Chapter 1

- The steps in the writing process: Prewriting, Writing and Rewriting.

- Document Design: Chunking texts into smaller units, helping readers

find information easily.

- Graphics: Develop visual aids that create conciseness, clarity, and

cosmetic appeal.

- Soft skills can best be defined as: skills which allow students to become
more effective learners and workers (Communication Skills, Time
Management, Organizational Skills, Analytical, Problem Solving,
Reflective and Thinking.

- Many students mistakenly believe that technical skills are the only skills
that are important.

- Technical writing: is a type of writing where the author is writing about

a particular subject that requires direction, instruction, or explanation.
This style of writing has a very different purpose and different
characteristics than other writing styles such as creative writing,
academic writing or business writing.

- The audience: May be supervisors, colleagues, subordinates, vendors,

and customers.

- The types: Memos, letters, reports, e-mail, manuals, brochures, fliers,

Web sites, proposals, and more.

- Letters: to sell, complain, hire, fire…

- Reports: to report on job-related travel or incidents, the progress of

ongoing projects and to document meetings.
- Proposals: to highlight problems, suggest solutions, and recommend
action.
- Memos and e-mail: to set meeting agendas, ask and answer questions.
- Brochures: to sell and inform using 6 to 8 panel foldouts.
- Newsletters: to report activities to both employees and stakeholders.

- A bank trust officer to write 20-30 pages proposal about the bank
services to potential clients.

- A computer information systems employee: who needs to answer a

client’s questions and follow up with a one page e-mail documenting the
problem and response.

- A technical writer working in engineering biomedical equipment

manufacturing, automotive industry, computer software
development…: who writes user manuals for building a piece of
equipment performing preventative maintenance or for shipping and
handling procedures.

- Technical Writing is a major component in work environment:

Follow-up letters: maintain good customer-client relations.
Memos and e-mail: ensure that work is accomplished on time.
Progress reports: provide documentation that work has been completed.
Brochures and fliers: generate income.
Manuals: keep machinery working.
Technical description: ensure that correct equipment is purchased.
Resumes: get you a job.
Online help screens: define terminology and explain procedures.
Web sites: inform the world about your company’s products and
services.

- You will spend around 30 percent of your work time writing (The
overall average is 31%) .

- New hires might spend less time writing on the job, supervisor spend
more time through written correspondence.
- We can have summed up the way to be successful with three
imperatives:
1. Know your reader,
2. Know your objective,
3. Be simple, direct, and concise.

- Characteristics of Good Writing:

1. Completeness: all information needed is provided.
2. Correctness: relevant and precise information.
3. Credibility: support your argument.
4. Clarity: reader decides what is vague, confusing, ambiguous.
5. Conciseness: get to the point.
6. Consideration: anticipate the reader’s reaction.

Chapter 2

- The writing process is recursive, the 3 steps (Prewriting, Writing and

Rewriting) are dynamic and overlap.

- Prewriting: Examine your purposes, determine your goals, consider

your audience, gather your data, determine how the content will be
provided.

- Writing: Organize the draft according to some logical sequence which

your readers can follow easily, format the content to allow for ease of
access.

- Rewriting:
 Revise:
1. Add missing details.
2. Delete wordiness.
3. Simplify word usage.
4. Enhance the tone of your communication.
5. Reformat your text for ease of access.
6. Practice the speech or review the text.
 Proofread
1. Correct errors
- Prewriting:
 Allows you to plan your communication
Before writing your document, you should accomplish the following:
Examine your purposes—are you writing due to external or internal
motivation?
External motivation?
Has someone asked you to write the memo, letter, report, or proposal?
Internal motivation?
Have you decided to write the correspondence based on your own
needs?
- Determine your goals:
are you writing to:
Persuade an audience to accept your point of view?
Instruct an audience by directing actions?
Inform an audience of facts, concerns, or questions you might have?
Build trust and rapport?
As a manager or employee, your job is not merely to "dump data" in
your written communication, this might require nothing more than
saying "Thanks for the information".

- Consider your audience: Face it-you will not write the same way to your
boss as you would to your subordinates. You will not speak the same
way to a customer as you would to a team member.

