Reports and Other Longer Documents: Part 2

Oliu, Brusaw, and Alred, “Creating Tables and Illustrations.”
1. Consider your graphic requirements before you begin to write. Make it an integral part of your outline.
2. To illustrate and to clarify ideas, keep these points about integrating visuals in your mind:
a. Make it clear in the text why the illustration is included.
b. Keep the illustration to the point.
c. Keep terminology consistent .
d. Specify the units of measurements used.
e. Position the labels horizontally.
f. Give each illustration a concise title.
g. Like table of contents, if there are more than five illustrations, prepare a list of figures and tables after table of contents. Include title, figure number and page numbers.
h. Refer to illustrations in the text of documents by figure or table numbers. You should introduce illustration first and place it after that.
i. Provide adequate white space on the page around and within the illustration.
j. Consider copyright.
3. Tables: for data that can be compared and contrasted.
a. Table number
b. Table title
c. Boxhead
d. Stub
e. Body
f. Rules
g. Source line
h. Footnotes
i. Continuing tables: repeat the column headings and give table number with “continued” label
4. Graphs: present numerical data in visual form.
a. Trends, movements, distributions, and cycles are more readily apparent in graphs than they are in tables
b. But less accurate
c. Different kinds of graph are used for different purposes
i. Line graphs: relationship between two sets of figures
ii. Pie graphs
5. Drawings
6. Flowcharts
7. Photographs
Using Graphics to Communicate Internationally
a. Punctuation marks
b. Religious symbols
c. Colors
d. People, parts of the body, and gestures
e. Cultural symbols
f. Technology symbols
g. Reading practices
h. Directional signs
Ewing, “Strategies of Persuasion”
The major message of this essay is that we need to consider rhetorical situation while writing technical document.
1. Consider whether your views will make problems for readers: In such situation, you need to first take the readers into confidence and indirectly persuade them.
2. Don’t offer new ideas, directives, or recommendations for change until your readers are prepared for them:
3. Credibility: given and acquired.
4. If your audience disagrees with your ideas or is uncertain about them, present both sides of the argument
5. Win respect by making your opinion or recommendation clear
6. Put your strongest point last if the audience is very interested in the argument, first it is not so interested
7. Don’t count on changing attitudes by offering information alone
8. Testimonials are most likely to be persuasive if drawn from people with whom readers associate
9. Be wary of Using Extreme or sensational claims and facts
10. Tailor your presentation to the reasons for readers’ attitudes if you know them
11. Never mention Other people without considering their possible effect on the reader
12. Sizing up your readers
Kolin’s, “Proposals”
Guidelines for writing a successful proposal
1. Approach writing a proposal as a problem-solving activity
2. Regard your audience as skeptical readers
3. Research your proposal carefully
4. Prove that your proposal is workable
5. Be sure that your proposal is financially realistic
6. Package your proposal attractively
Internal proposals:
1. Proposals to address internal problems within a company
2. Be aware of your audience and your office politics
3. The organization of an internal proposal:
a. The introduction
b. Background of the problem
c. The solution or plan
d. The conclusion
4. Sales proposals: Think of your audience and their needs. Organization:
a. Introduction
i. Statement of purpose and subject of proposal
ii. Background of the problem you propose to solve
b. Description of the proposed product or service
i. Carefully show your potential customers that your product or service is right for them
ii. Describe your work in suitable details
iii. Stress any special features, maintenance advantange, warranties, or service benefits
c. Timetable
d. Costs
e. Qualifications of your company
f. Conclusion