REPORT WRITINGPart II: Writing the Report

FIRST: COMMON PROBLEMS WITH YOUR PARAGRAPHS

Problems with Paragraphs PLAGIARISM: copying without quotation

(‘blah blah blah’) TOO MUCH QUOTING: using quotations

for all or most of your paragraph Quotations should be no more than 5% of

your report Use them wisely

SOLUTION: paraphrase!!

Problems with Paragraphs (cont.) Put a space after punctuation: xxx.

Yyy, zzz, etc. No space after/before parentheses:

(Ellis 2007) Font: Times New Roman 12 point only

Note: be careful of SimSum getting into your paper

Problems with Sources Source has nothing to do with

paragraphExample: one reference in a paragraph about noise pollution was to an article about horses

Source not relevant to paragraphExample: references in a paragraph about housing costs in China talked about housing costs in Switzerland and England

Source doesn’t support statements in paragraph

Problems with References Alphabetical order by whatever is first Some referenced an index of

documents; make sure you reference the document itself

Go to the original if you can Spacing after punctuation: same as in

paras Many others, see your attachments

Report An essay in which you:

Research a topic present your findings

Used in university and business You will have to write many reports

REPORTS

Report Language Formal:

No contractions No slang

Third person: Use: it, they, Mr. Smith, the company, etc. Do not use:

First person: I, we Second person: you, your, etc.

Report Format Paragraphs:

Introduction Body: three or more Conclusion

References Five or more Different sources

Introduction One or two sentences of background

Historical perspective Definition Importance of topic etc.

Thesis statement

Introduction: ExampleMicrosoft defines a computer virus as “a

small software program that spreads from one computer to another computer and that interferes with computer operation.” Viruses have become a major problem computer systems large and small all over the world. How did this happen? This report will trace the proliferation of computer viruses beginning with the widespread adoption of the internet, various efforts to eradicate them, and the current state of the ongoing battle against these scourges of our time.

Intro example:First sentence

Microsoft defines a computer virus as “a small software program that spreads from one computer to another computer and that interferes with computer operation.”

Definition

Intro example:Second sentence

Viruses have become a major problem computer systems large and small all over the world.

Importance

Intro example:Third and fourth sentences

How did this happen?

This report will trace the proliferation of computer viruses beginning with the widespread adoption of the internet, various efforts to eradicate them, and the current state of the ongoing battle against these scourges of our time.

Transition

Thesis statement

Check question What topics will the report cover?

1. ____________________________2. ____________________________3. ____________________________

These are the topics for your paragraphs!

Body: Paragraph 1Although viruses have been around since the early days of mainframe computers in the 1970s, they only became well-known to the general public since the rapid expansion of the internet in the late 1990s.

Topic Sentence, first topic

More Sentences

More sentences Supporting topic sentence adding more detail

Body: Paragraph 2Seeing a potentially huge market for detecting and getting rid of viruses, several companies such as …

Topic Sentence,

second topic

More Sentences

More sentences Supporting topic sentence adding more detail

Body: Paragraph 3Currently, the battle between viruses and the companies dedicated to eliminating them has evolved into ...”

Topic Sentence, third topic

More Sentences

More sentences Supporting topic sentence adding more detail

ConclusionAt least two of the following: Restatement of intro/thesis statement.

Example: It is clear that viruses pose a major challenge to …

Summary of body paragraphsExample: This report has shown that the rise of computer viruses over the last decade and a half …

Conclusion (cont.) Give your opinion about what should be

done, if appropriate.

Example: Given the facts in this report, it would seem that the cure for computer viruses …

Look to the future, if appropriate.

Example: It is clear that if the governments of the world do not act decisively, and soon, that …”

Exercise Read the sample report I will hand out Label the following parts:

Introduction Background sentences Background sentences types Thesis statement Topics to be discussed (topic 1, topic 2, etc.)

Body: Topic sentences: match with topics in thesis statement

Conclusion: Label types of sentences (restatement, summary, etc.)