- Until you tell the readers what you want to tell them, they don’t know.
Gather your data: use any of the following techniques:
2. answering the reporter's questions
3. mind mapping
4. brainstorming/listing
5. flowcharting
6. outlining
7. storyboarding
8. org charts
9. researching (online and/or library)

- Prewriting is like mapping your route before leaving for a trip. Know
where you’re going before you get there.
- Prewriting techniques:
Answering the reporter’s questions: by answering who, what, where…
Mind Mapping: allows you to look at your topic from multiple
perspectives and then cluster the similar ideas.
Brainstorming or listing: You can randomly suggest ideas (brain-
storming) and then make a list of these suggestions.
Outlining: This traditional method of gathering and organizing
information allows you to break a topic into major and minor
components, this is a wonderful all-purpose planning tool.
- Determine how the content will be provided:
The type of communication channel determines the size and shape
of the content.
The communication channel determines the technological
requirements of your writer and reader(s).
- To ensure the content is reusable, write a “single source of text” that
will generate multiple documents for different media.

Single Sourcing:
A single document may be used in
many different ways simultaneously.
The act of producing documents
designed to be recombined and
reused across projects and various
media.
 Chapter 3

- Writing
Organization:
Organize the draft according to some logical sequence which your
readers can follow easily, these include:
1. Chronology: good for instructions
2. Spatial: space is good for technical descriptions
3. Importance (most important to less important): good for reports
and memos
4. Problem/Solution: good for proposals
5. Comparison/Contrast: good for showing alternatives
Many of these methods can be used simultaneously with a memo, letter,
or report to help your reader to follow your train of thoughts.

- Chronology
Chronological arrangement has the following purposes:
1. To explain the history of an event or a topic
2. To tell a story or relate an experience
3. To explain how to do or to make something
4. To explain the steps in a process
 When using chronological order, arrange the events in the order that
they actually happened, or will happen if you are giving instructions.
This method requires you to use words such as first, second, then, after
that, later, and finally
You can divide your paragraphs by time (such as decades, wars, or
other historical events) or by the same structure of the work you are
examining (such as a line-by-line explication of a poem).

- Spatial
Spatial order is best used for the following purposes:
1. Helping readers visualize something as you want them to see it
2. Evoking a scene using the senses (sight, touch, taste, smell, and
sound)
3. Writing a descriptive essay
Spatial order means that you explain or describe objects as they are
arranged around you in your space, for example in a classroom. As the
writer, you create a picture for your reader, and their perspective is the
viewpoint from which you describe what is around you.
The following are possible transition words to include when using
spatial order:
1. Just to the left or just to the right
2. Behind
3. Between
4. On the left or on the right
5. Across from
6. A little further down
7. To the south, to the east, and so on
8. A few yards away
9. Turning left or turning right

- Importance
The order of importance is best used for the following purposes: (must
be ORDERED)
1. Persuading and convincing
2. Ranking items by their importance, benefit, or significance
3. Illustrating a situation, problem, or solution
 Some key transitional words you should use with this method of
organization are most importantly, almost as importantly, just as
importantly, and finally.
Writing at Work
When planning your strategy, you should organize your steps in order
of importance. This demonstrates the ability to prioritize and plan.
Using the order of importance technique also shows that you can create
a resolution with logical steps for accomplishing a common goal.

- Problem-solution
Organize a problem-solution approach, but here are three possibilities:
1. Describe the problem, followed by the solution.
2. Propose the solution first and then describe the problems that
motivated it.
3. Or a problem may be followed by several solutions, one of which is
selected as the best.
When the solution is stated at the end of the paper, the pattern is
sometimes called the delayed proposal.
For a hostile audience, it may be effective to describe the problem, show
why other solutions do not work, and finally suggest the favored
solution. You can emphasize the words problem and solution to signal
these sections of your paper for your reader.

- comparison-and-contrast
The comparison-and-contrast method of development is particularly
useful in extending a definition, or anywhere you need to show how a
subject is like or unlike another subject.
In seeking to establish comparison or contrast in your writing, some
words or terms that might be useful are by contrast, in comparison,
while, some, and others.

- Format the content to allow for ease of access, such as White space
Headings, Bullets, Graphics, Font changes, Color
An unbroken page of text is not reader-friendly.

