tools used in technical writing"tools used in technical writing"
Improve Technical Writing - Breaking News !
Based on experiences of actual users, we know that a technical writing improvement utility will greatly enhance your writing competence for the rest of your life. Writing is a powerful tool that allows us to fulfill a lot of our aspirations - these can include family, money, respect, etc. Be sure to check out the following brief report before your next writing assignment.
One can successfully argue that the written word is the most important mode of communication in the modern age. In spite of the fact that machines can't analyze written language in the same way we humans do, a lot of headway has been made that i'd like to tell you about. You're no doubt used to investing hard work in your writing, but i recently found out about a unique technology that has the power to straighten out your writing troubles. Just picture a digital helper which clearly points out and can correct words and phrases that need attention - at the moment you write them. Visualize your reaction upon noticing a spelling or grammar blunder as you're handing your Essay for example.
The fact of the matter is, writers looking on the web for any easy solution to english grammar woes will almost definitely encounter this one-of-a-kind system. If you'd like to make the writing process easier, it's been proven that this tool will assist you to make your text something you can be proud to put your name on. Fortunately, this software is always there when you need it, so it can be easily used to proofread in all of your writing projects through programs such as Email tools, powerpoint, and on and on. Most people have neither the time nor the aptitude for writing faultless english as you have to study and memorize all the intricacies of the language; luckily with this helpful tool some of that burden is no longer necessary.
Seeing is believing - when you first try out a technical writing improvement utility you will surely agree as to the incredible support that it provides. The written word is surely your most significant way of expressing thoughts and ideas, thus it's important for it to be upheld with both care and competence. It is my sincere hope that we'll see a wealth of this technology in the near future - it can change a diffident writer into a confident one. After you've read this brief introduction, You have nothing to lose by trying out this program - you can be up and running after a quick and easy download and installation. Another feature of this system: if you happen to be a parent of young children, then it can definitely help them to develop their overall english skills.
The term "new" is seemingly easy to define. This is all happening again around us: current events, issues of time, new projects or initiatives. But a newspaper does not publish only the news of the day. It also publishes further analysis, opinions and articles of human interest.
Recognize what will be good news may be more difficult.
The journalist must choose between the flow of information and events that reach him from his community and throughout the world. His usual criteria are: size, ability to move, timeliness and interest. Note that these factors are not necessarily all present simultaneously in each article!
2) "Hard news" or "soft news"? Articles or reports of substance?
Sections of "hard news" (roughly 600 words) are the record of events or incidents lately. They constitute the bulk of the new one from a regular day.
The beginning (first paragraph) summarizes the facts. What happened? Where? When? Who / By whom? Why? This summary should be very short. The rest of the text is there to give details.
Writing must be clear and concise. Above all, it should give readers the information they need. If the federal government yesterday announced a new program of major importance for young people is a good news story for today.
Sections of "soft news" (roughly 600 words) are common characteristic of not being connected to the news immediately. They may be portraits of individuals, profiles of organizations or programs. The primer here may be more literary.
The depth stories (roughly 1500 words) take step back to the new one. They explore a question. Even if they are more distant from the immediate present, they are as important journalism. They can be a good way to explore issues too complex for the telegraphic style of a new topical. Example: a report on homeless youth. A longer text will reflect the complexity of their individual stories.
The depth stories are at the heart of journalism. A good story to give life back to your community, their struggles, their victories and their defeats. A background report chooses an angle (eg black youth back to church) and explored by interviewing the people involved and drawing conclusions from their statements. The author addresses the question of the important time and tells the reader through the comments of people involved.
Recommendation: Do not forget to "balance" your text. Present different views of people on an issue and let the reader choose who to believe. Your personal opinion should not appear. These are quotes from people interviewed who build the report. You are the narrator.
The editorial: An editorial expresses an opinion. The editorial page of a newspaper allows authors to express their own views. All editorials are personal, but they must be of interest to the reader.
3) How to structure your text
News articles ( "hard news" or "soft news") and depth stories all have the same basic structure: an introduction, then the body text.
Introduction The first or first two paragraphs are among the essential elements of a new text. Journalists call it the beginning (or "lead"). Its function is to summarize the content when it comes to news stories, to hook the reader, when it comes to general news.
In the "hard news", summarizes the primer that follows and answer the best 5 questions traditional journalism (who, what, where, when and why). (Example: "Young homeless expressed on Sherbrooke Street in Montreal, Wednesday afternoon, claiming the mayor emergency housing during the winter." Can you identify the 5 basic questions in this primer?)
In the "soft news", the theme is presented in a less direct and more literary. The author tries to catch the reader's attention as would a novelist. (Example: "There are four years, Simon was sleeping in the streets or under bridges?" Once the reader hooked, the journalist respond to 5 questions in the text, but not necessarily at the very beginning.)
Body text It incorporates the views of those interviewed, some facts and your own narration that structures the text. Beware though, you have no right to "editorialisation, that is to say to express your own views in any way whatsoever in this type of article.
Remember:
The role of a journalist is to discover and report the different views of people involved in a given situation. Their comments should represent the bulk of the text. The narrative helps to weave it all into a coherent whole. Recommendation: Do not treating one topic per article. There may be a variety of details, but all must be related to the original idea. (Example: if you want to deal with relationships of young blacks with the police, you SHOULD NOT get lost in the biography of a young in particular.)
As journalists, you are the eyes and ears of the reader. The visual details are important to give life to the text (for this, the interviews in person are always preferable to telephone interviews). You must also "feel" about you, that is to say, develop an understanding of the emotional context of the issue involved and the views expressed by those involved.
Agree? Here are two examples that summarize each case essentially to cover.
Young people come together to form an organization. You must say why they do it and what changes they are trying to promote in society. You must also specify who they are and what strategies they plan to use.
An artist is exhibited for the first time. Why? That thinks it's art? His creative process is it rational or emotional? What works like his?
4) Some other tips
How to find ideas
Keep your ears and eyes open, listen to what your friends are talking about.
Read everything that comes to hand, find ideas in other newspapers and magazines.
Discover the views of young people in a matter of time.
Work on a subject that interests you and you would like to learn more.
Talk to people involved in a particular area to see what they attach importance. How to search for information
Find up articles on the subject.
Tell your friends and associates.
Contact associations and organizations specialized in the field or interested in the issue.
Get a list of people to interview, cover both sides of the story by interviewing people who have different viewpoints on the issue.
Find government statistics and study of old reports and press releases on the subject. Do's and Don'ts in an Interview
Always be polite.
Explain the basic rules of interviewing people who know how the media. In other words, tell them that everything they say can and will be published. What if they want one or more parts of their statements are not published, they must absolutely you specify.
Save the interview (for a proof if challenged).
Build a relationship of trust with the interviewee.
Start with easy questions, keep the most difficult for last.
Pay attention to body language of the interviewee, if a question is on the defensive, leave to return later.
Never be aggressive.
Keep control of the interview does not allow the interviewee to get lost in long speeches or out of the topic.
Do not, on the other hand, your preconceptions about what it should say color the interview. Always remember that the interviewee knows more than you on the issue. Organizing Information
Gather your notes, interviews and searches in a single folder.
Read them.
Look for the common theme that emerges.
Select quotes and interesting data.
Expand the focus of your article.
Summarize this axis in two or three sentences. Writing and editing
Remember that your role is to tell, to shape a story.
Do not be afraid to rewrite and correct.
Write as clearly and concisely as possible.
Adopt a direct style.
Tell a good story.
Give the reader what you think he wants to know.
Ask yourself what is the specific topic of your article.
Read the article aloud, listen carefully to you. Look for the common theme that emerges.
Select quotes and interesting data.
Expand the focus of your article.
Summarize this axis in two or three sentences. Writing and editing
Remember that your role is to tell, to shape a story.
Do not be afraid to rewrite and correct.
Write as clearly and concisely as possible.
Adopt a direct style.
Tell a good story.
Give the reader what you think he wants to know.
Ask yourself what is the specific topic of your article.
Read the article aloud, listen carefully to you.
About the Author
Featuring free home business tips, home business resources, work at home information, money making advice, internet marketing techniques, and much more.Your ultimate resource for making money online!
sample report"sample report" Where can I find a sample lab report for fast plants?
Go to link #1 and download the booklet. * Download a 32-page booklet, containing complete instructions for activities at each life cycle stage (includes important background information about plant physiology and how to grow Fast Plants).
technical writing companies in bangalore"technical writing companies in bangalore" Can a person in his thirties or forties learn technical writing and get hired in Bangalore?
Can a person in his thirties or forties learn technical writing and get employed in Bangalore? Is there an age limit? If a person in his/her forties is interested in technical writing and gets trained, will any company in Bangalore hire that person?
Yea you should get thru successfully.
10 Benefits -Why Companies should outsource documentation - TechTotal
technical writing companies in bangalore technical writing companies in bangalore
Writing an e-book can be extremely beneficial for you as a small business owner. You can use the four steps below as a guide when writing your own e-book. Please remember that there are many ways and means of accomplishing a project such as this. In our experience these steps work well.
