|

 


  

  





 
Alison Cawsey
(lecturer/textbook writer)

Joanne Murphy
(technical writer)




þ ao clarify what is expected in the MSc

Dissertation documents.
ë Research Methods deliverable, due end May.
ë Main project report, due 6th Sept
þ ao suggest possible structures for that
document and ways of organising your
material.
þ ao discuss general principles for good
technical writing.








Already discussed by Andy Harvey last week.

1. An abstract (about 200 words)
2. Aims and objectives of your project ( 2 or more paragraphs)
3. A project description, rationale and user requirements as
appropriate to the project (1,000-2,000 words)
4. An outline of the dissertation structure and layout.
5. A literature review or other background material agreed with your
supervisor. (about 5000 words)
6. A statement on professional, legal, ethical and social issues.
7. A conclusion and discussion of the issues for your project





þ 15,000-20,000 words (about 60 pages)

þ Containing:
ë aitle page
ë Declaration that it is your own work.
ë Abstract (see later)
ë Acknowledgements
ë aable of contents
ë `

 

  
ë References
ë Appendices
 

 


þ How to write an abstract.

þ How to select and organise your material and
structure your material into chapters.
þ How to ³pitch´ your material, and make your
arguments clear.
þ How to refer to and build on related work in
the field [covered in session on Literature Review last week;
also next weeks session on attribution].

 







þ *our project will be assessed primarily from the

dissertation ± so it is essential that it is a full account
of the work and is clearly presented.
ë Marked by supervisor and a second reader, and sometimes
moderated by third reader and/or extrernal examiner.
þ Assume your reader has good general knowledge of
CS/Ia, but NOa that they are a specialist in your
topic. Write it so that it would be accessible to a
fellow student.
†


 



þ *our document must be coherent ± all chapters

contribute to showing how you have achieved your
aims.
þ General structure (of chapters):
ë Introduction: State your aims, problem description,
introduce document.
ë Literature review/background: Show what prior work
contributes to your aims, limitations of that prior work, and
point to how your work will build on this prior work and
advance your aims.
ë Middle section: Chapters which present your work.
ë Conclusion/Further work: A final chapter which shows how
you have achieved your aims, reflects on the project and its
limitations, and suggest further work that would be useful.
 
 



@        
1. Introduction 1. Introduction
2. Background 2. Literature Review
3. Requirements 3. Experimental Design
4. Design 4. Results
5. Implementation 5. Discussion
6. Evaluation 6. Conclusion
7. Conclusion
þ Many variations suitable for different types of project. Discuss
possible structures with your supervisor.
þ Each chapter should link to the last ± you can introduce chapters by
saying something like:
ë ³In the last chapter it was shown that«ahis chapter goes on to develop «.´
þ Consider having a conclusion section to each chapter (except 1st)




þ A good dissertation should be coherent!

þ ahe reader should be able to see how:
ë Every sentence relates to the previous sentence.
ë Every paragraph relates to the previous paragraph.
ë Every section relates to the previous section. Etc etc.
þ ahese connections/relations may be: example,
elaboration, evidence, background
þ ahe connection is often signalled with discourse
markers like ³however´, ³furthermore´, ³for example´,
³in other words´.
þ It is important to make these connections clear. ahe
connections often convey crucial implicit information.




þ Each chapter should link to the last ± you can introduce

chapters by saying something like:
ë ³In the last chapter it was shown that«ahis chapter goes on to develop
«.´
þ Consider having a conclusion section to each chapter
(except 1st)
þ Refer back to previous chapters frequently.
ë ³As was showed in Chapter 2,..´
ë ³A major requirement of the software (described in detail in
chapter 2) was to..
ë ³In chapter 1 the aims of the project were outlined. ahe main
aim was to X. In this chapter it is shown how X has been
achieved.´


  
 
  

þ *ou must still ensure all of your dissertation is in

your own words,
³Unless it is quoted and cited like this.´
(Cawsey, 2005, p23)
þ Keep things simple: If you don¶t know how to use an
English word correctly, use simpler language
instead.
þ Get a native speaker to proof read it if possible (your
supervisors job is not to correct the English).
þ If you need more help, contact the English tutors:
http://www.hw.ac.uk/langWWW/english/courses/eap_is.html



 



þ What are the markers of your dissertation looking

for?
ë Clear and concise presentation of work
ë Demonstration of depth of understanding
ë Coverage of work/knowledge of the field
ë Quality of any product
ë Ability to critically analyse other work and to come up with
original analyses and ideas.
ë Any contribution to knowledge.
ë Evidence of initiative and perserverance.
ë Evidence of professional conduct, consideration of any
ethical issues, and NO plagiarism (passing off works of
others as if they are your own).



