ENG 333 Communication for Science and Research

An abstract is the entire report condensed into a brief space, with a usual range of 100 to 300 words. This should be the last thing that you write. The abtract is very important because it is one of the few parts of your document that you can be fairly certain that most of your readers will read. A good abstract will give a balanced view of the entire document.

Your primary objective is to stay reader centered. You want to:

1. Help readers identify points of interest (make it easy for readers to go to the Table of Contents and locate the more detailed information on the topics that interest them)
2. Outline main points
3. Guide the reading of the longer document (just as you forecast coming headings in the text, you need to forecast the coming topics in your report)

There are three types of abstracts:

• Descriptive
  • Similar to a table of contents
  • Shortest of the three
  • Description of what a document is
• Informative
  • More than just description
  • Conclusions and findings are included
• Executive Summary
  • Decision makers are the primary audience
  • Points of interest, and persuasion, should be highlighted

An abstract needs to "stand alone." You need a proper heading with the document's title, date, and authors listed, as well as any contract, or bid numbers, that are relevant. One method for creating a first draft of an abstract is to copy each topic sentence from every major section of the report. Then begin a revision process to narrow the focus to the main points. The following questions are ones that are pertinent to consider when writing an executive summary (which is required for your proposal:

1. What's the background?
2. What's the request/problem?
3. What was done?
4. What's the recommendation?
5. Why? Prove your credibility. Be specific. Be convincing.

Again, realize the the executive summary must stand alone. Spell out all acronyms. Often, this is the part of your document that will be copied and circulated to other readers.

When considering style and tone, you should use a collaborative tone, not authoritative. State, "You can benefit from this proposal..." , not "You must agree with my recommendation..." .

Suggestions for Writing Your Executive Summary

The following steps will help you write a focused executive summary:

Write the executive summary (abstract) AFTER the proposal is written
1. Scan your document and pull out the key passages and major conclusions. This is easy to do with a word processor by simply using the edit copy and paste features.
2. Put the major passages together and edit for smooth transitions. Delete less important information and remember that the abstract needs to tell a story and stand alone.
3. Test for reading level and comprehension
4. Have someone who is unfamiliar with the proposal read your abstract. Ask them to identify your major claim, your most important proof, and your primary credibility builder.
5. Write an informative heading. Abstracts are often detached and copied. They can be circulated to other departments, so a heading is needed to provide sufficient connection with the detailed proposal. The basic features of a heading that need to be provided are:
   • Bid number, or some identifying tracking number (if this is applicable)
   • Title of document (same as on the title page)
   • Author(s) names
   • Name of Department or Company (if applicable)
   • Date

   An example of a heading for the inner city your center RFP might be:

   306593 Reponse to Raleigh Urban Development for Youth's Request for Proposal. Miller, C.R., Turner, C.H., Williams, J.K. Innovative Designs, 4/6/98.

