Standard Report Formats

1. Report Layout
• Preface
• The Body of Report
• The Appendix Section
• Report Binding
1. Report Layout :The report layout
is an overview of the general
presentation from the front cover to
the back cover. It is briefly discussed
in terms of the prefatory section, the
body of the report (main text) the
appendix and the binding.
• The prefatory section (or preface) is the
totality of the parts between the front
cover and the beginning of the main text
of a report or book. It is made up of the
title page, table of contents, list of
figures and list of tables. Other items
that are sometimes included in the
prefatory section are an abstract or
summary, letter transmittal,
acknowledgement and a preface.
• The body of the report is constituted by
the sections which contains the message
of the report. It begins with the
introduction, commonly designated as
the first chapter, and the includes all the
chapters and the references. In most
dissertations and other research
publications, the body consists basically
of four chapters, namely Introduction,
Literature Review, Methodology, results
and Discussions.
• The appendix section of a report contains
extra information that relates to the content
of the main text. Any material that should be
included in a report but which, for the sake of
readability, cannot be included within the
main text may be included as an appendix.
Example of materials included in a report or
book as appendices are detailed description of
materials, apparatus, operating procedures,
detailed experimental results, charts,
monographs and standard tables.
• Report binding : The front and back covers of
a report and the way the two are tied with the
report inside constitute the binding. The
covers serve to protect a report against rough
handling and dust and to make it attractive to
look at. A manuscript may be soft –bound or
hard – bound
2. Mechanical Accuracy: the elements of mechanical
accuracy include types and sizes of paper,
margins, spacing and indenting, paging,
footnoting and correct uses of abbreviations,
numbers, punctuation and capitalization.
• Paper on which letters and reports are written
come in different sizes of which the A4 size is
commonly used.
• Margins: it is necessary to leave adequate margins
at the left ,right ,top and bottom of the sheet. As
a general rule about 38mm is used for the left
margin and 25 mm for the top, bottom and right
,margins.
• Spacing and indenting: The text of a formal report
is normally double – spaced. This is accomplished
on the typewriter by setting the line space
regulator to 2. This regulator is located on the left
end of the carriage. It can be used to set vertical
spacing to 1, 1.5,2,2.5 and 3 line spacing.
Indentation refers to horizontal spacing. it is done
on typewriter and the keyboard of a computer by
the use of a key often labeled ‘Tab’. Each tap on
the tab causes the computer to move a preset
number of spaces in the horizontal direction.
• Paging : For the purpose of paging, a
manuscript (thesis, report, rebook) is in two
parts, namely: the prefatory customarily
paged with lower case Roman numerals(e.g. ii,
iii, iv, etc). These numbers may be placed
centered at top of the sheet, or in the upper
right corner, or centered at the bottom.
Placing them centered at the bottom seems to
be common practice and is the recommended
practice in the book
Check List for An Abstract
 Front Page and Title Page

• Front Page
• Title Page
 Abstract - Descriptive
Title of document: On-road monitoring of ambient carbon
monoxide levels
Abstract
This study aims to measure the on-road spatial distribution of
levels of carbon monoxide, a health hazard known to be
increasing in Middletown. Methods of measurement are
discussed and the difference between on-road and fixed-site
data is analysed. The influence of temperature, wind speed
and humidity is considered. Conclusions as to the
effectiveness of this method of carbon monoxide monitoring
are given, together with suggested recommendations for
future air quality sampling programmes.
Informative Abstract
 Table of Contents
• Table of Contents
Introduction
Literature Review
Literature Review
Section Covering Planning Tasks
Materials and Methods
Results
Conclusions
Recommendations
Figures
Graphs
Tables
Tables
Proposal
 Referencing