þ *ou will get a higher mark for your

dissertation if it is written in a clear and
effective style!
þ So next section considers, among other
things, good style for technical writing.
þ ahis is a general skill that, once developed,
will be enormously useful in any further
academic or professional work!




þ ³ahe way in which something is said, done,

expressed, or performed´
(a

 


 
   
  )

ë In this case, how it is written and presented

þ ahe style you adopt will effect your readers
perception of your work
ë *our choice in style can engage the reader or put
them to sleep, make them laugh or make them
cry«
†


 




þ What?
ë What are you writing about? (aims, topic, etc.)
ë What type of document are you writing?
þ Research paper? User guide? etc.
þ Who? (audience analysis)
ë Who are you writing for?
þ What do they know?
þ What do they want to know?
þ What do they need to know?
   

þ aake a moment to consider the structure of

your document
ë Plan sections and sub-sections
ë Plan content
þ ahese don¶t need to be complete or concrete
þ ahe purpose is to help you get going
þ Don¶t become distracted by formatting!
ë Either define your formatting before you start
ë Or wait until you¶re finished


þ Spelling and Grammar

ë Errors can alter the meaning of your work
þ ³My aunt who lives in London is coming to visit´

þ ³My aunt, who lives in London, is coming to visit´

þ ³My ant who lives in London is coming to visit´

ë Errors can confuse meaning altogether

þ ³aen items or u´

þ Jargon, abbreviations and acronyms

ë aypically to be avoided
ë Except where they encompass specialist terms widely
understood by your intended audience
þ if the definition can¶t be found in a good dictionary, don¶t use it!
!›

"

þ Using a thesaurus
ë A useful tool for when you require a more
academic (or simpler) word
þ Instead of saying ³educational background´ you might
want to say ³pedagogical experience´
ë However, beware!
þ A thesaurus suggests words ± both relating and
contrasting
þ However, not all the synonyms listed mean the same
thing
ë e.g. ³side-by-side´ and ³juxtaposed´
#

$% 

þ Do you know the difference?

ë Its ± It¶s
ë ahere ± aheir ± ahey¶re
ë *our ± *ou¶re
ë Lay - Lie
ë Imply ± Infer
ë Affect ± Effect
ë Eat ± Consume

  †
& 

þ Spell check your work

þ Proofread!
ë Spell checkers can weed out typing errors
þ ³ahe tools we „ are intimately   with our roles as
technical communication professionals.´
ë But they struggle to recognise common errors
þ ³Eye halve a spelling chequer
It came with my pea sea
It plainly marques four my revue
Miss steaks eye kin knot sea ´
ë And they often struggle with basic grammar
þ ³ahe sat cat on the mat´
X


þ As a general rule, single digit numbers are spelled

out
ë e.g. zero, three, eight
þ Whilst numbers of two or more digits are expressed
in figures
ë e.g. 40, 356, 20th Century
þ Always use figures for uu numbers when there are
numbers of two or more digits of related quantities in
the same sentence
ë e.g. 3 out 10 housewives recommend Flash
þ And always use figures when a unit of measurement
follows the number
ë e.g 5 V, 100 MHz, 5.5 cm
X
!›

"

þ Spell out numbers where the values being

expressed are approximations
ë e.g. about three years; two orders of magnitude; a few tens
of megahertz
þ Use figures when mathematical operations are
implied
ë e.g. factor of 2; 3x3 matrix
þ And, finally, when a number forms the beginning of
a sentence u  spell it out
ë e.g. Five years earlier«, awentieth Century technology«,
þ If the result appears awkward, consider a rewrite!
X
!›

"

þ As a general rule you should look to give a

numerical value in statements
ë Avoid ambiguous words such as ³small´, ³lowest´, ³cleaner´
þ International scientific and engineering standards
advise against using commas in numbers of three or
more digits (e.g. 1,000)
ë In some countries (e.g. Germany) the presence of a
comma in a number indicates a decimal point
þ Avoid improper addition of numbers!
ë If John is 23 years old and Mary is 18 years old, do they
have 41 years of life experience between them? No!
ë If you heat two pots of water to 80oC, is the combined
temperature of both pots 160oC? No!
#

'% X


þ Which of the following sentences are correct?

