
• Sufficient time for each, sufficient detail

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 PARTICIPANTS

• Right people
• Based on purpose, type of problem, decision
• Right number
• Be judicious

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TAZ C312 Technical Reportt
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 Notices
 Never forget to mention:
 Date
 Time and
 Venue

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 Notices contd..

• Sometimes agenda of the meeting also is

given as an annexure to the notice.

• If it is so it contains following elements:

[Link] of the organization/group and the date
of circulation.
[Link] day, date, time and place of meeting.

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3. The items of business to be transacted.
4. The background papers or information, if
any.
5. Signature of the secretary.

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 Agenda

• First item in agenda: confirmation of the

minutes of the previous meeting.
• Last item: any other matter with the
permission of the chairman.
• Other items in their order of importance.
• Routine items in the last.

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 Minutes
• Official record of the discussion.
• Contains only the main points, and the
conclusion.
• No verbatim record
• No record of emotions and feelings
• It’s a concise and clear summary of all
discussions.
• An aid to memory

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 Meetings( Procedure)
• Getting off to a good start
• Involving everybody
• Joining the discussion
• Managing emotions
• Dealing with latecomers
• Managing conflicts
• Injecting humour
• Ending, Minutes
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 MINUTES

• Heading ( Unit of the Organization)

• Date, time, venue
• Number
• Name of Chairperson
• Members present, absent, special invitees
• Record of transactions
• Signature of Secretary and Chairperson

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 Lecture 7
Group Discussion (Ch.30)
• Individual traits
• Group behavior
• Participation
• Leadership
• Approach
• Evaluation criteria
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 Definition

Communication (small no. of people)

Face-to-face
Free oral interaction
Exchange information
Make decisions

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 Questions
• Why is group discussion considered as an
important tool in the selection process?
• How many participants generally be
accommodated in a group?
• Is GD formal or informal?
• Is there a leader in a GD?

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 Individual Traits

Ideas (originality)
Articulation (clarity)
Listening
Body Language
Initiative

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 Group Behavior

Timesharing & orderly

conduct
Handling turbulence
Handling Bull dozers

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 Orderly conduct

• Dominate without bullying

• Listen & react
• Be a gate opener not closer

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 Turbulence

Restore order

Activate inert

participants

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 Bull dozers

Silence them
• Vocally
• Physically
• Rationally

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 Participation
• High
• Low
• Shift
• Silent (how treated)
• Consistent
• Who talks to whom

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 Questions

• What are the different styles of leadership?

• Which is the best style? Why?
• What will be your responsibilities if you want
to be a leader in a GD?
• What are the roles you can play in a GD?

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 Leadership styles

• Driver (imposes, evaluates, blocks)

• Amiable (eagerly supports, avoid conflicts)

• Democrat (includes everyone, tries to control

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 Leadership Qualities

Constructive participation
Rational arguments
Convincing others
Building support
Logically weakening opponent’s point of view

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 Task Roles in GD
• Initiating
• Giving and asking information
• Giving and asking for reactions
• Paraphrasing and giving examples
• Confronting and reality testing
• Clarifying
• Gate keeping and Time keeping
• Synthesizing and summarizing

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Give 4 points which you would like to
discuss at each of the following “topic” GDs

• Role of ethics in business

• Green and blue
• MNCs: Are they devils in disguise?
• Capital; punishment should be totally
abolished from the Indian judicial system
• Technology has made the teachers redundant

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 Evaluation

• Personality
• Knowledge
• Communication Skills
• Leadership

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 Personality
• Appearance
• Temperament
• Posture and Gesture
• Mental state
• Overall Impression

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 Knowledge
• Depth
• Range
• Analytical ability
• Organization of ideas
• Overall Impression

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 Skills

Leadership skills
Communication skills
Interpersonal Skills
Problem solving skills
Conceptualizing Skills
Persuasive Skills
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 Communication Skills
• Listening Skills
• Fluency
• Aptness of Language
• Phonetic Ability
• Overall Impression
• Clarity of thought and expression

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 Leadership Skills
• Initiative
• Team spirit
• Endurance
• Decision Making
• Overall Impression

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 Leadership skills

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 Interpersonal skills

• Ability to interact with other members

• Emotional maturity and balance

• A people centric approach

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Problem solving skills

• Ability to come out with offbeat

solutions.