- Format tips
1. Create Templates (cover page, cover letter, budget notes, proposal)
 2. Use White Space (between paragraphs, around graphics, between
sections)
3. Limit Colors
4. Choose Standard Fonts (no more than three) as:
5. Arial for headings (e.g., font size 16 for Heading 1 and size 13 for
Heading 2)
6. Times New Roman 12 point for body text
7. Arial 9 point for text in tables, graphics, text boxes, captions, and
footnotes
8. Incorporate Graphics (vertical layout when possible!)
9. Use Bulleted Lists (faster to read, more white space into a document)

- Rewriting
Rewriting lets you perfect your writing to make sure that everything is
just right.
There are no good writers, only good rewriters.
To rewrite you need to revise, revise, and revise again.
 Revise
1. Add missing details.
2. Delete wordiness (dead words and phrases for conciseness).
3. Simplify word usage (to allow easier understanding).
4. Enhance the tone of your communication.
5. Reformat your text for ease of access (using highlighting
techniques).
6. Practice the speech or review the text.
 Proofread
Correct errors (to ensure accurate grammar and content)
You can use word processing programs to rewrite.

Chapter 4

Communicating internationally would be impossible without

e-mail.
Letters ("snail mail") would take days.
Telephoning long distance not only would be costly but employees and
vendors would only end up playing.
- E-mail messages sent internationally are more cost effective and less
time consuming.
 Memos
- Purposes
Internal correspondence within a company.
You might write as many as 18 memos a day.
To inform, persuade, instruct, and build rapport including the
following:
1. Documentation-report on expenses, incidents, accidents, hiring,
firings …….
2. Cover/transmittal-tell the reader you have attached a document.
3. Confirmation-tell a reader about a meeting agenda, date, time, and
location …
4. Procedures-explain how to set up accounts, research on the
company intranet, operate new machinery, use new software ….
5. Recommendations-provide reasons to purchase new equipment,
fire or hire personnel and renew contracts.
6. Feasibility-study the possibility of changes in the workplace
(practices, procedures, locations, staffing, equipment, missions, or
visions).
7. Status-provide a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, biannual, or
yearly progress report about sales, staffing, travel, practices,
procedures, and finances.
8. Directive (delegation of responsibilities)-inform subordinates of
their designated tasks.
9. Inquiry-ask questions about upcoming processes, procedures, or
assignments.

- Audiences: A wide range of readers, including your supervisors,

co-workers, subordinates and multiple combinations of these audiences.

- The audiences and purposes will change from memo to memo

Criteria for effective memos: Memo ID lines, Subject Line,
Introduction, Discussion, Conclusion, Audience recognition, Style and
Grammar.
- Subject Line:
One hundred percent of your readers read the subject line (First line of
communication).
One-word subject lines don't communicate effectively.
Includes a topic and a focus ‘’ the focus changes and clarifies the actual
subject matter of the memo’’.
- Introduction: Explain why you are writing, tell what you are writing
about.
- Discussion: Explain exactly what you want, Itemize your needs for easy
access. Note! The longer the paragraph, the more likely your audience is
to avoid reading.
- Conclusion: Conclude your memo with a complimentary close or a
directive close
“A complimentary close motivates your readers and leaves them
happy’’.
“A directive close tells your readers exactly what you want them to do
next or what your plans are (and provides dated action)”.

- Memo Style:
o The appropriate style for memos depends on conciseness, clarity,
and accessibility.
o Use simple words, readable sentences, specific detail, and
highlighting techniques.
o Generally, more casual than letters. Memos are internal
correspondence written to people with whom you work.
o Just as you should speak to others on the telephone, you should
assess your tone within a memo.
o Determined by audience, topic, and purpose.

- Grammar
All technical writing must be grammatically correct, regardless of
audience, purpose, or topic.
Poor grammar or typographical errors destroy your credibility.
 E-mail

- E-mail has these benefits:

Saves time: You can send an e-mail message around the world in
seconds compared to "snail mail", Is convenient with wireless
communication, can be written internally and externally, Allows for
expanded discussions by multiple readers.

- Despite the benefits, E-mail presents challenges:

Computer incompatibilities, Lack of privacy, Casual tone leading to
misunderstandings, Casual tone leading to lack of professionalism.

- E-mail tends to become much friendlier than memos or letters-even

chatty.

- Casual tone can lead to problems:

For example, e-mail users occasionally rely on some of the following
abbreviations:
B/C Because
B4 Before
UR You're
2 To/too

- Identify yourself:
Readers are cautious about opening unidentified e-mail, due to spam
and viruses so, Identify yourself by name, affiliation, or title.
Use a “sig. file” to identify yourself, this “sig. file” acts like an online
business card.

