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Lecture 1 Made by Ammar Saleh Engineers spend over 40% of their working time writing. You are not judged by the quality of your technical (write and speak). work alone but also by how well you communicate Engineers can learn to write well...

Lecture 1 Made by Ammar Saleh Engineers spend over 40% of their working time writing. You are not judged by the quality of your technical (write and speak). work alone but also by how well you communicate Engineers can learn to write well because As an engineer, you will be trained to think logically. In the Lab., you will be concerned with precision and accuracy. From School, you posses skills needed for basic written communication. Everyday, you see samples of clear writing in newspapers, and weekly magazines Language is a system made up of various components such as sounds, words, clauses, sentences and so on. Lecture 03B Plagiarism is the act of using someone else’s work without giving proper credit. Plagiarism is a result of: Dishonesty, Carelessness and laziness, Ignorance When you do research, all information that you obtain from journals, books, interviews, the internet, or any other sources must be fully documented No need to reference your own ideas and opinions and Common knowledge..Why Document Sources of Information? Protect the originator, Protect yourself from plagiarism, Show readers that you have done your work and are aware of latest developments in the particular field, Enable readers to track down the information  Lecture 03B Procedures for documenting Reference Numbers: Use consecutive numbers in brackets, starting with (1). Placement: Add numbers without changing punctuation and leave space before brackets, e.g.,...Census Bureau. Quotes: Place punctuation after references, e.g., “example” [8, p. 23]. Pages: Specify pages when needed, e.g., [4, pp. 3-6] or on page 79 of. Multiple Sources: Separate sources with semicolons, e.g., [6, p. 46; 7, pp. 29-31]. Consistency: Reuse the same number for repeated references. ❑ Referencing a book : C. Conrad and M. S. Poole, Strategic Organizational Communication, 5th ed. New York: Harcourt Press, 2002 ❑ Journal Article: N. M. Tahir, A. Hussain, S. A. Samad, and H. Husain, “Shock graph for representation and modeling of posture,” ETRI Journal, vol. 29, no. 4, pp. 507-514, August 2007 ❑World Wide Web “AT&T enters India residential local phone market,” www.att.com Accessed January 26, 2003.  Lecture 04 the Report 1-Transmittal letter (cover letter): from the report writer to the recipient. Paragraph 1: name of the report in italics, report date and the reasons for the report. Paragraph 2: purpose of the report and briefly describe the report contents. Paragraph 3: Acknowledge any funding or help , any limitations or omissions Paragraph 4: Hope the report meets expectations; feel free to reach out with questions. Contact info provided. 2-label: should contain the report title, your name, your organization’s a date. 3- Title page: first page after cover, contains the report title, your name, your organization’s name and logo (if exist), and a date. 4-Page Numbering: Number all report pages except the title page and page one of the introduction. Use lowercase Roman numerals for pages before the introduction and Arabic numerals for the rest. Place page numbers at the bottom center.  Lecture 04 the Report 5-Abstract: summarize the report contents A report might have one or two abstracts, in which case each abstract a different purpose. descriptive abstract gives an overview of the report's purpose and contents executive summary highlights key facts and conclusions, limited to three pages. 6-Table of content: Shows the report's topics, subtopics, and their starting page numbers. Avoid overcrowding and limit to three heading levels First-level headings in all caps, second-level headings capitalized for main words, and lower-level headings capitalized on the first word only. Add extra spacing for first-level headings. 7-List of Figures & tables: to help readers locate them. In long reports, create separate lists; in short reports, combine them under one heading if space allows. 8-intro: prepares the reader to read the main body. Discuss: Specific purpose, Intended audience, Motivation of the report, Scope(topics included) Backgrounds(definitions and history), Keep the introduction under two pages for a 20-page report, with the background limited to one-third of the introduction.  Lecture 04 the Report 9-conclusion: The conclusion should summarize key points, draw logical conclusions, and generalize implications, applications, and future developments. For a 10-20 page report, it should be 1-2 pages, but can be up to 5-6 pages for longer reports. 10-Refenrece: your information sources are listed in a numerical order according to when they are first cited in the text 11- appendixes: follow the references page and include supplementary material that may disrupt the report flow but is essential. This can include large data tables, sample code, maps, background information, or large illustrations.  