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Professional Communications, 2005
- Contents
- Preface and Introduction
- About the Author
- Part 1: International Best Practice in Report Writing: Getting Started [Go to Page]
- Chapter 1: The Basics of Technical Writing [Go to Page]
- 1.1 What to aim for: characteristics of an effective document
- 1.2 Pitfalls to avoid
- 1.3 Solutions to the main problems: questions and action plan
- Chapter 2: The Structure of an Engineering Document [Go to Page]
- 2.1 The traditional basic skeleton of most reports
- 2.2 A navigational pathway: the sections that engineers read first
- 2.3 Traditional report structure: the diamond structure of a document
- 2.4 Structure for an executive audience: nontraditional report structure
- 2.5 Sections of a document: also diamond-shaped
- 2.6 Helping nonengineers to understand a complex document
- 2.7 Deliberate repetition of information in a document
- Chapter 3: Organizing a Document and Choosing Appropriate Sections [Go to Page]
- 3.1 Why plan?
- 3.2 Steps to take when planning a document
- 3.3 Using the Outline mode of Microsoft Word[sup(®)]
- 3.4 Brief descriptions of possible sections to choose for a document
- Chapter 4: Presentation Style
- Part 2: The Sections of a Document [Go to Page]
- Chapter 5: Requirements for Sections and Elements of a Document [Go to Page]
- 5.1 Listing of commonly used sections and elements of a document
- 5.2 Requirements for the basic skeleton of sections
- 5.3 Requirements for commonly used preliminary sections
- 5.4 Requirements for sections commonly used at the start of the main body of the document
- 5.5 Requirements for sections commonly used at the end of a document
- 5.6 Requirements for other possible sections, in alphabetical order
- Part 3: Specific Types of Documents [Go to Page]
- Chapter 6: Summarizing: An Executive Summary, a Summary, and a Conference or Journal Paper Abstract [Go to Page]
- 6.1 Definitions: Executive Summary/Summary/Abstract
- 6.2 The purpose of any type of summary
- 6.3 Difficulties in writing
- 6.4 General requirements
- 6.5 Structure
- 6.6 Steps in summarizing
- 6.7 The different types of content (descriptive, informative, descriptive/informative)
- 6.8 An Executive Summary
- 6.9 A journal paper Abstract
- 6.10 A conference Abstract
- 6.11 Common mistakes in Abstracts or Summaries
- Chapter 7: Reports [Go to Page]
- 7.1 Major formal proposal
- 7.2 Feasibility study
- 7.3 Due diligence report
- 7.4 Environmental assessment report
- 7.5 Progress report
- 7.6 Incident report
- 7.7 Inspection report
- 7.8 Trip report
- 7.9 Performance review
- 7.10 Laboratory or research report
- Chapter 8: A Set of Instructions: Handbook, Procedure, Operating Manual [Go to Page]
- 8.1 Aim
- 8.2 Difficulties
- 8.3 Possible structure for a procedure
- 8.4 Guidelines for wording of the instructions
- Chapter 9: Formal Letters [Go to Page]
- 9.1 The conventions: the elements of a formal letter
- 9.2 Font, spacing, arrangement on the page
- 9.3 Structure of the information
- 9.4 Style of writing
- 9.5 Sample letters to illustrate the principles
- 9.6 Letters that accompany a document
- Chapter 10: Short Workplace Documents: E-mails, Faxes, Memoranda, Agendas, and Minutes [Go to Page]
- 10.1 E-mails to communicate matters of work
- 10.2 Faxes
- 10.3 Memoranda
- 10.4 Agenda and minutes of a meeting
- Chapter 11: Publicity Material: Brochures and Press Releases [Go to Page]
- 11.1 Writing a brochure
- 11.2 Writing for the media
- Chapter 12: A Journal or Conference Paper [Go to Page]
- 12.1 The process of publishing a journal paper
- 12.2 The structure of a journal or conference paper
- 12.3 Requirements for the sections of a journal or conference paper
- Chapter 13: A Conference or Display Poster [Go to Page]
- 13.1 Attending a conference and presenting a poster: the basics
- 13.2 Purpose of a poster
- 13.3 What readers like in a poster
- 13.4 Steps in planning a poster
- 13.5 Design of the layout
- 13.6 Poster title
- 13.7 Possible sections for a poster
- 13.8 Figures and tables
- 13.9 Structure of the text
- 13.10 Style of font
- 13.11 Using color and background
- 13.12 Printing the poster
- 13.13 Final production
- 13.14 Common mistakes
- Part 4: Referencing; Editorial Conventions; and Revising, Proofreading, and Reviewing [Go to Page]
- Chapter 14: Referencing Your Sources [Go to Page]
- 14.1 Purpose of referencing
- 14.2 Referencing a document: the basics
- 14.3 When references should be used
- 14.4 The two main systems of referencing
- 14.5 Personal communications
- 14.6 Sample text and corresponding List of References section for the two main systems
- 14.7 Using direct quotations with quotation marks
- 14.8 Compiling a Bibliography
- 14.9 Common faults
- Chapter 15: Editorial Conventions [Go to Page]
- 15.1 Conventions for writing numbers in the text
- 15.2 Rules for capitalization
- 15.3 Defining acronyms in the text
- 15.4 Numbering of chapters and sections of documents, pages, and illustrations
- 15.5 Titles and captions of tables and figures
- 15.6 Conventions for tables
- 15.7 Formatting equations in the text
- Chapter 16: Revising, Proofreading, and Reviewing a Document [Go to Page]
- 16.1 Brief definitions: Revising, proofreading, and reviewing
- 16.2 Revising a document
- 16.3 Proofreading the final draft of a document
- 16.4 Proofreading the printer's proof
- 16.5 Reviewing a document
- Part 5: Writing Style [Go to Page]
- Chapter 17: Problems of Style: Recognizing and Correcting Common Mistakes [Go to Page]
- 17.1 Paragraphs
- 17.2 Sentences
- 17.3 Punctuation
- 17.4 Plurals
- 17.5 Pairs of words that are often confused
- 17.6 Jargon phrases to avoid
- 17.7 Writing to inform, not to impress
- 17.8 The split infinitive
- 17.9 Verbs and vivid language
- 17.10 Spell-checking
- Part 6: Presenting Work Orally [Go to Page]
- Chapter 18: A Seminar or Conference Presentation [Go to Page]
- 18.1 The aims of a presentation and the constraining factors
- 18.2 Guidelines for beginners
- 18.3 Structuring the presentation
- 18.4 Suggestions for wording: your own, and for visual aids
- 18.5 Types of speaker's notes
- 18.6 Spoken style
- 18.7 Designing visual aids
- 18.8 Delivering your presentation
- 18.9 Answering questions
- Chapter 19: A Presentation to a Small Group [Go to Page]
- 19.1 The constraints of presenting to a small group
- 19.2 Basic principles for preparation
- 19.3 A professional interview or an oral examination
- 19.4 A presentation to a review panel
- Part 7: References and Resources
- References and Resources
- Quick reference guide: The Parts of Speech and Verb Forms
- Index [Go to Page]
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
- P
- Q
- R
- S
- T
- U
- V
- W [Go to Page]