Session 6: What makes effective writing?

Activity 1: Important elements that contribute towards effective writing.

Facts given in article:

1. Make your reader feel special

2. Quality of content

3. Clarity of thesis

4. Word choice

5. Sentence variety

6. Grammar & sentence clarity

7. The purpose of the writing

8. Organize the ideas

9. Create a Draft

Reflections: How to apply these elements in your technical writing?

1.Write a rough draft - a preliminary of your essay.you may find,in writing the draft,that 

   you end up with a different idea from the one you began with.    

2. Use the proper vocabulary-simple vocabulary and short sentences

3. Organize writing properly-separate ideas into different paragraphs,from the most into 

    the least important.

4. Use direct and simple language-keep it simple

5. Be clear and concise

6. Proofread your writing to make sure it is free of spelling, grammatical and punctuation     

    errors.Such errors can make you appear unprofessional and careless.

Literature On Report Writing

What is a literature review?

Some definitions

A literature review is a description of the literature relevant to a particular field or topic. It gives an overview of what has been said, who the key writers are, what are the prevailing theories and hypotheses, what questions are being asked, and what methods and methodologies are appropriate and useful. As such, it is not in itself primary research, but rather it reports on other findings.

A literature review may be purely descriptive, as in an annotated bibliography, or it may provide a critical assessment of the literature in a particular field, stating where the weaknesses and gaps are, contrasting the views of particular authors, or raising questions. Such a review will not just be a summary but will also evaluate and show relationships between different material, so that key themes emerge. Even a descriptive review however should not just list and paraphrase, but should add comment and bring out themes and trends.

On what other occasion is a literature review relevant?

A literature review will generally be part of a thesis or dissertation, forming an early context-setting chapter. It may also form a useful background where you are outlining a piece of research, or putting forward a hypothesis.

LESSON 5

Activity 1 -: What is literature review? What are the important points that have learnt?

Facts : 

1. An account of what has been published on research area.
2. An evaluative report of information   
3. Literature review should describe, summarize, evaluate and clarify the studies review.
4. Appear as a chapter in an academic report.

Important Point :

• To provide a context for the research.
• To justify the research.
• To illustrate how the subject has been studied previously.
• To show the resources understanding of the topic area being studied. 

Reflection : 

• This is not difficult to learn if you know the proper ways of doing the literature review.
• It's much easier & simple. which means by knowing the reason of writing the literature review, how to write the literature review, how to use the secondary data for cite the information.

Activity 2 : What are the important issues that need to be learnt?

Facts :

1. Should be organized into section that present research themes, trend and theories.
2. How to use the secondary data in report.  
3. There are 3 major ways of citing information from secondary data :

         i - summarizing

        ii - direct quotation

       iii - paraphrasing 

Reflection : What is good and bad about learning all these issues? Does it help you in understanding the subject matter better?
  

• The good thing about learning all these issues is we can improve our FYP report.
• The bad thing is when we get the wrong source / wrong literature review will cause us get wrong information.
• All information in this paper help us understand what to do in report.

Activity 3 : Strategies / resources that could help solve the issues

1.  Read more literature review.
2.  Ask advice from professional [ eg.supervisor ]
3.  Learn better way to write the good report.

Reflection : What have you gained and observed from the lesson?

• How to write / do the proper ways of literature review.
• Learn the ways of citing information from secondary sources. 
• know how to organized literature review into sections.
• make sure that all literature review can use in our report. 

iDiOM Of FatE

Writing Research Papers

Writing is easy. All you do is stare at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead. --- Gene Fowler

A major goal of this course is the development of effective technical writing skills. To help you become an accomplished writer, you will prepare several research papers based upon the studies completed in lab. In a teaching lab a lab report might be nothing more than answers to a set of questions. Such an assignment hardly represents the kind of writing you might be doing in your eventual career.

Written and oral communications skills are probably the most universal qualities sought by graduate and professional schools as well as by employers. You alone are responsible for developing such skills to a high level.

~ SCOPE OF THE STUDY ~

It is another main element that should consider in the introduction part of the research report.

~ EXERCISE 4 ~

< Identify the point in the scope based on suggestions given >

Reflection on activities

Activity 2:- What are important ISSUES that need to be learnt?

Facts:-
ISSUES

• We must know how to plan the introduction and the element of it
• Setup the background of your study and follow the steps one by one
• Put up the general statement of fact and how you narrow down the fact
• Branch out for statement that indicate further investigation in the other word we answer a question with provide it with the other question and leave the reader to make a judgement.

In the some examples that we have taken from the lecturer we have discover some of "WHAT is WRONG with this INTRODUCTION" and we will write it in here.

• FIRSTLY do not put your title again in the introduction because it is already in the front cover of your project and do not waste some space there.
• Arrangement of your content do not suitable that is like from jump from one side to the other side
• NO NEED to explain what is all the chapter about.
• INTRODUCTION should be as simple as it can be and can view the reader with the whole project is about. 
• ONE that is the best to put in is the summarize of your study on the journal or from the others research paper.

Reflection on activities

Activity 1: What is an Introduction with regards to Technical Report Writing

Facts given in article

Introduction:-

• Provide the readers with information on overall BACKGROUND
• Help the readers to focus on the ISSUES
• Presenting the PREVIEW OF PROJECT. 

How to write the introduction:-

• Take time on deciding what is to include.
• Use approved proposal and preliminary factors discussed to guide in writing.
• Considering to input some about of area of your study.

Reflections:-

Introduction work as a head for entire project. We must know how to attract the readers to read the entire report as we presenting it in the good introduction to begin with. Lastly, for a good report is starting with a good introduction 

Assignment 1

Ridzuan is a semester seven students doing his final year project. He has submitted his FYP report draft to his supervisor and the feedback from the supervisor is asa follows;

1. Not enough reading to support the idea of his project
2. His projects report not significant for a degree student
3. Badly written

Ridzuan has actually spent a long time drafting his report.he is very sure his report has no major problems because his project has produced a good prototype;however,the supervisors' comments have made him very confused. He thinks he has done enough as his project clearly shows the application of hands-on skills.In fact, he is very excited to show how good he is through his project. He believes that there is nothing wrong with his report except that his supervisor dislikes him. The dilemma he is facing
now is how can he improve himself for the next resubmission of the report.

Questions:

1. Is Ridzuan's opinion correct? If yes to what extent is he correct; if no what does he need to do for his resubmission? 
2. Is there anything that Ridzuan might have left out during his report writing? 
3. Discuss the issues within your group and then present your suggestions on what/how Ridzuan should do for FYP report. 

FACTS

will continue.......

Criteria of an "A" research report

1. Research report all about
2. Formating
3. Easy to other people understand
4. Collection data must realistic