Unit 1.

Introduction to Technical Writing

1.1 Introduction
What is Technical Writing?
Taking complicated subject matter and transforming it into easy-to-
understand information for the reader.
Technical writing is done in the workplace and centers on technical topics.
Technical writing has uniue characteristics and has specific audiences.
Technical communication is a method of researching and creating information about
technical processes or products directed to an audience through media. The information
must be relevant to the intended audience. Technical communicators often work
collaboratively to create products (deliverables) for various media, including paper,
video, and the Internet. Deliverables include online help, user manuals, technical
manuals, white papers, specifications, process and procedure manuals, industrial videos,
reference cards, data sheets, journal articles, patents, training, business papers, technical
reports, and forms and documents.
Technical domains can be of any kind, including the soft and hard sciences, high
technology including computers and software, consumer electronics, and business
processes and practices.
!oal
The goal of technical writing is to enable readers to use a technology or understand a
process or concept. ecause the subject matter is more important than the writer!s voice,
technical writing style uses an objective, not a subjective, tone. The writing style is direct
and utilitarian, emphasi"ing e#actness and clarity rather than elegance or allusiveness. $
technical writer uses figurative language only when a figure of speech would facilitate
understanding.%
(&erald '. $lred, et al., Handbook of Technical Writing. edford()t. *artin!s, +,,-)
.ere are the main characteristics of technical writing/
"urpose# &etting something done within an organi"ation (completing a project,
persuading a customer, pleasing your boss, etc.)
$our knowledge of topic# 0sually greater than that of the reader.
%udience# 1ften several people, with differing technical backgrounds.
&riteria for '(aluation# 2lear and simple organi"ation of ideas, in a format that meets
the needs of busy readers.
)tatistical and graphic support# 3re4uently used to e#plain e#isting conditions and to
present alternative courses of action.
&ontent creation
Technical communication is sometimes considered a professional task for which
organi"ations either hire speciali"ed employees, or outsource their needs to
communication firms. 3or e#ample, a professional writer may work with a company to
produce a user manual. 1ther times, technical communication is regarded as a
responsibility that technical professionals employ on a daily basis as they work to convey
technical information to coworkers and clients. 3or e#ample, a computer scientist may
need to provide software documentation to fellow programmers or clients.
The process of developing information products in technical communication begins by
ensuring that the nature of the audience and their need for information is clearly
identified. 3rom there the technical communicator researches and structures the content
into a framework that can guide the detailed development. $s the information product is
created, the paramount goal is ensuring that the content can be clearly understood by the
intended audience and provides the information that the audience needs in the most
appropriate format. This process, known as the !5riting 6rocess!, has been a central focus
of writing theory since the 789,s, and some contemporary te#tbook authors have applied
it to technical communication.
Technical communication is important to engineers mainly for the purpose of being
professional and accurate. These reports supply specific information in a concise manner
and are very clear in their meaning if done correctly.
1.* T+' W,ITI-! ",.&'))# %- ./',/I'W
The process approach to writing re4uires the following
se4uence/
Prewrite- Before you can write your technical document, you
must have something to say. 6rewriting allows you to spend
4uality time, prior to writing the correspondence, generating
information. In prewriting, you
:#amine your purposes
Determine your goals
2onsider your audience
&ather your data
Determine how the content will be provided
2. Write-Once you have gathered your data and determined
your objectives, the ne#t step is to state them. ;ou need to draft
your document. To do so, you should (a) organize the draft
according to some logical se4uence that your readers can follow
easily and (b) format the content to allow for ease of access.
< . Rewrite-The final step, and one that is essential to
successful writing, is to rewrite your draft. This step re4uires
that you revise the rough draft. =evision allows you to perfect
your memo, letter, or report so you can be proud of your final
product.
The writing process is dynamic, with the three parts > pre writing, and rewriting>often
occurring simultaneously.
",'W,ITI-!
6rewriting, the first stage of the process, allows you to plan your communication. If you
do not know where you are going in the correspondence, you will never get there, and
your audience will not get there with you. Through prewriting, you accomplish many
objectives, including
:#amining your purposes
Determining your goals
2onsidering your audience
&athering your data
Determining how the content will be provided
'0amine $our "urposes
efore you write the document, you need to know why you are communicating. $re you
planning to write because you have chosen to do so of your own accord or because you
have been asked to do so by someone else? In other words, is your motivation external or
internal?
External Motivation
If someone else has re4uested the correspondence, then your motivation is e#ternal. ;our
boss, for e#ample, e#pects you to write a monthly status report, a performance appraisal
of your subordinate, or a memo suggesting solutions to a current problem. 6erhaps a
vendor has re4uested that you write a letter documenting due dates, or a customer asks
that you respond to a letter of complaint. In all of these instances, someone else has asked
you to communicate.
Internal Motivation
If you have decided to write on your own accord, then your motivation is internal. ;ou
need information to perform your job more effectively, so you write a letter of in4uiry.
;ou need to meet with colleagues to plan a job, so you write an e>mail message calling a
meeting and setting an agenda. 6erhaps you recogni"e a problem in your work
environment, so you create a 4uestionnaire and transmit it via the company intranet.
