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| Preface and Introduction | |
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| About the Author | |
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| International Best Practice in Report Writing: Getting Started | |
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| The Basics of Technical Writing | |
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| What to aim for: characteristics of an effective document | |
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| Pitfalls to avoid | |
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| Solutions to the main problems: questions and action plan | |
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| The Structure of an Engineering Document | |
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| The traditional basic skeleton of most reports | |
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| A navigational pathway: the sections that engineers read first | |
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| Traditional report structure: the diamond structure of a document | |
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| Structure for an executive audience: nontraditional report structure | |
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| Sections of a document: also diamond-shaped | |
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| Helping nonengineers to understand a complex document | |
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| Deliberate repetition of information in a document | |
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| Organizing a Document and Choosing Appropriate Sections | |
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| Why plan? | |
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| Steps to take when planning a document | |
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| Using the Outline mode of Microsoft Word | |
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| Brief descriptions of possible sections to choose for a document | |
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| Presentation Style | |
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| The Sections of a Document | |
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| Requirements for Sections and Elements of a Document | |
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| Listing of commonly used sections and elements of a document | |
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| Requirements for the basic skeleton of sections | |
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| Requirements for commonly used preliminary sections | |
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| Requirements for sections commonly used at the start of the main body of the document | |
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| Requirements for sections commonly used at the end of a document | |
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| Requirements for other possible sections, in alphabetical order | |
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| Specific Types of Documents | |
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| Summarizing: An Executive Summary, a Summary, and a Conference or Journal Paper Abstract | |
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| Definitions: Executive Summary/Summary/Abstract | |
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| The purpose of any type of summary | |
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| Difficulties in writing | |
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| General requirements | |
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| Structure | |
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| Steps in summarizing | |
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| The different types of content (descriptive, informative, descriptive/informative) | |
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| An Executive Summary | |
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| A journal paper Abstract | |
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| A conference Abstract | |
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| Common mistakes in Abstracts or Summaries | |
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| Reports | |
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| Major formal proposal | |
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| Feasibility study | |
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| Due diligence report | |
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| Environmental assessment report | |
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| Progress report | |
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| Incident report | |
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| Inspection report | |
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| Trip report | |
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| Performance review | |
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| Laboratory or research report | |
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| A Set of Instructions: Handbook, Procedure, Operating Manual | |
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| Aim | |
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| Difficulties | |
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| Possible structure for a procedure | |
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| Guidelines for wording of the instructions | |
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| Formal Letters | |
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| The conventions: the elements of a formal letter | |
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| Font, spacing, arrangement on the page | |
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| Structure of the information | |
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| Style of writing | |
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| Sample letters to illustrate the principles | |
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| Letters that accompany a document | |
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| Short Workplace Documents: E-mails, Faxes, Memoranda, Agendas, and Minutes | |
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| E-mails to communicate matters of work | |
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| Faxes | |
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| Memoranda | |
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| Agenda and minutes of a meeting | |
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| Publicity Material: Brochures and Press Releases | |
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| Writing a brochure | |
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| Writing for the media | |
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| A Journal or Conference Paper | |
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| The process of publishing a journal paper | |
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| The structure of a journal or conference paper | |
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| Requirements for the sections of a journal or conference paper | |
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| A Conference or Display Poster | |
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| Attending a conference and presenting a poster: the basics | |
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| Purpose of a poster | |
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| What readers like in a poster | |
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| Steps in planning a poster | |
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| Design of the layout | |
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| Poster title | |
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| Possible sections for a poster | |
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| Figures and tables | |
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| Structure of the text | |
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| Style of font | |
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| Using color and background | |
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| Printing the poster | |
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| Final production | |
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| Common mistakes | |
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| Referencing, Editorial Conventions; and Revising, Proofreading, and Reviewing | |
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| Referencing Your Sources | |
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| Purpose of referencing | |
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| Referencing a document: the basics | |
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| When references should be used | |
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| The two main systems of referencing | |
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| Personal communications | |
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| Sample text and corresponding List of References section for the two main systems | |
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| Using direct quotations with quotation marks | |
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| Compiling a Bibliography | |
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| Common faults | |
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| Editorial Conventions | |
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| Conventions for writing numbers in the text | |
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| Rules for capitalization | |
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| Defining acronyms in the text | |
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| Numbering of chapters and sections of documents, pages, and illustrations | |
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| Titles and captions of tables and figures | |
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| Conventions for tables | |
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| Formatting equations in the text | |
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| Revising, Proofreading, and Reviewing a Document | |
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| Brief definitions: Revising, proofreading, and reviewing | |
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| Revising a document | |
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| Proofreading the final draft of a document | |
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| Proofreading the printer's proof | |
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| Reviewing a document | |
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| Writing Style | |
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| Problems of Style: Recognizing and Correcting Common Mistakes | |
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| Paragraphs | |
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| Sentences | |
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| Punctuation | |
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| Plurals | |
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| Pairs of words that are often confused | |
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| Jargon phrases to avoid | |
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| Writing to inform, not to impress | |
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| The split infinitive | |
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| Verbs and vivid language | |
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| Spell-checking | |
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| Presenting Work Orally | |
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| A Seminar or Conference Presentation | |
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| The aims of a presentation and the constraining factors | |
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| Guidelines for beginners | |
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| Structuring the presentation | |
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| Suggestions for wording: your own, and for visual aids | |
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| Types of speaker's notes | |
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| Spoken style | |
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| Designing visual aids | |
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| Delivering your presentation | |
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| Answering questions | |
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| A Presentation to a Small Group | |
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| The constraints of presenting to a small group | |
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| Basic principles for preparation | |
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| A professional interview or an oral examination | |
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| A presentation to a review panel | |
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| References and Resources | |
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| References and Resources | |
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| Quick reference guide: The Parts of Speech and Verb Forms | |
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| Index | |