Reports and other longer documents

This chapter primarily talks about all forms of reports and the basic problems we may face as report writers working in corporate world. The writers here concentrate on audience, importance of abstract, use of checklist, effective use of visual aids, different strategies needed to persuade.
Report is a generic term that can include writing from informative to persuasive and formal to informal. Formal letter has multi-part format with coverletter, abstract, table of contents, glossary, introduction, detailed discussion, conclusions and recommendations, and appendices. Whereas informal report is shorter and may include introduction, discussion, conclusions, and recommendations. The writer suggests to take a process approach to writing reports and tells us to plan from beginning, stick to our purpose, and attend to audience’s needs. Audience analysis is perhaps the most important aspect of report writing. We should be aware that audience can be different in different situations from layperson, to experts.
Mathes and Stevenson: audience analysis
Writers often miss the third element of communication situation: audience. They often make false assumptions:
a. Person addressed is the audience
b. Audience consists of specialists
c. Report has a shelf life
d. Static work/personnel situation
e. Audience has been kept up to speed/knows what you’re talking about
f. Audience is expecting your report and waiting breathlessly
g. Audience has time to read your report
To meet audience’s needs, we need to analyze them. There are three types of report audiences: horizontal, vertical, and external. Horizontal audience are on the same level. However, their background, political position, personality traits and goals make their needs different from each others. We normally address person’s organizational role. So, he is not individual. The vertical audience refers to audience from different organizational levels, up/down. Here the writer must design in accordance to its possible use. External audience refers to the ones from other organization. Here the report may represent the organization. In such case, we need to make a systematic audience analysis. For systematic analysis:
a. Prepare an egocentric organization chart
b. Characterize the individual report readers
c. Classify audiences in terms of how they will use your report
Richard W. Dodge: “What to Report”
Technical reports must fulfill the needs of the management. So, the writer needs to make an audience analysis. But it seems to have received much less attention than needed. Management seeks to find pertinent facts and competent opinions that help it in making decision. Manager want the information to be brief and meaningful and he want to find it in the beginning of the report. And the report’s summary should contain three things: what the report is about, the significance and implications of the work, and the action called for. Generally, a report summary should include definition of the problem, objectives, reasons for doing it, conclusion, and recommendations.
Managers mostly do not read body and appendices.

Management’s responsibilities:
1. Define the project
2. Provide proper perspective
3. See that effective reports are submitted on time
4. Se that reports are properly distributed
Four conferences at selected time can help him control the writing of the report:
1. At the beginning of the project
2. At the completion of the investigation
3. After the report is outlined
4. After the report is written
Christian K. Arnold “The Writing of Abstracts”
The writer shows the importance of abstract. There are two types of abstracts: descriptive and informative. Descriptive abstract gives an accurate indication of the subject matter and scope of the study where as informative abstract summarizes the results and conclusions and gives enough background information to make the results understandable.
Then the writer provides general rules to eliminate most of the problems of the abstracts:
1. enough specific info to satisfy “administrative needs” of executive
2. Complete in miniature form
3. Short: between 3% and 10% of report’s length and one page is psychologically advantageous
4. Fluent and easy to read prose: readers may not be the experts in subject matter. So, don’t use jargon; keep transitional devices
5. Maintain consistence in tone, emphases, and content with report (but not necessarily structure)
6. You can use abbreviations and numbers but not tables and illustrations
Vincent Vinci: “10 Report Writing Pitfalls: How to Avoid Them”
1. Ignoring the audience
2. Writing to impress
3. Having more than one aim
4. inconsistency
5. Overqualifying/ having more than one objective
6. Not defining
7. Misintroducing
8. Dazzling with data
9. Not highlighting
10. Not rewriting