Then, analy"ing your findings, you call a meeting to report your findings. In all of these
instances, you initiate the communication.
1etermine $our !oals
1nce you have e#amined why you are planning to communicate, the ne#t step is to
determine your goals in the correspondence or presentation. ;ou might be
communicating to
6ersuade an audience to accept your point of view
Instruct an audience by directing actions
Inform an audience of facts, concerns, or 4uestions you might have
uild trust and rapport by managing work relationships
These goals can overlap, of course. ;ou might want to inform by providing an
instruction. ;ou might want to persuade by informing. ;ou might want to build trust by
persuading. )till, it is worthwhile looking at each of these goals individually to clarify
their distinctions.
&ommunicating to "ersuade
If your goal in writing is to change others! opinions or a company!s policies, you need to
be persuasive. 3or e#ample, you might want to write a proposal, a brochure, or a flier to
sell a product or a service. *aybe you will write your annual progress report to justify a
raise or a promotion. $s a customer, you might want to write a letter of complaint about
poor service. ;our goal in each of these cases is to persuade an audience to accept your
point of view.
&ommunicating to Instruct
Instructions will play a large role in your technical communication activities. $s a
manager, for e#ample, you often will need to direct action. ;our job demands that you
tell employees under your supervision what to do. ;ou might need to write an e>mail
providing instructions for correctly following procedures. These could include steps for
filling out employee forms, researching documents in your company!s intranet data bank,
using new software, or writing reports according to the company!s new standards.
$s an employee, you also will provide instructions. $s a computer information specialist,
maybe you work the 7>@,, hotline for customer concerns. 5hen a customer calls about
his computer!s crisis, your job would be to give instructions for correcting the problem.
;ou either will provide a written instruction in a follow>up e>mail or a verbal instruction
while on the phone.
&ommunicating to Inform
1ften, you will write letters, reports, and e>mails merely to inform. In an e>mail message,
for instance, you may invite your staff to an upcoming meeting. $ trip report will inform
your supervisor what conference presentations you attended or what your prospective
client!s needs are. $ letter of in4uiry will inform a vendor about 4uestions you might have
regarding her services. *aybe you will be asked to write a newsletter informing your
coworkers about the corporate picnic, personnel birthdays, or new stock options available
to employees. In these situations, your goal is not to instruct or persuade. Instead, you
will share information objectively.
&ommunicating to 2uild Trust
uilding rapport (empathy, understanding, connection, and confidence) is a very
important component of your communication challenge. $s a manager or employee, your
job is not merely to %dump data% in your written communication. ;ou also need to reali"e
that you are communicating with coworkers, people with whom you will work every day.
To maintain a successful work environment, you want to achieve the correct, positive
tone in your writing.
This might re4uire nothing more than saying %Thanks for the information,% or %;ou!ve
done a great job reporting your findings.% $ positive tone shows approval for work
accomplished and recognition of the audience!s time.
=ecogni"ing the goals for your correspondence makes a difference. Determining your
goals allows you to provide the appropriate tone and scope of detail in your
communication. In contrast, failure to assess your goals can cause communication
breakdowns.
&onsider $our %udience
5hat you say and how you say it is greatly determined by your audience. $re you
writing up to management, down to subordinates, or laterally to coworkers? $re you
speaking to a high>tech audience (e#perts in your field), a low>tech audience (people with
some knowledge about your field), or a lay audience (people outside your work
environment)? 3ace it>you will not write the same way to your boss as you would to your
subordinates. ;ou will not speak the same way to a customer as you would to a team
member. ;ou must provide different information to a multicultural audience than you
would to individuals with the same language and cultural e#pectations. ;ou must
consider issues of diversity when you communicate.
!ather $our 1ata
1nce you know why you are writing and who your audience is, the ne#t step is deciding
what to say. ;ou have to gather data. The page remains blank until you fill it with
content. ;our communication, therefore, will consider personnel, dates, actions re4uired,
locations, costs, methods for implementing suggestions, and so forth. $s the writer, it is
your obligation to flesh out the detail. $fter all, until you tell your readers what you want
to tell them, they do not know.
There are many ways to gather data. These planning techni4ues include/
$nswering the reporter!s 4uestions
*ind mapping
rainstorming or listing
1utlining
)toryboarding
2reating organi"ation charts
3lowcharting
=esearching (online or at the library)
1etermine +ow the &ontent Will 2e "ro(ided
$fter you have determined your audience, your goals, and your content, the last stage in
prewriting is to decide how best to convey your message. 5ill you write a letter, a memo,
a report, an e>mail, a 5eb site, a proposal, an instructional procedure, a flier, or a
brochure?
W,ITI-!
5riting lets you package your data. 1nce you have gathered your data, determined your
objectives, and recogni"ed your audience, the ne#t step is writing the document. ;ou
need to package it (the draft) in such a way that your readers can follow your train of
thought readily and can easily access your data. 5riting the draft lets you organize your
thoughts in some logical, easy>to>follow se4uence. 5riters usually know where they are
going, but readers do not have this same insight. 5hen readers pick up your document,
they can read only one line at a time. They know what you are saying at the moment, but
they don!t know what your goals are. They can only hope that in your writing, you will
lead them along logically and not get them lost in back alleys of unnecessary data or
dead>end arguments.
