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Writing Skills

Writing Skills. Boğazıçı University May 6, 2004 Tom Atkinson. Feedback. What you liked Topic useful Verbal presentation engaging What you didn’t like Too fast Slides boring, not helpful. Agenda. Writing an Email Motivation What makes a good email Writing a Report Planning

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Writing Skills

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  1. Writing Skills Boğazıçı University May 6, 2004 Tom Atkinson

  2. Feedback • What you liked • Topic useful • Verbal presentation engaging • What you didn’t like • Too fast • Slides boring, not helpful

  3. Agenda • Writing an Email • Motivation • What makes a good email • Writing a Report • Planning • Structure • Style

  4. Part 1Writing an Email

  5. Part 1.aMotivation

  6. Motivation • How many emails in your in-box? • How much time do you spend figuring out your next action after reading an email? • How long do you spend deciphering your text books?

  7. Example #1 Hey Tom, I can't believe it has been almost 2 weeks since you sent this e-mail. I intend to respond to you each morning, and I am back to getting in by 6:30 or 7:15 most mornings, but ... you know how busy it gets. I want to get the 8 o'clock train tonight, because the next one doesn’t leave until 10pm. I am going to see Kemal Wednesday night (he has a short stay in U.S. with regard to visiting Citi bank on-site, the client he his supporting on an offshore project). So I just wanted to ask you if you could be more specific in what you want to know about "offshore" financials.  He'll provide me with the info you are interested in. Regards, Angelo

  8. Example #2 Tom,   In order to help you better, please explain in more detail what you mean by “offshore financials.” Are you looking for financial statements or for salary levels? Regards, Angelo

  9. Example #3 OK.

  10. Example #4 Gd 2 hear fm u. The LBJ is OK. Y R U going w/o him? C u soon. M.

  11. Part 1.bWhat makes a good email

  12. "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.“ - Albert Einstein

  13. What makes a good email? • Response within 36 hours • To the point – short • Clear • Organized

  14. Pretend you are the reader and ask: • What is the point? • What action am I supposed to take? If the answers aren’t immediately obvious, your message may just be ignored!

  15. Organizing for the reader’s benefit The first section summarizes key “take aways”: • Make your point early • Request responses up front • For long emails: • Write a summary • Create headings for each major section.

  16. Dear Personnel Director: On March 27, I received a phone call from Mrs. Karen Krane from New York, who was once a data entry clerk in your Ohio office. She was under the direct supervision of..... Example of a hidden main point Get to the point #1

  17. The same example rewritten so that the main point is clear. Dear Personnel Director: Please verify the employment of Mrs. Karen Krane? She was a data entry clerk in your Ohio office… (fill in the details) Get to the point #2

  18. Avoid explosions • Do not wait until the end of the day to introduce a problem. • Avoid writing a list of concerns that you have been thinking about for a long period of time.

  19. Avoid explosions • Strongly worded emails can create more conflict than intended • Angry emails give a negative impression • What you say cannot be taken back • When possible, call or meet in person instead

  20. Use active and passive voice appropriately • Active places blame: “You are past due on your registration payment.” • Passive is less confrontational: “Your registration payment is past due.” Source: Purdue University

  21. Proofread! Re-read to ensure: • Accuracy, grammar, spelling • Message clearly delivered Rewrite or reorganize if necessary!

  22. Finally: Take the 20-second test • After a 20 second scan, what stands out most? • Did your main idea come through? • Will the reader know what action to take? Source: Purdue University

  23. Part 2Writing a Report

  24. Report writing topics 3.a Planning 3.b Structure 3.c Style

  25. Part 2.aPlanning

  26. What is a Report? • A structured written presentation which gives: • A response to specific request • An account of something • An answer to a question • A solution to a problem

  27. The report-writing process • Identify your audience • Define your purpose • Collect your ideas • Select the material and decide how to show the significance of your facts • Structure your ideas

  28. 1. Identify your audience • Who is your audience? • Professor • Manager • Client • Colleagues • Helps decide level and purpose • Write more persuasively • Know their expectations • Organize your message to address their needs

  29. The Audience: your professor • What will your professor be looking for? • Coherent, cohesive organization • Clearly articulated ideas • Detailed research • Compelling arguments to support thesis

  30. 2. Define your purpose • What is the purpose of the report? • What are you trying to prove? • What question are you answering? • What problem are you solving • What process or experiment are you describing?

