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Research Development Seminars

Report Developmentand Deliverables Preparation

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Research Development Seminars

Support…. Research Diversity Information Sharing Professional Development Collaboration

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Research Development Seminars

Benefit to TTI StaffYour Feedback Is Needed

Katie Turnbull – k-turnbull@tamu.edu 979-845-6005

Susan Adams – SusanAdams@tamu.edu 979-845-9862

Rhonda Brinkmann – r-brinkmann@tamu.edu 979-458-8833Chris Pourteau – c-pourteau@tamu.edu 979-862-3698

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Today’s Topics

Organizing your report Writing your report Polishing your report Report development

resources

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What goes into an effective technical report?

Organization – Select, “chunk,” order, and label information

Writing – Use clear, concise, correct, and active writing (when possible)

Presentation – Include proper format and graphics for clarity of content and visual interest

Content – Make sure it’s credible, useful, relevant, and properly documented

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Organizing Your Report

Organize your thoughts

Arrange your report

Review and verify

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Organize Your Thoughts

Chronological order Reader interest areas Subject area topics Other organization schemes

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Arrange Your Report

Choice of sections will vary based on: Report content Report purpose Audience needs Author preference Editorial guidelines Report length Other factors

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Usual Sections

Front matter (including cover and/or title page)

Chapters References Bibliography Appendices

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“Chunking” Information Isolate topics into small “chunks”

(Information Mapping strategies) Use chunking and labeling Remember “white space” Create a “picture” with the words

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Descriptive Headings Informative Headings

Introduction Problem Definition Methodology Presentation and

Analysis of Results Conclusions and

Recommendations

The Role of Nitric Oxide in Smog Formation

Why did the prototype fail?

Failure to Rate Vendors Effectively

Why Study the Exercise ECG?

Procedure for Collecting Phytoplankton

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Key Questions to Review Draft Content

Does the reader need to know the information to understand the report?

Does this information relate to one of the report components (or headings)?

Am I placing this information in the right place?

Is it clearly organized, written, and presented?

Is it credible and properly documented?

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Writing Your Report

Write clearly and correctly

Focus your writing

Use appropriate writing style

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Sentences

Longer is not always better Use proper punctuation Use correct grammar Avoid too many prepositional

phrases

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Use Active Voice

Speeds cognitive processing Clarifies meaning Eases document navigation

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Style: Passive vs. Active

The use of passive structures in writing has been shown by research to be the traditional writing style in the scientific, technical, and academic communities.

Research shows that scientific, technical, and academic communities traditionally use passive structures in writing.

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When you want to: Create both a visual and functional

understanding of an object or idea Show what it looks like Demonstrate how it works Compare multiple items

When to use graphics

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When the surface is nearly smooth or almost flushed, less material will be needed. The basic goal is to place the material with a thickness that is slightly greater than the maximum size of the aggregate in the mixture. When the existing surface is badly raveled or otherwise coarse and open, one should use more material in order to fill the surface voids. The exact rate will depend on the texture of the existing surface.

Original Sample

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Material thickness should be slightly greater than the maximum size of mixture aggregate. Application rate depends on surface condition.

Surface Material Needed

Badly raveled; orcoarse and open

Nearly smooth or almost flush

More

Less

Layer Thickness Guidelines

Revised Sample

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Review and Verify Graphics

Is each one: integrated, interpreted, and referenced in text? appropriate, clear, and simple? clearly identified overall and within its

component parts with labels and a heading? shown with accurate and appropriate scales? showing what you intended?

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Polishing Your Report

Citations and sources

Report presentation

Editing, revising, proofreading

Electronic accessibility

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Citations and Sources

Source citation Placement of citation Types of citation style Source listings

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Types of Citation Style

Endnote numbers appear in numerical order and link to specific source listings

Author/date citations reference author name and year of publication (must match listing)

Footnotes are generally used only for content clarification

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Source Listings

Make sure citations are complete Use accepted listing style Match style of source listings to

citation style Verify in-text citations to

corresponding source listing

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Example of Author/Date Style

If you cite Wagner by name (1998, 2003), place the year following the name. If you use material from a reference but not by name, include both the author name and date in parentheses (Barker 2001).