- An effective subject line will consist of a topic and a focus.

Based on this in-box “subject line” , the readers will "decide if and when
to read [the] message" .
Readers might not open e-mail with vague subject lines due to fear of
spam and viruses.

- Write concise e-mail messages.

Readers do not like to scroll endlessly.
Limit yourself to approximately 20 lines to “fit the box”
- Place important information early in the e-mail (practice the “top of the
box” method of writing).

- Organize the e-mail:

1. Provide an introduction, body, and conclusion (like memos).
2. Use the introduction to tell the reader why you are writing and
what you are writing about.
3. In the discussion, clarify your points thoroughly.
4. Use the conclusion to tell the reader what is next, possibly
explaining when a follow up is required and why that date is
important
5. Proofread your e-mail

- E-mail messages can communicate important business transactions or

document significant decisions.

- Make hard copies of correspondence for future reference, or systems

malfunction.

- Save your e-mail printouts, as your company might need your message
next week, next month, or next year.

- Don’t email confidential or copyrighted information.

- E-mail is not private.
- E-mail is “discoverable” under the law.
- E-mail messages can be used in the courts.
- Be careful when sending attachments.
- Say, “I have attached . . .”, to Tell your reader.
- Don’t automatically “reply to all.” To ensure confidentiality, select your
readers carefully and consider which individuals really want, need, or
even should receive your message.
 Chapter 5

- Letters are external correspondence (unlike memos, which are internal).

- you send letters from your company to a colleague working at another
place.
- Letters reflect your communication abilities.
- Letters reflect your company’s professionalism.

- Letter Components:
- Your letter should be typed or printed on 81/2 x 11-inch unlined paper.
Leave 1 to 11/2-inch margins at the top and on both sides.
- Essential Components:
o Writer’s address, Date, Inside address (reader’s address),
Salutation
Letter body, Complimentary close, Signed name, Typed name.
- Writer's Address:
This section contains either your personal address or your company's
address.

- You can set up your date in one of two ways:

May 31, 2005
OR
31 May 2005
Place the date one or two spaces below the writer's address (if the letter
is long).
Three to eight spaces below the writer's address (for shorter letters).
For a short letter, leave more space so the spacing on the letter is
balanced.

- Salutation: Placed two spaces beneath the inside address.

It is your reader's last name, preceded by Dear and followed by a colon.

- If you know the woman's marital status, you can address the letter
accordingly.
- If you do not know your reader's name You could address the reader by
his or her title
- If you address the letter to the department, Dear would be inappropriate
and should be omitted
- Sexist salutations such as Dear Sir and Gentlemen cannot be used (unless
you know beyond all doubt that each of your readers is a man.
- Other awkward salutations include Good morning, To Whom It May
Concern, and Greetings.
- Dear Sir/Madam is also ineffective and should be avoided.

- Letter Body
Begin it two spaces below the salutation.
The body includes:
o Your introductory paragraph
o Discussion paragraph(s)
o A concluding paragraph
The body should be single-spaced with double-spacing between
paragraphs.
- Complimentary Close:
Place the complimentary close, followed by a comma, two spaces below
the concluding paragraph.
Although several different complimentary closes are acceptable,
such as: Yours truly and Sincerely yours.
we suggest that you limit your close to Sincerely.

- Wizards: allow you to fill in blank fields to help you with your letter’s
format and content.
- Templates: provide already-designed formats for “Contemporary
Letters,” “Elegant Letters,” and “Professional Letters.”

- Letter Wizards:
These templates and wizards remind you of which components can be
included in a letter.
They make it easy for you to include these components.
 They let you choose ready-made formats.
Problems:
1. They dictate where you will put information.
2. The templates are prescriptive, limiting your choice of font sizes and
types.
3. Some of the information they offer as valid options, such as the
salutation Dear Sir or Madam, is old-fashioned.
4. They are too inclusive, suggesting that you should insert all of the
information they provide (such as mailing instructions, courtesy
copies…….

- Letter Formats
Full Block Format:
Type all information at the left margin—no indentations.
Modified Block Format:
Indent paragraphs which give the letter an old-fashioned, less
professional look.
- Simplified Format:
– Type all information at the left margin—no indentations.
– Omit the salutation (Dear: ----------).
– Include a subject line.
– Omit the complimentary close (Sincerely,).
– It looks like a memo
- Letters of Inquiry allow you to ask questions requesting data, Be
specific and precise.
To write a Letter of Inquiry, provide an: Introduction, Body,
Conclusion.