  31. Collect your ideas • Collecting is: • Taking notes • Doing research • Performing experiments

  32. Select the material • Selecting is: • Ensuring each idea supports your main objective • Deciding if the information relevant, or just something you happen to know on the subject?

  33. Structure your ideas • Structuring is: • Organizing into logical blocks • Creating a logical flow • Enhancing clarity through charts or graphs • Deciding which data should be moved to appendices

  34. Part 2.bStructure

  35. Critical success factor for life The majority of your perceived ability comes from how you communicate 30% What you know 70% How you communicate it Source: CGAP Direct

  36. What makes a report effective • An effective report is: • appropriate to its purpose and audience • accurate • logical • clear and concise • well organized with clear section headings

  37. Report Format • Title page • Table of contents • Abstract/Executive Summary • Introduction • Discussion • Conclusions • Recommendations • Bibliography • Attachments / Exhibits

  38. 1. Title Page Title Author's name (position and qualifications) Place of origin Date

  39. 2. Table of contents • Number pages starting with the Introduction • Abstract usually numbered with lower case Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, iv, etc.)

  40. 2. Table of contents Table of Contents Table of Contents iii Abstract iv 1. Introduction 3 2. Discussion 3 2.1 Subjects 3 2.2 Apparatus 3 2.3 Procedures 3 3. Conclusion 4 4. Recommendations 4 5. Bibliography 5 5.1 Internet Sources 6 6. Attachments 7 Exhibit A 8 Exhibit B 9 Exhibit C 9

  41. 3. Abstract/Executive Summary • Concise summary of the essential elements of the report • Purpose • Scope • Achievements • Main points • Conclusions • Recommendations • Independent (can be read on its own) • Comprehensive (covers all the main points) • Clear and concise • Short, only 10-15% of the length of the report • Written in full sentences and paragraphs

  42. 4. Introduction • States purpose, assumptions, scope, approach, intended audience, possible benefits • Defines special terms • Explains why the report is necessary • Gives motivation for writing the report

  43. 5. Discussion • Main body of the report • Headings clearly identify the content • E.g. “WebServices in the Financial Sector” • Should NOT be entitled “Discussion” • May include: • Theoretical basis of research • Analysis of data and findings • Charts and Graphs • Evaluation of the methods used • Structure should reflect the analysis and objective

  44. 5. Discussion • Presented in an order that leads logically towards the conclusions and recommendations. • Chronological based on your research • Past, current, future technologies • Problem, solution 1, solution 2, solution 3 • Simple  Complex State how it is organized up front

  45. Any volunteers? Tell me about your project and how it is structured

  46. 6. Conclusions • Drawn from evidence, analysis, interpretation and evaluation presented in the discussion • No new material introduced • Follows logically from the Discussion • Conclusions section should give: • Key points • Main findings • NOT another Executive Summary • Overview of the research, where you've reached, and where further investigation might be warranted

  47. 7. Recommendations • Suggestions for possible actions based on the research • Applications of your research in industry • Recommendations to scientific or business community • Possible improvements to your research • Areas for further research be definite be perceptive be imaginative be rational

  48. 8. Bibliography • The bibliography lists all publications either cited or referred to in preparing the report • Give full details of all publications and web pages either cited or used for background research while preparing the report. e.g. • R. Resnick, D. Halliday and K.S. Krane, (1992), Physics 4th ed. (Wiley: New York) p. 55. • J.P. Gordon, H.J. Zeiger and C.H. Townes, "The maser - new type of microwave amplifier, frequency standard, and spectrometer", Phys. Rev. 18, 1264-1274 (1955). • Sigma Pro Inc, http://www.sigmaprotraining.com/outsourcing.htm

  49. 9. Attachments / Exhibits • Includes detailed data or information that would affect the coherent flow of the report • For example • a long derivation of an equation • a listing of a computer program written to assist in analysis of data • Supporting, yet not essential, data: companies, addresses, pages of findings

  50. Report Format (again) • Title page • Table of contents • Abstract/Executive Summary • Introduction • Discussion • Conclusions • Recommendations • Bibliography • Attachments / Exhibits

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