Reports and other longer documents

This chapter primarily talks about all forms of reports and the basic problems we may face as report writers working in corporate world. The writers here concentrate on audience, importance of abstract, use of checklist, effective use of visual aids, different strategies needed to persuade.
Report is a generic term that can include writing from informative to persuasive and formal to informal. Formal letter has multi-part format with coverletter, abstract, table of contents, glossary, introduction, detailed discussion, conclusions and recommendations, and appendices. Whereas informal report is shorter and may include introduction, discussion, conclusions, and recommendations. The writer suggests to take a process approach to writing reports and tells us to plan from beginning, stick to our purpose, and attend to audience’s needs. Audience analysis is perhaps the most important aspect of report writing. We should be aware that audience can be different in different situations from layperson, to experts.
Mathes and Stevenson: audience analysis
Writers often miss the third element of communication situation: audience. They often make false assumptions:
a. Person addressed is the audience
b. Audience consists of specialists
c. Report has a shelf life
d. Static work/personnel situation
e. Audience has been kept up to speed/knows what you’re talking about
f. Audience is expecting your report and waiting breathlessly
g. Audience has time to read your report
To meet audience’s needs, we need to analyze them. There are three types of report audiences: horizontal, vertical, and external. Horizontal audience are on the same level. However, their background, political position, personality traits and goals make their needs different from each others. We normally address person’s organizational role. So, he is not individual. The vertical audience refers to audience from different organizational levels, up/down. Here the writer must design in accordance to its possible use. External audience refers to the ones from other organization. Here the report may represent the organization. In such case, we need to make a systematic audience analysis. For systematic analysis:
a. Prepare an egocentric organization chart
b. Characterize the individual report readers
c. Classify audiences in terms of how they will use your report
Richard W. Dodge: “What to Report”
Technical reports must fulfill the needs of the management. So, the writer needs to make an audience analysis. But it seems to have received much less attention than needed. Management seeks to find pertinent facts and competent opinions that help it in making decision. Manager want the information to be brief and meaningful and he want to find it in the beginning of the report. And the report’s summary should contain three things: what the report is about, the significance and implications of the work, and the action called for. Generally, a report summary should include definition of the problem, objectives, reasons for doing it, conclusion, and recommendations.
Managers mostly do not read body and appendices.

Management’s responsibilities:
1. Define the project
2. Provide proper perspective
3. See that effective reports are submitted on time
4. Se that reports are properly distributed
Four conferences at selected time can help him control the writing of the report:
1. At the beginning of the project
2. At the completion of the investigation
3. After the report is outlined
4. After the report is written
Christian K. Arnold “The Writing of Abstracts”
The writer shows the importance of abstract. There are two types of abstracts: descriptive and informative. Descriptive abstract gives an accurate indication of the subject matter and scope of the study where as informative abstract summarizes the results and conclusions and gives enough background information to make the results understandable.
Then the writer provides general rules to eliminate most of the problems of the abstracts:
1. enough specific info to satisfy “administrative needs” of executive
2. Complete in miniature form
3. Short: between 3% and 10% of report’s length and one page is psychologically advantageous
4. Fluent and easy to read prose: readers may not be the experts in subject matter. So, don’t use jargon; keep transitional devices
5. Maintain consistence in tone, emphases, and content with report (but not necessarily structure)
6. You can use abbreviations and numbers but not tables and illustrations
Vincent Vinci: “10 Report Writing Pitfalls: How to Avoid Them”
1. Ignoring the audience
2. Writing to impress
3. Having more than one aim
4. inconsistency
5. Overqualifying/ having more than one objective
6. Not defining
7. Misintroducing
8. Dazzling with data
9. Not highlighting
10. Not rewriting

The Project Proposal

An Official Website for Global Educational and Literary Support Association (GELSA)

A Proposal

Submitted to

Jan Holmevik

Supervisor

By

Hem Paudel

Advanced Business and Technical Writing

MA in Professional Communication

Clemson University

September 24, 2009

An Official Website for Global Educational and Literary Support Association (GELSA)

Executive Summary

This project will help GELSA to disseminate information about its programs and activities to its intended audience. I propose to make a simple and attractive website that will allow this organization to provide information and convince donors and local NGOs to join hands with it to promote its goal of helping impoverished kids.

The website I am proposing will have these features, among others:

§ Easy to navigate

§ Use of simple design

§ Proper use of graphic elements

§ Adequate use of chunking

§ An attractive logo and a memorable slogan

§ Use of simple, clear, and precise language

The benefits of my plan are:

§ I have a unique experience/familiarity with both Eastern and Western cultures. So, the website I create will try to avoid any cultural bias

§ As a graduate in MA in English and currently a student of MA in Professional Communication, I am in a position to effectively handle both content and design of the website

§ The client will have to bear no cost

Introduction

Global Educational and Literary Support Association (GELSA) is a non-profit organization still in the process of being formally registered. Some Nepalese social workers living in Nepal and the US and some US citizens are collaborating to establish and run it. It is primarily intended towards improvement of educational situation of impoverished kids from all around the world. However, GELSA still does not have its own website to inform the public about its projects and to attract more people towards the holy goal of helping the kids in dire need of education. In this holy mission, as a student of technical communication, I think I can contribute to their mission by building an official website for them to effectively communicate their information.