.rgani3ation
To avoid leading your readers astray, you need to organi"e your thoughts. $s with
prewriting, you have many organi"ational options.
space (spatial organi"ation)
chronology
importance
comparison(contrast
problem(solution
These organi"ational methods are not e#clusive. *any of them can be used
simultaneously within a memo, letter, or report to help your reader follow your train of
thought.
4ormatting
;ou also must format your te#t to allow for ease of access. In addition to organi"ing your
ideas, you need to consider how the te#t looks on the page. If you give your readers a
massive wall of words, they will file your document for future reading and look for the
nearest e#it. $n unbroken page of te#t is not reader friendly. To invite your readers into
the document, to make them want to read the memo, letter, or report, you need to
highlight key points and break up monotonous>looking te#t. ;ou need to ensure that your
information is accessible.
,'W,ITI-!
=ewriting lets you perfect your writing. $fter you have prewritten and written your draft,
your final step is to rewrite. There are no good writers, only good rewriters. 6eople who
write effective documents know that doing so re4uires a second or third write. &ood
writers fine>tune, hone, sculpt, and polish their drafts to make sure their final versions are
perfect. To rewrite, you need to revise revise and revise again. =evision re4uires that
you look over your draft and do the following/
!dd any missing detail for clarity.
"elete dead words and phrases for conciseness.
#implif$ unnecessarily comple# words and phrases to allow for easier
understanding.
%ove around information (cut and paste) to ensure that your most important ideas
are emphasi"ed.
&eformat (using highlighting techni4ues) to ensure reader>friendly ease of access.
'nhance the tone and style of the te#t.
(orrect any errors to ensure accurate grammar and content.
.
=evision is possibly the most important stage in the writing process. If you pre>write
effectively (gathering your data, determining your objectives, and recogni"ing your
audience) and write an effective draft, you are off to a great start. .owever, if you then
fail to rewrite your te#t, you run the risk of having wasted the time you spent prewriting
and writing. =ewriting is the stage in which you make sure that everything is just right.
3ailure to do so not only can cause confusion for your readers but also can destroy your
credibility.
1.5 .26'&TI/') I- T'&+-I&%7 W,ITI-!
Technical Writing
Technical writing encompasses design documentation, user guides, reference and
installation manuals, help desk sheets, tutorials, online documentation and any content
which is technical in nature. 5ith the emergence of increasingly varied users, audiences
and customers of technical material and content, the roles of technical writers are being
redefined accordingly. Therefore, technical writers need to keep some key objectives in
mind to produce precise, compelling and succinct technical communication material.
In technical writing, the purpose of training and support the goal would be to provide
support to customers for the software application. The audience is taken into account in
deciding what to say and how.
.26'&TI/') I- T'&+-I&%7 W,ITI-!
The five objectives of technical writing are/
7. &larity.
+. &onciseness.
<. %ccuracy
A. .rgani3ation
B. 'thics.
1. &larity
2larity is the ultimate goal of technical writing. $ writer must use the e#act meaning of
the use of a specific word to communicate clearly. In writing, it is important to answer the
4uestion of who, what, when and where, why and how. 0se words that readers can easily
understand, use caution in the use of acronyms, abbreviations and jargon. $cronyms
when used for the first time should be written in full form and use the short form only in
the later usage. )ometimes the short forms may be confusing, so should be taken care of.
To make your documents clear/
6rovide specific details
$nswer the reporterCs 4uestions
0se easily understandable words
0se verbs in the active voice
$void 1bscure words
3ollowing is a list of difficult, out>of>date terms and the modern alternatives/
.bscure Words %lternate Words
%forementioned already discussed
Initial first
In lieu of instead of
%ccede agree
%s per your reuest as you reuested
Issuance send
)ubseuent later
"ursuant to after
)upersede replace
,emittance pay
1isclose show
+. &onciseness.
The second main objective of a writer is the brevityD the information using fewer words
saves time. 2oncise writing can aid comprehension. 2onciseness makes your writing
more appealing to the readers. If the readers can read your correspondence easily, they
read it with more interest and involvement. The technology is constantly being updated
and a space for display of information is becoming smaller. Thus when you write, you
need to consider the way in which technology limits your space and accordingly cater to
the needs of the audience.
To save your writerCs time/
Eimit paragraph length
Eimit word and sentence length
$void a high fog inde#
$void shun words
$void camouflaged words
$void the e#pletive pattern
1mit redundancies
$void wordy phrases
.ere are some e#amples of wordy phrases and their concise revisions.
Wordy phrases &oncise ,e(isions
In order to purchase to buy
$t a rapid rate fast
It is evident that evidently
5ith regard to about
In the first place first
$ great number of times often
Despite the fact that although
$m in receipt of received
6lease find enclosed enclosed is
Due to the fact that because
Is of the opinion that thinks
$s soon as possible by 77/<, a.m.
