Chapter 25 & 26

Chapter 25- Front Matter and End Matter in Long Documents

Front matter: the cover, title page, letter of transmittal, table of contents, and abstract which give summary information about the document.

End matter: the glossary, appendices, and list of works cited which support data or help users understand things better.

Cover-Center the report title and your name 4-5 inches below the top of your page.

Example:

THE FEASIBILITY OF A TECHNICAL MARKETING CAREER:

AN ANALYSIS

by

Richard B. Larkin, Jr.

Title Page- lists the reports title, author's name, name of persons or organization to whom the report is addressed and the date.  The title should give a clear view of the reports purpose.

Letter of Transmittal- this is tailored to a particular audience.

• acknowledge those who helped with the report
• thank the recipient for any special assistance
• refer to sections of special interest
• discuss the limitaiton of your study, or any problems gathering data
• discuss possible follow-up investigations
• offer personal (or off the record) observations
• suggest some special uses for the information
• urge the recipient to immediate action

Table of Contents- this helps serves as a reference that can help the readers find what they are looking for. 

Abstract of Executive Summary- this could be the most IMPORTANT part of your document.  Sometimes readers don't have the time or patience to read the entire report, therefore they need to know the BIG PICTURE by just reading this little section.

              To prepare an informative abstract:

• make sure your abstract stands alone in terms of meaning
• write for a general audience
• add no new information just present the report's highlights
• present your information in the following sequence:
• identify the issue or need that led to the report
• offer key facts, statistics, and findings (the MUST know material)
• include a condensed conclusion and recommendations

Glossary- this is an alphabetically list of specialized terms and their definition.

Appendices- this contains large blocks of material or other documents that are relevant, but doesn't need to be placed in the middle of the document.

Documentation- this is a list of your outside references in alphabetical order.

Chapter 26- Oral Presentations 

Synopsis:
Some form of an oral presentation is bound to be apart of nearly every job you take. Especially if you are on track for higher titles/ more significant job status, your ability to speak effectively and convey information orally will be of the utmost importance. There's no near to fear, oral reports are much like other forms of technical communication.

Advantages of Oral Communication:
Oral reports are one of the only truly interactive forms of communication. When presenting orally, the speaker must rely on body languages, vocal tone, eye contact, and other elements of human chemistry. Naturally, this presentation style is geared towards those people who have personalities allowing them to step out and engage easily with others.

Disadvantages of Oral Communication:
Unfortunately, when you give your oral presentation/report you are most likely only going to have one shot to get your message across. To add to this pressure, public speaking is often sited as being the most common fear among individuals, more common than the fear of death. Unlike in a document where careful preparation allows the audience to navigate through your report, oral presentations have an established pace and flow,  creating more and more opportunities for the speaker to lose the audience.

Planning Your Presentation:
Planning your presentation is very similar to planning other technical reports. Be sure you know your audience, their expectations, and their needs. Like other types, oral presentations should always start with a clearly defined purpose.
Along with knowing your audience and the message you are trying to get across, be sure you are familiar with the setting in which the presentation will be given. The setting will effect your delivery method. The table below describes the 3 main delivery methods for oral presentations.



Preparing Your Presentation:
Developing an effective oral presentation requires the completion of many of the same steps that we have  covered for other forms of technical communication. However, the book places much more emphasis on preparing your visuals for oral presentations, compared to those previously covered. The main suggestions is to not allow your visuals to take away from your speech. You want to avoid distractions, irrelevant information, and avoid over emphasizing the information contained in your visuals. Remember, you are giving the speech. (An effective visual is depicted below.)

Delivering Your Speech:
When delivering your speech, cultivate the human landscape. Recall that a successful presentation involves relationship building with the audience. Also, be confident about your abilities and enthusiastic about the topic you are speaking on. Focus on keeping your audience engaged, but keep it natural. The introduction of your speech will be key. You have to establish relevance and credibility from the beginning. Finally, just note that the quality of your presentation will be more of a reflection of how prepared you are.