• Use one`s own creativity

In sho
rt you
need
nove
l idea
s
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Conceptualizing skills

The ability to grasp the situation, take it from the day

to day mundane problem level and apply it to a
macro level.

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 Persuasive Skills

• Ability to analyze and persuade others to see

the problem from multiple perspectives
without hurting the group members.

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 • Organize your thoughts

• Be Vocal

• Seek clarification if required

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 •Initiate a discussion

•Agree with some one

else`s point

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 Body Language

•Gestures

•Mannerisms

•Attitude

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 Be Polite

•I strongly object
•I disagree

•I would like to share my views

•I beg to differ with you

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GROUP DISCUSSIONS

DOs
Define the topic or issue.
Analyze its scope and implication.
Initiate and generate the discussions.
Listen to the views of others intently.
Encourage and provide reticent members to
speak.
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DOs
Intervene forcefully,but politely,when the
situation demands.
Summarize views of the others before
presenting your point of view.
Be brief and to the point in the presentation of
your views.
Concede to others’ point of view if they are
reasonable.

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DOs
Try to lead the group to a definite conclusion.
Emphasize the points you consider significant.
Look at, and address,all the members of the
group.
Speak with proper pronunciation.
Help the group conclude their discussions
within the allotted time(usually an hour or so).
Maintain a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere
throughout the discussion.
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 DOs

Summarise the main viewpoints at the end.

 State the conclusions reached.

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 Never lose your cool

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•Don’t be Dominating.
•Be Assertive

•Don’t start speaking in a hasty manner.

•Wait until you understand the subject.

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Don’ts

Don’t speak continuously for a long time.

Neither raise your voice too high nor
speak too softly.
Don’t speak in monotone.
Avoid using speech mannerisms and
time-filters.

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 Questions

• What is a Case Study?

• Why is it used in a GD?
• How can you begin a case-GD?
• Which type of GD is easy to participate?– Case
or topic ?

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 Steps for Case Analysis
• Put the case information together – mind
mapping
• Evaluating the actions and plans of the
company and identify, describe business
opportunities and problems
• Recommend a coordinated plan of action to
correct business problem or to take advantage
of opportunities
• Provide justification for the recommended
action
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 Steps for Case Analysis

• Try to get a quick sense of the whole case –

title, heading, outline, introduction,
conclusion if any
• Does this require a decision? Who is the
decision maker? What decision does she have
to make? What are her objectives? What
other actors are there? Their objectives?

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 Steps for Case Analysis
• At this point reread the case carefully;
underline key facts
• Note the key problems on paper; go through
the case again for relevant information. What
are the resources / constraints?
• What are the possible courses of action? Rank
alternatives; likely short and long term
consequences .

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 Suggested Structure

• Introduction ( very brief)

• Problem –definition
• Analysis
• Recommended actions

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 Lecture 8
Technical Proposals(Ch. 25)

• Purposes
• Types
• Structure ( Executive summary, Technical
Section, Management Section, Cost
Estimate)

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 DEFINITION
• Sales offer
• Product or Service
• Written offer to solve a technical
problem or to undertake a
practical study of a project of
practical or theoretical in nature

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 PURPOSES
• To sell property, buildings, machines,
product,services.
• To construct buildings, highways, etc.
• To survey areas for water resources,formulate
economically viable methods of providing clean
drinking water,water for agriculture purpose…
• To design training programmes
• To take up office automation
• To undertake research

