1. Preparing Written and Oral Reports Effective Communication in CH402

2. Preparing Written and Oral Reports Professor Julia Williams Coordinator of Technical Communication and Assistant Professor of English

3. Preparing Written Reports n Chemical Engineering Department Style Manual n Components of the Project Report n Structuring Technical Information

4. Chemical Engineering Department Style Manual A Guide to Good Writing

5. Preface, CH Style Manual n Intended to help you prepare various types of reports n Emphasizes clarity of communication and quality of technical information

6. Academic vs. Industrial Reports n Audience: Professor n Purpose: Inform n Reading: All parts of the report n Audience: Peers, Supervisors, Clients n Purpose: Inform, instruct, and persuade n Reading: Different parts read by different readers

7. Academic and Industrial Reports n Audience: Professional non-expert n Purpose: Inform and persuade n Information: Technical features, experiment results n Reading: Report parts must provide information reader expects to see

8. CH402 Project Report Form and Content

9. Project Report Form n Title Page n Summary n Introduction n Description of Project n Results n Discussion of Results n Conclusions and Recommendations n Literature Cited n Appendix

10. Project Report: Summary n Audience: Professional nonexpert n Purpose: Provide an overview of the entire project n Information: Objectives, equipment/procedure, results, conclusions/recommendations

11. 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

12. Project Report: Introduction n Audience: Professional nonexpert n Purpose: Relate necessary background and theory for the project n Information: Background, equations, literature, project objectives, theory

13. Project Report: Introduction Pattern of Organization Theory Background Equations Literature Objectives

14. Project Report: Introduction Background Theory Equations Objectives Literature Pattern of Organization

15. Project Report: Description n Audience: Professional nonexpert n Purpose: Identify parts of equipment and their functions n Information: Description and procedure with accompanying visual(s)

16. Description n Provide part-by-part description of equipment n In order of assembly n Procedure: explain how the parts fit and function together n Level of detail adequate for another researcher to duplicate the setup and procedure

17. Equipment Description Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Parts fit/function together

18. Procedure Description Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Application of the Process

19. Project Report: Results n Purpose: Convey results of procedures n Information: Data and results in graphical, analytical, or tabular form

20. Project Report: Results n Commentary to explain form of presentation n Captions for all figures n Quantitative, not just qualitative

21. Project Report: Discussion of Results n Purpose: Explain results produced during procedures n Information: Observations, discoveries, anomalies

22. Discussion of Results Evaluation Analysis Interpretation

23. Discussion of Results n Observed results versus expected values n Significance in the method of plotting results n Significance of a particular graph n Possible experimental errors n Alternative methods n Equipment failures or problems

24. Project Report: Conclusions and Recommendations n Purpose: Offer conclusions based on objective and results n Information: Questions posed by objectives with specific conclusion n Pattern of Organization: In order of importance

25. Project Report: Recommendations n Purpose: Offer suggestions for changes in equipment, procedure, or experiment n Information: Specific recommendations based on your experience with the project n Pattern of Organization: In order of importance

26. Project Report: Literature Cited n Purpose: Source documentation for background, theory, etc. n Information: Authors, publication information, etc., in appropriate format n Pattern of Organization: Alphabetical order

27. Preparing Written Reports Effective Communication in CH402 Questions?

28. Designing Oral Reports: Components of effective presentations

29. Designing Oral Reports: n Oral Reports and Professional Contexts n Preparing for your Audience n Structuring Technical Information: Text and Visuals n Presentation Skills You Need: Space, Voice, and Body

30. Oral Reports and Professional Contexts Presentations in the Classroom and the Workplace

31. Oral Reports and Professional Contexts n Conveying information quickly and efficiently n Variety of situations: team meetings, reports to superiors, presentations to clients n Demanded more often than written reports

32. Preparing for your Audience Presentations for listeners

33. Know Your Audience n Determine their technical level: expert, professional non-expert, student, technician, general n Evaluate their previous experience with the topic n Gauge their attitudes toward the topic n Identify the information they need

34. Structuring Technical Information Text and Visuals

35. Structuring Technical Information n Emphasize the primary topic structure of your research n Preview and review n Use transition words and phrases n Supply a context for clear visuals

36. Emphasize primary topic structure n Written report components: objectives, introduction, equipment, procedure, results, conclusions, recommendations n Oral report components: same topics in reduced form n Overall strategy rather than specific points

37. Structuring Technical Information n Emphasize the primary topic structure of your research n Preview and review

38. Designing Oral Reports n Oral Reports and Professional Contexts n Preparing for your Audience n Structuring Technical Information: Text and Visuals n Presentation Skills You Need: Space, Voice, and Body

39. Structuring Technical Information n Emphasize primary topic structure of your research n Preview and review n Use transition words and phrases

40. Transition words and phrases

41. Structuring Technical Information n Emphasize primary topic structure of your research n Preview and review n Use transition words and phrases to link ideas n Supply a context for clear visuals

42. Context for Clear Visuals n Using PowerPoint n Overloading slides n Labeling charts and graphs n Timing

43. The Presentation Skills You Need: Space, Voice, and Body

44. Presentation Skills: Space n Arrange the room to suit your presentation needs n Check equipment and ensure it is operational n Practice with the equipment in presentation conditions n Allow adequate room so you can remain in contact with the audience

45. Presentation Skills: Voice n Speak loud enough to be heard, but don’t shout n Try to be conversational, rather than trying to deliver a “canned” speech n Vary voice tone and pitch; avoid a monotone n Let your voice reflect your enthusiasm for the topic

46. Presentation Skills: Body n Use hand gestures effectively n Avoid using gestures just because you are nervous n Approach the audience to emphasize a point or idea n Avoid shifting or shuffling

47. Designing Oral Reports Components of effective presentations

48. Preview and Review

49. Designing Oral Reports: n Oral Reports and Professional Contexts n Preparing for your Audience n Structuring Technical Information: Text and Visuals n Presentation Skills You Need: Space, Voice, and Body