In the likely event that if
=endered completely inactive broken
<. %ccuracy. 2larity and conciseness are primary objectives of effective technical
writing. .owever, if your writing is clear and concise, but incorrect>grammatically or
te#tually> then you have wasted your time and destroyed your credibility. To be effective,
your technical writing must be accurate. $ccuracy is very important for any technical
document. &rammar and spelling need to be verified thoroughly before sending the
document. :rrors create a negative impression and sometimes can be disastrous in case of
figures, e4uations, scientific or medical data.
To avoid grammatical errors follow proofreading tips/
Eet someone else read it
=ead thoroughly for typographical errors
=ead one line at a time
=ead long words syllable by syllable
0se computer spell checks
2heck figures, scientific and technical e4uations, and abbreviations
=ead it aloud
0se a dictionary
A. .rgani3ation.
If you are clear, concise, and accurate, but no one can follow your train of thought
because your te#t rambles, you still havenCt communicated effectively. )uccessful
technical writing also must be well organi"ed. Information should be logically placed on
the page so the reader can follow the thought of the writer. If a writer does not use the
organi"ation, then readers are not capable of understanding what is read. The information
provided through the te#t should be properly arranged and organi"ed following a proper
order and logic.
To guide your reader, use organi"ational strategies/
)patial / you would describe what you see as it appears in space> left to right, top
to bottom, inside to outside, or clockwise.
2hronological / events arranged in the order of occurrence.
Importance / place the more important ideas above the less important ones.
2omparison(2ontrast / the table, organi"ed according to comparison(contrast,
helps the reader understand the distinctions
6roblem()olution / you should emphasi"e the readersC need (their problem) and
show how your product is the solution.
B. 'thics. To be a responsible technical writer/
2heck your actions against legal, practical, and ethical concerns
3ollow strategies for making ethical decisions/ define the problem, determine
your audience, ma#imi"e values and minimi"e problems, consider the big picture,
and write your te#t.
:thical 6rinciples for Technical 2ommunicators
Eegality
.onesty
2onfidentiality
Fuality
3airness
6rofessionalism
U-IT-5 &.,,')".-1'-&'
5.1 8emos
5hen you write a memo in industry or for a class assignment, it is important to have your
audience and purpose clearly defined, because this will help you determine what
information to include.
&enerally memos follow a particular format, although your instructor or company may
re4uire you to use alternative formats.
Definition of a *emo
6urpose of a *emo
$udience $nalysis
&eneral 3ormat
2ommon Types of *emos
1efinition of a 8emo
$ memo is a document typically used for communication within a company. *emos can
be as formal as a business letter and used to present a report.
.owever, the heading and overall tone make a memo different from a business letter.
ecause you generally send memos to co>workers and colleagues, you do not have to
include a formal salutation or closing remark.
"urpose of a 8emo
0sually you write memos to inform readers of specific information. ;ou might also write
a memo to persuade others to take action, give feedback on an issue, or react to a
situation. .owever, most memos communicate basic information, such as meeting times
or due dates.
5hile memos are a convenient channel to communicate, it is always necessary to
determine if a meeting is more appropriate. 3or e#ample, your team needs to make a very
important financial decision. $ memo can ask for that information from team members
and re4uest a response by a specific date.
y meeting with everyone, however, you not only get to hear final decisions but the
rationale behind them. In fact, new ideas may stem from face>to>face discussions. y
writing a memo in this scenario, you may never invent alternative ways of solving the
problem.
efore writing a memo, outline what your purpose is for doing so, and decide if the
memo is the best communication channel.
%udience %nalysis
The typical audience for a memo is your co>workers and colleagues. .owever, in the age
of downsi"ing, outsourcing, and teleconferencing, you might also write memos to
employees from other companies working on the project, or other departments within
your company.
This is why knowing your audience is very important when writing a memo. 3or
e#ample, if your audience is generally familiar with you professionally and(or your role
in the project, it is not necessary to provide a detailed background about your purpose. If
they are new to the project, provide detailed background information so that they
understand the situation and can provide constructive feedback if desired.
It is helpful, however, to inform readers about the conte#t. In other words, do not only
write that a meeting will take place by listing the date and time. Inform why the meeting
is occurring in the first place. $lso, do not assume that your readers have contact
information. $lways include some way for them to get in touch with you and other
members of the team working on the project.
$s a student, you may have to write memos to your instructor or classmates. 5hen
composing academic memos, consider what this audience already knows about the
subject. 3or e#ample, if you are writing a memo for a paper, does your audience already
know what the paper is about? 5hat further information do they re4uire to provide
understanding?
5hen writing a memo, consider the audience!s knowledge of the topic and previous
e#perience, and draft your memo to take care of those needs.
!eneral 4ormat
5hen you write a memo, you will follow a general format. ;our instructor or company
may have specific re4uirements that you must use. 3or instance, a company might have a
particular way of presenting a heading or may even use a specific type of letterhead or
logo.
.owever, usually a memo has a %to,% %from,% %subject,% and %date% entry.