Current Situation:

§ Organization still in the initial phase

§ Programs and policies not yet finalized

§ No promotional documents like brochure and manuals to provide some initial idea about the structure of the website

§ No logo and slogan

The organization is still not registered. They still have not decided about the specific and detailed programs and projects, ways of raising funds, and reaching out to the public. They have recently finalized their constitution, vision and mission statements, goals, and some future programs. However, from technical point of view, these documents need to be squeezed and brushed up to make them clear and precise. They don’t yet have any brochure, manual, or leaflets to advertise their mission. So, the content they will provide needs to be rigorously edited for precision and clarity. And, since they don’t have any formal promotional documents to guide or provide a rough structure for the website, I will have to begin from the scratch.

This clearly shows that everything is in a completely initial phase and the organization is to think through various issues. So, I will have some constraints to overcome or deal with. First, time is a great constraint. I have only two and a half months to finish this project. Besides this, as a graduate student, I will also have to look after various other stuffs. So, the question is how I can utilize the limited time to give them my best. But I believe I can refine and polish it even after my project formally ends. Next, as I am not a seasoned web designer, I will have to learn and apply my knowledge very carefully to get it well done on time. However, I will have fresh eyes to look into it and see what others may fail to see due to their repeated habit. Similarly, my knowledge and familiarity of both the Nepali culture and the Western culture will make it easier to make several decisions about both content and design.

Project Plan and Schedule

Plan

The audience for this website will be very diverse: those who are in desperate need for education and those who want to help them or can be persuaded to help them. Therefore, I will have to make it very user-friendly and simple to navigate. I will try to avoid any culture-specific symbols and references not to confuse the audience of different cultures. At the end, I will produce a website that has following characteristics:

§ Easy to navigate: A website is good if it is easy to navigate so that the audience can find necessary information without any difficulty. For this purpose, I will use proper buttons and hyperlinks to lead them to specific information.

§ Use of simple design: The purpose of a website is to provide information. Fancy websites may look good but they are very difficult to use. The readers may be enticed but won’t find it easy to use. Second, the nature of the institution also dictates the design of a website. As the purpose of this website is not to enchant audience, simple design will be more effective for providing information.

§ Proper use of graphic elements: The use of graphic elements not only makes a website attractive, it also reduces text heaviness and helps avoiding monotony of reading long prose. So, I will use photos, and slide shows. They will also be used as evidence to show the activities of the organization.

§ Adequate use of chunking: I will use white space, bullet-based format rather than lengthy paragraphs, also reduce repetitive text, and reduce scrolling pages to a maximum of one to two scrolls per page.

§ Design a logo and slogan: The logo will be attractive and indicative of the scope and mission of the institution and the slogan will be concise, relevant and memorable. But most importantly the slogan should also be informative.

§ Links: I will have several links to other external sites like a blog for the organization itself and some other educational websites.

§ Use of simple, clear, and precise language: We have a tendency to write long and complex sentences. This is more so in case of writings of non-native speakers l. Being an international student of technical communication, I have some knowledge of both the kinds of writings common among Nepalese writers and the language of technical writing in the US. I think simple, clear, and precise language will be useful for both the audience: from Nepal and outside Nepal.

Schedule:

I am planning to finish this project and offer the deliverable in two and a half months. I will begin my work from the last week of September and finish it by December 1. The timetable for different stages of it is as follows:

§ Proposal -- Sep 25, 2009

I will provide my proposal to my client on Sep 25, 2009. This is subject to change as per the needs of the client. However, the basic principles that I want to stick to will remain the same.

§ Basic format of website – October 13

I will develop a basic format for the website by October 13. It will include Header, positioning of the logo, menu, columns, and general outlook. This will make a skeleton for the website. I will share this with my client and accommodate his suggestions.

§ First draft of the website for review –November 10

I will finish a rough draft of my website by November 10. I will share it with my client and some other people to get feedback to improve its design and content. This will give a sense of how will its audience perceive it.

§ Final deliverable –December 1

After receiving feedbacks from the client and some other people, I will make necessary changes and prepare the final deliverable.

Qualifications

§ MA in English

§ MA in Professional Communication

§ Experience of editing

§ Experience of making website

§ Knowledge of technical writing theories

I have already completed MA in English and now studying MA in Professional Communication. This is a very good combination for performing works of a technical communicator. I have an extensive experience of editing college journals, brochures, and project reports. I have also already made a website with slideshows and other graphic elements as a part of semester-long project for Visual Communication. Similarly, I also edited web content and brochure of Student Disability Services, Clemson University last year. As a student of technical and business writing, I have a sound knowledge of the theories of technical writing and ethics which I will need to consider while building this website. Similarly, my unique position as an Easterner in the West will make it easier for me to avoid any element of cultural bias that may unknowingly appear in case of the Western or Eastern web designer.