Table of Contents

This is a preview of your document. The table of contents (TOC) is the third most important part of your report. Your title page and abstract need to contain pertinent information. But your TOC needs to tell a story. Here is where your reader can determine what your document covers, and to what extent. You should repeat exactly the headings, and subheadings, that you use in the report so that readers can quickly access desired information. Readers typically do not read documents sequentially. You need to facilitate their search. Also, check, and double check, page references that you include for all sections. There is nothing more likely to frustrate your reader than to have inaccurate numerical indicators. Steer away from generic headings. The following TOC tells you nothing about what the document is really about: Title Page..........ii Abstract.............iii Introduction.......1 Prices................2 Construction......5 Load Range.......7 Conclusion.........9 Bibliography.......10 Attachment.........11 NOTE: The Title Page is numbered as ii because the Cover page is typically numbered as i . However, do not put the i on the Cover Page. The following TOC is more usable, and user friendly. Notice that the appendices are listed with descriptive headings. Title Page Abstract Introduction to Ski Analysis Selection of Skis Snow Conditions - Criteria Used Ski Length Torsional Rigidity Recommendation - Alpine Appendix A - Adult Ski Sizing Chart Appendix B - Depiction of Ski Parts Include a second level of headings in order to guide your readers to the text that they need, and want. Page numbering is something else that you need to consider. Choose your method carefully. If you place the page numbers in the upper right or left corners and the document is printed back-to-back, then half the page numbers will disappear under the binding, or a staple. A bottom centered, or right justified location is better. Also, remember to be informative here too. On the report pages, you might include an abbreviated title of the report, your last name, or the date. List of Table and Figures For Assignment 5B, at least one visual is required in the formal report's body. Just as with your Table of Contents, you need to list each table and figure that you use with the related page number. I prefer a separate page for this if you have more than two tables of figures. Be sure to lable all tables and figures with a number and heading. The following is a useless list: Table 1.............1 Table 2.............4 Figure 1............2 Figure 3............8 Be informative even here. Use decriptive headings to guide your readers to wanted visuals, and related text. A better example follows: List of Tables Table 1 - Operating Budget....................................3 Table 2 - Comparison of Competitors Products......5 List of Figures Figure 1 - Organizational Chart..........................4 Figure 2 - Time Line to Complete Project...........7 Report Content The superstructure of all proposals generally contains the same types of information. However, realize that when you get out into the real world, you will structure your proposals based on two motivators: 1) how your company does it, and 2) how the buyer wants it. The following general framework is based on a reader's typical expectations of a proposal's content. Remember, readers will not read your proposal sequentially so you need to guide them throughout your main sections, and subsections with forecast lists, and informative headings. The following list will help you focus on your audience's values and needs: Introduction - What is this communication about? Problem Statement - Why is this proposal/recommendation needed? Objectives - What is required for this solution to be successful? Plan - How do you propose to accomplish this proposal? Costs - What will it cost? Benefits - What will I gain? Once you have identified your audience's value, and completed your concept paper, you should be able to outline your proposal. From the following generic outline, you should be able to draft your specific proposal's structure: Introduction (problem analysis) Statement of purpose Analysis of problem Discussion of status quo (current method, procedure, or situation) Overview of proposed plan Proposed Plan Objectives Plan of work (Time Line) Benefits of plan Management Personnel and organization Training Facilities required Budget (costs) Conclusion (recap argument) Considering the following standard types of arguments will help you develop your outline: The status quo is inefficient/lacking. My proposed plan/business will offer increased productivity/opportunity. The problem has been handled various ways. My proposal will combine several of the best ways. There are several alternatives, but my solution is best (economically, socially, feasibly, environmentally, etc.) The following is a sample outline that is in the process of being developed: Proposal for Computer Imaging in Satellites for Weather Prediction I Introduction A. Purpose: To request from IBM the donation of imaging hardware and software for research in using this technology for weather prediction in satellites B. Problem: The difficulty of analyzing weather systems from space C. Current Method: Use of dopler radar in isolated cites is not comprehensive enough, often inaccurate, and expensive D. Overview of Plan: Discuss the objectives of the plan, the steps recommended to accomplish it, and the benefits II Proposed Plan & Management This is structured around the data that you have gathered, and the "story" that you tell about the proposal. You want to bring your reader up-to-date and say what remains to be done. You need to address what is required in time and money to accomplish your proposal. III Conclusion Justify the costs in terms of the benefits that will result if your proposal is accepted. Bibliography A bibligraphy, or list of references, is an alphabetized list of sources. There are two distinct purposes for providing bibliiographies: 1) to provide your readers with a longer list of sources on your subject, and 2) to build your credibility. The form of a bibliography can vary based on different style guides. The most important task you have is to be consistent in how you format the entries. Your company will probably use a standard style guide (e.g., MLA, APA, Chicago Style Guide, etc.). As a new hire, find out what your company uses and obtain a copy for easy reference. The following bibliographic entries are acceptable for the proposal for this class. I am looking for consistency, and completeness. One Author Thomas, Robert M. Organizational Behavior. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1997. Two Authors Miller, C., and R. Hill. Workplace Ethics. Cambridge: Harvard Press, 1980 Corporate Author or Sponsor NC Department of Transportation. Highway Accidents. Raleigh: DOT Printing, 1998. Magazine or Journal Article Nash, Tom. "Control Your Destiny." Humanity 13 (1981): 121-35. Newspaper Article Lewis, Mary. "DOW on the Rise." New York Times , 13 May 1997, sec C.9. Personal Interview Marks, Pam. Owner of Hooters Franchise. Interview in Raleigh, 4 April 1998. Online Professional WebSite Portuguese Language Page. U of Chicago. 1 May 1997 (http://humanities.uchicago.edu/romance/port/). Online Personal Website Lancashire, Ian. Home page. 1 May 1997 (http:// www.chass.utoronto.ca:8080/~ian/index.html). NOTE: When you have a second line of text within your bibliography entry, you need to indent it five spaces. Remember to reference each source in the text of your proposal. This is where you build credibility! Attachment Attachments can help you to overcome the most common pitfall of longer documents: making readers plow through information that they do not need, or want. You will want to put certain types of information and data in attachments if you find yourself in one of the following situations: When you have detailed information that will interfere with your main message (e.g., calculations that you used to arrive at certain data, lengthy tables, detailed breakdown of a budget, detailed descriptions of the professional qualifications of personnel, etc.) When your readers are unlikely to read the narrative part of your proposal in detail - this is the most common occurrence! Make your proposal appear readable through the use of a descriptive Table of Contents, tabs, etc. When you have a diverse group of readers with different needs and backgrounds Be sure to consider the following guidelines when you include attachments: List each Attachment in your Table of Contents with heading and page numbers Include descriptive headings that you repeat on each attachment Mention each attachment within the body of your proposal, or else why include them. Attachments are enhancements, and extensions of your main ideas.