HU113: Technical Report Writing

1. HU113: Technical Report Writing Pharos University in Alexandria Faculty of Engineering Prof. Dr. Abdelsamie Moet Fall 2012/13 Lecture 5: Preparation

2. Initial Preparation • Always analyze the request carefully, making sure that you fully understand: • the topic, question or case, • that you know what the objective of the report is, and • who it is being written for (audience). • Define the objective of the report: • to inform; • to argue; • to persuade; • to evaluate? HU113_Lect5_Prep

3. Planning and Research • With your main topic or question as a central focus, note down your initial thoughts and start to group these together. • You may find the Mind Mapping technique useful • Start to divide key ideas from subsidiary information, and continually ascertain that everything is relevant; if it isn’t, then delete it. • Ask yourself what you need to find out, maybe in the form of questions that need to be answered, then approach your reading from this starting point. • If you have specific information to look for, it will make your reading easier and less time consuming. • Remember to make an accurate record of any sources consulted in order to correctly reference these. HU113_Lect5_Prep

4. Mind Map • is a graphical representation of ideas and aspects around a central theme, and how these aspects are related to each other. • can map all the relevant aspects and ideas around a theme, bringing overview and clarity to a problem. • helps in systematically unpacking abstract thoughts and notions, and bringing structure and overview to a problem. • is like a tree, with branches leading to the thoughts and aspect of the theme. • . http://wikid.eu/index.php/Mind_map HU113_Lect5_Prep

5. Information LiteracyRefer to Lecture2HU164, Research Methodson the web HU113_Lect5_Prep

6. Beginning • Beginning a paper does not have to be a formal affair. • A rough draft is all that is needed. • Jotting down topic ideas is an effective beginning. HU113_Lect5_Prep

7. Draft, Revise, Edit • Knowing how to draft, revise, and edit makes the task of creating a document easier. HU113_Lect5_Prep

8. The First Draft • The first draft does not have to be perfect. • It is a work-in-progress. HU113_Lect5_Prep

9. Revising the first draft • When revising the first draft, the writer should make sure that the content follows the thesis statement. • Each paragraph of the body should support that pivotal sentence. • The writer should ask if the content is in a logical sequence. Is the paper well-organized, making it an easy read? • Remove slang and jargon that the reader may not understand. • Ensure that the content is coherent and that connections are made between sentences and paragraphs, making them parallel. • Transitions should be used when introducing a new paragraph or idea. HU113_Lect5_Prep

10. Editing the revised draft • When editing, the writer must carefully read each word. Word choice is a crucial factor. • If needed, the author should use a thesaurus to find just the correct word. • Do not use the same words over and over. Mix up sentence styles to give the paper variety. Readers will appreciate the effort. • Finally, grammar, punctuation, spelling, and other mechanical issues need to be addressed by the writer. Using grammar checking software is productive and effective. HU113_Lect5_Prep

11. Referencing for authenticity and to avoid plagiarism HU113_Lect5_Prep

12. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plagiarize HU113_Lect5_Prep

13. Referencing of sources • Where any ideas or written work from other sources/authors appear in your report, you must acknowledge the sources by making reference to them. • These references must be in the text as well as in the reference list. • Failure to indicate the sources of your ideas may suggest that you are wrongfully claiming their ideas or words to be your own, which is known as ‘plagiarism’. HU113_Lect5_Prep

14. Referencing Formats • Referencing may appear in one or more of the following formats: • paraphrase (use their same idea in your own words) • summarize (use their main points) • quote (use their exact words) • copy (use their figures, tables or structure) HU113_Lect5_Prep

15. Numerical referencing (endnote system) • There are two major elements involved in the numerical system of referencing: • in the text – consecutive numbers appear in square brackets [ ] • at the end – a numbered reference list is included HU113_Lect5_Prep

16. In-text numbers • To acknowledge a source within the text of your report using the numerical referencing system, you should place an arabic number in square brackets after the quotation, relevant material, or author’s name. • This number will then be repeated in the reference list with the corresponding details of the source (e.g. the reference list will include elements such as the author, title, and page numbers). • Consecutive numbers should be used for each new reference. HU113_Lect5_Prep

17. In-text Illustrations • A recent study [2] has shown that testing procedures areinadequate. • Recent studies [2][7][9] all agree that testing procedures are… • or • Jones and Chan [2], Kuwlesky [9] and Tan [7], all agree… HU113_Lect5_Prep

18. Referencing Books • Elements required for a book are: the author’s initials and surname(s), title, publisher, place of publication, and year of publication. HU113_Lect5_Prep

19. Referencing Journal Articles The elements required for a journal article are: the author’s initials and surname(s), title of the article, title of the journal, volume number, issue number, year of publication, and page numbers. HU113_Lect5_Prep

20. End HU113_Lect5_Prep