WrittenAssignmentsUnderstandtheimportanceofwrittencommunicationRecognisethekeyfactorsthatunderpineffectiveessay&reportwritingWrittenCommunicationsWrittencommunicationinbusinessneedscarefulconsiderationandplanning.Munter(2002)suggeststhattogainthedesiredaudienceresponse,youmustthinkstrategicallybeforeyoustarttowriteorspeakCommunicationStrategyisbasedon5interactivevariables:Communicator(thewriterorspeaker)strategyAudiencestrategyMessagestrategyChannelchoicestrategyCulturalcontextstrategyWrittenassignmentsRequire:-ResearchReferencingAttentionto:-LayoutWrittenEnglishEssaystructureTitleIntroduction(10%)MainBody(80%)Conclusion(10%)BibliographyActivitiesrequiredinessaywritingProblemsolvingi.e.lookingforanansweroranapproachResearchand/orinformationgatheringGeneratingideasAnalysingandunderstandingthegiventitleortaskPresentingideasinalogicalsequenceExpressingideasinawaythatthereadercanunderstandAnsweringthequestionreflectedinthetitleUsingtheappropriatelanguagefluentlyandaccuratelyinthewrittenformUsingwrittencommunicationskillsSomeessayscanbegeneralandconversationalinstyle.Othersaremoreformalintheirapproach.Thefeaturesofaformalessay:EvidenceofresearchEvidenceofplanningEvidenceoforganisation-selectingrelevantinformationandrevisingtheplanwherenecessaryEvidenceofdrafting-checkingtheaccuracyandsequencingofinformation,thestructureandlanguageoftheessayEvidenceofownapproachtoorviewpointonthetopicReferencetosourcesusedandargumentsputforwardbyothersUseofparaphrasingordirectquotes–reformulatingtheideasorphrasesusedbyothersUseofparagraphs-toachieveabalancedandlogicalstructurewithintheessayUseofformallanguage-achievedbyavoidingpersonalreferences,colloquialismsandvaguegeneralisationsUseofbibliography-revealingandacknowledgingsourcesusedinwritingtheessayAstructuredapproachtoessaywritingInacademicessays,thestructuregenerallyfollowsastandardpattern.:INTRODUCTION=paragraph1,whichincludes:Introductoryremarks,forexamplewhythetopicisimportant/interesting/worthyofdebateOutlinethemainargumentsonthetopicStatestheargumentyouintendtoadoptDEVELOPMENT=mainbody,whichincludes:ThegeneralbackgroundtothetopicDevelopthemainargumentsmentionedinyourintroductionDevelopyourownargumentCONCLUSION=finalparagraph,whichincludes:Restatingtheargumentofyourintroduction.AddinganymodificationsmadenecessarybythediscussioninyourdevelopmentAstructuredapproachtoessaywritingInacademicessays,thestructuregenerallyfollowsastandardpattern.:INTRODUCTION=paragraph1,whichincludes:Introductoryremarks,forexamplewhythetopicisimportant/interesting/worthyofdebateOutlinethemainargumentsonthetopicStatestheargumentyouintendtoadoptDEVELOPMENT=mainbody,whichincludes:CONCLUSION=finalparagraph,whichincludes:Restatingtheargumentofyourintroduction.AddinganymodificationsmadenecessarybythediscussioninyourdevelopmentDevelopingyouressayConsiderthefollowingcategorieswhenplanning,draftingandwriting:Thehistory/backgroundof?Datesof?Placesof?Characteristicsof?Causesof?Effectsof?Advantagesof?Disadvantagesof?Argumentsfor?Argumentsagainst?AgoodformalessaywillincludeIdentifiableIntroduction/MainBody/ConclusionAppropriateUseOfParagraphsLogicalSequencingOfIdeasEvidenceOfReading/ResearchSourcesAcknowledgedWellOrganisedFootnotesDetailedBibliographyFluentAndAccurateUseOfLanguageAppropriateStyleAndRegisterOfFormalWritingOwnOpinionExpressed(ifrequired)Reports? essaystendtobeacademicandtheoreticallybased? reportsaremoreactionorientatedandhaveawiderscope? “aformalstatementoftheresultsofaninvestigation,orofany matteronwhichdefiniteinformationisrequired,madebyapersonorbody.Itcanbedefinedasadocumentonagiven subject, to convey information and ideas– and (sometimes) to makerecommendations”situationsareanalysed,conclusionsdrawn,alternativesconsideredandrecommendationsmade.Canbewrittenororallypresented“RuleoftheFourC”’sAreportmustbe:CLEAR–CONCISE–COMPLETE–CORRECTACLEARreportisonethatthereaderwillbeabletounderstandatfirstreading.ACONCISEreportisoneinwhichtheinformationiskeptdowntoanintelligentandintelligibleminimum.ACOMPLETEreportisoneinwhichallthenecessaryinformationisincluded,withnothingtrulyrelevantleftout.ACORRECTreportisoneinwhicheverypieceofinformationisaccurateandverifiable;withopinionandinterpretationalwaysidentified.CommonproblemswithreportsThelanguageisoftenverboseandusesunnecessaryjargon.? Thelayout–longsentences,longparagraphs,andlackofheadingsandsub-heading–oftenhindersthereader’sunderstanding.Thereisnoclearstructuresothereaderhasdifficultyfollowingtheargumentandidentifyingthemainpoints.Importantfactsmaybemissing,andotherscouldbeincorrectoroutofdate.? Confusionbetweenverifiablefactsandthewriter’sopinion.Finallyabadreportisoftenover-longbecauseoffailuretoidentifyitsprecisepurpose,Stagesinproducingareport1. Investigationstage:inwhichthepurposeofthereportisclearlydefined, andinwhich,allnecessaryandrelevantinformationiscollected.Planning:inwhichtheinformationisselectedaccordingtowhoisgoingtoreadit;SortedintosectionsandgivenheadingsArrangedinalogicalprogression.3.Writing:inwhichalltheinformationandideasaremadeclearandcomprehensible.4.Revision:inwhich,priortothefinaltyping,athoroughandrelentlesscheckismadeofthefirstdraftofthereport.InvestigationandobjectivesettingstageFocuson:ThesubjectscopeandpurposeThereader(s)forwhomitisintendedTheobjectiveofthecorrespondence,Awide-ranging,generalobjective,whichhasnotbeendefinedorbrokendownintomorespecificobjectives,willoftenleadtoanimprecisereportObtainthefactsAninvestigationshouldbethorough,intensiveandcomplete.ItmayrequirePrimaryorSecondaryresearch(oramixture)ConsiderinformationwithanopenmindInformationshouldbecriticallyexaminedQuestionandprobemoredeeplyintotheissueMakesureyoutakenotesPlanninguseofinformationcollectedInformationwillhavebeencollectedfrommanysources,inrandomorder.Planningisneededtoselectwhatistobeused,andrejectwhatisnotrequired.Theprimeruleistoleaveoutnothingimportant,andtoincludenothingthatisunimportant.Duringthisselectionprocess,itisusefultowritemainheadingsonseparatesheetsofpapersothatrelevantinformationmaybeplacedundertheappropriateheading.Theremaybejustoneortwoheadings,ordozens,dependingonthelengthandcomplexityofthereport.Logicalsequencing&orderOrderthematerialinthemainareastobecoveredbythereport.? Lookfora‘shape’–alogicalprogression.Theprogressionmaybechronological,ordictatedbyorganisationalconsiderations;orbythesubjectofthereportitself.Theprogressionwillmostlikelygofromtheknowntotheunknown;fromthepasttothepresent,tothefuture.Besurethatifonesectionreliesoninformationinothers,itdoesnotprecedethem!ThestructureofthereportExecutivesummaryListofcontentsIntroductionFindings-MainBodyoftheReportConclusionRecommendationsReferences&BibliographyOptions-Acknowledgements,Termsofreference,Glossaryofterms,AppendicesExecutiveSummaryOnlyusedinlongerreports(morethan5pages)Includes:-MainconclusionsMainrecommendationsKeepconcise(generallynomorethanonepage)TheIntroductionThereshouldalwaysbeanintroduction.Itwillnormallyinclude:-AstatementofthepurposeoftheReportNecessarybackgroundinformationRelevantinformationaboutthearrangementofsectionsDefinitionoftechnicaltermsFindings-themainbodyMadeupofthemainsectionsthathavealreadybeenidentified.Eachsectionthesamelogicandordershouldapplysothataclearpresentationwillbemadeofthefactsandtheirsources.Facts/data/evidenceshouldbeanalysedandexplainedsothatallimplicationsarecleartothereader.Bytheendofthebodyofthereportthereadershouldbeinpossessionofallthenecessaryinformationandhavehadalltheavailablealternativesclearlyexplained.ConclusionandRecommendationsReportsgenerallyrequirethewritertocometosomeconclusionsaboutanexistingsituationandtorecommendasuitablecourseoffutureaction.Thereforeareportrequiresaclearstatementoftheconclusionsthatthewriterhasreachedandoftheactionthatisbeingrecommended.Therecommendationsshouldbeveryclearlyandsimplywritten,Inadditiontostatingwhatshouldbedonetherecommendationsshouldexplainhowtheactioncanbetakenandwhoistotakeit.Thismaymeanbreakingdowntherecommendationsintoanoutlineactionplan,statingthemainseparatestagesReportLayoutThelayoutofthereportoftenincludessomeorallofthefollowing:?Headings=Indicatingmainsectionsinthereport?Sub-headings=Showingdivisionsinasection?BulletsPoints=Emphasisingimportantpoints?ItalicisedText=Revealingsignificantquotesorterminology?Spacing=Indicatingtheseparatesectionsofthereport?Illustrations=Usingpictures,graphs,tables,diagrams,charts(Alwaysgiveyourillustrationsatitleandacknowledgeyoursource)AppendicesBackgroundinformationthathasbeenusedinthepreparationofthereportwhichisnotfreelyavailablethroughnormalsources(libraryetc,).Appendicesdonotnormallyformpartofthereportitself.Ifinformationisnecessaryforthereporttoachieveitsobjectivethenthatinformationshouldbeinthebodyofthereport.AppendicesgenerallydonotcountaspartofthewordcountAppendicesBackgroundinformationthathasbeenusedinthepreparationofthereportwhichisnotfreelyavailablethroughnormalsources(libraryetc,).Appendicesdonotnormallyformpartofthereportitself.Ifinformationisnecessaryforthereporttoachieveitsobjectivethenthatinformationshouldbeinthebodyofthereport.AppendicesgenerallydonotcountaspartofthewordcountLanguageandLayoutThebestreportsareeasytoreadandeasilyunderstood.(KISS)Sentencesshouldbeshortandeachpointmadeneedstobeidentifiedclearlyinaseparateparagraph.Allnormalrulesofgoodgrammarandpunctuationshouldbefollowed.LayoutTherearemanyformsofgoodlayout.Goodlayouthelpsthereporttocommunicate,ensuring involvementandunderstanding.Presentationreflectstheclearstructuredevelopedattheplanningstage.Thereadershouldbeabletoidentify theintroduction, themainbody,theconclusionsandrecommendations,ifany,andthesummary.Thetitleshouldattractattention,andtellthereaderwhatth