As a business owner, writing an e-book can be a great marketing tool. e-books make great free giveaways on your website as a way to provide value to your visitors, as well as providing the world with an easily transportable e-package for others to pass along, far beyond your own network.
Here are a few advantages of writing an e-book: 1. It's a natural extension of your oral or other written information. 2. It's a piece of you, your passion, your significant and valuable message. 3. It adds credibility, prestige, even fame! 4. It's fairly easy to produce. 5. It can be produced for a small cost. 6. It will bring you great profits! 7. It brings you a monthly cash flow. 8. It will bring you endless enjoyment and fun! 9. It gives you all the profits. 10. It gives you the freedom to market your valuable information right at your home office website to maintain focus on your topic.
Step 1 Deciding what to write about.
First and foremost, it must be a topic you are knowledgeable and passionate about. After that, consider the following in developing your ideas: Information that is time-sensitive or subject to change will likely to do well in e-book format. For example, an e-book on Search Engine Optimization is likely to be more suitable to electronic format than print. Search engines change all the time and by the time a book is put into print, the information may be outdated.
Information that satisfies an immediate need or impulse should sell well. This could be an e-book on soothing a colicky infant, for example. The above two points are not essential to writing a successful e-book, but will certainly go a long way to help in your plan on how to write an e-book.
The following formats are popular when writing an e-book as a marketing tool. "How to" Take some of the programs or workshops you've developed on how to do something and turn it into an e-book. People want immediate solutions to their problems, so making it situational rather than generic is key.
Special Report or White Paper A special report displays, informs, or reports on something. This is great for people who want the current thinking on a particular topic. You could do a series of special reports on your areas of expertise. It's a great marketing tool.
"The Secret Of..." This approach seems to add wisdom to whatever you disclose in your book. It's basically the "inside" way to get something done. "Principles of..." If you've got a list of items, you may want to package it like this - including examples and stories to convey your point. You are crystallizing your opinions basically, and that seems to reinforce them in some way.
"Chicken Soup for the Soul" type series This is a compilation of stories that make your point for you. They revolve around a common theme. Your R&D Team can be a great source of these stories.
Step 2 Do your research and develop your content. Don't start typing until you've done your research. Will people be willing to pay for your information? Is it readily available elsewhere? If it is, could you approach the subject to reach a particular niche?
Useful ways of developing content for your e-book are as follows: Interviewing an expert by phone. Conducting a 4, 8, or 12 session tele-class. Starting an ecourse. Hosting an expert discussion on your topic. Deciding to become a leading expert on your topic. Sharing what you already know.
Step 3 Packaging & Pricing
Putting It Together The most common format for e-books is a PDF file. There are other software packages with wonderful features that you can purchase to create e-books. However, these often don't operate on certain operating systems or have other limitations. Click here for e-book software reviews.
What are some possible formats? Adobe ebook. Adopt PDF Gemstar ebook Hiebook HTML Microsoft Reader Microsoft Word mobiPocket PalmOS plain text
How Much Should You Charge? It really depends on the quality of the information you provide. You could have a long or short e-book, but that's not the ultimate decision maker. Have a few friends or colleagues read the e-book. Make sure they are interested in the topic and ask them how much they would pay.You should also consider giving your e-book away for free. This is a great way of introducing yourself as an expert to potential customers.
Step 4 Marketing of your e-book
First, get a website. You can put the e-book on your existing website if it relates to your current website topic. If it isn't related, start a new one.
Establish yourself as an expert in the topic. Write and distribute articles that promote it in the byline. For a list of possible places to submit your articles click here.- Participate in forums, moderate chats or run online seminars on the topic- Solicit interviews from other related websites, magazines, radio stations, etc. Allow them to read a complimentary copy of the e-book before agreeing to interview you. Offer to answer questions from their readers or listeners.
Offer a free email course or free e-book teaser to promote it for sale. Be careful here. I have seen a number of people use this technique very poorly, including some so-called Internet gurus
Of course, you don't want to give away all your great ideas, but make sure your free offer does provide valuable information. If there is nothing valuable, how will someone trust you enough to actually make a purchase from you?
Encourage those who have read the e-book to write reviews. You can post them on your site and they can also post them on sites where book reviews are allowed.
Create an affiliate program that people will be dying to join and promote.
About the Author
Learn more at http://www.my1stbusiness.com/sales-letter/landing2.htm Ben Botes MSc. MBA, is an Entrepreneur, Speaker, Writer, Coach and academic. He is the founder of My1stBusiness.com, South African Business Hubs Join the My1stbusiness.com Reseller Program and earn 40% referral commission http://www.my1stbusiness.com/affiliate
Read Ben's Blog at http://www.my1stbusiness.com/weblog
Hiring Reform Roll Out Part 2
situational writing report format situational writing report format situational writing report format
A number of businesses that do importing from Asia have place offices to nearby regions to do auditing. Usually, a factory would employ a major QC Company to make certain the top quality of their particular imports. QC Companies are stated to be coordinating supply chain to fit with what they necessary with each other with their buyers.
Audits ought to be done appropriate after the achievement of creation. In the very same time, it are going to be carried out prior for the course of action of shipment from the goods. If there can be failure for the part from the auditing organization, the company has to redo the construction and pay for another examination products. This would be the outcome from the delay.
The things they typically do is send the inspectors to the firm and give their images and notes for the persons who write the reports. The inspectors' functionality relating to that is certainly to collect laboratory test benefits and after the collection, they will probably be tasked to double the price for checking the item. This sort of strategy is simpler and would produce lesser from the dangers. As a final point, if all of the reports have been completed, the customer shall have it.
It is believed that factories are the majority of the time pressured through the examination procedure due for the notion that they see these people as 'cops'. But presently, there is really a distinct issue; the common QC provide isn't used any longer for a lot of importers. This time, it is a lot less difficult to source through the Asian areas. There were a quantity of modest companies which have dealt with this sort of. The trading companies also are provided less attention due towards the explanation the fact that purchasers could straight go towards manufacturing company or even the factory for better pricing. And one more point is the fact that QC Businesses normally aren't qualified ample when it arrives to environment up auditing services for that company.
At this time, the corporations that provide these sorts of examination already do not want to have the firms with low charges. It really is because they're offering the standard products and their function isn't for your examination of highly complex manufacturing outputs. The normal final result is the fact that only twenty % from your shipment are truly audited. Thus, a significant amount of shows are audited over the many years.
It would be a lot greater and wiser to conduct auditing for the organization just before shipping the items. It can be since by doing such, it is possible to conserve the probable cost of re-inspection. By then, it could assure you how the products are qualified for acceptance from the importers.
You will find a great deal of legal and correct points when it will come to managing a manufacturing organization. You have to make confident that production outcome is great. And to ascertain whether or not the products is going to be accepted, you need to have the auditing services of a organization. The factory can endure with its greater construction if they are able to prove towards the importers as well as other buyers that their products are dependable. So, they actually deal while using proper issues to accomplish for the organization.
About the Author
Kt_cat is major in Electronic Commerce and she is addicted to China Factory business, her biggest dream is to build up hers own China wholesale company and become one of the most famous wholesalers in the world.
2011 HEAT Provider Compliance Training - Health Care Fraud Enforcement Panel with Special Agent
report writing for dummies"report writing for dummies" College Report - First Person?
Hello,
I have to write a report for my college describing a particular embedded operating system for a dummy product. Do you think it is acceptable to use forms of first person like the word "I" inside?
Thanks The project required our own choice of operating system; thus, it requires justification... if this helps
Never Use "I" in a college report if you can possibly avoid it unless it is a paper for English, psychology, etc. in which the use of the first person has been specified.
You will virtually never see a report written in the first person in a peer reviewed journal.
110208 - Hyper Report
report writing for dummies report writing for dummies report writing for dummies
report writing on teachers day"report writing on teachers day"
An Easy Guide To Writing Correct English - Helpful Tools !
English writing isn't that easy for the majority of people - would an easy guide to writing finally change that situation? These days, with pcs on everyone's desks, there are many ways to use text to give shape to our thoughts as well as to interact socially. By all means, read the following brief report to be confident that your next english project will be well received.
Since computers are now so commonplace, the majority of us employ an ordinary word processor to create our written work. In spite of the fact that machines can't analyze every intricacy of written language the way we can, great progress is being made that can make the writing process a snap. Happily, you can now benefit from an advanced technological solution that will act like an english teacher and check your written output for all possible trouble spots. This innovative solution enables you to detect and correct possible problem areas in Emails, letters, essays, you name it. Regarding those who have forgotten (if they ever learned) the difference between he and him (or she and her), to choose a prickly grammar point, you'll find this amazingly helpful.
Are we able to rely on this technology to cure all of our english difficulties? Perhaps we shouldn't throw away our grammar books, but the impact in many areas is amazing. Struggling writers everywhere now have it easier; it's been proven that this tool will assist you to make your text worthy of respect. Originally designed to serve the greatest number of writers, it's equipped to work on any Type of pc with windows. Nowadays, as we have at hand so much state-of-the-art technology, we can consider almost anything reachable.
