Report Writing

1. Report Writing Part II: Writing the Report

2. First: Common Problems with your Paragraphs

3. Problems with Paragraphs • PLAGIARISM: copying without quotation(‘blah blah blah’) • TOO MUCH QUOTING: using quotations for all or most of your paragraph • Quotations should be no more than 5% of your report • Use them wisely • SOLUTION: paraphrase!!

4. Problems with Paragraphs (cont.) • Put a space after punctuation: xxx. Yyy, zzz, etc. • No space after/before parentheses: (Ellis 2007) • Font: Times New Roman 12 point onlyNote: be careful of SimSum getting into your paper

5. Problems with Sources • Source has nothing to do with paragraphExample: one reference in a paragraph about noise pollution was to an article about horses • Source not relevant to paragraphExample: references in a paragraph about housing costs in China talked about housing costs in Switzerland and England • Source doesn’t support statements in paragraph

6. Problems with References • Alphabetical order by whatever is first • Some referenced an index of documents; make sure you reference the document itself • Go to the original if you can • Spacing after punctuation: same as in paras • Many others, see your attachments

7. Report • An essay in which you: • Research a topic • present your findings • Used in university and business • You will have to write many reports

8. Reports

9. Report Language • Formal: • No contractions • No slang • Third person: • Use: it, they, Mr. Smith, the company, etc. • Do not use: • First person: I, we • Second person: you, your, etc.

10. Report Format • Paragraphs: • Introduction • Body: three or more • Conclusion • References • Five or more • Different sources

11. Introduction • One or two sentences of background • Historical perspective • Definition • Importance of topic • etc. • Thesis statement

12. Introduction: Example Microsoft defines a computer virus as “a small software program that spreads from one computer to another computer and that interferes with computer operation.” Viruses have become a major problem computer systems large and small all over the world. How did this happen? This report will trace the proliferation of computer viruses beginning with the widespread adoption of the internet, various efforts to eradicate them, and the current state of the ongoing battle against these scourges of our time.

13. Intro example:First sentence Definition Microsoft defines a computer virus as “a small software program that spreads from one computer to another computer and that interferes with computer operation.”

14. Intro example:Second sentence Importance Viruses have become a major problem computer systems large and small all over the world.

15. Intro example:Third and fourth sentences Transition How did this happen? This report will trace the proliferation of computer viruses beginning with the widespread adoption of the internet, various efforts to eradicate them, and the current state of the ongoing battle against these scourges of our time. Thesis statement

16. Check question • What topics will the report cover? • ____________________________ • ____________________________ • ____________________________ • These are the topics for your paragraphs!

17. Body: Paragraph 1 Although viruses have been around since the early days of mainframe computers in the 1970s, they only became well-known to the general public since the rapid expansion of the internet in the late 1990s. Topic Sentence, first topic • More sentences • Supporting topic sentence • adding more detail More Sentences

18. Body: Paragraph 2 Topic Sentence, second topic Seeing a potentially huge market for detecting and getting rid of viruses, several companies such as … • More sentences • Supporting topic sentence • adding more detail More Sentences

19. Body: Paragraph 3 Currently, the battle between viruses and the companies dedicated to eliminating them has evolved into ...” Topic Sentence, third topic • More sentences • Supporting topic sentence • adding more detail More Sentences

20. Conclusion At least two of the following: • Restatement of intro/thesis statement.Example: It is clear that viruses pose a major challenge to … • Summary of body paragraphsExample: This report has shown that the rise of computer viruses over the last decade and a half …

21. Conclusion (cont.) • Give your opinion about what should be done, if appropriate. Example: Given the facts in this report, it would seem that the cure for computer viruses … • Look to the future, if appropriate. Example: It is clear that if the governments of the world do not act decisively, and soon, that …”

22. Exercise • Read the sample report I will hand out • Label the following parts: • Introduction • Background sentences • Background sentences types • Thesis statement • Topics to be discussed (topic 1, topic 2, etc.) • Body: • Topic sentences: match with topics in thesis statement • Conclusion: • Label types of sentences (restatement, summary, etc.)

