preparing written and oral reports effective communication in ch402

Preparing Written and Oral Reports

Effective Communication in CH402Effective Communication in CH402

Preparing Written and Oral Reports

Professor Julia WilliamsProfessor Julia Williams

Coordinator of Technical Communication Coordinator of Technical Communication and Assistant Professor of Englishand Assistant Professor of English

Preparing Written Reports

Chemical Engineering Department Style Chemical Engineering Department Style ManualManual

Components of the Project ReportComponents of the Project Report Structuring Technical InformationStructuring Technical Information

Chemical Engineering Department Style Manual

A Guide to Good Writing A Guide to Good Writing

Preface, CH Style Manual

Intended to help you Intended to help you prepare various types prepare various types of reportsof reports

Emphasizes clarity of Emphasizes clarity of communication communication andand quality of technical quality of technical informationinformation

Academic vs. Industrial Reports

Audience: ProfessorAudience: Professor Purpose: InformPurpose: Inform Reading: All parts of Reading: All parts of

the reportthe report

Audience: Peers, Audience: Peers, Supervisors, ClientsSupervisors, Clients

Purpose: Inform, Purpose: Inform, instruct, and persuadeinstruct, and persuade

Reading: Different Reading: Different parts read by different parts read by different readersreaders

Academic and Industrial Reports

Audience: Professional non-expertAudience: Professional non-expert Purpose: Inform and persuadePurpose: Inform and persuade Information: Technical features, experiment Information: Technical features, experiment

resultsresults Reading: Report parts must provide Reading: Report parts must provide

information reader expects to seeinformation reader expects to see

CH402 Project Report

Form and ContentForm and Content

Project Report Form Title PageTitle Page SummarySummary IntroductionIntroduction Description of ProjectDescription of Project ResultsResults Discussion of ResultsDiscussion of Results Conclusions and RecommendationsConclusions and Recommendations Literature CitedLiterature Cited AppendixAppendix

Project Report: Summary

Objectives: what you tried to do

Equipment/Procedure: how you did it

Results: what you found out

Conclusions/Recommendations: what it means

Project Report: Introduction

Audience: Professional nonexpertAudience: Professional nonexpert Purpose: Relate necessary background and Purpose: Relate necessary background and

theory for the projecttheory for the project Information: Background, equations, Information: Background, equations,

literature, project objectives, theoryliterature, project objectives, theory

Project Report: Introduction

Pattern of Organization

Theory

Background

Equations

Literature

Objectives

Project Report: Introduction

Background

Theory

Equations

Objectives

Literature

Pattern of Organization

Project Report: Description

Audience: Professional nonexpertAudience: Professional nonexpert Purpose: Identify parts of equipment and Purpose: Identify parts of equipment and

their functionstheir functions Information: Description and procedure Information: Description and procedure

with accompanying visual(s)with accompanying visual(s)

Description

Provide part-by-part description of Provide part-by-part description of equipmentequipment

In order of assemblyIn order of assembly Procedure: explain how the parts fit and Procedure: explain how the parts fit and

function togetherfunction together Level of detail adequate for another Level of detail adequate for another

researcher to duplicate the setup and researcher to duplicate the setup and procedureprocedure

Equipment Description

Part 1Part 1 Part 2Part 2 Part 3Part 3 Part 4Part 4

Parts fit/function togetherParts fit/function together

Procedure Description

Step 1Step 1

Step 2Step 2

Step 3Step 3

Application of the ProcessApplication of the Process

Project Report: Results

Purpose: Convey results of proceduresPurpose: Convey results of procedures Information: Data and results in graphical, Information: Data and results in graphical,

analytical, or tabular formanalytical, or tabular form

Project Report: Results

Commentary to Commentary to explain form of explain form of presentationpresentation

Captions for all Captions for all figuresfigures

Quantitative, not just Quantitative, not just qualitativequalitative

1stQtr

2ndQtr

3rdQtr

4thQtr

0

20

40

60

80

100

1stQtr

2ndQtr

3rdQtr

4thQtr

Results

East

West

North

Project Report: Discussion of Results Purpose: Explain results produced during Purpose: Explain results produced during

proceduresprocedures Information: Observations, discoveries, Information: Observations, discoveries,

anomaliesanomalies

Discussion of Results

EvaluationEvaluation

AnalysisAnalysis

InterpretationInterpretation

Discussion of Results

Observed results versus expected valuesObserved results versus expected values Significance in the method of plotting Significance in the method of plotting

resultsresults Significance of a particular graphSignificance of a particular graph Possible experimental errorsPossible experimental errors Alternative methodsAlternative methods Equipment failures or problemsEquipment failures or problems

Project Report: Conclusions and Recommendations Purpose: Offer conclusions based on Purpose: Offer conclusions based on

objective and resultsobjective and results Information: Questions posed by objectives Information: Questions posed by objectives

with specific conclusionwith specific conclusion Pattern of Organization: In order of Pattern of Organization: In order of

importanceimportance

Project Report: Recommendations

Purpose: Offer suggestions for changes in Purpose: Offer suggestions for changes in equipment, procedure, or experimentequipment, procedure, or experiment

Information: Specific recommendations Information: Specific recommendations based on your experience with the projectbased on your experience with the project

Pattern of Organization: In order of Pattern of Organization: In order of importance importance

Project Report: Literature Cited

Purpose: Source documentation for Purpose: Source documentation for background, theory, etc. background, theory, etc.