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 Types

Solicited Unsolicited

SALES RESEARCH
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 Characteristics
• Sales or Research in general
• Persuasive blend of:
i) Information
ii)Organization
iii)Reason
Essentially ,therefore,Technical Proposals must:
a).Demonstrate to appropriate decision makers that
their needs would be met with
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 Characteristics

b).Be more creative athn other forms of

professional/technical writing
c). Permit informality and personal approach in
style to some extent
d).Should customer- centric
e). Look neat and attractive
f).Include summary,background, objective,
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 Characteristics

g). Anticipate rejection on any grounds and

provide solutions to overcome them
h).Meticulously follow the requirements of the
solicitor
i).Use the principles of effective writing
j). Inclusion of the various parts of the technical
report will depend on the purpose,usefulness
and requirement of the receiver.

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 Characteristics

The only major difference between Technical

Proposal and all other forms of technical
writing is that :
Technical Proposals are concerned with future
projects,while all others are records of things
that have already occurred or have been
executed.

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 Characteristics

• For all technical prosposals whether long or

short,simple or complicated,to be effective,the
following questions must be asked :
a).What do we propose to do?
b).How do we propose to do it?
c).What evidence can we present to show that
ours is the best way to get the desired results?

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 Characteristics

d).How can we demonstrate out ability to do

what we propose to do?
e).What evidence must we present to show that
the cost will be acceptable and perhaps, we
can meet a satisfactory time schedule?

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Differences between major
Technical Writings
Proposal Report Business Plan

a). It is written to Written to It is written to

someone who needs someone someone
to sort out a with who needs to
technical , authority make a
management, or to know decision for
business problem or the causes profit making
needs to implement of the or
new ideas to problem strengthening
enhance
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 Differences between major
Technical Writings

efficiency and and its

productivity in possibly operational
various take a aspects
professional decision
operations.
b). It identifies a Written to Like
particular need , identify a proposals ,it
explains it specific identifies
problem, that
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Differences between major
Technical Writings
Proposal Report Business
Plan
thoroughly, explain it , workable
and and idea, explains
recommends recommend all aspects
how action that related to
will lead to a financial
solution. needs,

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Differences between major
Technical Writings
Proposal Report Business Plan
target market,
demographic
characteristics
and
consequences
and any other
such
information
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Differences between major
Technical Writings
Proposal Report Business Plan

c). Formal but Formal in Persuasive

persuasive Style
style
d). It involves It only It is written
cost for the highlights the to get
execution of reasons capital for a
the proposed based on the start-up
idea. interpretation venture.
of data and
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Differences between major
Technical Writings
Proposal Report Business Plan

make
recommen
dations
e) It is written to It is written Both the
someone to people applicant and
whose decision who can the
will directly take or approving
benefit the affect authority aim
writer in outcome. at making
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profit
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Differences between major
Technical Writings
Proposal Report Business
Plan
f) It, also, deals with It deals with Like
future professional some event proposals, it
[Link],it is or situation deals with
often put forth by that has future
experts and already action but
experienced occurred. there are
professionals,there chances of
are less chances of failure as
TAZ C312 Technical Report Writing
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Differences between major
Technical Writings
Proposal Report Business Plan
budding
Entrepreneurs
use this format

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 SALES PROPOSALS
• Business Proposals
• Outside the company
• Requests---mails or
newspaper

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 RESEARCH PROPOSALS

• Academic in nature
• Mostly solicited
• Educational Institutions,
research labs, etc.
• May appear in foreign language
also
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 Structure
• Prefatory
• Main body
• Supplementary parts

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 Prefatory

Title page
Letter of transmittal
Draft contract
Table of contents
List of illustrations
Executive summary

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 Main body
Introduction
Technical section
Management section
Cost estimate
Conclusion

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 Supplementary

Appendix
Sources and References

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 LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL
• Cover letter
• Accompanies or bound
• After the title page
• Government Organizations
• Introductory paragraph (topic, purpose, scope)
• Middle paragraph ( highlights)
• Concluding paragraph ( inviting to respond
positively)

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 Draft contract
Quick summary
Topic
Proposer details
Duration
Cost
1st year/ subsequent years