23. Review: Doing Research

24. Three types of sources • Primary: • original material such as letters, lab notes, diaries, etc. • Secondary: • magazines articles, books, etc., that get their info largely from primary sources. • Tertiary: • wikis, encyclopedias, textbooks, etc., that collect and distill information from primary and secondary sources. - adapted from “Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Sources” http://www.lib.umd.edu/guides/primary-sources.html

25. Examples:Sources you may use • Newspapers • China Daily • New York Times • Financial Times • Magazines • Time • Beijing Review • Business Week • TV websites: • CCTV • BBC • NPR • Government websites • Reputable company websites • Academic journals All sources must be in English!

26. Examples:Sources you may not use • Wikis: • Wikipedia • Wikihealth • etc. • Blogs • Forums • Email lists • Tertiary sources • Encyclopedias • Textbooks • Search engines • Google • Baidu • etc.

27. Tertiary Sources: How to use • Can’t use them in report • But, you can use wikis, textbooks, encyclopedias, etc., to • Find primary and secondary sources • Give an overview of the topic • Help organize your paper

28. Secondary sources • Be careful of secondary sources such as books and magazines • Ask yourself: • Is the source reliable? • Who is writing and why?

29. Citations and references

30. When to Cite Sources • “Whenever you quote, paraphrase, summarize, or otherwise refer to the work of another, you are required to cite its source …” • http://library.duke.edu/research/citing/ • Whenever you present something as fact: • “… 81.25% of the people in China …” • “… economic growth in China is projected to slow to about 6.5 percent this year.” • The Titanic sank on April 15, 1912.

31. Citation Types & Formats • At least five (5) in-text citations • Reference list: at least five references • Must have a reference for every citation • Must have at least one citation for every reference

32. Report Topics • I have many topics in bag • Without looking, pull out a topic • If you don’t like your topic: • You can pull out another one but, • If you do, you must take the second one • or you can choose your own topic …

33. Topics • You can choose your own topic, but I must approve it before you can write • Your Contemporary Topics books have a lot of good topics for further research • Of course, they are textbooks, so you can’t use them for sources, but… • They can give you an overview and some ideas • Or do you have other ideas?

34. Topic form • I will give you a form to fill out • Write down your topic and list the 5 or more sources you intend to use • Article names • Websites • I have to approve your topics and sources before you start your report • Due next class period

35. Example topic form:Due next class • Topic: __187. Spam_________________ • Sources: • ‘Information Technology Industry: Spamalot’ New Orleans CityBusiness • ‘How to fight junk E-Mail’, Primus Canada • ‘Fight Spam on the Internet!’ spam.abuse.net • ‘A New Way To Fight Junk Email & Viruses’, Processor • ‘How to Report Spam’ SpamLaws.com

36. Report Rubric Deadly Sins (-10 pts. each) • Spelling, capitalization, etc. ___ • TUST standards errors ___ • Late: -10 for each day ___ • 500+ words (deduct for short) ___ • Plagiarism: -10 each instance ___ Content (50 pts.): • Intro: Intro. topic, Thesis Statement ___ • 3+ paragraphs with topic sentences,development and in-text citations ___ • Conclusion ___ Organization (20 pts.): • Statements logical and relevant ___ Mechanics (30 pts.): • Grammar, usage, punctuation: ___ • 5+ references, proper format ___

37. Final Draft • Due second lesson next week: a. Class 43: May 18 Wednesdayb. Class 42: May 19 Thursdayc. Class 41: May 19 Thursdayd. Class 44: May 20 Friday • The report counts the same as two regular essays for your final grade

38. Important:Accepting the final draft • I will check your report before you turn it in • If I see errors I will not accept it. • You must fix them and submit the next day along with the version(s) that were rejected. • It will be counted late • (Better 1-2 days late than lose many points for errors) • If I don’t see any errors, I will accept your report. Then, and only then, should you email it to me.

39. Email accepted report • Email acceptedreport as a Microsoft Word document attached to an email. • The subject line of your email must be:Report [Class] [English Name] • Example: Report 42 Joe • Email to: bob.tust@gmail.com