.eading
*essage
Tone
Eength
3ormat &uidelines
+eading
$ memo!s heading provides information about who will receive the memo, who is
sending the memo, the date, and the memo!s subject. This information may be bolded or
highlighted in some way. 3or e#ample/
T.#
4,.8#
1%T'#
)U26'&T#
$dditionally, you might also initial your name in the %3=1*% line to indicate that you
gave the memo a final approval.
)ometimes organi"ations specify how to fill out the headings. If you are unsure, it may be
a good idea to include your job title and your reader!s. The memo will then be
informative to someone new to the situation, or someone who received the memo after it
was passed on from the original reader.
8essage
*emos are reproduced and e#changed rather freely, and it is common for a reader to
receive a memo that is only marginally relevant to him or her.
This is why it is important that the first sentence of the memo should answer that 4uestion
with a purpose statement. The best purpose statements are concise and direct.
;our memo!s message should also provide a conte#t for readers. In other words, always
tell your readers why you are writing. 2onsider the following 4uestions/
Is your memo a result of a situation? 3or instance, %$s a result of yesterday!s
meeting...%
Is your memo a reminder? 3or e#ample, %The )roposal is due 'uly +.%
y providing conte#t for your readers, you avoid being asked to provide that information
later. $lso, you should always include your contact information at the bottom of your
message. This can be your phone number or e>mail address.
3inally, consider how your memo looks. If you have nothing but paragraph after
paragraph of te#t, you might use lists to draw attention to specific information. Eists
represent an effective way to present information. Got only do they breakdown large
amounts of te#t, but they also provide te#t in a way that is visually pleasing. Eists are
especially useful for conveying steps, phases, years, procedures, or decisions. y
avoiding full sentences in a list, your information is concise and more likely to engage
your readers. 3or e#ample/
%To receive a degree in engineering, you must complete the following/%
2ore 2ourses
:lective 2ourses
)enior Design
Eists can be bulleted, as in the e#ample, or numbered. Typically, you should use a
numbered list when you need to stress the order of the listed items.
Tone
)ince you typically send memos to those working within your company, you can use a
more informal tone than you would if you were writing a business letter.
3or e#ample, you might refer to your colleagues by their first names or use humor.
.owever, always keep in mind that you still need to be professional. $sk yourself how
the company!s president would react to your memo. If you would be embarrassed to have
the president read your memo, consider changing or eliminating information.
7ength
*emos are generally short, concise documents. .owever, you may have to write longer
memos, depending on your topic. 3or e#ample, a memo might present the new guidelines
for a specific office task.
1bviously, if you have over forty guidelines, the memo will be more than a page. )ome
memos might even introduce a short report. In this case, you might include the report in
the memo, or the memo might be a separate document, introducing the report.
4ormat !uidelines
=egardless of the style, memos generally have similar format characteristics, unless
otherwise specified by your professor or company. Eisted below are some basic
guidelines that can help you create a memo/
*emos have one>inch margins around the page and are on plain paper
$ll lines of the memo begin at the left margin
The te#t begins two spaces after the subject line
The body of the memo is single>spaced, with two spaces between paragraphs
)econd>page headings are used, as in business letters
The second page includes who the *emo is to, the page number, and the date
The sender usually signs the *emo using initials, first name, or complete name
&ommon Types of 8emos
:ach memo is written for a specific purpose to a specific audience. The purpose and
audience for your memo will help guide what type of memo you will write.
:ven though no two memos are identical, four common broad categories e#ist. If you are
unsure about how to format your memo, ask your instructor or review memos your co>
workers have written.
Directive
=esponse to an In4uiry
Trip =eport
3ield(Eab =eports
1irecti(e 8emo
$ directive memo states a policy or procedure you want the reader or co>worker to
follow. The length of the memo depends on how much space is re4uired to properly
e#plain the procedure.
The body of the memo should begin with a clear, concise sentence that states the purpose
of the memo. 3or e#ample/
%The purpose of this memo is to let all members of the $2 department know that
doughnuts will be provided every 3riday morning at @ a.m.%
;ou then provide statements that e#plain the rationale for such a decision or procedure.
:#ample Directive *emo
'0ample 1irecti(e 8emo
MEMORANDUM
T.# Design Team H<-+
4,.8# I.T. *athur
1%T'# *ay +9, 7889
)U26'&T# 6roject )chedule
$s a result of yesterday!s meeting, I suggest we follow the project schedule listed below.
=emember, we must submit a 6roposal by noon on 'uly +.
)chedule
Task &ompletion 1ate
Divide research into groups
and compile information
'une -
=eview designs from Iate and
ill.
'une77
5rite 6roposal 'une +<
=eview 6roposal 'une +-
)ubmit 6roposal for printing 'une +9

,esponse 8emo
The purpose of this memo is to provide the audience with desired information. It usually
has four parts/
purpose statement
summary
discussion
action
egin this memo with a short paragraph stating the purpose, which is always to respond
to a re4uest for information. Ge#t, summari"e the information re4uested.
Third, in a discussion section, point out to the reader any important information that you
feel should be highlighted or stressed.