- Letters of Inquiry:
Introduction
o Tell what you are writing about.
o Tell why you are writing.
Body
o Specify your requests (needs).
o Itemize (when possible) for easy access.
If you itemize, be sure the points are grammatically parallel.

Conclusion
o Tell when you need answers.
o Tell why that date is important.

- Cover letters:
Cover Letters preface attachments.
It lets you tell readers what they are receiving.
It helps you focus your readers' attention on key points within the enclosures.
To write a Cover Letter, provide an
o Introduction
o Body
o Conclusion
- Body
tell your reader exactly what you have enclosed
Specify what is within the attachment of special interest to your reader.
Itemize (when possible) for easy access.
If you itemize, be sure the points are grammatically parallel.

- Conclusion
Provide desired follow-up action
Tell if you plan or need a response.
Tell when you plan or need a response.

- Good-news Letters
Good-news letters convey good news (hirings, promotions, raises, etc.)
To write a good-news letter, provide an
o Introduction
o Body
o Conclusion
Introduction
o The point is good news, so get to the point using positive words.
 o Tell why you are writing.
o Tell what you are writing about.
- Body
Specify what has led to the good news.
Itemize (when possible) for easy access.
If you itemize, be sure the points are grammatically parallel.
- Conclusion
End stating when this action will occur, and why the date is important.
Tell the reader what follow-up action is expected (if any).

- Sales Letters
One way to generate new income from products and services is to write
a sales letter.
A time-efficient and cost-effective way to market your product or
service.
write a sales letter once (which saves money) and then mass mail it
(which saves time).
In your sales letter, provide an
o Introduction
o Body
o Conclusion
- Introduction
Studies tell us that you have only about 30 seconds to grab your readers'
attention .
Arouse interest by showing a reader need (or problem), using any of
these options: Anecdotes, Questions, Quotes, Data
Show how your product or service can solve the problem
- Body
Develop your assertions.
Provide data- to document your assertions.
Give testimonies- from satisfied customers.
Document credentials- years in business, certification of employees,
number of items sold, or satisfied customers
Itemize for easy access in a numerical or bulletized list.
- Conclusion
Make the reader act, using these options:
• Give directions- (with a map) to your business location.
• Offer a discount.
• Give contact information- name and phone number.

- Use an Appealing Style Considering the following requirements:

1. Use verbs. Verb usage, or power writing, will give your letter punch.
2. Format for reader-friendly writing. Highlighting through white
space, underlining, boldface, bullets, numbers, and so on.
3. Show ease of use. Sprinkle the words easy and/or simple throughout
your correspondence.
4. Imply urgency. Use the words now, today, soon, or don't delay to
force the reader to immediate action.

Chapter 6
How to build your CV?
- Objective:
One sentence stating a general goal
A brief paragraph, expressing both short-term and long-term goals.
✓ Be Clear
✓ Search carefully for areas of employment that interest you.
❌ Vague objective
❌ Bad language
❌ Don’t copy and paste!
- Education
Degrees and dates you were received diplomas
Names of universities, colleges, professionals
Your cumulative “grade point average” for each institution
✓If you were in language school put it in Bold
✓Start listing by recent finished grade
 ❌ Start listing grades from primary school to university
❌ Missing honor degree if there was or first on class …

- Graduation Project
Graduation Project Title, Description, Features, Tools and Grade
✓Focus on the achievements you have done.
✓Algorithms used and contributions.
✓List standards you follow.
❌Putting numerical grade.
❌Boring and long description

- Coursework
Provide complete courses title, with brief description when appropriate.
✓List courses that will fit in the Job you request for.
✓There is advantage to list grades of some subjects.
❌Don’t list courses without categorizing them.
❌Don’t list courses that will not support your objective.