DOING RESEARCHReview:

Three types of sources1. Primary:

original material such as letters, lab notes, diaries, etc.

2. Secondary: magazines articles, books, etc., that get their

info largely from primary sources.

3. Tertiary: wikis, encyclopedias, textbooks, etc., that

collect and distill information from primary and secondary sources.

- adapted from “Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Sources” http://www.lib.umd.edu/guides/primary-sources.html

Examples:Sources you may use Newspapers

China Daily New York Times Financial Times

Magazines Time Beijing Review Business Week

TV websites: CCTV BBC NPR

Government websites

Reputable company websites

Academic journalsAll sources must be in English!

Examples:Sources you may not use Wikis:

Wikipedia Wikihealth etc.

Blogs Forums Email lists

Tertiary sources Encyclopedias Textbooks

Search engines Google Baidu etc.

Tertiary Sources: How to use Can’t use them in report But, you can use wikis, textbooks,

encyclopedias, etc., to Find primary and secondary sources Give an overview of the topic Help organize your paper

Secondary sources Be careful of secondary sources such as

books and magazines

Ask yourself: Is the source reliable? Who is writing and why?

CITATIONS AND REFERENCES

When to Cite Sources “Whenever you quote, paraphrase,

summarize, or otherwise refer to the work of another, you are required to cite its source …”

- http://library.duke.edu/research/citing/

Whenever you present something as fact: “… 81.25% of the people in China …” “… economic growth in China is projected to slow

to about 6.5 percent this year.” The Titanic sank on April 15, 1912.

Citation Types & Formats At least five (5) in-text citations Reference list: at least five references Must have a reference for every citation Must have at least one citation for

every reference

Report Topics I have many topics in bag Without looking, pull out a topic If you don’t like your topic:

You can pull out another one but, If you do, you must take the second one

or you can choose your own topic …

Topics You can choose your own topic, but I

must approve it before you can write Your Contemporary Topics books have a

lot of good topics for further research Of course, they are textbooks, so you can’t

use them for sources, but… They can give you an overview and some

ideas Or do you have other ideas?

Topic form I will give you a form to fill out Write down your topic and list the 5 or

more sources you intend to use1. Article names2. Websites

I have to approve your topics and sources before you start your report

Due next class period

Example topic form:Due next class Topic: __187. Spam_________________

Sources:1. ‘Information Technology Industry:

Spamalot’ New Orleans CityBusiness2. ‘How to fight junk E-Mail’, Primus Canada 3. ‘Fight Spam on the Internet!’

spam.abuse.net4. ‘A New Way To Fight Junk Email & Viruses’,

Processor5. ‘How to Report Spam’ SpamLaws.com

Report RubricDeadly Sins (-10 pts. each) Spelling, capitalization, etc. ___ TUST standards errors ___ Late: -10 for each day ___ 500+ words (deduct for short) ___ Plagiarism: -10 each instance ___

Content (50 pts.): Intro: Intro. topic, Thesis Statement ___ 3+ paragraphs with topic sentences,

development and in-text citations ___ Conclusion ___

Organization (20 pts.): Statements logical and relevant ___

Mechanics (30 pts.): Grammar, usage, punctuation: ___ 5+ references, proper format ___

Final Draft Due second lesson next week:

a. Class 43: May 18 Wednesdayb. Class 42: May 19 Thursdayc. Class 41: May 19 Thursdayd. Class 44: May 20 Friday

The report counts the same as two regular essays for your final grade

Important:Accepting the final draft I will check your report before you turn

it in If I see errors I will not accept it.

You must fix them and submit the next day along with the version(s) that were rejected.

It will be counted late (Better 1-2 days late than lose many points

for errors) If I don’t see any errors, I will accept

your report. Then, and only then, should you email it to me.

Email accepted report Email accepted report as a Microsoft

Word document attached to an email. The subject line of your email must be:

Report [Class] [English Name] Example: Report 42 Joe

Email to: bob.tust@gmail.com