3inally, in the action section, state any additional action you are going to take or feel
should be taken to properly address the original re4uest for information.
:#ample =esponse *emo
'0ample ,esponse 8emo
MEMORANDUM
T.# Design Team H<-+
4,.8# I.T. *athur
1%T'# *ay +9, +,77
)U26'&T# 6roject )chedule
)*rpose+
This memo responds to your re4uest that the weekly meeting be moved from
8am to 7,am.
#*mmar$+ 7. This re4uest is satisfactory as long as it is approved by management.
"isc*ssion+
7. *anagement usually has no problem with the individual time changes in
meetings, as long as meeting minutes are turned in by noon to 2athy.
!ction+
I have asked 2athy if she thinks this would be a problem and she said no, so
all we need to do now is get approval from )teve.
Trip ,eport 8emo
$ trip report memo is usually sent to a supervisor after an employee returns from a
business venture. The structure is listed below/
purpose statement
summary
discussion
action
egin this memo with a short paragraph stating the purpose, which is always to provide
information on your trip.
Ge#t, summari"e the trip. =emember, the reader is usually not interested in a detailed
minute by minute account of what happened. Instead, take the time to write a clear and
concise outline of your trip.
Third, in a discussion section, point out to the reader any important information that you
feel should be highlighted or stressed.
3inally, in the action section, state any additional relevant information you have come
across since returning from the trip or any recommendations you might have for the
reader.
'0ample Trip ,eport 8emo
MEMORANDUM
T.# Design Team H<-+
4,.8# I.T. *athur
1%T'# 'une +9, 7889
)U26'&T# 5eekly *eeting
)*rpose+ This memo presents my impressions of the meeting last week.
#*mmar$+
In general, I felt that the meeting went well and much progress was
made.
"isc*ssion+
arb and 'eff were able to make progress on the graphics and should
have them finished ne#t week.
Iyle and )andy are on 2hapter + of the user manual.
&ecommendation+
Iyle will meet with 'eff to see how they want the graphics integrated
into the te#t.
4ield ,eport 8emo
*emos are often used to report on inspection and procedures. These memos, known as
field or lab reports, include the problem, methods, results, and conclusions, but spend less
time on the methods section.
$ field or lab report memo has the following structure/
purpose of memo
summary
problem leading to the decision to perform the procedure
methods
results
conclusions
recommendations
'0ample 4ield97ab ,eports 8emo
MEMORANDUM
T.# Dean of 'ournalism
4,.8# )teve Gash
1%T'# 'une +9, +,77
)U26'&T# 2omputer Eab
)*rpose+
This memo presents the findings of my visit to the computer lab at
2lark 2+B+.
#*mmar$+
In general, I felt that the lab needs much new e4uipment and
renovation.
)roblem+
The inspection was designed to determine if the present e4uipment
was ade4uate to provide graduate students with the technology
needed to perform the tasks e#pected of them by their professors and
thesis research.
%ethods+
I ran a series of tasks on )6)) and 5ord6erfect and recorded
memory capacity and processing time for each task.
&es*lts+
The inspection found that the hardware used to run the computers is
outdated and that the computers itself are very slow.
(oncl*sions+
This lab is inade4uate for the everyday needs of graduate students in
this department.
&ecommendations+
3our new computers running on 5indows8@ and a processing speed
of at least +<<mh" should be purchased immediately.
U-IT-/ # '7'&T,.-I& &.88U-I&%TI.-
:.1 '-&.,,')".-1'-&'
:.* '-8%I7 'TTI;U'TT'
It is ama"ing to find that in this day and age, some students and future employees have
still not reali"ed how important their email communications are. *any people send email
replies late or not at all, or send replies that do not actually answer the 4uestions you
asked (of course, we are talking about formal e>mails). If you are able to deal
professionally with emails, this will provide you with an edge over others.
Why do you need email etiuette?
$(n) student(employee) needs to implement eti4uette rules for the following three
reasons/
"rofessionalism# y using proper email language, you will project a professional
image.
'fficiency# :mails that get to the point are much more effective than poorly
worded emails.
"rotection from liability# :mployee awareness of employerCs rules while
sending emails will protect the employee and the employer from costly law suits.

What are the etiuette rules?
There are many eti4uette guides and many different eti4uette rules. )ome rules will differ
according to the nature of your business and the corporate culture. elow is a list of the
<+ most important email eti4uette rules that apply to nearly all companies.
51 most important email etiuette tips#
7. e concise and to the point
+. $nswer all 4uestions, and pre>empt further 4uestions
<. 0se proper spelling, grammar and punctuation
A. *ake it personal
B. 0se templates for fre4uently used responses
-. $nswer swiftly
9. Do not attach unnecessary files
@. 0se proper structure and layout
8. Do not overuse the high priority option
7,. Do not write in 2$6IT$E)
77. Don!t leave out the message thread
7+. $dd disclaimers to your emails
7<. =ead the email before you send it
7A. Do not overuse =eply to $ll
7B. Take care with abbreviations and emoticons
7-. e careful with formatting
79. Take care with rich te#t and .T*E messages
7@. Do not forward chain letters
78. Do not re4uest delivery and read receipts
+,. Do not ask to recall a message.