Conclusion:

So, I will make an easily navigable and attractive website for GELSA within two and a half months. My knowledge of technical writing, experience of editing, and some, even if short, experience of making a website will help me accomplish this job well. If I had some longer and less busier time, I would be able to make it even better by adding different other features like “sending emails from the website,” and “chat.”

How to Write Effective Business Correspondence

The nature of correspondence has largely changed from a more formal to more informal, conversational, and personal writing. David V. Lewis suggests a few ways to “sell yourself and your company to the public.”
1. Write for him, not to him: the letter should be reader-oriented rather than writer oriented. So, use you, and your more than we and our. “The most powerful letters appeal to basic needs and emotions rather than to purely logical reasons.”
2. Personalize your letter: The letter should have human element in it. “In orienting your letter to the reader, fill it with ‘you,’ ‘your,’ and ‘yours.” Use ‘I’ and ‘me’ sparingly.”
3. Mastering tone: Use appropriate tone to avoid any negative effects on the reader. However, tone requirements may vary in different situations.
4. Write the way you talk: “The consensus clearly is that informal, natural business writing is in, stilted business writing is out.” You can use contractions, but carefully, as they give spontaneity to your writing.
The Royal Bank of Canada:
Business letter can benefit from informality and friendliness of family letters. A few techniques to write effective letters:
1. Know your reader, anticipate the question your readers may ask. Be aware about reader’s interest.
2. Know your product.
3. Let your personality show.
4. Show some style.
5. Use suitable formulas.
6. Selling needs ideas.
7. Use appropriate tone.
8. Read your letter critically.
9. Follow through.
Sum: “know why you are writing and what about; believe in what you are writing; be tactful and friendly, and truthful; base your appeal on the prospect’s interests … and check your letter and revise it.”

Proposal Outline and Analysis of Rhetorical Situation

A Website for Global Educational, Cultural, and Literary Support Association (GECLSA)
Some Nepalese social workers living in Nepal and the US and some US citizens are establishing a non-profit organization that will work towards improvement of educational situation of kids from all around the world who are deprivsed from proper education due to their poverty. These social activists have recently registered their organization in the state of Maryland. They have finalized their constitution, vision and mission statements, goals, and some future programs. However, they still do not have their own website to inform the public about their projects and to attract more people towards the holy goal of helping the kids in dire need of education. In this holy mission, as a student in technical communication, I think I can contribute to their mission by building their website as per their needs.
The audience for this website will be very diverse: those who are in desperate need for education and those who want to help them. As the audience of this website will be quite diverse, I will have to make it very user-friendly and simple to navigate. I will try to avoid any culture-specific symbols and references not to confuse the audience of different cultures. At the end, I will produce a website that has the following characteristics:
a. Easy to navigate by using proper buttons and hyperlinks
b. Use of simple design (The purpose of a website is to provide information. Fancy websites may look good but very difficult to use.) (Harty)
c. Proper positioning of visual and verbal elements
d. Adequate use of chunking through the use of spacing, bullets and numbers, and tables
e. Use of photos and videos
f. Use of flash slideshow to incorporate many pictures that will be necessary to capture the attention of the audience
g. A link to a blog that will be used by the organization to share people’s views and needs
h. Links to useful educational websites
i. Use of simple, clear, and precise language
I am planning to finish this project of building a website within two and a half months. The timetable for different stages of it is as follows:
1. Proposal -- Sep 24, 2009
2. Basic format of website – October 13
3. First draft of the website for review –November 10
4. Final deliverable –December 1
Qualifications
1. MA in English and Professional Communication
2. Editing Experience
3. Already built a website
4. Edited web content and helped in both editing and designing a brochure as a part of semester long project
5. Knowledge of technical writing theories and ethics
Conclusion:
So, I will make a website that looks simple but attractive. My knowledge of technical writing, experience of editing, and some, even if short, experience of making a website will help me make the website informative.

Analysis of Rhetorical Situation
I have already mentioned the exigence, the need for the Association to have its own website. It needs to publicize its programs and draw attention of as many people as possible to fulfill its mission of helping the poor to come out of their wretched poverty through education. In today's world, people want to see almost every thing online. So, besides having brochures and other promotional material, it also needs a good website to come out to its intended audience.
Similarly, I have also already mentioned the nature of audience for this project. The audience will be diverse. So, simple and clear website is a most.
In case of constraints, I have a limited time to make it. I will have to finish this by the end of November. As a graduate student, I also have several other tasks to be done simultaneously. Similarly, I will have some limitation in terms of my knowledge of technology too.