–There must be a section in which all

the references cited in your work
are listed in an alphabetical order
–Literature citing is the practice of
directing a reader to the source of
information being used – quoted or
paraphrased – in a piece of writing
–Do not cite materials from
Wikipedia!
 Purpose of Referencing
• To acknowledge other people’s work or ideas
in relation to your own.
• To enable readers to find the source material
• To avoid plagiarism
 When References Should Be Used
• When you cite material taken from other sources. These include
– Materials on paper
• Papers in professional journals and conferences
• Books or book chapters
• Theses
• Lecture or laboratory documents
• Magazine articles
• Newspaper articles
• An organization’s publicity materials
• Engineering standards and specifications
• Government documents, such as acts of Parliament and reports of committees
• etc
– Electronic source
• World Wide Web pages
• Online journal materials
• Online conference proceedings
• CD-ROMs and electronic databases
– Visual and audio materials such as
• Videos
• Tapes, CDs
• When you need to quote word for word from another work
The difference between a bibliography
and list of references
• A List of References is a list of all the sources that you have
cited in the test of your document. It is the preferred
section for most graduate technical documents, because:
– It is the system used in scientific literature such as journal papers
– It shows that you can integrate your work with that of others
• A Bibliography is a list of all the sources you have consulted
while preparing your document, but have not referred to in
your text. In a technical document, it is almost never found
alone; however it may be used in addition to a List of
References. If both are used, a citation should not be listed
in both the List of References and the Bibliography
• The List of References – and the Bibliography when needed
– are the final sections of your document, coming
immediately before the Appendices
 The two main systems of referencing
The author – date (Harvard) system The numerical system
In the text of the document In the test of the document
• Surname of the author and the date of • Each citation in the text is given a
publication placed in parentheses. For unique number, either in square
example: (Brown, 1999) brackets, e.g. [5], or superscripted, e.g.
• Page numbers of a book can be 5. Each is numbered in the order in

included. For example: (Smith, 2000, which it appears in the text

103-121) • If you need to cite a reference more
than once in the text, the number of
its first appearance (its unique
number) is used each time you cite it
List of References List of References
• Listed in alphabetical order of the • Not listed alphabetically. It is a list
surnames of the authors numbered from 1 to n, the number of
each listing corresponding to the
unique number that each source was
assigned in the text.
 Citing references in text (Harvard
System versus Numerical system)
The author/date (Harvard) System The numerical system
Advantages Advantages
• Allows the source to be recognised by • The text of the document is not
author and date in context within the interrupted by wordy citations.
text of the report. (Note: this is seen as • Only a number needs to be repeated:
a considerable advantage by people prevents repetition in the text of the
familiar with the literature). same wordy citations.
• Provides an alphabetical list at the end
of the document
• Inserting an extra reference into the
text is easy
 Citing references in text (Harvard
System versus Numerical system)
The author/date (Harvard) The numerical system
System
• Can create disruption to the • While reading the text, readers familiar with
text when there are many the literature cannot recognize the work that
citations in one place you are citing. They have to turn to the list of
references to match a numerical reference to
its source.
• It can be difficult to add another citation and
renumber all successive ones. But this can be
overcome by using the word processor
endnoting function or a referencing software
package.
• The numbers give no information about the
work, and it is easy to forget to use the earlier
number when you need to refer to it again
later in your report. Again, the word
processor endnoting function or a reference
software package will overcome this
 Examples (Harvard System of Citing)
Author’s surname and date The wind velocity and behaviour of a geographical
placed in brackets. region is a function of altitude, season and hour of
measurement (Johnson, 1985).
Author’s surname cited in the Miller (1978) showed that glucose and cellobiose
text are taken up and metabolized to succinate, acetate
and small amounts of formate.
References precisely placed. The runoff has also introduced heavy metals
(Lourna, 1974), pesticides (Schultz, 1971),
pathogens (Cox, 1969), sediments (Gonzalez, 1971),
and rubbish (Dayton, 1990)
The paper cited is by two The considerations are developed by assuming the
authors. general mathematical scheme designed in the case
of a single slit (Zecca and Cavelleri, 1997)

Martin and Zubek (1993) compiled a comprehensive

list of duct activity on Mars from 1983 to 1990.
 Examples (Harvard System of Citing)
The paper cited is by more than two In the soft X-ray band pass, the solar X-ray
authors. flux varies by about one order of magnitude
Cite the surname of the first author and add during the solar cycle (Peres et al., 1999)
‘et al.’ (italicised in some house styles). Or
Peres et al. (1999) found that in the soft X-
ray band pass, the solar X-ray flux varies by
about one order of magnitude during the
solar cycle.
Several sources are cited within one set of The locomotion activity of a given species
brackets. may be a source of considerable error in
Depending on house style: separate them by estimating energy budgets (Boisclair and
semicolons, and cite them in order of either Sirois, 1993; Facey and Grossman, 1990;
(1) publication date or (2) by alphabetical Hansen et al., 1993; Lucas et al., 1993; Ney,
order of the author. 1993; Ware, 1975).
 Examples (Harvard System of Citing)
Two or more papers written in different To develop a mathematically based
years by the same author. understanding of cell death dynamics, Wu
et al. (1993, 1994) separated the cell
death process into two phases.
The author has written several papers in Previous analysis of the Clock gene in
one year. mice (King et al., 1997a,b) has shown that
Distinguish between them by adding a Clock is expressed in a manner consistent.
lower case letter to each paper. These In mice (king et al., 1997b) the CLOCK
letters must be added to the listing’s date locus lies distal to …
in the List of References.
 Examples (Harvard System of Citing)
There is a large body of work, but you Martian dust storms, also called Martian
are citing only a few representative yellow storms or Martian yellow clouds,
examples. have been observed for a long time (e.g.
Use e.g. within brackets. Antoniadi, 1930; Martin and Zurek, 1993)
Referencing a large body of information Zebrafish generate a large numbers
contained in a review paper. transparent embryos that develop
synchronously to a free-swimming
hatching in a period of three days (for
review, see Driver et al., 1994)
You have been unable to obtain the Smith (1928) as cited by Brown (1999)
original reference, but have seen it cited showed that …
in another paper:
• It is acceptable to cite the secondary
source provided the primary source is
included.
• Include full citation details of both
references in the List of Refrences.
 Examples (Harvard System of Citing)
Different authors with the same surname, It has been shown by Smith, C.W.
publishing in the same year (1996) … whereas Smith, J.G. (1996) …
Where the publication date of the source is All the branches of a tree at any degree
known only approximately: of height, if put together, are equal to
Use a small c before the date the cross-section of its trunk (Leonardo
da vinci, c. 1497
Sources where author is not stated.
Use the first few words of the title, and the date if
known. For example, where the citation is:
• Wylie Stream Intake Feasibility Report (1997). … as shown in a previous study ( Wylie
James Consultants ltd, contract TKA 97/101. Stream Intake, 1997).
Prepared for Middletown Central Electricity
Generation
• CORINARIR Working Group on Emissions from … in accordance with a previous study
road Traffic, 1 (1993). Commission of the (CORINAIR Working Group, 1983).
European Committees (Office for Official
Publications, Luxembourg)
• Twintex, TPP fact sheet (undated) Verdex … as specified (Twintex TPP, undated).
International S.A.
 Numerical System
• Each source cited in the text is given a The wind velocity and behaviour of a
unique number, in the order in which geographical region is a function of
each is cited altitude, season and hour of
• If you need to cite a reference more measurement [1], Mylona [2] has
than once in the text, the number of analysed changes in sulphur dioxide and
its first appearance – its unique sulphate concentrations in air during the
number – is used each time you cite period 1979-1986.
it. Or:
The wind velocity and behaviour of a
geographical region is function of
altitude, season and hour of
measurement1. Mylona2 has analysed
changes in sulphur dioxide and sulphate
concentrations in air during the period
1979-1986.
 Compiling the list of references
• The aim of a citation in the List of References is to allow the
information to be retrieved again. You therefore need to provide
the information that will allow your reader to retrieve the
material you cite.
• There are minor variations in the way the lists are formatted for
different house styles. It is essential to establish the formatting
required, and to keep to it rigidly and consistently.
• There are standard abbreviations for the journals. Don’t make
them up-refer to one of the standard publications found in
libraries.
• Be sure that every full stop or comma is in the right place, and all
other aspects of the formatting are correct. Formatting of
references is riddled with convention, and assessors often check
this area very thoroughly.
 Listing the various types of sources-
Journal Papers
• Surname and initials of the authors (surname first
followed by the initials)
• The year of publication in round brackets ().
• Title of publication
• The name of the journal (in its correctly abbreviated
form).
• The volume number of the journal, usually in bold face
(with the issue number, if there is one, in brackets)
• The numbers of the pages on which the paper begins
and ends
 Listing the various types of sources-
Journal Papers
Single author Zizzi, P.A. (1990) Quantum foam and de
Sitter-like universe. Int. J. Theor. Phys., 38
(9), 911-918.
Two authors Rippon, P.J. and Stallard, G.M. (1999)
Iteration of a class of hyperbolic
meromorphic functions. Proc. Amer.
Math. Soc., 127 (11), 3251-3258
Multiple author Dufton, P.L., McEriean, N.D., Lennon, D.J.
and Ryans, R.S.I. (2000) an exploratory
non-LTE analysis of B-type super-giants in
the small Magelianic cloud. Astronom.
and Astrophys., 353 (1), 311-321
 Listing the various types of sources-
Journal Papers
Paper in the proceedings of a conference. Bhattacharya, B., Egyd, P. and Toussaint,
As for journal paper in addition: G.T. (1991) Computing the wingspan of a
State the number of the conference, its butterfly. Proc. Third Canadian
title theme, the place it was held and the Conference in Computational Geometry
date. (Vancouver), Aug 6-10. pp 88-91.
Paper in language other than English , Muller, R. (1985) Wasserfassungen In
not translated. Geschiebefuhrenden Flussen. Wasser-und
Put (in language) at end of citation. The Energiewirtschaft, 9, 11-13 (in German)
title may remain in the original language,
or be translated into English Gorb, S.N. (1989) Functional morphology
of the arrester-system in odonata. Vestn.
Zool. 1989, 62-67 (in Russian).
 Listing the various types of sources-
Books
• Surname and initials of the author(s) or editor(s) (surname first,
followed by the initials). If editor, place Ed after the initials.
• The year of publication
• Title of the book (underlined or in italics and with the main words
• If there is a subtitle, it is separated from the main title by a colon
(☺
• Title of series, if applicable.
• Volume number or number of volumes, if applicable
• Edition, if other than the first
• Publisher
• Place of publication (city or town)
• Page numbers of the material quoted (if applicable)
 Listing the various types of sources- Books
One or more authors Barrett, C.S. and Massalski, T.B. (1980) Structure of
Metals: Crystallographic Methods, Principles and Data.
Pergamon Press, Oxford
One volume of a multi- Erdelyi, A. Ed. (1985) Higher Transcendental Functions.
volume work Vol. 3. McGraw-Hill, New york.
Second or later edition of Komberg, A. and Baker, T.A. (1992) DNA replication.
the book Second edition. W.H. Freeman and Co., New York
A chapter or article in an
edited book
• The chapter title is Kahn, R.A. Martin, T.Z., Zurek, R.W. and Lee, S.W. (1992).
enclosed in speech ‘The Martian dust cycle’. In: Mars. Eds: H.H. Kieffer, B.M.
marks. Jakosky, C.W. Snyder and M.S. Matthews. University of
• The name of the book Arizona Press, Tucson, Arizona. Pp. 1017-1053.
is preceeded by In:
• Page numbers Thomas, C.J.R. (1993) ‘The polymerase chain reaction’. In:
preceded by pp. Methods in Plant Biochemistry, Vol. 10: Molecular Biology.
Ed: J. Bryant, Academic Press, London. Pp. 117-140.
 Listing the various types of sources-
Other types of sources
Thesis Johnson, C.E. (200) A Study of Residual Stresses in Titanium Metal
Matrix Composites. PhD Thesis, University of Middletown.
Student Project Bridges, A. J. (1999) Mathematical modeling of land-mine detection.
Engineering Science Project, School of Engineering, The University of
Middletown.
Lecture material If the writer’s name is stated:
Carter, R. (1996) Robotics. Lecture handout, Engineering and Society,
The University of Middletown.
If the writer is unknown:
Wetlands (1996). Lecture handout, Conservation Ecology, The
University of Middletown.
Laboratory manual Strain measurement (1998). Year Two Mechanical Engineering
Laboratory Manual, The University of Middletown, 46-49.
Newspaper article Author is known:
Nicholson-Lord, D. (1995) Does work make you stupid? Independent
on Sunday, 29 January, p. 21.
Author unknown:
Could alcohol be good for your liver? The Week, 13 November 1999.
 Listing the various types of sources-
Other types of sources
Magazine article Author is known:
Crystal, D. (1999) The Death of language. Prospect,
November 1999.
Author is unknown:
Shades of green (1998). Consumer, Number 344, 21-24
Technical report Hilley, M.E. Ed. (1971) Residual Stress Measurement
by X-Ray Diffraction. SAE Information Report J784a,
Society of Automotive Engineers, New York.
Morofiche Buckley, D.H. (1985) Tribological Properties of
Structural Ceramics. NASA, Washington DC.
Microfiche.
Government and legal documents: CORINAIR Working Group on Emission Factors for
• The first element of information Calculating 1990 Emissions from Road Traffic, 1 (1993).
is the government department, Commission of the European Committees (Office for
committee or body. The last two Official Publications, Luxembourg).
may also be referenced by the
name of the chairperson.
• Include the complete title.
 Listing the various types of sources-
Other types of sources
Section of an Act of Risk assessment and notification requirements (1990)
Parliament Environment Protection Act 1990 (c. 43), Part VI –
Genetically Modified Organisms, Section 108, Act of
Parliament, United Kingdom. Her Majesty’s Stationery
Office, London
Report by a professional Recycling Household Waste – The Way ahead (1991).
body Association of Municipal Engineers, The Institution of Civil
Engineers, London.
Engineering code Building Code Requirements for Reinforced Concrete and
Commentary (1989). ACI Committee 318, American
Concrete Institute, Detroit.
Standard specification Standard Specification for Urea-Formaldehyde Molding
Compounds (1994). Designation D705-94. American
Society for the Testing of Materials, annual Book of ASTM
Standards 1999. 08.01 Plastics (l), 92-93.
 Listing the various types of sources-
Other types of sources
Standard test Standard Test Methods for Thermoplastic Insulations and
method Jackets for Wire and Cable (1996). Designation D2633-96.
American Society for the Testing of Materials, Annual Book of
ASTM Standards, 1998, 10.02 Electrical Insulation (II), 25-38.
Standard practice Standard Practice for Algai Growth Potential testing with
Selenastrum capricomutum (1993). Designation D-3978-80
(Reapproved 1993). American Society for the testing of
Materials, annual Book of ASTM Standards 1997. 11.05,
Biological Effects and Environmental Fate; Biotechnology;
Pesticides, 29-33
Patent Kuhn, K.J., Wehner, W., Zinke, H. (2000) Stabilizer combination
for chlorine-containing polymers. US Patent number 6 013 703.
Map Swansea and The gower (1974) Ordnance Survey Sheet 159,
1:50 000, Frist Series. Director General of the Ordnance Survey,
Southampton.
 Listing the various types of sources-
Other types of sources
Consulting report Wylie Stream Intake Feasibility Report
Include name of consulting firm, contract (1997). James Consultants Ltd, Contract
number and for whom the report was TKA 99/136. Prepared for Middletown
prepared central Electricity Generation.
Undated documents Predicting Traffic Accidents from
Put (undated) where the date is normally Roadway Elements on Urban Extensions
placed of State Highways (undated). Bulletin 208,
New Zealand Highway Research Board.
Fact/data sheet: no author, undated Twintex TPP fact sheet (undated), Verdex
International S.A.
CD article; video or audio cassette Radio Frequency and Wavelength Ranges
State whether a CD, or video or audio (1999) Microsoft Encarta. CD
cassette
The Life of Plants (1995). BBC Natural
History Unit production. Video Cassette
Listing the various types of sources-
Electronic Sources
Listing the various types of sources-
Electronic Sources
Listing the various types of sources-
Electronic Sources
Listing the various types of sources-
Electronic Sources
 Types of Reports
• Dissertations
• Articles for publication
• Project proposals
• Progress reports
• Feasibility reports
• Design reports
• Tender reports
• Operation and maintenance manuals
• Environmental impact assessment reports
• Environmental audit reports
 Dissertations (Thesis)
• A dissertation is a written document embodying
results of original research with a view to
advancing a position or proposition or
substantiating a specific view.
• Also often referred to as thesis
• The main elements are prefatory (title page,
abstract , table of contents, etc) introduction,
literature review, methodology (or experimental
procedure, or simply, procedure), results and
discussion, conclusion and recommendation,
reference, appendices (if any)
 Progress reports
• Reports to an outside organisation or funding body to show the
progress of your research, in relation to your original research
proposal. It essentially serves the following purposes:
– To show to the organization that their money is being well spent and
they will eventually reap benefit from your work
– To give them a report that they can understand in their own terms
– That your work is progressing along the lines of your original proposal
– That your results are valid and non-trivial
– Possibly that your work id opening up into other directions that will be
of benefit to the organization
• The main elements are prefatory, and in addition to regulars
section detailing updated project plan and expected time frame
for the remaining activities, and requirements for the next stage
 Articles for publication
• The author of a thesis may decide to publish
the work. A person who has conducted an
original research may decide to publish the
results. The works are written out as articles
for publication in a journal
• The main elements take the form AIMRAD
• Most reputable journals would give ‘Guides to
Authors’.
 Project proposal
• Project proposals are written to put forward
comprehensive suggestions for consideration. A proposal
could also be prepared by a candidate for a higher
academic degree such as a Ph.D. degree prior to conducting
the research
• A proposal for a development project study and/or design
should contain four main sections: Introduction; Proposed
method of work; Cost estimates; Facilities, personnel and
work plan
• For academic proposal four main sections namely:
Introduction; Literature review; Proposed methodology;
Expected contribution to knowledge and stage reached,
should be in the report in addition to prefatory and
references.
 Feasibility reports
• Following acceptance of a project proposal,
the client may order a feasibility study.
• Such a report must show a clear
understanding and expression of the problem
(Introduction), consideration of alternatives
(Methodology), and making a decision based
on correct analysis (Conclusions and
recommendations)
 Design reports
• When a decision has been taken to proceed with
a project after a feasibility study has been carried
out, the next stage is design .
• A detailed design consists of detailed analysis,
computation, drawing of plans, profiles and
sections of the various units in the system
separately and together
• Such report must contain and introduction and
the presentation of working drawings, bill of
quantities, specifications and forms of tender and
of contract
 Tender reports
• Following the production of tender documents (drawings,
BOQ. Specifications, forms), contractors are invited to
collect the documents, prepare the bids and submit tenders
• After the deadline date for submission of bids, the
authorized body meets and formally opens all the tenders.
• After a careful study, all the tenders are then tabulated and
discussed in a written report
• The report generally consists of introduction, method of
assessment and analysis and a recommendation which is
usually a ranking of the contractors.
• The report is then submitted to the tenders board for the
award of the contract
 Operation and maintenance manuals
• When a construction work has been completed
and put in use for some time it is necessary for
the consultant in charge of the work to prepare
and submit to the client an operations and
maintenance manual
• The element of the manual should include the
introduction, plant or building description (with
as-build-drawings), systems operating procedure,
maintenance work and schedule etc
 Environmental impact assessment
reports
• A Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is mainly
concerned with the expected negative impact of a
project (construction of dam, highway etc) on the
human, ecological and physical environment
• Negative impacts could be in form of displacement of
humans from their villages, loss of crop lands,
introduction of new pests and diseases, increasing the
concentration of suspended particulates in air etc
• The main elements of EIA reports are introduction,
project description, method of baseline data
collection, results, conclusions and recommendations
 Environmental audit reports
• An environmental audit is a study carried out to
determine if and to what extent an existing outfit
(municipal, commercial, institutional or industrial) is
impacting negatively on the environment
• EIA is conducted prior to the construction and
commissioning of a developmental project while
environmental audit is carried out on an already
existing one.
• Again the audit report should contain introduction,
methodology, results, conclusions and
recommendations
 Typical Guideline for writing EIA Reports

