Documenting and presenting your research is as important as doing the investigations: If you are unable to present your work in a convincing manner, no one will know what you have done. Except for your own edification, your effort is wasted. Keep in mind that people need to be told your contributions, and cannot be expected to figure it out.
Check the content of the course on Technical Writing (which we organized in Spring 2003) individual mentoring on technical writing can be arranged on a case by case basis. Also, consider taking JGEN 200 and JGEN 300, which are two technical writing courses offered by the College of Journalism and Mass Communications.
In your writing, be as concise as possible; get to the point quickly; and discuss only relevant material.
OK, let's repeat it. When writing a report or a thesis, get quickly to the point. Do not lose time making general statements about the state of science, technology, or world politics that are not directly relevant for the subject matter. The shorter your document, the better. The reader really does not have the time for tangent discussions.
One more time:
- Focus on your contribution.
- Address related work only as it affects your work directly.
- Keep background information as short as possible: your report is not a tutorial