Ethics in Technical Communication

What is ethics? Do we find some fixed formula for deciding what is ethical and what is not? How about ethics in technical communication? Why should technical communicators be held ethically responsible for the consequences of the use of technology or any products? Is ethics universal?
We can ask several questions about rhetoric. But as Dombrowski says, we won't find any clear and fixed answers to them. This is primarily because ethics deals with values, which are not subjects of scientific inquiry and experimentation. Ethical questions are largely controversial and contextual. It is both individual and social.
How about ethics in technical communication? The notion of ethics in technical communication is fairly recent phenomenon. This is primarily because of the way technical communication was defined and understood. In the past, perhaps till 1980s, technical communication was defined in mechanistic terms as a tool of transmitting information. So, the focus of it was only on getting the message across without any intermediate distortion. So, the theorists of technical communication and general public understood it in terms of windowpane theory. So, "the ethical responsibilities involved in technical communication from this perspective are fairly clear and narrow: They are simply to relay faithfully information between transmitter and receiver." So, ethical responsibility goes to the producers or consumers of technology.
But in recent years, the way technical communication has been defined has changed significantly. Now, it is seen from rhetorical perspective. It is presentation of information to fulfill the needs of particular audience in a specific context. So, the job of technical communicator has become more creative and complex. Hence, the responsibility is also greater. Technical communicator has the responsibility to consider the broad influence of technology and the information he/she creates to the society at large.

The Plain Language

Stuart Chase's "Gobbledygook" makes a powerful case for plain language. Even today, in many of the legal and business documents, we can find the use of "windy and pretentious language." He defines gobbledygook as "squandering words, packing a message with excess baggage and so introducing semantic noise."
Avoid tautologies like "give and convey."
Clear language speaks of clear thought.
Clarity and brevity.
Avoid long-windedness, foggy meanings, cliches ....
Avoid gross neglect of the readers' point of view.

Zinsser "Writing in Your Job" has a similar point to make. The most important thing to be considered while writing customer documents is the "respect for humanity." That they need to talk to "real people."
Use sentences and words that are "short and have air around them" conveying "the rhythm of human speech."
"Use short words and vivid images from everyday life."
The writing should be "warm and personal."
Use active verbs avoiding "windy concept nouns."
Avoid generalizations.
In many documents customers have to translate every sentence because of the generalized and abstract writing.
Simple style is the result of hard work.
Alan Siegel's "The Plain English Revolution" has the same point to make. His point is "simplify, simplify." MAKE FUNCTIONAL DOCUMENTS FUNCTIONAL.
DOs: use personal tone, simplify, provide explanatory phrases for unfamiliar terms that cannot be eliminated, shorten sentence, improve design for enhancing understanding, provide illustrative examples.
University of Wisconsin's "Guide to Nonsexist Language" provides ways to avoid the use of sexist language. It provides two rules to check sex bias, "Would you say the same thing about a person of the opposite sex? Would you like it said about you?"
Lutz's "The World of Double Speak" also deals with the similar problem in various fields like government, business, and legal worlds. Doublespeak is the "incongruity between what is said and what is reality." He talks of four kinds of doublespeak:
1. Euphemism
2. Jargon
3. Gobbledygook
4. Inflated Language
Doublespeak is all around us. It is dangerous as it intends to mislead us rather than leading us to reality.

Brainstorming for Project Proposal

Some Nepalese people living all around the globe (including the US, UK, Australia, and Nepal) and some US citizens are in the process of establishing a non-profit organization that will work towards improvement of the educational situation of thousands of kids from all around the world who cannot go to schools due to their poor economic situation. To launch their project, they will first need one website to bring their goals, visions, programs and activities forward to the public. So, I am going to help them in making a website. The audience for this website will be very diverse: those interested to help those in need and those who are in a really difficult situation. That’s why, I will have to think about the issue of accessibility; it has to be user-friendly. But since the users themselves are so different in their needs and expectations, I would have to make it quite simple but well designed. The positioning of the visual and verbal elements will be quite important to be considered. I will have to use a lot of chunking through the use of spacing, bullets and numbers, and tables. Since it will be a website that will try to persuade people to work together to help the people in a difficult situation, we will have to collect the evidences of the helps provided to the people. Some people involved in it have already done great works that have started showing really great consequences to the targeted people. I will have to collect the photographs and videos that clearly demonstrate their works.