Barker, T.S. (2001) Wave Analysis for Technophobes. Rand McNally Publishers, New York.

Wagner, F. (2003) Random Vibrations Revisited. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York.

Wagner, F. (1998) Random Vibrations: Spectral and Wavelet Analysis. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York.

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Example of Endnote Style

If you cite Wagner first, the number would be (1). If you then cite Barker, the number would be (2). If you cite Wagner’s same work again, the reference would still be (1), but if you cite a different work by Wagner, create a new source listing in the References section (3).

1. F. Wagner. Random Vibrations: Spectral and Wavelet Analysis. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, 1998.

2. T.S. Barker. Wave Analysis for Technophobes. Rand McNally Publishers, New York, 2001.

3. F. Wagner. Random Vibrations Revisited. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, 2003.

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Report Presentation

Communicate through effective visual aids

Use effective layout devices, Use effective layout devices, including headings (informative and including headings (informative and

descriptive), font styles, bulleted lists, descriptive), font styles, bulleted lists, and white spaceand white space

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Using Graphics

Consider the right type of graphic:• Table• Photograph• Chart or graph• Infographic

Place your graphic effectively Discuss your graphic in text

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Graphic Elements

Number all figures, tables, and equations

Reference all graphic elements in text, preferably before they appear (also called a “callout”)

Use a label to identify the type of graphic: Figure 1, Equation 1

Use a consistent numbering scheme

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Color Considerations

Use color only when needed for conveying content clearly

Be aware that adding color or other special handling may slow processing of your deliverable

Consider electronic accessibility

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Appearance

Type size and style Format of titles and headings Paragraph length Use of spacing Visual interest and white space Consistency in format

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Type Size and Style Standard serif font (such as Times

Roman) is best choice for readability Non-serif font (such as Arial or Gothic)

is not recommended for text, but is acceptable for headings, and is best for web display

Use a type size of 11 or 12 points (headings can be larger)

Use care with bold, italics, and underlining

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Titles and Headings

Format chapter titles so they are easy to notice and to read

Use consistent formatting within heading levels

Use distinct formatting for different heading levels

Surround headings with space to make them stand out

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Paragraph Length

Keep double-spaced paragraphs less than a page

Keep single-spaced paragraphs less than one-half page

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Automatic Formatting

Using the styles feature of your word processor will help you maintain consistent formatting

Automatic formatting usually enables you to generate a table of contents that you can use as an outline to check content organization as well as format

Use automatic page numbering

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Cross Referencing

Use automatic numbering features of your word processing software

Use automatic callouts if available to tie in-text references to graphics

Use automatic cross referencing when referring readers to other sections of the report (if not available, be sure cross reference is clear)

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Editing

TxDOT requires editing on RMC deliverables

Some publications or sponsors set specific guidelines for editorial style and quality

Clear wording conveys technical content, places emphasis correctly, and avoids potentially costly miscommunication

Editing reduces negative feedback from sponsor and speeds sponsor acceptance

High-quality reports enhance TTI’s reputation

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Proofreading A final proofread will catch any

remaining or new errors Check all cross references,

including figure and table callouts in text and citations

Proofreading is best done by a non-author of the document

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Electronic Accessibility

Determine whether your project requires that files be electronically accessible

Create alternative text descriptions for graphics

Review layout, graphics, format, and other aspects of accessibility

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Beyond Reports

COM can help you identify effective formats and produce the resulting products

Consider enhancing or converting your deliverable to distribute your research more widely and more effectively

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Resources

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Writing ResourcesThe Gregg Reference Manual, 7th ed., William A. Sabin,

Macmillan/McGraw-Hill, 1992.

The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th ed., The University of Chicago Press, 2006.

Designing Technical Reports: Writing for Audiences in Organizations, J.C. Mathes and Dwight W. Stevenson, 1st ed., 1976.

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Where To Find Deliverables Assistance

Contacts in COM and RDO (listed in guidelines and on TTInet)

Resources on TTInet: http://ttinet.tamu.edu/communications/editing/

TxDOT’s Research and Technology Manual http://manuals.dot.state.tx.us/dynaweb/colresea/rtt

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Communications Support

Writing Editing Graphics and audiovisual Deliverables processing Publishing and distribution

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Questions?