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B. REPORTS
The purpose of technical writing is to convey information as efficiently as
possible. Technical reports generally are not read for the sake of entertainment, but for
the purpose of obtaining information. Technical writing is not colorful, and nor does it
use exaggeration. Technical writing is well organized; significant findings are not hidden
at the end as a surprise to the reader. It is best to give the reader the important
conclusions as soon as the reader has learned enough to appreciate them. The rest of the
paper should then be written to justify and amplify the conclusions. In order to simplify
the writing process, an efficient way to begin organizing a report is to write down the
important conclusions of the report. Next, fill in the other information that the reader will
have to be told to understand the conclusions. Written and oral communication abilities
are some of the most important skills that you should obtain at MTU; honing those skills
is the primary objective of the lab reports in this class.
B1. ORGANIZATION
Organization is an essential element of good writing that contributes to
readability. Four levels of organization must be considered in every written report: the
whole-report level, the section level, the paragraph level, and the sentence level. You
will have no options on the whole-report organization; there is a required format that you
are to follow (either the memo format or the lab report format) as is explained below in
this handout. Each section of your report has a function; you must organize the material
in that section such that it achieves that function, reads smoothly, and is as short as
practicable. Each section is likely to consist of one or more paragraphs; in cases of
multiple paragraphs, these must be strung together such that there is a logical sequence of
topics.
Paragraph structure is, perhaps, the most often neglected element of organization.
However, paragraph structure is as important as sentence structure. A paragraph
typically has one theme; generally, this theme is identified in the opening sentence of the
paragraph. Generally, either the first or the final sentence of a paragraph gives the
conclusion or the message that the reader is intended to remember about that topic. The
sentences in between the opening and closing lines must develop the theme (identified in
the first sentence) and lead the readers to the conclusion. Paragraphs should consist of at
least three sentences, but should not be so long that the reader cannot remember the
beginning or the sequence of ideas.
Sentence structure in technical writing can become very awkward unless care is
used. Sometimes sentences become too long. Usually a long sentence can be broken into
two or more short sentences. One way of insuring that your writing is readable is to read
aloud what you have written. This technique often will reveal grammatical errors and the
need for punctuation as well. Another common problem in sentence formation is the
sentence fragment. Every sentence must have a subject and a verb within the body. The
technique of reading out loud also will help to locate incomplete sentences.
In this class and some subsequent classes, you will use either a "short" or a "long"
report format. The short format is that of a memo; the primary purpose of the memo is to
convey the results and conclusions. Memos are the common, every-day method of
communication of factual information in the work place. The longer report format