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 CONTENTS

• Brief proposals do not require

• Long proposals need “CONTENTS” page
• To locate topics and subtopics
• Don’t have too many subtopics

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 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

• Long proposals & more illustrations ( more

than 5)
• Separate “Contents” page for illustrations
(graphs, tables, diagrams, etc.)
• To locate easily
• Check the page numbers

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 Executive summary
Back ground
Purpose
• Scope
infrastructure facilities
Technical details
Significance
Reemphasis
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 Introduction
Problem statement (clear understanding)
Purpose, scope
Technical overview
Methodology
Significance
Structure

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 Technical section
• System overview (Technical description)
• Analysis of existing situation
•• Possible design solutions
• Proposed solution
• Sources of information
• Methodology

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Management section
 Chains of command (org. charts)
 Corporate / employee credentials
• Schedules (work, implementation, reporting,
maintenance, delivery, completion, payment,
forecast)
 Gantt chart, Milestone chart
 Team organization
 Company profile
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 Cost Estimate
 Important
 funding (if internal)
•
 Break up (equipment details man power
expenses miscellaneous / consumables)
 Match with draft contract

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 Cost Estimate
• Supplies, salaries, travel, duplicating,
consumable items, etc.
• Include a budget justification section in
paragraph form
• State the various items of expenses and also
potential sources of funding
(recipient would appreciate your
responsibility)

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 Conclusion
Reemphasize strengths
Assure the reader
No new ideas
Very brief ( one paragraph)

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 Appendix
• Credentials details
• Supporting technical documents
• Illustrations

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 DOCUMENTATION

STYLES
• MLA (Modern Language Association)
• APA (American Psychological Association)
• Chicago style
• IEEE style

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 Details for Documentation
• Author/s ( whether editor/s)
• Year
• Title of the book/article , Edition if any
• Name of Journal/Newspaper/Magazine,
Volume No. Page no.
• Place of Publication
• Name of Publishers

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WORKS CITED/REFERENCES

Berst,Jesse. “ Berst Alert.” ZD Net 30 Jan.1998.

<[Link]
Corporate Credit Union Network. A Review of the Credit Union
Financial System. Kansas City: [Link]. 1998.

Kroll Jack. “[Link] Redux.” Newsweek 26 May 1997:74-75

“Rocket.”The World Book Encyclopedia. 1979 [Link]:World

Book.
Tibbets, Charlene and [Link]:A Rhetoric and
[Link]:Scott and Company.1988.

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 HARVARD STYLE
• WALKER,J.R. 1998. Citing Serials: online serial
publications and citation systems. Serials-
librarian, 33 (3/4),pp.343-356.
• WEBSTER, B. New speed camera puts more
drivers in the frame. 2006. Times, 24 May, p.1
• Who’s who (1897-1998).1998. (CD-ROM).
London: Oxford University Press.

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 Citation within the text
“Baseball isn’t just a sport; it
represents man’s ability to meld
action with objective-the fusion of
physicality with
spirituality.”(Norwood [Link].,101)

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 Question (Proposal)

• As a fresh graduate in engineering, you have

decided to set up your own business unit in
your hometown. For this purpose you wish to
avail the loan facility under the self-
employment scheme. Draft a technical
proposal seeking loan from the State Industrial
development Corporation (SIDC).

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 Question ( Proposal)
• As the District Health Officer, Vidisha,
Madhya Pradesh, you have decided to
establish a Rehabilitation-cum-Health Care
Centre in the district especially for the rural
population of about 200000. The objective
is to help persons with total or partial
disability and to enable them live with
human dignity. Draft a proposal to the
Director of Health services, Bhopal, Madhya
Pradesh. 290
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• KEYWORD SUMMARY
Project manager, HTML, energy sales, market research,
Microsoft Office, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Power Point,
Microsoft Project, resource planning, writing, training,
presentations, primary research, secondary research

2/2/2012
POWTP ZC 321:Technical Report Writing
BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus