DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION STUDIES
Andy Dawson
Department of Information Studies, UCL

DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION STUDIES
What’s in this session
• Some basic thoughts about communication
• What do we mean by a “report”?
• What makes a good one?
• How might we go about writing one?
• What academics particularly look for
• Research methodology
• Referencing and sources
Andy Dawson

DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION STUDIES
Why do people communicate?
• Many reasons! Amongst them:
– To inform, advise or explain
– To ask or request
– To direct, persuade or motivate
– To promise or make a commitment
• But does it always work?
Andy Dawson

DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION STUDIES
Barriers to communication
• Personality
• Motivation
• Emotion
• Differing levels of expertise
• Difficulties with (self-)expression
• Presumption - jumping to conclusions
Andy Dawson

DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION STUDIES
“Types” of communication
• Many different kinds of communication
– Different forms
– Different media
– Different mechanisms
• Some better suited than others to particular needs?
Andy Dawson

DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION STUDIES
A quick exercise!
• If I want to communicate with someone else, at work or in my personal life, what types of communication are there?
• Group yourselves into twos/threes
• Make a list of as many as you can think of
(and at least 6!)
Andy Dawson

DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION STUDIES
Written communication vs
Spoken communication
• Better at conveying facts/opinions (vs feelings/emotions)?
• Better for complex communications
• Easier to plan ahead
• Can correct mistakes before use
• Provides a record of what was communicated
Andy Dawson

DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION STUDIES
BUT not without drawbacks
• More time-consuming (usually)
• Feedback/response is delayed (or nonexistent)
• Impersonal, lacking individuality?
• May be ignored altogether
• Lacks non-textual clues to meaning
Andy Dawson

DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION STUDIES
Non-textual c(l)ues
• Tone and intonation
• Gestures (kinesics)
– Facial expression
– Eye contact (or lack thereof)
– Nodding
• Physical orientation (proxemics)
– Posture
– Proximity
Andy Dawson

DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION STUDIES
Written communication is …
Harder?
• The words have to work harder!
– They carry the whole message – without other cues
– Reader has less information to judge, esp things like tone, humour
• So clarity and careful choice of words and expression is critical!
Andy Dawson

DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION STUDIES
A report is:
• A communication of information or advice
• From someone who has collected and studied the facts
• To someone who needs the report for a specific purpose
Reports often provide a basis for decisions and future action
Andy Dawson

DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION STUDIES
Kinds of report
• Formal reports in the world of work, e.g.
– Consultancy/management reports
– Feasibility studies
• Executive reports/summaries
– Sometimes part of the above!
• Academic reports/essays
– Be aware of what’s required and format accordingly
• Dissertation!
Andy Dawson

DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION STUDIES
A good report should be:
• unified
• complete
• accurate
• clear
• concise
• readily intelligible
Andy Dawson

DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION STUDIES
Basic structure of a report
1. Introductory material
2. Body of report
3. Concluding sections
(+: tell ‘em what you’re going to tell ‘em, tell ‘em, and tell ‘em what you told ‘em)
Andy Dawson

DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION STUDIES
Introductory material
• Abstract (“executive summary”?)
• Terms of reference
• Background information/introduction
• Choice of methodology
Andy Dawson

DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION STUDIES
Body of report
• What you did
• What you found
• What it means
• Laying out the data/finding/facts, and analysis of these
• The majority of the report, normally several chapters/sections
Andy Dawson

DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION STUDIES
Concluding sections
• Conclusions
• Recommendations
• Bibliography
• Appendices
Andy Dawson

DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION STUDIES
Structure and section numbering
• Do you need it?
– Useful but not prescribed
– Some structure vital, whether report is short or long
• Decimal hierarchies can be useful, i.e.
– 1 Section heading
• 1.1 first subsection
• 1.2 second subsection
– 1.2.1, 1.2.2 (etc)
Andy Dawson

DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION STUDIES
Where do I start?
• What works for you?
• Collect information in some form of notes
– (may initially be brainstorming or fairly random)
• Group materials under headings
• Within each heading, arrange your ideas in a logical sequence
• Mindmapping tools like Mind Genius can help here
Andy Dawson

DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION STUDIES
How shall I arrange material ?
• Again, it’s not prescriptive!
• Be guided by:
– What works for you
– The audience
– The subject matter
• You can always change it later!
Andy Dawson

DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION STUDIES
Possible first arrangement considerations
• Chronological
• Geographical
• Literal subject matter
• Order of importance
• Ascending order of complexity
– (simple ideas first)
• Descending order of familiarity
– (known > unknown)
• Cause and effect (because X then Y)
Andy Dawson

DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION STUDIES
Producing the report
• BE CLEAR OF PURPOSE!
• Once more, what works for you!
• Write a plan or skeleton outline
• Write first draft (possibly in sections)
• Read it through and edit as necessary
Andy Dawson

DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION STUDIES
What to watch for when reading through
• Are the ideas and arguments clear?
• Would examples or figures help?
• Is there any waffle you could cut out?
• Is there any unnecessary repetition?
• Then read it again and do further editing if required until satisfied (within time constraints!)
Andy Dawson

DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION STUDIES
Finishing off
Then …
• Write (or finish) the conclusion
• Write (or finish) the introduction – and title?
• Check figures/tables and ref numbering
• Check spelling and grammar CLOSELY
• Check printed page layout and presentation
• (and hand in on time  )
Andy Dawson

DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION STUDIES
Some special considerations for academic writing in particular
• What do academics look for
– (what gains you marks?  )
• Research methodology
– Data collection (and analysis)
• Referencing and sources
– Citation and plagiarism
Andy Dawson

DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION STUDIES
What do academics look for?
• All of the above 
• PARTICULARLY:
– Analytical rather than just descriptive material
– Statements supported by data/argument, not just assertion or presumption
– DO give YOUR opinion, but JUSTIFY it!
– Clear, concise, cogent, logical structure
– Answering the question asked!
Andy Dawson

DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION STUDIES
Research methodology
• What is methodology?
• Picking an appropriate methodology
– Think it through!
• A few words about data collection instruments
– Questionnaires, interviews and analysis
– Designing the instruments
Andy Dawson

DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION STUDIES
Referencing and sources
• Why do we cite (1)?
– So people know whose ideas (and words!) are whose
• Plagiarism, self-plagiarism and collusion
• Why do we cite (2)?
– So people can find the materials we used
• What and how should we cite?
• Styles of citation
Andy Dawson

DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION STUDIES
That’s it for today!
• Any questions?

Andy Dawson