Lecture 05 Visual Aids Why visual aids? Visual aids are crucial for enhancing your report by: Highlighting important information. Presenting information more effectively, making it easier to understand. Conveying more data in less space compared to text. Adding a polished, professional, and attractive look to your report. 1-Tables: present data (numbers and words) arranged in columns and rows. summarize numerical and other statistical data 2-Graphs and charts: Their function is to show a relationship at a glance Graphs present data using lines that move up and down from left to right indicating changes in the data across the time. Charts use bars, pie slices, or other means to enable comparisons of data.  Lecture 05 Visual Aids Types of Graphs: 1-Line Graph: 2-Pie charts 3- Bar charts Illustrations: Photographs Diagrams Drawings simplified illustrations of objects, people, and places. They strip away extraneous detail and focus on the key abstract illustration of objects. objects and actions. supply lots of detail. represent non physical things such as concepts.  Lecture 05 Visual Aids What are Infographics? combine information and graphics to present data clearly and quickly. They enhance cognition by using visuals to highlight patterns and trends. Infographics may include graphs to display figures. Types of infographics? 1-timeline infographics: Infographics are used to show the evolution of something over time or tell a story in chronological order. 2-statical infographics: Infographics are used to visualize survey results, present data from multiple sources, or support an argument with relevant data. 3-Maps: easy way to visually communicate trends across local, national, or global regions. Using icons and color-coded regions is ideal for comparing regional and global statistics on relevant subjects. 4-Hierarchies infographics: organizes information by levels, such as importance or difficulty. Its key function is to compare and show the relationship between these levels.  Lecture 05 Visual Aids 5-Comparison Infographics: compare two or more products, people, ideas, events, or places. They visually contrast opposing elements to reveal similarities, differences, and relative advantages. 6- Anatomical Infographics: This type of infographic uses visual metaphors, like the human body, to display information. It can also represent objects and show the parts that make up their anatomy. 7-Process Infographics: describes a process, particularly decision-making, and is also known as a flow chart or decision tree. importance? Infographics They grab Infographics They simplify Infographics also They are Moreover, 65% of make information attention, help reduce complex ideas, awaken interest, persuasive, as the population are more appealing, especially with boredom, as with images with color visuals 67% of the visual learners, as 90% of it is attention spans 77% of people processed faster increasing audience are making infographics processed now only 8 avoid content than text, utilizing reading influenced by memorable, visually by the seconds (down over 593 words 50% of the brain's willingness by presentations compact, and brain from 12 in 2000). visual functions. 80% with visuals universal.  Lecture 09 Where does random noise exist? 1-spelling: Poor spelling can annoy readers, distract them, or even cause them to stop reading. It may lead them to question your writing ability and suspect your technical skills. To avoid these issues, use a spell checker and a current dictionary. 2-punctuation(“traffic signals” ): control the flow Commas: are often optional in technical writing, but serial commas are important, especially before the "and" in lists. They help prevent confusion, as in the example "Rathjens, Technobuild, Johnson, and Turblex build the best turbines." Semicolons: join psychologically close sentences. They are also used before linking words like "however" or "therefore," as in "We wanted to finish the program yesterday; however, the network was down." They also separate items in lists that contain internal commas. Colons: introduce lists within sentences and divide hours and minutes in time notation. They should only follow a complete statement, such as in "For the final exam, you will need several items: a pencil, a calculator, and three sheets of graph paper."  Lecture 09 Parentheses: set off additional facts or references, and punctuation outside the parentheses is used if the enclosed material isn't a complete sentence. For complete sentences within parentheses, place the period inside. Overuse of parentheses should be avoided as they interrupt the flow. Dashes emphasize or set off information, and are more informal than other punctuation marks. They are useful for emphasis, summary, or insertion, such as in "My opinion—whether you want to hear it or not—is that the drill does not meet specifications.“ Hyphens connect words that act as a single descriptor, such as in "computer-aided students." They should not be used with certain prefixes unless necessary, and compound adjectives before nouns with "ly" don't require hyphens. Exclamation marks are best reserved for personal writing or warnings in technical writing, such as "DANGER: Sodium Cyanide is extremely toxic!“ Quotation marks set off direct quotes. Any periods or commas go inside the quotation marks, while semicolons and colons are placed outside. For questions, the question mark goes inside if it's part of the quote, and outside if not.  