Table of Contents
List of Tables
List of Figures
List of Plates
List of Acronyms
EIA Preparers
Executive Summary
Acknowledgements
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Proposed Project
1.2 Legal Framework
1.3 Objectives

2.0 PROJECT JUSTIFICATION

2.1 Need for the Project
2.2 Envisaged sustainability etc
 Typical Guideline for writing EIA Reports Contd.
3. PROJECT DESCRIPTION
3.1 Overview
3.2 Project Location
3.3 Plant Input and Output
3.4 Technical Layout etc

4.0 DESCRIPTION OF THE EXISTING ENVIRONMENT

4.1 Study Approach
4.2 Geographical Location
4.3 Climatic Conditions
4.4 Types of Studies
4.5 Methodology of Baseline Data Acquisition
4.6 Results and Discussions
4.6.1 Air Quality
4.6.2 Water Quality etc

5.0 EXPECTED IMPACTS

6.0 IMPACT MITIGATION MEASURES

7.0 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN

8.0 REMEDIATION PLAN AFTER THECOMMISSIONING

REFERENCES
APPENDICES
 Communications within and between
companies - Letters
• Most business or professional letter papers
have printed headings showing the name of
the company, firm or individual, the address,
telephone number, telex number, e-mail, etc.
Other items commonly printed on letterhead
include reference number notations and a
space designated for date (‘Our Ref. …’, ‘Your
Ref. …’, ‘Date …)
 Communications within and between
companies - Letters
• The parts of a formal letter (all left justified, except for the
subject heading):
– Your address (or letterhead) - 2-line space
– The date - 2-line space
– Name and address of the person you are writing to - 3-line space
– The greeting (salutation - 2-line space
– The subject heading - 2-line space
– The body of the letter - 2-line space
– The closing – Leave a 6/8-line space for your signature
– Your written signature with your typed name and position below
it - 2-line space
– The letters ‘Enc.’ if you are enclosing additional documentation
with the letter
1. Sender’s address
2-line space
2. Date
2-line space
3. Address of the
person you are
sending it to
3-line space
4. The greeting 2-line space
5. Subject heading
2-line space

6. Body of the letter

2-line space
7. The closing 2-line space
8. Your signature. Below it your
typed name and position
2-line space
9. ‘Enc.’ (If you are enclosing something)
 Communications within and between
companies - Letters
1. Your address or institution’s address (or letterhead)
– Left justified
– It is now no longer the convention to put comma at the end of each line
– If you are using letterhead paper, an address is not needed
2. The Date
– Use the format : Day (in figures) Month (written out) Year (in figures) No commas i.e. 18
November 2013 (18th November 2013 and November 18, 2013 are going out of fashion.
18/11/01 – incorrect, different countries use different formats when using only figures, it
can cause confusion)
3. Name and mailing address of the person you are writing to
– Left justified, commas not needed at the end of each line
4. The greeting (salutation). According to the tone of the letter choose from:

– Dear Sir or Dear Madam (when you don’t know the family name of the person)
– Dear Sir/Madam (when you don’t know the family name or gender of the person)
– Dear Mr Surname; Dear Mrs surname; Dear Ms surname (when you don’t know the
marital status of the woman; Dear Dr surname; or Dear Prof surname
– Dear first name (when you are on familiar terms with the person you are writing to
 Communications within and between
companies - Letters
5. The subject heading (title)
– A concise title, two lines below the greeting, centred, boldfaced for
emphasis and should give the reader instant access to the main point of
the letter
– Don’t use Re: before the title, it’s meaningless and old fashioned
– Don’t underline – this is old fashioned. Use boldface
6. The body – structure of information
7. The closing
– If you have used Dear Sir, Dear Madame, Dear Sir/Madam, you must
use Yours faithfully as the closing
– If you have the surname in the salutation, you must use Yours
sincerely as the closing
– If the letter is not strictly formal, the tone of the letter can be
softened by using Regards or Kind regards or Best wished, either
before closing or alone
 Communications within and between
companies - Letters
8. Your written signature. Below it, your typed name
and position.
– After the closing leave about eight blank lines for your
written signature
– The (left justified) your name. Use full first name and
surname (e.g. Oluwaseyi OKE) not initials and surname.
This conveys to the reader your gender – making you
easier to contact – the sense of a real person behind the
letter.
9. The letters Encl. If you are enclosing additional
documentation with the letter
 Emails and Memos
• Emails, faxes and memos together with letters
form an important part of the essential paper-
trail that accompanies work in scientific and
technological fields
 Emails
• The electronic mail (e-mail) has been the most commonly used
among the myriads of Internet services
• It is use in one to one or one to many communications
• Two basic parts of an e-mail are a header and the body of the
message
• When the message is being composed, most brief headers are
displayed as follows:
To:
Cc:
Bcc:
Subject:
Attachment:
“To”, “Cc” (carbon copy) and “Bcc” (blind carbon copy) are filled with
addresses, Subject field contains the appropriate title for the message and
“Attachment” field is often a hyperlink which is activated by clicking it if
there is any attachment to the message
The email address of the sender, the day, date and time of the message
are automatically added to the composed mail when it is ‘sent’.
 Emails
• When using emails, take note of the following:
– Style of writing
• Take as much care writing an email as you would in writing a letter
• Don’t use the pop conventions of the email culture (u instead of you)
• Structure the content of you message in the same way as you would a letter
– Confidentiality – assume that mail travelling via Internet is not confidential
– Permanence – don’t regard you files in safe keeping, print out important
documents
– Commercial sensitivity – don’t send commercially sensitive document by email
– Contractual material – avoid using email for contractual material unless it is
followed by hard copies
– Attachments
• Scan before you download, check the size of file attachments before you send
– Unnecessary messages – don’t send unnecessary messages particularly when
forwarding material to large groups
– Content of auto signature – must contain your name, address phone and fax
numbers
 Memos
• A memo (memorandum) is a very short document usually up to a page
long. It is popularly used for Internal communication within an
organisation
• The informality of a memo is reflected in the facts that there is no
salutation and no complimentary close
• It’s an adaptation of a business letter, now being rapidly superseded by
email for short messages that are less formal than a letter
• A memo is headed by the word MEMORANDUM and followed by the side-
headings:
– To:
– C:
– From:
– Date:
– Ref.:
Followed either by the side-heading Subject: or (in a longer memo) a centred title,
the message proper, signature, distribution list, enclosure
Memos