Developing such a technology is quite a feat - so that a web search for an easy guide to writing won't provide very many answers to your query. For many people, i am sure that this technology can be a good alternative to a professional proofreader's help. As you yourself have seen, common text processing applications are not adequate with respect to ensuring the correctness and readability of your text. Though it's true that it doesn't guarantee a 100% flawless outcome, this innovative solution provides an amazing improvement in your english writing. In these days of advanced technology, the web offers lots of surprises and creative ideas, and this is one of the most useful things out there.
Persuasive Business Writing: 5 Step Formula for Success
Business needs to learn the art of persuasion in writing. Imagine getting to work on a Monday morning after a long weekend. You had to do your spring cleanup on the yard, pick your sister up at the airport, and to top it all off the baseball game you wanted to watch was blacked out in your area since it was sold out. You're looking at a full work week and you want to get off to a good start. Your in-box is stuffed to the gills, so you begin to wade through it to find what the keepers are. Someone has written you a letter that begins like this:
"Dear Sir or Madam: I appreciate the fact that you must have a full business calendar. If I could have but a few moments…" This one goes in the circular file as you move on to the next piece of potential trash.
Here's a question for you. How would you like the author of that last letter to have been you? It could be. Your goal is to make your business writing come alive or, at a minimum, avoid boring him to sleep. If you have a message, you want it to get read.
A few months back this column highlighted some of the main situations in small business today that call for writing as opposed to the spoken word. Today I'm going to give you a simple formula for 90% of business writing. You see, in almost all business writing we want something, and the recipient of our correspondence may be in a position to do something about it, or at least react to it. The format of persuasive writing, then, is applicable for many of the situations you will face. Different twists can be made on this basic format whether writing a sales proposal, a report, or a follow-up letter.
The Hook
The very first sentence of any business correspondence, just like the first sentence of a speech, must be your best. It must hook the reader so he wants to read on. Attention spans are getting shorter and shorter, so within ten seconds you'd better have ‘em. Use a startling fact like, "Did you know that an Inc. Magazine survey found that the average business owner spends 35% of her time in wasteful meetings?" This will grab the reader, especially if he identifies with it. Your job is to arouse interest.
There are other methods as well. You can make use of a quote from a respected authority, say something humorous (be very careful here!), or offer something of value to the reader so he'll continue. In essence, bribe him. A great technique is to ask a pain-inducing question, such as "Is limited cash flow keeping you from growing your business?" Your goal is to set up a problem, a problem that, of course, you can help solve.
The Message
Tell the reader what you want in clear, concise terms. State the best possible outcome for the company from the reader's perspective. Give a prelude to how you will make your case in the remainder of the correspondence. If you have overall recommendations, here is where to state them. Don't make the reader wade through the entire report, letter, or request to find out what your suggestions are. Put the best stuff first, right after your attention-grabbing hook.
The Support
This section of all business writing is often called the body. This is where you provide data and analysis that makes your point for you. If a chart helps, throw it in. Use expert testimony that supports your point of view. Your objective here is to convince the reader, the person whom you want to influence, that your recommendation or what you want is best for the company.
The body is also where you provide the details—the plan. This provides indirect support for your position, because you actually have a plan! In the body of your writing, make sure that you use facts, not opinions. Don't make any unsupported assertions. Use concrete, understandable language. Remember, KISS—Keep It Simple…Susie
If you want to make your business writing easy to read, use bold headings for each section. Headings call attention to each section so that your reader can go right to where he wants in your document. This is particularly true in the support section, which is the longest section in most business writing. You may have sections on Budget, Cost/Benefit Analysis, and Staffing. They all have different information, so use headings to separate the information and make a happy reader.
Ask For It
Never assume that the reader, or listener when you're giving a speech, automatically knows what you want her to do with your information. After you've proved your point, ask for it! Tell her specifically what you want her to do now. Be clear and specific. "Please consider the plan that I have outlined herein" sucks. The reader can consider it and throw it in the round file. Here's a better version: "I need you to approve the budget for this project by next Tuesday."
WIIFM
You may recognize this acronym stands for "What's In It For Me?" If you want your reader to take action, any action, there must be a compelling reason to do so that goes beyond your hope that he's a nice guy. To piggy back onto my "Ask for it" example, you can use, "Failure to act now will cost our company $10,000 a month." That one is using negative reinforcement, but you can just as easily turn it around with, "You'll be the man responsible for saving the company $10,000 a month, and bonuses are delivered at the end of the quarter." If you were approving whatever project we're talking about here, would these reasons be important to you?
There are plenty of ways to write effectively for business. This article gives you a recipe that can't miss when writing to persuade your reader, assuming your information is valid. If your the boss writing a corporate policy memo or a design engineer trying to get capital for the next project, remember--hook him, tell him what you want, back it up, ask for it, and give him a reason to act, and you'll end up getting more of what you want.
About the Author
Karl Walinskas is the CEO of Smart Company Growth, a business development and cost management consulting firm for small to mid-size enterprises. He has made a career of leading, inspiring and raising the game of small business people. He is author of numerous articles and the Smart Blog on leadership, business communication, sales & service, public speaking and virtual business and Getting Connected Through Exceptional Leadership, available in the Smart Shop, Amazon.com, or Barnes&Noble.com. He can be reached at kwalinskas@smartcompanygrowth.com.
Save Consumer Focus - Please join the campaign to save Consumer Focus from closure
business correspondence and report writing business correspondence and report writing business correspondence and report writing
monitoring report writing"monitoring report writing" How can a company make use of flexible budgets in planning and for monitoring control?
i am writing a report for a managing director of a restaurant chain, in which he feels there is no point in setting budgets as they never reflect what actually happens. i would be grate-full for any opinions/help
When we talked about budget, people normally think about static budget (that is developed for a single level of activity). It is very useful for planning and control purposes. However, you were also cautioned about the potential shortcomings of using static budgets for performance evaluation. Specifically, when the actual output varies from the anticipated level, variances are likely to arise. These variances can be quite misleading. The genesis of the problem is that variable costs will tend to track volume. If the company produces and sells more products than anticipated, one would expect to see more variable costs (and vice versa).
The flexible budget responds to changes in activity, and may provide a better tool for performance evaluation. It is driven by the expected cost behavior. Fixed cost is the same no matter the activity level, and variable costs are a direct function of observed activity. When performance evaluation is based on a static budget, there is little incentive to drive sales and production above anticipated levels because increases in volume tend to produce more costs and unfavorable variances. The flexible budget-based performance evaluation provides a remedy for this phenomenon.
Cheers...
Ensemblisms Episode 6 - Monitoring Ensemble With Nagios
Three Writing Tips To Improve Your Sba 8A Disadvantage Narrative
1. Don't write a report, make it personal - The narrative is a story, not a report. Many of my college educated clients assume that the more facts and quotes you add, the better the narrative. This is not true. The narrative is a personal story of incidents of discrimination and harassment that have kept you from reaching your potential. Keep your narrative in the first person, recounting events in your personal and professional life.
Remember that the social disadvantage narrative is based upon negative experiences, I call this the "lemon story" versus the "lemonade story", so there is no need to add good news to make it appear you have "overcome obstacles".
2. Keep the quotes short - While it is good to include quotes to reinforce and enhance your narrative, keep them short, no more than a couple sentences. Be sure to give basic reference information,but you do not have to prepare a bibliography, again it is your story, not a report. Do not include more than seven quotes in the total narrative. Normally my client narratives range from six to ten pages in length. The quotes should be reinforcing specific issues, for example: If you graduated from a high school with a very high dropout rate or if your community has a very high crime rate. 3. Be specific and detailed about incidents - When you are describing incidents from your personal or professional life, be as specific as possible. Be sure to include: -the month/year of the incident -the name of your supervisor -any witnesses to the event -a summary of the event -and most important the economic or financial fallout from the event. This is especially important if you do not have court documents to support your claims. Here is an example:
In 1999, I met with John Smith of Acme ABC Prime Contractors in Houston, Texas to talk about partnering on the upcoming NASA contract. While he was intially interested in speaking with me on the phone, I noticed that in our face-to-face meeting he avoided making any promises to partner with my company. And he kept speaking directly to my assistant, John Jones even though John reminded him that I was the owner of the company. It was apparent Mr. Smith would rather work directly with a male salesperson than a woman. Not getting this partnership cost my company approximately $100K per month for five years. See attached: A notarized statement from John Jones on his description of this failed sales meeting.
About the Author
Karen Miller is The 8a Mentor, helping small business owners successfully prepare their SBA 8a social /economic disadvantage narratives. Get a free Special Report and save thousands of dollars in SBA 8a preparation at: www.The8aMentor.com
Daily Grammar Practice Notes - Write Better English !
Anyone who has ever searched for info about daily grammar practice notes will find the news of a breakthrough technology really astounding. I'm happy to report that there is now a quick and easy way that provides the capability for anyone to write perfect english sentences, even if writing used to be a struggle. Curious about how this can be done? Continue to read - what you'll learn will change what you were taught about english writing.
Until just recently, getting to an advanced level in english grammar was a difficult and sometimes a frustrating endeavor and required seemingly endless drills and practice. The english language is full of complexities that you have to be aware of with each and every word and sentence that you write - there are so many things to remember if you want to be taken seriously by the reader.
If you find yourself wanting (or perhaps needing) to know more about daily grammar practice notes I have some good news - with an amazing new technology, it's now possible to write as you usually do while all your errors are detected and fixed on the spot. There's a small group of nlp (natural language processing) experts who designed a helpful Tool for language analysis. This highly specialized program is supplied with all possible combinations of proper words and phrases, consequently, as it examines your work, it is able to find grammatical errors and then automatically take care of them.
I believe that anyone who is struggling with writing and needs to find more about daily grammar practice notes should experiment with this solution. Expressing our thoughts in writing is a crucial part of effective communication; we must always recognize its relevance in our lives since it creates an impression of who we are and how professional we are at what we do. If you're intrigued by the idea of turning your current writing project into a creation you can be proud of with a computer program, then you can stop looking - this is the ideal solution. Just imagine all the ways it can improve all your everyday letters, compositions, and anything else you need to write. And amazingly, this tool will not just find and fix any problems with grammar, but, in addition, such basics as spelling and punctuation.
The paper explores the role of Pass word, Anti virus and data encryption in computer security. It has been discussed that passwords is known to be ancient. Sentries would challenge those wishing to enter an area or approaching it to supply a password or watchword. Sentries would only allow a person or group to pass if they knew the password. In modern times, user names and passwords are commonly used by people during a log in process that controls access to protected computer operating systems, mobile phones, cable TV decoders, automated teller machines (ATMs), etc. Data encryption refers to mathematical calculations and algorithmic schemes that transform plaintext into cyphertext, a form that is non-readable to unauthorized parties. The recipient of an encrypted message uses a key which triggers the algorithm mechanism to decrypt the data, transforming it to the original plaintext version.
Lastly the paper discusses another important computer security software, computer virus which is a computer program that can copy itself and infect a computer without the permission or knowledge of the owner. The term "virus" is also commonly but erroneously used to refer to other types of malware, adware, and spyware programs that do not have the reproductive ability. A true virus can only spread from one computer to another (in some form of executable code) when its host is taken to the target computer; for instance because a user sent it over a network or the Internet, or carried it on a removable medium such as a floppy disk, CD, DVD, or USB drive.
MAIN BODY
A password is a secret word or string of characters that is used for authentication, to prove identity or gain access to a resource (Example: An access code is a type of password). The password must be kept secret from those not allowed access.
The use of passwords is known to be ancient. Sentries would challenge those wishing to enter an area or approaching it to supply a password or watchword. Sentries would only allow a person or group to pass if they knew the password. In modern times, user names and passwords are commonly used by people during a log in process that controls access to protected computer operating systems, mobile phones, cable TV decoders, automated teller machines (ATMs), etc. A typical computer user may require passwords for many purposes: logging in to computer accounts, retrieving e-mail from servers, accessing programs, databases, networks, web sites, and even reading the morning newspaper online.
Despite the name, there is no need for passwords to be actual words; indeed passwords which are not actual words may be harder to guess, a desirable property. Some passwords are formed from multiple words and may more accurately be called a passphrase. The term passcode is sometimes used when the secret information is purely numeric, such as the personal identification number (PIN) commonly used for ATM access. Passwords are generally short enough to be easily memorized and typed.
For the purposes of more compellingly authenticating the identity of one computing device to another, passwords have significant disadvantages (they may be stolen, spoofed, forgotten, etc.) over authentications systems relying on cryptographic protocols which are more difficult to circumvent. The original password concept has been proven to be insecure. There have been cases where passwords have been compromised without a users knowledge, through coersion, or because they were conned into revealing it. The core problem with legacy passwords is that it is very difficult or impossible for an administrator or a computer system to differentiate between a legitimate user and illegitimate user gaining access through the same password. Because of this inherent flaw in the original password system, Two Factor Authentication was invented.
A password is "something you know." This information is understood to be known by a single individual. Two-factor authentication systems add in another factor, "something you have", electronic card key, electronic token, dongle, fob or some other physical item you keep in a secure place when not in use. A common stand in replacement for this second factor when higher levels of security are needed is "something you are". A biological fingerprint, retina pattern, person's weight, specific vital signs or a combination of these items is used in place of the electronic device. The biological factor for authentication and authorization has been found to be unreliable, but not in that it permits those that should not be permitted when used properly, but because there is a tendency for it to deny legitimate users access due to sickness, physical body changes, or other physical impairments.
There are two common methods of authentication when users use electronic components for two-factor authentication, response-only, and challenge-response systems.
Response-only systems require a user to present your electronic device to an electronic reading system, or for you to enter data displayed on the electronic device without user input. The user must provide a username or pin that is not known to outsiders, and then enter specific credential data generated by the electronic device when prompted. In many cases, this mechanism returns the user back to a single factor authentication, where the user does not need to know something, but just posseses the item in question. An example of this is the standard electronic card key used to enter a facility or building perimiter. The user need not provide any other factor to prove their identity.
Challenge-response systems require the user to enter a specific passphrase or pin into the electronic device first, before the device responds with the proper access credentials data. This varient is always considered two-factor authentication, since the user must provide both "something they know" (the pin), and use "something they have" (the electronic device).
Both the response-only and challenge-response systems can be defeated if the user both reveals the private information they keep secret, such as their username or pin code, and the attacker takes ownership of the electronic device. Due to this weakness, the bioligcal factor was invented.
Biological factors have been in use for several decades, and have proven to be reliable and secure ways to prevent unauthorized users from gaining access to secure systems or environments, regardless of the privacy of their passwords used. Systems monitor fingerprints, eye retina patterns, weight, ambient temperature, and other biological signs to determine the authenticity of the user requesting access. Movies have been touting methods of defeating these systems by cutting off body parts, using retinal masks, or forcing legitimate users into bypassing the authentication mechanisms for the attacker. These are largely Hollywood schemes and rarely work in the real world. In most cases where this level of security is required, local or remote monitoring of entry points through cameras and security personnell is common. Deadlock portals, remote activated magnetically controlled entranceways, and visual idenfitication are the norm.
Many simple methods have been devised to defeat weakly designed biological factor systems, so be sure you thoroughly test the security measures you plan to put in place before implementation.
The easier a password is for the owner to remember generally means it will be easy for a hacker to guess. Passwords which are difficult to remember will reduce the security of a system because (a) users might need to write down or electronically store the password, (b) users will need frequent password resets and (c) users are more likely to re-use the same password. Similarly, the more stringent requirements for password strength, e.g. "have a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters and digits" or "change it monthly", the greater the degree to which users will subvert the systemIn Jeff Yan et al. examine the effect of advice given to users about a good choice of password. They find that passwords based on thinking of a phrase and taking the first letter of each word, are just as memorable as naively selected passwords, and just as hard to crack as randomly generated passwords. Combining two unrelated words is another good method. Having a personally designed "algorithm" for generating obscure passwords is another good method.
However, asking users to remember a password consisting of a “mix of uppercase and lowercase characters” is like asking them to remember a sequence of bits: hard to remember, and only a little bit harder to crack (e.g. only 128 times harder to crack for 7-letter passwords, less if the user simply capitalises the first letter). Asking users to use "both letters and digits" will often lead to easy-to-guess substitutions such as 'E' --> '3' and 'I' --> '1', substitutions which are well known to crackers. Similarly typing the password one keyboard row higher is a common trick known to crackers.
Factors in the security of a password system
The security of a password-protected system depends on several factors. The overall system must, of course, be designed for sound security, with protection against computer viruses, man-in-the-middle attacks and the like. Physical security issues are also a concern, from deterring shoulder surfing to more sophisticated physical threats such as video cameras and keyboard sniffers. And, of course, passwords should be chosen so that they are hard for an attacker to guess and hard for an attacker to discover using any (and all) of the available automatic attack schemes. See password strength, computer security, and computer insecurity.
Effective access control provisions may force extreme measures on criminals seeking to acquire a password or biometric token. Less extreme measures include extortion, rubber hose cryptanalysis, side channel attack,
DATA ENCRYPTION
Data encryption refers to mathematical calculations and algorithmic schemes that transform plaintext into cyphertext, a form that is non-readable to unauthorized parties. The recipient of an encrypted message uses a key which triggers the algorithm mechanism to decrypt the data, transforming it to the original plaintext version.
Before the internet, data encryption was seldom used by the public as it was more of a military security tool. With the prevalence of online shopping, banking and other services, even basic home users are now aware of data encryption.
Today's web browsers automatically encrypt text when making a connection to a secure server. This prevents intruders from listening in on private communications. Even if they are able to capture the message, encryption allows them to only view scrambled text or what many call unreadable gibberish. Upon arrival, the data is decrypted, allowing the intended recipient to view the message in its original form.
Types of Data Encryption
There are many different types of data encryption, but not all are reliable. In the beginning, 64-bit encryption was thought to be strong, but was proven wrong with the introduction of 128-bit solutions. AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) is the new standard and permits a maximum of 256-bits. In general, the stronger the computer, the better chance it has at breaking a data encryption scheme.
Data encryption schemes generally fall in two categories: symmetric and asymmetric. AES, DES and Blowfish use symmetric key algorithms. Each system uses a key which is shared among the sender and the recipient. This key has the ability to encrypt and decrypt the data. With asymmetric encryption such as Diffie-Hellman and RSA, a pair of keys is created and assigned: a private key and a public key. The public key can be known by anyone and used to encrypt data that will be sent to the owner. Once the message is encrypted, it can only be decrypted by the owner of the private key. Asymmetric encryption is said to be somewhat more secure than symmetric encryption as the private key is not to be shared.
Strong encryption like SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) and TLS (Transport Layer Security) will keep data private, but cannot always ensure security. Websites using this type of data encryption can be verified by checking the digital signature on their certificate, which should be validated by an approved CA (Certificate Authority).
Encryption with a variable key
A more advanced method is the use of simple encryption to encipher the virus. In this case, the virus consists of a small decrypting module and an encrypted copy of the virus code. If the virus is encrypted with a different key for each infected file, the only part of the virus that remains constant is the decrypting module, which would (for example) be appended to the end. In this case, a virus scanner cannot directly detect the virus using signatures, but it can still detect the decrypting module, which still makes indirect detection of the virus possible. Since these would be symmetric keys, stored on the infected host, it is in fact entirely possible to decrypt the final virus, but that probably isn't required, since self-modifying code is such a rarity that it may be reason for virus scanners to at least flag the file as suspicious.
An old, but compact, encryption involves XORing each byte in a virus with a constant, so that the exclusive-or operation had only to be repeated for decryption. It is suspicious
COMPUTER VIRUS
A computer virus is a computer program that can copy itself and infect a computer without the permission or knowledge of the owner. The term "virus" is also commonly but erroneously used to refer to other types of malware, adware, and spyware programs that do not have the reproductive ability. A true virus can only spread from one computer to another (in some form of executable code) when its host is taken to the target computer; for instance because a user sent it over a network or the Internet, or carried it on a removable medium such as a floppy disk, CD, DVD, or USB drive. Viruses can increase their chances of spreading to other computers by infecting files on a network file system or a file system that is accessed by another computer. ( Fred Cohen) The term "computer virus" is sometimes used as a catch-all phrase to include all types of malware. Malware includes computer viruses, worms, trojan horses, most rootkits, spyware, dishonest adware, crimeware, and other malicious and unwanted software), including true viruses. Viruses are sometimes confused with computer worms and Trojan horses, which are technically different. A worm can exploit security vulnerabilities to spread itself to other computers without needing to be transferred as part of a host, and a Trojan horse is a program that appears harmless but has a hidden agenda. Worms
Methods to avoid detection
In order to avoid detection by users, some viruses employ different kinds of deception. Some old viruses, especially on the MS-DOS platform, make sure that the "last modified" date of a host file stays the same when the file is infected by the virus. This approach does not fool anti-virus software, however, especially those which maintain and date Cyclic redundancy checks on file changes.
Some viruses can infect files without increasing their sizes or damaging the files. They accomplish this by overwriting unused areas of executable files. These are called cavity viruses. For example the CIH virus, or Chernobyl Virus, infects Portable Executable files. Because those files have many empty gaps, the virus, which was 1 KB in length, did not add to the size of the file.
Some viruses try to avoid detection by killing the tasks associated with antivirus software before it can detect them.
As computers and operating systems grow larger and more complex, old hiding techniques need to be updated or replaced. Defending a computer against viruses may demand that a file system migrate towards detailed and explicit permission for every kind of file access. (T Matsumoto.)
Avoiding bait files and other undesirable hosts
A virus needs to infect hosts in order to spread further. In some cases, it might be a bad idea to infect a host program. For example, many anti-virus programs perform an integrity check of their own code. Infecting such programs will therefore increase the likelihood that the virus is detected. For this reason, some viruses are programmed not to infect programs that are known to be part of anti-virus software. Another type of host that viruses sometimes avoid is bait files. Bait files (or goat files) are files that are specially created by anti-virus software, or by anti-virus professionals themselves, to be infected by a virus. These files can be created for various reasons, all of which are related to the detection of the virus:
Anti-virus professionals can use bait files to take a sample of a virus (i.e. a copy of a program file that is infected by the virus). It is more practical to store and exchange a small, infected bait file, than to exchange a large application program that has been infected by the virus.
Anti-virus professionals can use bait files to study the behavior of a virus and evaluate detection methods. This is especially useful when the virus is polymorphic. In this case, the virus can be made to infect a large number of bait files. The infected files can be used to test whether a virus scanner detects all versions of the virus.
Some anti-virus software employs bait files that are accessed regularly. When these files are modified, the anti-virus software warns the user that a virus is probably active on the system.
Since bait files are used to detect the virus, or to make detection possible, a virus can benefit from not infecting them. Viruses typically do this by avoiding suspicious programs, such as small program files or programs that contain certain patterns of 'garbage instructions'.
A related strategy to make baiting difficult is sparse infection. Sometimes, sparse infectors do not infect a host file that would be a suitable candidate for infection in other circumstances. For example, a virus can decide on a random basis whether to infect a file or not, or a virus can only infect host files on particular days of the week.
Stealth
Some viruses try to trick anti-virus software by intercepting its requests to the operating system. A virus can hide itself by intercepting the anti-virus software’s request to read the file and passing the request to the virus, instead of the OS. The virus can then return an uninfected version of the file to the anti-virus software, so that it seems that the file is "clean". Modern anti-virus software employs various techniques to counter stealth mechanisms of viruses. The only completely reliable method to avoid stealth is to boot from a medium that is known to be clean.
Self-modification
Most modern antivirus programs try to find virus-patterns inside ordinary programs by scanning them for so-called virus signatures. A signature is a characteristic byte-pattern that is part of a certain virus or family of viruses. If a virus scanner finds such a pattern in a file, it notifies the user that the file is infected. The user can then delete, or (in some cases) "clean" or "heal" the infected file. Some viruses employ techniques that make detection by means of signatures difficult but probably not impossible. These viruses modify their code on each infection. That is, each infected file contains a different variant of the virus.
code that modifies itself, so the code to do the encryption/decryption may be part of the signature in many virus definitions.
Polymorphic code
Polymorphic code was the first technique that posed a serious threat to virus scanners. Just like regular encrypted viruses, a polymorphic virus infects files with an encrypted copy of itself, which is decoded by a decryption module. In the case of polymorphic viruses, however, this decryption module is also modified on each infection. A well-written polymorphic virus therefore has no parts which remain identical between infections, making it very difficult to detect directly using signatures. Anti-virus software can detect it by decrypting the viruses using an emulator, or by statistical pattern analysis of the encrypted virus body. To enable polymorphic code, the virus has to have a polymorphic engine (also called mutating engine or mutation engine) somewhere in its encrypted body. See Polymorphic code for technical detail on how such engines operateSome viruses employ polymorphic code in a way that constrains the mutation rate of the virus significantly. For example, a virus can be programmed to mutate only slightly over time, or it can be programmed to refrain from mutating when it infects a file on a computer that already contains copies of the virus. The advantage of using such slow polymorphic code is that it makes it more difficult for anti-virus professionals to obtain representative samples of the virus, because bait files that are infected in one run will typically contain identical or similar samples of the virus. This will make it more likely that the detection by the virus scanner will be unreliable, and that some instances of the virus may be able to avoid detection.
Metamorphic code
To avoid being detected by emulation, some viruses rewrite themselves completely each time they are to infect new executables. Viruses that use this technique are said to be metamorphic. To enable metamorphism, a metamorphic engine is needed. A metamorphic virus is usually very large and complex. For example, W32/Simile consisted of over 14000 lines of Assembly language code, 90% of which is part of the metamorphic engine.
Conclusion
As more users come to understand the internet's open nature and the dangers of web surfing, applying data encryption to common communications such as emailing and instant messaging is likely to become more popular. Without this security mechanism, information transferred over the internet can be easily captured and viewed by anyone listening. This critical data can be compromised in a number of ways, especially when stored in servers that might change hands over the years. When considering how detrimental crimes like are identity theft are on the rise, data encryption is well worth pursuing.
About the Author
Sarah Maddox, technical writer in Sydney
technical writing course sydney technical writing course sydney
sample of incident report writing"sample of incident report writing" where to get samples of incident report?
i am in a dire situation here. i'm a student nurse and my clinical instructor wants me to submit an INCIDENTAL REPORT tomorrow. I've made a mistake by writing in the wrong page of the nurse's notes in the chart. this is my first time doing this and what i only have here is a form.. I want an actual report... please help me..
i'm not sure whether is the one you're looking for. go to the nearest police station,and ask them about inident report
Tick Swelled, Part 1 of 3
sample of incident report writing sample of incident report writing sample of incident report writing
technical writing in bangalore"technical writing in bangalore" is technical writing course useful? will it fetch more job opportunities?
I want to pursue the course in TWB in bangalore. please let me have your views. I am 62 and intend to become a technical writer in my second career.
It's useful in the sense that it helps train your mind to be focused and logical, but in and of itself it really won't bring a bunch of job opportunities your way.
ABINDIA4U August 5 part4 2010 sherya ghoshal
technical writing in bangalore technical writing in bangalore
importance of technical report writing"importance of technical report writing"
How to write an assignment: guidelines for students
HOW TO WRITE AN ASSIGNMENT: GUIDELINES FOR STUDENTS
1. Purposes of writing assignments
Assignment writing is a real challenging job and you have to face this challenge throughout your academic career, wherever you live and wherever you study. An assignment can be written on any topic or any sub topic and the range of the subjects will also be highly varied. Payelart , 2009 argues that though the writing style differs depending on the specific requirement of the project but still there are some common themes which are followed in every assignment regardless of the subject. So, we can say that assignments can be of different style, structure and components, but some common points may be found, as general purpose, assignments are given to students to learn creative writing skills.
1. The first purpose of writing an assignment is to gather maximum knowledge about the subject. Your first job is to gather more and more information about the subject by going through related journals, magazines or books.
2. The next purpose is to make important notes of your findings from these papers. This we can include in the literature survey section.
To develop writing, researching and learning skills of a student.
To evaluate student's abilities to write independently
To reflective reading, writing, researching, analyzing and communicating skills
Importance of writing assignments in teaching learning process
Helps students creative writing
Students learn in depth knowledge through making assignments
Helps students profound reading
Helps students researching, analyzing
Helps students communicating skills
Helps students write independently
Teachers can gain objectives of the course easily
Most teachers give students frequent assignments which allow them to apply course concepts and improve communication and problem-solving skills.
It can help writers to organize their thoughts.
It can help writers to avoid frustration and procrastination.
It can help writers to use their time productively and efficiently.
Assignments engage students with course material
They help students think critically and creatively
Teachers can develop scholarly skills among students
General structure of an assignment
Assignment topic
Purpose
Organizing thoughts
Organize the data
Making Draft/writing assignment
Revising the assignment
Proofreading of the assignment
Assignment writing follows 7 easy ways to accomplish any kind of writing assignment successfully; these 7 ways can be applied to any writing assignment easily. These steps are: 1. Topic Development:
The topic is of fair importance in any assignment writing. The topic or title tells the readers about what they are going to read? And what has to be included in the assignment? The title creates the first impression on the readers so it must be written attentively. 2. Audience Identification:
A writer has to analyze the audiences he/ she is writing for? The audiences can make your assignment a winning one or can turn a winning one into a dumped one. The audiences are the final deciders or judge of the overall work. Although your teacher may be your audience for an essay, he or she may also expect you to write for your classmates or others in your field of study. After you determine the nature of your audience and your purpose, you must determine how this information affects your planning and writing decisions. For example, the audience profile will tell you the following:
how much information to convey
what kinds and levels of details to include
what concepts to emphasize
how much time to spend in research
what writing strategies to use
how to organize your information
what words, tone, and style to use to communicate with your audience
3. Research:
A good assignment is always supported with the best research work.
The research should be made in the relevant area of assignment topic that can provide grounds to your work.
Gathering ideas
Locating and evaluating research
Conducting interviews
4. Organize:
The details should always be organized in a significant manner that is, synchronization or managing it in the timely manner or organizing it with the importance of events. Introduction, body and conclusions, all are organized at this step.
I. Introduction
A. Grab attention
B. State thesis
II. Body
A. Build points
B. Develop ideas
C. Support main claim
III. Conclusion
A. Re emphasize main idea
5. Creating a draft/ writing
First draft helps to bring out organizing as well as conceptual errors. Writing the first draft minimizes the chances of mistakes by acting as an outline for your assignment. Give yourself ample time to work on your project.
Find a comfortable place to do your writing.
Avoid distractions.
Take breaks.
Putting your ideas and thoughts together
Sentences and paragraphs
6. Revise:
Revision should be based on checking of Clear communication of ideas, Organization of paper, Paragraph structure, Strong introduction and conclusion, Rewriting or rearranging sentences to make sense and Correcting grammar and punctuationJason Lockhart
7. Proofread:
In the process of proofreading, Spelling, Punctuation, Sentence structure, Documentation style, slowly read your paper aloud. Read your paper backwards, exchange papers with a friend. Spell check will not catch everything, and grammar checks are often wrong
The proofreading serves to two main purposes;
1. one is to omit errors from the assignment,
2. Second to modify it accordingly. Modification is being done on the basis of research and by understanding the necessities of an assignment(Jason,2009)
General style of an assignment
Students will do a better job with a long written work if they are led to produce it in stages. Here are some of the stages you might include, along with written products you might require along the way:
1.
1. research questions, rationale for topic, proposal, or prospectus
2. list of sources or annotated bibliography
3. sample summary or analysis of a key source
4. outline
5. rough draft
6. peer review
7. final draft
8. self-evaluation or writer's memo
The use of the P.O.W.E.R.S Writing Process to create better writers
P is for Pre-Writing
This is the first step in the Writing process.
Possible Pre-Writing strategies:
Observing, Imagining, & Reflecting ,Keeping a writing journal or ideas, Journal Writing, Brainstorming, Free write, Clustering or webbing, , Reading, Writing Prompts.
In this phase, you might try to clarify
what you want to write about how you think and feel about your topic
how you want to approach your topic
what other materials and notes you might need
how to organize these materials
what kind of audience you are writing for
You plan the content and organization of your paper or assignment during this first phase.
O is for Organize
Organize is the second step in the writing process.
Ways to organize your writing:
Create an outline, Focused Free Write, Arrange ideas in groups, Create a cluster or web, Number your ideas, Answer the 5 "W"s of writing (who? What? When? Where? Why?, Use index cards.
W is for Write
Now that you have your ideas out of your head and on paper, and organize in some way, you are ready to write. This is just being the first or rough draft of your writing. In this phase, you implement your plan, working out the details and fine-tuning your thoughts.
E is for Edit
After completing the writing you should have your writing edited.
Possible Editors for you writing may be Yourself, Peers, friends, siblings, Any adult including parents, Teachers
Possible Editing feedback might be on one of the following.
Does the writing make sense?
Do you reach your audience?
Do you accomplish your purpose?
Is the information good?
Are the words spelled correctly?
Is the capitalization and punctuation correct?
Have I used appropriate language for the type of writing I am doing?
Share
Revise
Edit
Write
Organize
Pre writing
R is for Revise
In revising, you review what you have written and consider how and where your writing can be improved.
After getting feedback on your writing you are ready to revise, or re-write with corrections. After a revise, be sure to edit again to find any missed mistakes. You may go between the Edit and Revise steps several times before completing your Final Draft.
S is for Share
Once your writing is completed, it is important to share your writing with others. There are several ways to share your writing including Reading it aloud for someone, Giving copies to your friends or family, Displaying your work in an appropriate place, Entering your writing in a school publication, Publish your writing in some manner, even placing it on your personal web site.
Guidelines for students before starting writing assignments
* If a topic is not assigned
1. Identify a subject that interests you. Refer to your text book, a lecture, a hobby you have that relates to the subject, something that you are curious about.
2. Set your topic. State your thesis, theme, or objective in a sentence or two at most.
* If the topic is assigned, or when you have identified your subject
1. Note key ideas or words you think will be important. 2. Use only short phrases or individual words at this point 3. Construct a map using these words and phrases
* Identify what you want to do with the concepts
Pick a verb (or two) and write out the definition to keep before you.
Are you to develop a persuasive or expository essay, or a position paper? What has the teacher assigned?
List out what sources you will need to find information for your essay: Start small: what does an encyclopedia say about it?
Is there a reference librarian who can help you find sources, both for an overview and for detailed research?
Is a search engine enough? Or too boring?
Think big: are there experts you can talk to? An organization?
Analyze your topic so far is it too vague or broad, or too narrow? Is it interesting enough? Is there a controversy to explore, or do you think you can help others understand a problem? Will you provide information from two points of view, or only one while anticipating questions and arguments?
* Summarize your topic
Summarize your topic and present it to your teacher for feedback.
Bring these first few steps with you in case the teacher will want to help you refine or restate your topic
Write out your opinion on, or approach to, the topic
Remember: you are writing an essay as a learning experience and you may find information that is against your position. You will need to resolve this.
* Keep an open or critical mind as you research: You may only see your side and not be objective. Your position could be prejudicial to, or otherwise affect, your investigation
* Prewriting
Prewriting means getting your thoughts down on paper in the shape of free writing, outline and notes.
The purpose of prewriting is to generate an abundance of raw material and notes that will give you some strategies for writing your first draft. For most students, starting a draft too soon, without the results of the prewriting phase, leads to poorly constructed writing, often with weak generalities. Prewriting is not an isolated event, but the way to look ahead to drafting and revising, enabling a piece of writing to grow.
Prewriting is a systematic thinking process that helps you probe what you will write. Prewriting techniques help you determine what approach to take and how to plan for implementing it. Prewriting planning enables you to explore a topic from different perspectives, engage your imagination and creativity discover original ideas, and perceive not-so-obvious relationships between and among ideas.
Your writing task begins when you receive your writing assignment from your teacher. The first step is to make sure you understand the assignment and what your teacher wants you to do with it. To do this, review the requirements of the assignment. These may be in the form of an assignment sheet or a description of the assignment, or they may be given to you verbally during a class lecture. Your requirements might also be stated as a one-line entry in your syllabus or as a short essay question. In any case, to understand your writing project, you should have clear idea of the following:
1. Purpose of assignment
Purpose includes what you intend to bring about in the writing and how you want the reader to use the information. Purpose bridges the gap between audience and content.
2. The audience for this assignment, teacher, classmates, or someone else. It is fundamental to understanding what should go into each piece of writing. You should consider your audience's needs in your research; your content; the information you provide; your tone, style, and wording; and the frequency with which you define terminology. Analyzing your audience will help you make the necessary decisions about what you will write.
1. Method to find content, from opinions or research
How students develop their own writing process usually depends on their learning styles, personalities, and work habits.
1. Before writing assignment, due date of the assignment, and due form of assignment should be known.
2. Before writing assignment, evaluation criteria for assignment should be known.
3. Before writing assignment, goals in undertaking the assignment should also be known.
Guidelines after starting writing assignments
After you have begun the research and decided on your subject, the next step in the planning process is to determine your working thesis. A statement of thesis states the purpose and topic of your writing, indicates the direction and, strategy you will adopt. Your thesis statement will often be based on your synthesis of the information you have gathered from class, from your experience, and from research. You may revise this thesis many times before you are finished thinking and ready to write your final draft.
1. The first method is simply to restate the assignment in your own words. Restating the assignment often helps you understand it better and gives you a point at which to begin writing. Restating enables you to articulate your point of view and write what you know and how you think about your assignment topic.
2. Simply sum up what your research has led you to believe or what you think it means. This method helps you start organizing your thoughts as you look to your research to support your thesis.
3. The third method works for students who like to jump into the writing with only smallest organizing and planning. Think of your topic as a question, and write your assignment as though you are answering it. As you line up your supporting statements, you will discover what you want to write. Your thesis should suggest to you an organization for your ideas and often will show you areas where you need to study or read more.
Outlining, especially in the planning stages, may be informal, a scratch list of points you want to make. Ideas are often simply jotted down in an order that appears to make sense to the writer in thinking about the topic. At a more developed stage, an outline may expand on several aspects of the thesis and controlling idea.
A formal outline, on the other hand, may contain complete sentences that expand the major and minor supporting statements for the clearly delineated thesis statement. How formal and detailed your outline is depends on the demands of the writing task and what kind of writer you are.
Outlining can help you plan and manage your writing assignment in several ways:
It helps you organize information.
It facilitates sharing information with your peers and your teacher to see if you are on the right track.
It helps you to think in writing as you are deciding what to say for your first draft.
When you can see all the main information items in your writing project, you can then plan your research and writing schedule.
1. Writing assignments
Every writer's habits and ways of thinking differ. So, if all the students are given the same topic for an assignment, it will be written differently. As you begin your first draft, you will find yourself engaged in four basic activities:
1. interpreting your notes and research materials
2. organizing your ideas
3. refining your thesis
4. revising your draft
Never think that what you've written can't be improved. You should always try to make the sentence that much better and make a scene that much clearer. Go over and over the words and reshape them as many times as is needed. (Tracy Chevalier, "Why I Write." The Guardian, Nov. 24, 2006)
You can go back to your prewriting idea-generating phase to generate more ideas or even read for more information, and you certainly may try more than one way to organize your ideas before you finish your first draft.
As you weave the threads of your ideas and notes into the whole cloth of your first draft, you will be sorting through all you have gathered in search of patterns that will shape your writing.
As your writing flows from the thesis statement with its controlling idea, the subsequent paragraphs should provide the information identified in your lists and notes.
From your statement and notes, you should write at least one draft. For now, disregard spelling, punctuation, and grammar and focus on getting your ideas down in a way that reflects your outline and your proposed plan. Focus on the content.
As you write, you will discover ways to improve your content and even your writing plan. You may decide to move, delete, or add sections. In other words, you will find that your first draft is another stage of thinking in writing. As you refine your ideas about your writing project, keep in mind that too many changes will impede your progress; if the change seems worthwhile, however, do not hesitate to change direction if it seems necessary.
Guidelines for writing each element of assignment
Guidelines for writing objectives of assignment
Begin by thinking about the goals of the writing assignment. Is the assignment designed to enable your students . . .
to learn course material
to practice specific modes of reading, thinking, or research
To create a particular kind of written product characteristic of your discipline?
Help in understanding some concepts
Style of writing Objectives of assignment
Simple and clear language
Showing what would be included in the assignment
Guidelines for writing introduction of assignment
The first part of an assignment will be the introductory section and that will give a preliminary idea to the readers about the subject and subsequently about the motive of the paper. Introduction addresses the nature and importance of the research you are doing and different phases you will conduct to perform research. (Stephronald, 2010)
The form and content of your introduction will depend on the assignment, the discipline, and even your instructor.
Your introduction should
alert your reader to the question you are answering in your paper
explain the importance of the question and your position
appeal to the reader's interest
Conclude with your thesis statement.
Make sure your introduction is sharply focused. (Hamilton College, 2010)
include the historical background of the subject if it is available
The literature survey is another part which gives an idea to the readers about the work already done in the given subject.
While the body is often easier to write, it needs a frame around it. An introduction and conclusion frame your thoughts and bridge your ideas for the reader.
Now that you have decided, at least tentatively, what information you plan to present in your essay, you are ready to write your statement of topic.
The statement of the topic tells the reader what the essay will be about, and what point you, the author, will be making.
If you are trying to persuade, you want to write your best arguments.
If you are trying to explain a process, you want to write the steps that should be followed. You will probably need to group these into categories. If you have trouble grouping the steps into categories, try using Beginning, Middle, and End.
If you are trying to inform, you want to write the major categories into which your information can be divided.
You know what the essay will be about. That was your topic. Now you must look at your outline or diagram and decide what point you will be making. What do the main ideas and supporting ideas that you listed say about your topic?
Begin your outline by writing your topic at the top of the page.
Next, write the Roman numerals I, II, and III, spread apart down the left side of the page.
Next to each Roman numeral, write the main ideas that you have about your topic, or the main points that you want to make.
Under each Roman numeral, write A, B, and C down the left side of the page.
Next to each letter, write the facts or information that supports that main idea.
When you have finished, you have the basic structure for your essay and are ready to continue.
Guidelines for writing about related literature in assignment
Literature reviews provide with a helpful guide to a particular topic. If you have limited time to conduct research, literature reviews can give you an overview or act as a stepping stone. For professionals, they are useful reports that keep them up to date with what is current in the field. For scholars, the depth and breadth of the literature review emphasizes the credibility of the writer in his or her field. Literature reviews also provide a solid background for a research paper's investigation. Comprehensive knowledge of the literature of the field is essential to most research papers.
If your assignment is not very specific, seek clarification from your instructor:
Roughly how many sources should you include?
What types of sources (books, journal articles, and websites)?
Should you summarize, synthesize, or critique your sources by discussing a common theme or issue?
Should you evaluate your sources?
Should you provide subheadings and other background information, such as definitions and/or a history?
Look for other literature reviews in your area of interest or in the discipline and read those to get a sense of the types of themes you might want to look for in your own ways to organize your final review. You can simply put the word "review" in your search engine along with your other topic terms to find articles of this type on the Internet or in an electronic database.
The bibliography or reference section of sources you've already read are also excellent entry points into your own research.
There are hundreds or even thousands of articles and books on most areas of study. The narrower your topic, the easier it will be to limit the number of sources you need to read in order to get a good survey of the material. Your instructor will probably not expect you to read everything that's out there on the topic, but you'll make your job easier if you first limit your scope.
Some disciplines require that you use information that is as current as possible. In the sciences, for instance, treatments for medical problems are constantly changing according to the latest studies. Information even two years old could be obsolete. However, if you are writing a review in the humanities, history, or social sciences, a survey of the history of the literature may be what is needed, because what is important is how perspectives have changed through the years or within a certain time period.
Try sorting through some other current bibliographies or literature reviews in the field to get a sense of what your discipline expects. You can also use this method to consider what is currently of interest to scholars in this field and what is not.
Guidelines for writing conclusions of assignment
Conclusion is written to induce the reader, and expressing your view point after discussing it in the essay assignment. There is a certain limit to write your conclusion. The ideal word limit is 7 top 8 words in a sentence. One or more of the following strategies may help you write an effective conclusion.
Play the "So What" Game. If you're stuck and feel like your conclusion isn't saying anything new or interesting, ask a friend to read it with you. Whenever you make a statement from your conclusion
your conclusion can provide a bridge to help your readers make the transition back to their daily lives. Such a conclusion will help them see why all your analysis and information should matter to them after they put the paper down.
Your conclusion is your chance to have the last word on the subject. The conclusion allows you to have the final say on the issues you have raised in your paper, to summarize your thoughts, to demonstrate the importance of your ideas, and to propel your reader to a new view of the subject. It is also your opportunity to make a good final impression and to end on a positive note.
Your conclusion can go beyond the confines of the assignment. The conclusion pushes beyond the boundaries of the prompt and allows you to consider broader issues, make new connections, and elaborate on the significance of your findings.
Your conclusion should make your readers glad they read your paper. Your conclusion gives your reader something to take away that will help them see things differently or appreciate your topic in personally relevant ways. It can suggest broader implications that will not only interest your reader, but also enrich your reader's life in some way. It is your gift to the reader.
Your conclusion is your chance to have the last word on the subject. The conclusion allows you to have the final say on the issues you have raised in your paper, to summarize your thoughts, to demonstrate the importance of your ideas, and to propel your reader to a new view of the subject. It is also your opportunity to make a good final impression and to end on a positive note.
Do not let your conclusion merely restate your introduction; if you have successfully argued your point, a summary conclusion generally bores and can even insult your reader. You may want to remind your reader of your thesis, but then take the opportunity to offer some additional insight into your argument. This can strengthen your argument while leaving your reader with something more to think about. Your conclusion should address ideas from a fresh perspective, pose a question for future study, describe possible limitations of the assignment, and refer to a detail in the introduction to bring the argument full-circle
Whatever technique you choose to employ, your conclusion should convey to your reader why you think your argument is important. It should not be overstated or dogmatic. Any paper that ends with such expressions as, "Thus it is unquestionably certain that..." probably expresses a dubious thesis.
Conclusion can go beyond the confines of the assignment. The conclusion allows you to consider broader issues, make new connections, and elaborate on the significance of your findings.
Conclusion should make your readers glad they read your paper. Your conclusion gives your reader something to take away that will help them see things differently or appreciate your topic in personally relevant ways
The conclusion should summarize and clarify important information and resolve the thesis statement.
The conclusion should leave the reader thinking
Guidelines for revision of assignment
"Revision" literally means "to see again," but you will not be able to do this if you have just finished writing your paper. We become wedded to our writing and therefore cannot and will not see its weaknesses. In order to rewrite, first print out your draft. If time allows, let it sit overnight and clear it from your mind. The more time that elapses before you return to your draft, the more clearly you will be able to see its strengths and weaknesses. While revising assignment, the following aspects should be reviewed:
Introduction
The introduction should be designed to attract the reader's attention and give her an idea of the essay's focus. Begin with an attention grabber. The attention grabber you use is up to you, for example:Surprising information, dialogue and summary Information
A few sentences explaining your topic in general terms can lead the reader gently to your thesis. Each sentence should become gradually more specific, until you reach your thesis.
Body
In the body of the essay, topic you have chosen must now be explained, described, or argued. Each main idea that you wrote down in your diagram or outline will become one of the body paragraphs. If you had three or four main ideas, you will have three or four body paragraphs.
Each body paragraph will have the same basic structure. Start by writing down one of your main ideas, in sentence form. Next, write down each of your supporting points for that main idea, but leave four or five lines in between each point. In the space under each point, write down some elaboration for that point. Elaboration can be further description or explanation or discussion.
clearly organize the paragraphs
include a topic sentence for each paragraph
use shift sentences between paragraphs
provide enough relevant evidence
explain the significance of the evidence chosen
Conclusion
The conclusion brings finality to the reader, summing up your points or providing a final perspective on your topic. All the conclusion needs is three or four strong sentences which do not need to follow any set formula. Simply review the main points (being careful not to restate them exactly) or briefly describe your feelings about the topic. Conclusion should bring argument to a close and offer a new perspective on my argument.( Hamilton College,2010)
Guidelines for editing and revising assignments
BCCC Tutoring Center (2008) has provided a checklist for effective essay writing; the following guidelines are derived from it:
Paragraph or Essay Structure
Each paragraph should be unified and clear.
The assignment should be logically organized; .
The introduction should include relevant background information for the audience.
Enough details and examples to support the topic sentence should be provided.
The closing paragraph should be an effective conclusion that does more than simply repeat the introduction.
Sentence Structure
Review sentence variety and construction as well as word choice and conciseness.
All sentences should be complete, containing a subject and a verb and properly coordinated or subordinated.
All unnecessary words should be erased to make sentences concise.
Grammar
Think about the assignment's grammatical elements, particularly those that have been challenging in previous writing assignments...
The subject and verb of each sentence should agree.
Pay attention to punctuation, spelling, and formatting. Proofread for spelling, even after using spell-check
All sentences should be correctly punctuated, words properly capitalized
properly formatted paper and documented sources using MLA, APA, or any other documentation method required by professor
Do's of Assignments
The following guidelines are designed to give students a checklist to use, whether they are revising individually or as part of a peer review team.
Develop topic and identify audience
there should be clear introduction, body, and conclusion
The introduction should provide sufficient background for the reader. All the 5 w's , the "who," "where," "why," "what," and "how" questions should be addressed
The purpose of the assignment should be clear.
Assignment should move from general to specific
every paragraph should address the subject matter of the assignment in some way
the writer should have a knowledge of the audience
the length should be appropriate and adequate
The writer should use sufficient examples and detail to make his or her points clearly
the tone of the assignment should be appropriate
the language should be convincing, clear, and concise
the writer should use fresh language and a creative approach
all sources should be credible
the research should be accurate, unbiased, and complete
the writer should fully interpret the findings
the writer should comment on each source used
the analysis should be based on hard evidence
the documentation in the Works Cited page and body of the essay should be correct
all quotations should be checked against the original
All quotations should be introduced. the flow of the essay should be seamless
If material was paraphrased, are the sources should be still mentioned
If necessary, limitations should be clearly spelled out
If included, recommendations should be based on accurate interpretations
all facts should be checked for accuracy
Research and organizing Sources
Writing and Revising
Consider the essay's or paragraph's content and its overall organization.
Writing should address all the requirements outlined early; each paragraph should be unified and clear
Review sentence variety and construction as well as word choice and conciseness
Pay attention to punctuation, spelling, and formatting.
From your statement and notes, you should write at least one draft.
For now, disregard spelling, punctuation, and grammar
In this draft, you want to focus on getting your ideas down in a way that reflects your outline and your proposed plan. Focus on the content.
Proofreading
(Allen Brize, 2010), has provided the following guidelines to proofread:
There should be table of contents
the writer should check grammar and punctuation
the writer should spell checked the essay
The writer should check for his or her particular pattern of error?
The page should have numbers correct
The title should be capitalized correctly
The writer should use the correct margin and font
Conclusion
Trzeciak and Mackay (1994) offer to use some of these in some combination, in order to conclude assignments:
A summary of the main part of the text
A deduction made on the basis of the main body
Your personal opinion on what has been discussed
A statement about the limitations of the work
A comment about the future based on what has been discussed
The implications of the work for future research
Important facts and figures not mentioned in the main body
Pallant (2004) sees five basic ingredients of a conclusion as follows, though these will not always be used in the same conclusion: A summary of the main points, Concluding statements, Recommendations, Predictions and Solutions and finally, readability.
Don'ts of Assignments
The most common mistakes made by students when writing assignments are as follows:
Failing to follow assignment instructions (not answering the question, not meeting the word limit etc.).
Not writing in paragraphs
Bad grammar
Not making it clear when other people's ideas are used
Lack of planning leading to a lack of structure
Over-using technical words - especially if the words are not used correctly
Writing off topic - irrelevant information gets no marks
Writing illegibly - especially problematic in exams
Trying to be funny - university lecturers are not famed for their sense of humor
Not writing Step by step assignment
About the Author
Bruffee, Kenneth. "Collaborative Learning and the ‘Conversation of Mankind.'" College English 46 (1984): 635-52.
Bean, John C. Engaging Ideas: The Professor's Guide to Integrating Writing, Critical Thinking, and Active Learning in the Classroom. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1996.
http://www.trhs.weber.k12.ut.us/hatch/my local web files 3/writing_process_powerpoint.htm
Elizabeth Angeli, 2008, Finding Your Focus: The Writing Process, Purdue University Writing Lab , http://owl.english.purdue.edu
Hollowell, John. A Student Guide to Writing at UCI. Tenth Edition. Boston: Pearson Custom Publishing, 2002.
Hamilton College ( 2010)http://www.hamilton.edu/style/the-writing-process