Lecture 09 3-sentence structure: focuses on improving grammatical and stylistic aspects of writing Connecting Subjects to Verbs: Ensure verbs are correctly linked to their subjects. Singular verbs should be used when referring to a unit, and with either/or or neither/nor, the verb should match the noun immediately before it. Modifiers: Modifiers add meaning to sentences, but should be placed close to the word they modify to avoid confusion. For example, "The tone-detector circuit, which was built of analog devices, was too unreliable.“ Unclear Pronouns: Ensure that pronouns refer to the noun immediately preceding them. If unclear, repeat the noun for clarity. Parallelism: Items in a list should follow the same grammatical structure. For example, "The system should be efficient, meet safety specifications, and ensure reliability."  Lecture 09 Active or Passive Voice: Use passive voice in research and process descriptions when the doer is unimportant or unknown. Use active voice for procedures or instructions to be direct, efficient, and give credit where due. Sexist Language: Avoid gender-specific terms. Use inclusive language, such as "Every engineer should be at their workstation by 9 A.M.“ Transitions: Use transitional phrases to connect ideas, indicate sequence, contrast, cause and effect, or elaboration. To indicate sequence : before… later, first…second, in addition, additionally To indicate contrast: but, however, yet still, nevertheless, although, on the contrary To indicate cause and effect: consequently, therefore, so, thus, hence To indicate elaboration: further, furthermore, for example, moreover, in fact, indeed, certainly, besides Sentence Length: Avoid overly long or short sentences. Aim for sentences under 20 words but vary your sentence structure to maintain reader engagement.  Lecture 09 4- Technical usage: Jargons: is the necessary technical terminology used in specialized fields. It makes communication between experts easier and more efficient but can confuse non- experts. Provide definitions, examples, or glossaries for clarity. Abbreviations: save time but can confuse readers if not understood. Always spell them out the first time to avoid confusion. Two types : Initialisms (GPA, IBM) and Acronyms (AIDS, MATLAB). Numbers: Write cardinal numbers one to ten as words, others as figures. Write all numbers the same if they in the same sentence. Numbers at the beginning of a sentence should be spelled out (e.g., "Thirty-two computers were manufactured today"). Use numerals when citing money or measurements (e.g., $5.48, 12.4 m). Time can be written out when not followed by A.M. or P.M. (e.g., Ten o’clock, 4 hours 36 minutes). For very large or small numbers, use either standard or scientific notation (e.g., 5.38×10^-2 m, 3.67×10^8 m/s).  Lecture 09 Unit of measurement: Units of measurement can be either English or Metric (SI system). In engineering, the SI system is preferred. Tips for Using Measurement Units: Be consistent; don't mix English and metric units unless necessary. In mixed cases, provide explanatory units in parentheses (e.g., 212°F (100°C), 5.08 cm (2 in)). Use the correct abbreviations and leave a space between the numeral and the unit (e.g., 70 ns, 100 dB, 34.62 m). Don't confuse units derived from people's names, and avoid capitalization for these units (e.g., amperes A, farads F, kelvins K). Familiarize yourself with SI prefixes for very large or small units (e.g., mega-, kilo-, milli-, micro-). Define symbols and abbreviations used in writing, either within the text or as annotations. This information ensures precision and clarity in technical writing, helping both experts and non- experts understand the material better. Lecture 09 Equations: Equations can communicate ideas more efficiently than words can at times. To avoid noise: 1. Use Equations when necessary and when certain your audience can follow them. 2. Make sure your equation is accurate and legible. 3. Center equations on your page and number them sequentially in parentheses to right for reference. 4. Leave a space between your text and any equation, and between the lines of the equations. 5. Space on both sides of operators such as =, +, or -, as shown in the equation below. 6. Try to keep the equal signs and reference numbers parallel throughout your document. Lecture 11 Business communication media can be categorized into two main types. Non-paper media: such as phone, email, and letters. Paper media: with memos being a common example. Phone or Paper? Phones lack a permanent record of the conversation, making it unsuitable for documentation purposes. Additionally, the recipient's availability and attitude play a significant role in the effectiveness of phone communication. Email or paper? Emails are convenient but not always suitable. Paper is preferable when: Recipients lack email access. Forms need to be filled. Confidentiality is a concern. In-person discussions often benefit from distributing printed memos. Information is lengthy or important.  