- Work Experience
List all the places you have worked in or even trained.
✓Put your work experience in tabular format, it must include Company
✓name, Job title, Brief job description, Time period, Start date, End
Date.
✓Put logos for the company you work in.
✓Specify company field.
❌Do not list work without period of time

- Achievements
Write down all the projects you have developed from recent to old.
Put these project classified by company.
Put undergraduate projects.
Keep this standard in projects
Project Title, Description, Features, Tools, Role in Team
For Computer Science Student
Put a link to your GITHUB Account
- Skills
Categorize your technical skills.
State your level in each skill (novice, beginner, Intermediate,
professional, Expert).
State the latest skills first.
Example of some skills categories.
Platforms, Programming Language, Reporting Tools, DBMS, Web
Tools, Case Tools, IDEs, analytical Thinking & Problem Solving, Team
Work, Leadership Skills, Communication Skills.

- Honors/Achievements/Awards/ Certifications
Briefly describe all special recognitions you have received.
✓List honors that will fit in the job you request for.
✓Put certification title and logo for the certification.
❌Do not list high school awards

General notes
✓Put personal information on the first lines of CV.
✓It is better to send your CV in “pdf” or “rtf”.
✓Put a formal picture for you in CV.
✓Put small logos of your certificates on the top of CV.
❌Don’t send CV without cover letter and subject for email.
❌ CV must not exceed 200 KB by any ways.
❌Don’t send CV in “zip” or compressed format.

❌ Don’t upload your CV on website and send link.

❌ Girls don’t put their Social State.
 Presentation Skills (Read only)
- Do:

o Strict by 8 ~ 12 lines per each slide.

o Strict to allowed presentation time,40 — 60 seconds per slide is
the standard. If you are allowed 20 minutes, prepare 20 — 30 slides. .
o Look to presentation audience instead of continuous reading from pc
screen, Knowing that
o Looking presentation audiences …. Excellent!
o Looking screen ….. Fine!
o Looking PC screen …. Bad!
o Start presentation by clear self introduction “My name is …., today i
would like to talk about ……..”.
o First 2–3 slides… speak clearly and slowly, Name should be pronounced
slowly. Title should be pronounced clearly.
o Whenever you refer to previous work or used technique you must put a
reference in your presentation and link to it.
o When you specify some technique to use it is good to state merit of this
techniques and purpose of usage
o Record and memorize every question you get during the presentation
from the audience, it is better to do it immediately.
o Always make the answers to audience questions consistent with you
presentations slides.
o It is good to prepare set of questions to present in case no one has
something to ask and also specially when you are chairing a session.
o Define problem well and introduce proposed solution in a very clear
way.
o Provide you presentations with simple and clear pictures.
o Graphical notations are powerful than texture notes.
o If you give an example about your work try to be general and don’t go
in very detailed things, overall summarized example is good.
o If presentation is chapters then try to put published work of each
chapter.
- Avoid:
- Low voice
- Confusion between a reference work and your own opinion work.
- Emphasize your original points. Distinguish
(1) general background, general explanation,
(2) your own view/approach for the problem, and
(3) your own work.

• Using first letter capital of each word inside the content of the
presentation.
• Negative answers and poor unreasonable answers.
• Giving a smile of impoliteness.
• Spelling Mistakes and grammar errors.
• Answering things that you don’t hear well, if you do not
understand the question, you should ask to the questioner.
• Prepare several ways to ask the meaning of the questions.
• Motivations can’t be on general topics.
• Contributions must not be general things and originality points
must be clear and focused.
• Long introductions are not preferred by attendees.
• Many drawbacks in a single presentation means the thesis is
weak.
• Avoid general drawbacks that are not direct related to your
work.
• When divide presentation to sections avoid overlapping it makes
attendees lost.
• Avoid mixing general topics and emphasized parts.
• Font color must be Black, avoid pale colors.
 Chapter 7
- Average proposals are generally a maximum of 15 pages (single spaced).
Small project proposals can be as short as 2-3 pages.
Large proposals can be as many as 100 pages.

- To suggest changes to a system, new products or services, new

approaches, or new facilities, write either an:
Internal proposal: within your company.
External proposal: to potential clients.

- START-UP WORK
1. Identifying a project idea
2. Looking for a potential funder
3. Studying priorities, guidelines and application forms / previously
funded projects
4. Establishing initial contact (organization’s mission and vision,
strategy, structure, team)
5. Creating partnerships (now or earlier)

- Criteria for Proposals

Long reports, such as proposals, include the following: Title Page,
Cover Letter, Table of Contents, List of Illustrations, Abstract (or
Summary), Introduction, Discussion, Conclusion/ Recommendation
Glossary, Works Cited (or References), Appendix.