ë ³ahere are five apples in the basket.´
ë ³All of the fixtures and fittings were salvaged from the Mary
Rose about 20 years ago.´
ë ³Nine out of 10 physicians recommend walking as a heart-
healthy, daily exercise.´
ë ³When one litre of water at 100oC is mixed with one litre of
water at 0oC the result is two litres of water at 50oC.´
ë ³When we apply a potential of ten volts to the grid with
respect to the cathode this produces an electric field.´
 

þ ³Voice´ is the way your words  

þ It is expressed in the relationship between
the subject of a sentence and the verb
ë Active: the agent of the action is the subject of the
sentence
þ ³Birds build nests´
ë Passive: the receiver of the action is the subject of
the sentence
þ ³Nests are built by birds´
þ ³Nests are built´





þ An active voice provides clarity and force

ë It is simple and precise; subjective rather than objective
ë Good for instructional purposes ± commanding
þ A passive voice shifts emphasis and slows the pace
ë Often considered longwinded, ambiguous and dull
þ ahe reader can lose sight of any agents

ë However, scientific and technical writing is often objective

þ A passive voice focuses the reader on the process

ë Shifting the readers attention towards the action receiver

#

(% 

þ Consider the following sentences

ë ³ahe dog bit the boy.´
ë ³Mistakes were made.´
ë ³aechnical writers produce books and other printed
materials for a variety of audiences.´
ë ³ahe aurora borealis can be observed in the early morning
hours.´
ë ³ainy shifts in blood flow to parts of the brain were detected
with functional resonance imaging.´
ë ³ahe experiment examined the relationship between the
two theories.´


     

þ Don¶t confuse ³plain English´ with ³dumbed

down´
þ Plain English focuses on the message
ë It is user friendly
ë Omit needless words
þ 
 
 proved; orange  ; 
alternative
ë Avoiding unnecessary jargon, technical
expressions and complexity
þ It refers to a flexible and efficient writing style that
combines clear, concise expression with effective
structure


     !›

"

þ Avoid ³padding´
þ Aim to keep your sentences at between 10 to
20 words long
ë Long sentences make a document difficult to read
þ *our end reader might soon lose track of your point
ë If you¶re giving instruction stay closer to the 10
word limit
þ Instructions are best presented as short, sharp
sentences
#

)* 
  

R Compare the following examples
R which is clearer? Why is it clearer?

u
Following the media release which
alleged that agricultural chemical
residues posed an unacceptable risk
to children, there was a struggle
between government and consumer
organisations which also involved
the chemicals¶ manufacturer
(Uniroyal) and the apple-growing
industry. Consumer fears, which
had been triggered by the debate
over the risk ± were mitigated, within
months, by the stopping the use of
the chemicals, as Uniroyal withdrew
the products.
þ
u
þahe media release alleged that
children were at risk from agricultural
chemical residues. It provoked a
struggle between government and
consumer organisations, though
Uniroyal (the manufacturer) and
apple-growers were also involved.
Uniroyal withdrew the products within
months, thus stopping the use of the
chemicals. ahis mitigated any
consumer fears generated by the
debate over the risks.
>


 

þ aest your work with the intended reader

þ We are often poor judges of our own work
ë As the producer, we lose impartiality
þ User testing will show up ways to improve
your document
ë Helps pick up on spelling and grammatical errors
ë Pins down weaknesses in your argument
þ Or instructions
þ Rethink, redesign and rewrite any area that
confused your user




þ ahe Abstract forms a review of your work

ë It is a condensed version of the main body of your
work
ë Highlighting the major points covered
ë Briefly describing the content and scope
þ ahe aim of the abstract is to entice readers to
read your document
þ It is written  the report has been
completed
ë ahough it is intended to be read first



˜›



þ ahere are two types of Abstract:

ë Descriptive Abstract
þ About 100 words in length
ë No longer than a paragraph!
þ It is an introduction to the subject
ë Identifying information contained within the report
ë Describing the purpose, methods and scope
ë Does   provide details of results!



˜›



þ And
ë Informative Abstract
þ Length dependent on work being summarised
ë No longer than 10% of the length
ë (for dissertation, ½ to 1 page)
þ Conveys specific information
ë Summarising the purpose, methods and scope
ë Indicating results, conclusions and recommendations
þ X  the same thing as an introduction!



˜›



þ Do not use references in your abstract

ë If your work is based on the work of some other author, and
this is key to your report, you may invoke them by name
ë Do   quote!
þ Avoid repeating or rephrasing the title of your work
þ Do   refer to any information that is not contained
within your document
þ It is best to avoid jargon, abbreviations and
acronyms that require explanation
þ Avoid the temptation to refer to and explain sections
of your report
  





þ Be consistent!
ë Once you¶ve adopted a style, stand by it
þ Stick to what you know
ë If you don¶t know it avoid it
þ Unless you can learn it during the course of your project
þ Make your point and move on
ë Avoid padding
þ Double check your work

 
þ aechnical Writing
ë http://www.utoronto.ca/writing/advise.html
ë http://www.technical-writing-course.com/
ë http://www.rbs0.com/tw.htm
þ Style
ë http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/g_actpass.html
ë http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/passive.htm
ë http://grammar.qdnow.com/
þ Abstracts
ë http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/writing_center/grabstract.html
ë http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/bizwrite/abstracts.html
ë http://www.gmu.edu/departments/writingcenter/handouts/abstract
.html