Technical Memorandum Technical Memorandum - Trent University

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29 Mar 2011 ... Technical memorandums are primarily used by engineers and ... writing the memo. ... by Pfeiffer and Boogerd (2003) can be easily utilized.
Technical Memorandum Academic Skills Centre (ASC) Angie Silverberg Technical memorandums are primarily used by engineers and engineering students. Memorandums are not normally required for general science programs unless specifically requested by the course professor. A memorandum submission is highly recommended for students who are completing thesis degree programs. The memorandum could be submitted to the thesis supervisor on a monthly basis. This will provide thesis students with the opportunity to present a scientific memorandum which encourages the student to think critically about the choice of scientific content and to present the material in a logical manner which is clear and concise. The submission will also provide an opportunity for constructive feedback and hence, gradual improvement.

Technical Memorandum A technical memorandum, otherwise known as a memo, is a document, which is composed by a member of an organization, addressed to one or more internal members. A memo is designed to effectively review project or experimental details and remind the reader(s) of the project’s purpose and resultant accomplishments. If a technical memorandum is required, it is attached in front of the title page and hence, is the first document the reader will review. Typical memorandum templates are available on any word processor. The recommended format is a standard block style with date, to, from and subject headings.

Content of a Well Written Memorandum: The key to a well written memo: know the purpose.

Step One: Sift through details from the laboratory report. Step Two: Narrow down key concepts that will clearly provide a purpose for writing the memo. Step Three: Propose a sentence statement that clearly and effectively establishes the memo purpose, known as a purpose sentence. The purpose sentence should be specific, brief, but effective. Step Four: Know the audience who will read the memorandum. This knowledge can dictate the type of vocabulary and tone that is appropriate. A mixed technical audience increases the challenge of addressing each group appropriately. In this situation, a writer may create different sections appropriate to different technical backgrounds or reduce the level of difficulty to encourage review of all written sections. Unlike other formal documents, first person references such as “I” and “We” are perfectly acceptable practices in memorandum technical writing. Step Five: It is imperative that memos are brief and concise. Readers like to receive information quickly and clearly, especially when there are several competing companies submitting technical documents for review. To achieve a brief and concise review, the Abtract Body Conclusion (ABC) method described by Pfeiffer and Boogerd (2003) can be easily utilized. The ABC method addresses all the essential components of a well written memorandum. To summarize, an abstract includes a well defined purpose sentence and an outline of the main sections of the memo. The body includes supporting evidence presented in a tactical manner with particularly strong and/or positive statements located either at the beginning or end of short paragraphs. Reference to attachments is common especially when greater details are required to emphasize an argument or support scientific trends. Finally, the conclusion statement includes future recommendations. A memorandum is typically no more than two pages long, but it can be accompanied by a number of attachments which appear behind the body of the memorandum. Ensure every attachment includes a title which appears at the top each page. Attachments need to be referenced at least once within the body of the memorandum. The following memorandum is an example adapted from Pfeiffer and Boogerd (2003):

A. Silverberg, March 29, 2011

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ABC TECHNICAL INSTRUMENTS INC.

Memo To:

All Technical Staff

From:

Susan Stirling

CC:

Robert Hall, Sharon Benson, Joseph Meyer

Date:

March 29, 2011

Re:

New Employee to Assist With Document Editing

Last week we hired an editor to help you produce top-quality technical reports, project proposals and instrumentation procedure documents. This memo will provide you with the necessary background on this change, highlight the credentials of our new editor and describe how this change will affect you. BACKGROUND At September’s staff meeting, many technical staff members noted the excessive time spent on editing and proofreading. For example, some of you indicated that the final stage of writing takes from 15 to 30 percent of the billable time on an average report. Most importantly, editing often ends up being done by project managers who are the employees with the highest billable time. Despite all efforts to edit effectively, there are still errors that show up in documents that go out the door. Last month, I asked a committee called the Society of Technical Writers to review our latest documents here at ABC Technical Instruments Inc. Their evaluation report reveals serious problems with our editing process. Given the importance of our documentation, I decided to seek a solution. SOLUTION: IN-HOUSE EDITOR To deal with our editing problem, the office has hired Joanne White, an experienced technical editor. Joanne will join our team on November 3. For the past seven years, Joanne has been employed at Biochemica, a Toronto firm that is actively involved in biochemical engineering research and development. Prior to her employment, she completed a master’s degree in technical writing at Sage University in Buffalo. During next week’s staff meeting we will discuss the best ways to utilize Joanne’s skills. For now, she will become familiar with our work by reading our recent reports and project proposals.

A. Silverberg, March 29, 2011

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CONCLUSION By working together with Joanne we’ll be able to improve the editorial quality of our documents, free up more of your time for development tasks and save the client and ourselves some money. I look forward to meeting with you next week to discuss the best use of Joanne’s services.

List of References Pfeiffer, W.S.; Boogerd, J. 2004. Technical Writing: A Practical Approach. Third Canadian Edition. Toronto: Pearson Prentice Hall. Misseri, A., 2007. Guide To Writing Technical Formal Reports, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario. Available online at: http://www.chemeng.queensu.ca/courses/reports/guide.php Sheldon, S.; Donnell, J. 2004. Writing Style and Standards in Undergraduate Reports. Virgina, USA: College Publishing.

The Academic Skills Centre

www.trentu.ca/academicskills [email protected] 705-748-1720

A. Silverberg, March 29, 2011

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