- Title page

Internal Proposal External Proposal

– Title – Title

– Name of writer – Name of audience

(reader and/or company)
– Routing list
– Name of writer
• Who recommended and
approved the proposal – Date of submission

– Date of submission
- Cover letter
 Introduction Notes:
Why you are writing An internal proposal would have
What you are writing about a cover memo, following memo
 Body format discussed before.
Key components within the proposal An external proposal’s cover
 Conclusion letter would abide by letter
What follow-up action you plan conventions, discussed before.

- Table of Contents
1. Include major and minor headings.
2. List page numbers within the proposal.
3. Page 1 begins with your main text, not the front matter.
4. Information prior to the introduction is numbered with lowercase
Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, etc.).
5. Thus, the title page is page” i”.
6. The cover letter is page “ii”. However, you never print the
numbers on these two pages.
7. The first page with a printed number is the table of contents is
page “iii’’, with the low-ercase Roman numeral printed at the foot
of the page and centered.

- List of Illustrations
If your proposal contains several tables or figures, you will need to
provide a list of illustrations.
Include Figure and Table numbers.
Include Figure and Table titles.
List page numbers within the proposal.
This list can be included below your table of contents, if there is room on
the page, or on a separate page.

- Abstract (Summary)
It might be all what highly placed executives would read.
The abstract is a brief overview of the proposal's key points.
Written for low-tech readers, the abstract provides
The problem necessitating the proposal
The proposed solution
The benefits to be derived
 The abstract must be concise—around ½ page (presented as one
paragraph or as smaller units of information separated by headings).
Avoid all high-tech terminology completely or define your terms
parenthetically. NOTE: Without a problem, there
is no need to suggest changes.
- Introduction Discuss the problem thoroughly.
Purpose:
In a sentence or two, state the reason for writing, or what you hope to
achieve.
It reminds them of what they have just read in the abstract.
Or informs them for the first time if they skipped over the abstract.
Problem:
In detail, analyze the problems necessitating the proposed solution
which is important for two reasons
First, it highlights the importance of your proposal.
Second, by clearly stating the problem, you also reveal your knowledge
of the situation.
*Use graphics to emphasize and clarify the problems.*
*Use highlighting techniques, especially headings and subheadings.*

- Discussion NOTE:
This is the body of the proposal.
Graphics will add variety,
Include any of the following: conciseness, and clarity to the
 Analyses proposal
 Technical descriptions
 Technical instructions
 Optional (Approaches or Methodologies or Purchase options)
 Managerial chains of command (organizational charts)
 Biographical sketches of personnel
 Corporate credentials (Years in business -Satisfied clients -
Certifications-Previous accomplishments)
 Schedules (Implementation Schedules-Reporting intervals -
Maintenance schedules -Delivery schedules -Completion dates -
Payment schedules -Projected milestones “forecasts”)
 Cost estimates (Cost charts)
 Decide which of these sections will be geared toward readers
Write accordingly, defining terms as needed However, one way to
handle multiple audience levels is through a glossary.
- Conclusion
Draw a conclusion, based on your study.
Restate the problems.
What caused the problems?
What was the result of the problems (damage, cost, etc.)?
The conclusion can restate the problem, your solutions, and the benefits
to be derived.
Remember to quantify, be specific state percentages and amounts.

- Recommendation
 Restate what should be done to solve the problems—what you have
proposed.
 Restate the benefits of your proposal.
 write to a low-tech reader.
 Use highlighting techniques, including headings, subheadings,
underlining, boldface, itemization, and white space.
- Optional Components
Glossary
 if you have used high-tech terms (abbreviations, acronyms, and
terms( , define them in the glossary.
 A glossary is an alphabetized list of high-tech terminology placed
after your conclusion/recommendation.
 When your first high-tech, unfamiliar abbrevia-tion, acronym, or
term is used, follow it with an asterisk (*). Then, at the bottom of
the page, in a footnote, write

Works cited (or Reference) page

 If you have used research, include a works cited page.
 Documents the sources (books, periodicals, interviews, computer
software, etc.) you have researched and quoted or paraphrased.
Appendix
 If you have additional, supplemental information (survey results,
tables, figures, previous report findings, relevant letters or memos,
etc.), provide an appendix.
 An appendix is a perfect place to file nonessential data that
provides documentation for future reference.