+7. Do not copy a message or attachment without permission
++. Do not use emails to discuss confidential information
+<. 0se a meaningful subject
+A. 0se active instead of passive
+B. $void using 0=&:GT and I*61=T$GT
+-. $void long sentences
+9. Don!t send or forward emails containing libelous, defamatory, offensive, racist or
obscene remarks
+@. Don!t forward virus hoa#es and chain letters
+8. Ieep your language gender neutral
<,. Don!t reply to spam
<7. 0se cc/ field sparingly
1. 2e concise and to the point.
Do not make an e>mail longer than it needs to be. =emember that reading an e>mail is
harder than reading printed communications and a long e>mail can be very discouraging
to read.
*. %nswer all uestions< and pre-empt further uestions.
$n email reply must answer all 4uestions, and pre>empt further 4uestions J If you do not
answer all the 4uestions in the original email, you will receive further e>mails regarding
the unanswered 4uestions, which will not only waste your time and the recipientCs time
but also cause considerable frustration. *oreover, if you are able to pre>empt relevant
4uestions, the recipient will be grateful and impressed with your efficient and thoughtful
work ethic.
5. Use proper spelling< grammar and punctuation.
This is not only important because improper spelling, grammar and punctuation give a
bad impression of you, it is also important for conveying the message properly. :>mails
with no full stops or commas are difficult to read and can sometimes even change the
meaning of the te#t.
=. 8ake it personal.
Got only should the e>mail be personally addressed, it should also include personal i.e.
customi"ed content. 3or this reason, auto replies are usually not very effective. .owever,
templates can be used effectively in this way.
:. Use templates for freuently used responses.
)ome 4uestions you get over and over again, such as directions to your office or how to
subscribe to your newsletter. )ave these te#ts as response templates and paste these into
your message when you need them. ;ou can save your templates in a 5ord document, or
use pre>formatted emails.
>. %nswer swiftly.
6eople send an e>mail because they wish to receive a 4uick response. If they did not want
a 4uick response, they would send a letter or a fa#. Therefore, each e>mail should be
replied to, within at least +A hours. If the email is complicated, just send an email back
saying that you have received it and that you will get back to them. This will put the
mailer!s mind at rest and usually they will then be very patient.
?. 1o not attach unnecessary files.
y sending large attachments you can annoy people and even bring down their e>mail
system. 5herever possible try to compress attachments and only send attachments when
they are productive. *oreover, you need to have a good virus scanner in place since your
recipients will not be very happy if you send them documents full of viruses.
@. Use proper structure and layout.
)ince reading from a screen is more difficult than reading from paper, the structure and
lay out is very important for e>mail messages. 0se short paragraphs and blank lines
between each paragraph. 5hen making points, number them or mark each point as
separate to keep the overview.
A. 1o not o(eruse the high priority option.
5e all know the story of the boy who cried wolf. If you overuse the high priority option,
it will lose its function when you really need it. *oreover, even if a mail has high
priority, your message will come across as slightly aggressive if you flag it as !high
priority!.
1B. 1o not write in &%"IT%7).
I3 ;10 5=IT: IG 2$6IT$E) IT )::*) $) I3 ;10 $=: ).10TIG&. This can be
highly annoying and might trigger an unwanted response in the form of a flame mail.
Therefore, try not to send any email te#t in capitals unless you want to emphasi"e a
particular point.
11. 1onCt lea(e out the message thread.
5hen you reply to an email, you must include the original mail in your reply, in other
words click !=eply!, instead of !Gew *ail!. )ome people say that you must remove the
previous message since this has already been sent and is therefore unnecessary. .owever,
this is not desirable. If you receive many emails you obviously cannot remember each
individual email. This means that a !threadless email! will not provide enough information
and you will have to spend a frustratingly long time to find out the conte#t of the email in
order to deal with it.
1*. %dd disclaimers to your emails.
It is important to add disclaimers to your internal and e#ternal mails, since this can help
protect your company from liability. 2onsider the following scenario/ an employee
accidentally forwards a virus to a customer by email. The customer decides to sue your
company for damages. If you add a disclaimer at the bottom of every e#ternal mail,
saying that the recipient must check each email for viruses and that it cannot be held
liable for any transmitted viruses, this will surely be of help to you in court (read more
about email disclaimers). $nother e#ample/ an employee sues the company for allowing
a racist email to circulate the office. If your company has an email policy in place and
adds an email disclaimer to every mail that states that employees are e#pressly re4uired
not to make defamatory statements, you have a good case of proving that the company
did everything it could to prevent offensive emails.
15. ,ead the email before you send it.
$ lot of people don!t bother to read an email before they send it out, as can be seen from
the many spelling and grammar mistakes contained in emails. $part from this, reading
your email through the eyes of the recipient will help you send a more effective message
and avoid misunderstandings and inappropriate comments.
1=. 1o not o(eruse ,eply to %ll.
1nly use =eply to $ll if you really need your message to be seen by each person who
received the original message.
1:. Take care with abbre(iations and emoticons.
In business emails, try not to use abbreviations such as T5 (by the way) and E1E
(laugh out loud). The recipient might not be aware of the meanings of the abbreviations
and in business emails these are generally not appropriate. The same goes for emoticons,
such as the smiley />). If you are not sure whether your recipient knows what it means, it
is better not to use it.
1>. 2e careful with formatting.
=emember that when you use formatting in your emails, the sender might not be able to
view formatting, or might see different fonts than you had intended. 5hen using colours,
use a colour that is easy to read on the background.
1?. Take care with rich te0t and +T87 messages.
e aware that when you send an email in rich te#t or .T*E format, the sender might
only be able to receive plain te#t emails. If this is the case, the recipient will receive your
message as a te#t attachment. *ost email clients however, including *icrosoft 1utlook,
are able to receive .T*E and rich te#t messages.
1@. 1o not forward chain letters.
Do not forward chain letters. 5e can safely say that all of them are hoa#es. 'ust delete the
letters as soon as you receive them.
1A. 1o not reuest deli(ery and read receipts.
This will almost always annoy your recipient before he or she has even read your
message. esides, it usually does not work anyway since the recipient could have
blocked that function, or his(her software might not support it, so what is the use of using
it? If you want to know whether an email was received, it is better to ask the recipient to
let you know if it was received.
*B. 1o not ask to recall a message.
iggest chances are that your message has already been delivered and read. $ recall
re4uest would look very silly in that caseD wouldn!t it? It is better just to send an email to
say that you have made a mistake. This will look much more honest than trying to recall a
message.
*1. 1o not copy a message or attachment without permission.
Do not copy a message or attachment belonging to another user without permission of the
originator. If you do not ask permission first, you might be infringing on copyright laws.
**. 1o not use email to discuss confidential information.
)ending an email is like sending a postcard. If you don!t want your email to be displayed
on a bulletin board, don!t send it. *oreover, never make any libelous(a piece of writing
which contains false or bad things about a person)or racially discriminating comments in
emails, even if they are meant to be a joke.
*5. Use a meaningful subject.
Try to use a subject that is meaningful to the recipient as well as yourself. 3or instance,
when you send an email to a company re4uesting information about a product, it is better
to mention the actual name of the product, e.g. !6roduct $ information! than to just say
!product information! or the company!s name in the subject.
*=. Use acti(e instead of passi(e.
Try to use the active voice of a verb wherever possible. 3or instance, !5e will process
your order today!, sounds better than !;our order will be processed today!. The first
sounds more personal, whereas the latter, especially when used fre4uently, sounds
unnecessarily formal.
*:. %(oid using U,!'-T and I8".,T%-T.
:ven more so than the high>priority option, you must at all times, try to avoid these types
of words in an email or subject line. 1nly use this if it is a really, really urgent or
important message.
*>. %(oid long sentences.
Try to keep your sentences to a ma#imum of 7B>+, words. :mail is meant to be a 4uick
medium and re4uires a different kind of writing than letters. $lso take care not to send
emails that are too long. If a person receives an email that looks like a dissertation,
chances are that they will not even attempt to read itK
*?. 1onCt send or forward emails containing libelous< defamatory< offensi(e< racist or
obscene remarks.
y sending or even just forwarding one libelous, or offensive remark in an email, you
and your company can face court cases resulting in multi>million dollar penalties.
*@. 1onCt forward (irus hoa0es and chain letters.
If you receive an email message warning you of a new unstoppable virus that will
immediately delete everything from your computer, this is most probably a hoa#. y
forwarding hoa#es you use valuable bandwidth and sometimes virus hoa#es contain
viruses themselves, by attaching a so>called file that will stop the dangerous virus. The
same goes for chain letters that promise incredible riches or ask your help for a charitable
cause. :ven if the content seems to be bonafide, the senders are usually not. )ince it is
impossible to find out whether a chain letter is real or not, the best place for it is the
recycle bin.
*A. Deep your language gender neutral.
In this day and age, avoid using language particularising gender such as/ LThe user
should add a signature by configuring his email programM. $part from using he(she, you
can also use the neutral gender/ LThe user should add a signature by configuring the
email programM.
5B. 1onCt reply to spam.
y replying to spam or by unsubscribing, you are confirming that your email address is
!live!. 2onfirming this will only generate even more spam. Therefore, just hit the delete
button or use email software to remove spam automatically.
51. Use cc# field sparingly.
Try not to use the cc/ field unless the recipient in the cc/ field knows why they are
receiving a copy of the message. 0sing the cc/ field can be confusing since the recipients
might not know who is supposed to act on the message. $lso, when responding to a cc/
message, should you include the other recipient in the cc/ field as well? This will depend
on the situation. In general, do not include the person in the cc/ field unless you have a
particular reason for wanting this person to see your response. $gain, make sure that this
person will know why they are receiving a copy.
:.5 ,')U8'EF '-,')U8'EF .-7I-' 6.2 %""7I&%TI.-)
:.= 7'TT', .4 %""7I&%TI.-
.