Lecture 11 Business Letters: Business letters are written communications to external organizations. When? You want to make sure that the recipient receives it and takes it seriously. You want the recipient to study it at length and act properly upon it The communication is long and packed with information. You want a permanent record of the communication. Four formats: 1-Block format: The easiest and most commonly used; all elements are left aligned. Use it for serious professional communications. 2-Semiblock Format(rarely used): Similar to the block format except that the heading, complimentary close, and signature block are at the right margin. 3-Aleternative Block format: The same as the block except that it adds a subject line. 4-simplified Format: same as block except omits the salutation, Best for communications that involves no personal interactions  Lecture 11 Business Memoranda: Memoranda is used for internal communication within an organization. Include? Employees’ reports of the requested information. A job offer. A request for a raise. Complaints about an employee.  Lecture 11 Emails: seem like the only communication tool you need for professional work. Important? Assign emails into certain Labels. Keep copies of email you send. Search email folders. Create and use aliases and distribution lists Use a signature. Use templates. Attach files to email. Proofread and spellcheck your email. Plan how to access your email on the road Email formats: Informality & Brevity. Specific subject lines. Important information first. Short paragraphs (less than 5 lines) and space between paragraphs Highlighting and emphasis. Headings & Lists. Automatic replies. (time saver but sometimes a disaster Lecture 11 Avoid using email for: Delivering bad news, complaints, or criticism. Requesting complex or non-simple information. Managing back-and-forth exchanges. Seeking approval for complicated matters. Sending detailed instructions. Requesting feedback on lengthy documents. Gathering recurring group information. Achieving consensus or brainstorming. Sharing news, links, or non-urgent updates.  Lecture 12 Some common types for report: 2.. LABORATORY AND FIELD REPORTS The function of this report is to 1. Inspection and trip reports: 1. Report on an experiment, test, or survey. Short reports serve these functions: 2. Present the data collected, discuss the theory, Report on site, facility, or property inspections. method, or procedure. Summarize business trips. 3. Discuss conclusions, and explore applications of Detail accidents, including problems, causes, the findings or possibilities for further research effects, and preventive measures. Contents and organization: Contents and Organization: 1. Introduction 1.Introduction 2. Background, theory. 2.Background 3. Equipment 3.Factual Discussion 4. Method, Procedure 4.Actions Taken 5. Observations, Data, Findings, and Results 5.Interpretive, Evaluative, or Advisory Discussion 6. Conclusions 7. Implications and Further Research 8. References  Lecture 12 3- SPECIFICATIONS: The function of this report is to 1. Provide detailed requirements for a product to be developed or detailed descriptions of an existing product. 2. Provide specifics on design, function, operation, and construction Contents and organization: 1. Use headings, lists, tables, graphics and identifying numbers to make individual specifications easy to find. 2. For organization, use the following techniques: General description Part-by-part description General-to-specific order 4-PROPOSALS: The function of this report is to 1. Seek a contract, approval, or funding to do a project; function as a competitive bid to get hired to do a project. 2. Promote you and your organization as a candidate for a project. 3. Promote the project itself, showing why it is needed. Contents and organization: 1. Introduction 2. Background 3. Actual Proposal Statement 4. Description of the Work Product 5. Benefits and Feasibility of the Project 6. Method or Approach 7. Qualifications and References 8. Schedule 9. Costs 10.Conclusion  Lecture 12 5. PROGRESS REPORTS: The function of this report is to summarize 1. How your project is going 2. What you and your group has accomplished 3. What work lies ahead 4. What resources have been used 5. What problems have arisen. Contents and organization: 1. Introduction 2. Project description 3. Progress summary 4. Problems encountered 5. Changes in requirements 6. Overall assessment of the project. 6. INSTRUCTIONS: The function of this report is to 1. Explain how to perform certain tasks. 2. Provide procedures on using equipment. 3. Give troubleshooting and maintenance guidelines. 4. Explain policies and operating procedures. Contents and organization: 1. Introduction 2. Special notes (Note, Attention, Caution, Danger) 3. Background 4. Equipment and supplies 5. Structure of the Instructions 6. Discussion of the steps. 7. References  Lecture 12 7. RECOMMENDATION REPORTS: The function of this report is to 1.Study a situation or problem 2.Report on various alternatives or options 3.Recommend the best one 4.Assess the feasibility of an idea. Contents and organization: 1. Introduction 2. Background on the situation 3. Requirements 4. Technical Background 5. Description 6. Point-by-point Comparisons 7. Conclusions (summary) 8. Recommendations 9. References