Information: Authors, publication Information: Authors, publication information, etc., in appropriate formatinformation, etc., in appropriate format

Pattern of Organization: Alphabetical orderPattern of Organization: Alphabetical order

Preparing Written Reports

Effective Communication in CH402Effective Communication in CH402

Questions?Questions?

Designing Oral Reports:

Components of effective Components of effective presentationspresentations

Designing Oral Reports:

Oral Reports and Professional ContextsOral Reports and Professional Contexts Preparing for your Audience Preparing for your Audience Structuring Technical Information: Text Structuring Technical Information: Text

and Visualsand Visuals Presentation Skills You Need: Space, Presentation Skills You Need: Space,

Voice, and BodyVoice, and Body

Oral Reports and Professional Contexts

Presentations in the Classroom and Presentations in the Classroom and the Workplacethe Workplace

Oral Reports and Professional Contexts Conveying information quickly and Conveying information quickly and

efficientlyefficiently Variety of situations: team meetings, Variety of situations: team meetings,

reports to superiors, presentations to clientsreports to superiors, presentations to clients Demanded more often than written reportsDemanded more often than written reports

Preparing for your Audience

Presentations for listenersPresentations for listeners

Know Your Audience

Determine their technical level: expert, Determine their technical level: expert, professional non-expert, student, technician, professional non-expert, student, technician, generalgeneral

Evaluate their previous experience with the Evaluate their previous experience with the topictopic

Gauge their attitudes toward the topicGauge their attitudes toward the topic Identify the information they needIdentify the information they need

Structuring Technical Information

Text and VisualsText and Visuals

Structuring Technical Information Emphasize the primary topic structure of Emphasize the primary topic structure of

your researchyour research Preview and reviewPreview and review Use transition words and phrasesUse transition words and phrases Supply a context for clear visualsSupply a context for clear visuals

Emphasize primary topic structure Written report components: objectives, Written report components: objectives,

introduction, equipment, procedure, results, introduction, equipment, procedure, results, conclusions, recommendationsconclusions, recommendations

Oral report components: same topics in Oral report components: same topics in reduced formreduced form

Overall strategy rather than specific pointsOverall strategy rather than specific points

Structuring Technical Information Emphasize the primary topic structure of Emphasize the primary topic structure of

your researchyour research Preview and reviewPreview and review

Designing Oral Reports

Oral Reports and Professional ContextsOral Reports and Professional Contexts Preparing for your Audience Preparing for your Audience Structuring Technical Information: Text Structuring Technical Information: Text

and Visualsand Visuals Presentation Skills You Need: Space, Presentation Skills You Need: Space,

Voice, and BodyVoice, and Body

Structuring Technical Information Emphasize primary topic structure of your Emphasize primary topic structure of your

researchresearch Preview and reviewPreview and review Use transition words and phrasesUse transition words and phrases

Transition words and phrases

First Second Third

Therefore However Consequently

In conclusion To summarize To review

Structuring Technical Information Emphasize primary topic structure of your Emphasize primary topic structure of your

researchresearch Preview and reviewPreview and review Use transition words and phrases to link Use transition words and phrases to link

ideasideas Supply a context for clear visualsSupply a context for clear visuals

Context for Clear Visuals

Using PowerPointUsing PowerPoint Overloading slidesOverloading slides Labeling charts and graphsLabeling charts and graphs TimingTiming

The Presentation Skills You Need:

Space, Voice, and BodySpace, Voice, and Body

Presentation Skills: Space

Arrange the room to suit your presentation Arrange the room to suit your presentation needsneeds

Check equipment and ensure it is operationalCheck equipment and ensure it is operational Practice with the equipment in presentation Practice with the equipment in presentation

conditionsconditions Allow adequate room so you can remain in Allow adequate room so you can remain in

contact with the audiencecontact with the audience

Presentation Skills: Voice

Speak loud enough to be heard, but don’t Speak loud enough to be heard, but don’t shoutshout

Try to be conversational, rather than trying Try to be conversational, rather than trying to deliver a “canned” speechto deliver a “canned” speech

Vary voice tone and pitch; avoid a monotoneVary voice tone and pitch; avoid a monotone Let your voice reflect your enthusiasm for Let your voice reflect your enthusiasm for

the topicthe topic

Presentation Skills: Body

Use hand gestures effectivelyUse hand gestures effectively Avoid using gestures just because you are Avoid using gestures just because you are

nervousnervous Approach the audience to emphasize a point Approach the audience to emphasize a point

or ideaor idea Avoid shifting or shufflingAvoid shifting or shuffling

Designing Oral Reports

Components of effective Components of effective presentationspresentations

Preview and

ReviewReview

Designing Oral Reports:

Oral Reports and Professional ContextsOral Reports and Professional Contexts Preparing for your Audience Preparing for your Audience Structuring Technical Information: Text Structuring Technical Information: Text

and Visualsand Visuals Presentation Skills You Need: Space, Presentation Skills You Need: Space,

Voice, and BodyVoice, and Body