Effective Reading

& Writing of
Reports/Articles
 Agenda

• On Reading: General Remarks

• Reading Effectively: Suggestions
• Things in a Good Report
• Writing Effectively
• Final Remarks
 When You Leave School for Reality…
You may run into documents as such:
• initial public offering (IPO) prospectus
• public engagement / consultation documents
• scientific research studies
• environmental impact assessment reports
• other professional reports
On Reading:
General
Remarks
What Do You Want from the Reading?
• very basic background information about a
topic
• specific technical information
• develop an overview of a larger topic, issue,
or problem
• obtain information or data for the purpose of
argument, advocacy, or other objectives
 Specific Technical Information
• the same thing can have many different
names
• e.g., run sequence plot = run chart = …
• makes sure you know about the alternatives
• search using the different names

• search directly for the technical information

• digitalized pdf document: CTRL-f
• index or table of content provided
• go directly to sections where things are needed
• skip intro, summary/conclusion

• repeat the process on several other

documents
 Very Basic Background on a Topic
• search for broader understanding of the topic
online first
• e.g., Wikipedia, devoted web site, technical blog, etc
• read the Introductory section of the
document carefully
• repeat the process on several other
documents
• to get a sense of the key elements on the topic
• ensure documents are recent for contemporary matter
• creditability of documents (properly reviewed,
authorized sources, etc.)
• skip the rest of the report (because you don’t
need it!
 Reading Effectively: Principles
• PURPOSE (read purposefully)
• SELECTIVE (be selective)
• FOCUS (track what you have read and collected)
• TRACK (track what you have read and collected)

• BREAK (break up readings; take breaks too)

• STRATEGY (be strategic when you read)

 1. Purpose
read purposefully:
• identify the overarching purpose of the reading
• aware of deadlines or demands
• draft a list of smaller tasks / goals need to be
completed for the big purpose
• know what to get or achieve with each reading
 1. Purpose
your purpose can be:
• to locate specific information, data, or technical
details
• to understand difficult ideas
• to gain an overview of something
• (to enjoy words and descriptions)
• (to relax and escape in the words)
• (to learn with an open mind; no definite objectives
or goals)
 2. Selective
when you read, be selective:
• know what you are looking for
• what is the purpose of the reading?
• what are you trying to get? data? basics? details?
• identify keywords for search
• keywords and alternative keywords
• search for keywords or key sections
• table of content + index are your friends
• obtain an overview to further narrow down possible
useful sections
 3. Focus
when you read, focus on the questions/tasks:
• what you must find out?
• if need data, search for numbers
• if need figure, search for figures
• you find it or you don’t  skip the rest and go to the
next document / reference
• stay focused on things, aspects, items that you
need
• skip irrelevant sections or materials (even if they appear
interesting)
 4. Track
track where you are before reading next document:
• what do you already know, think, or have for the
topic
• keep track of newly added information, data,
figures, or understandings
• take organized notes on information, data, idea
relevant to your tasks, objectives, or questions
• take note of the sources of information, data, ideas
 so that you can find them again
 5. Break
break up big, long document into manageable
segments:
• e.g., chapters, sections, specific pages, etc
• identify your purpose and time available
• set yourself a reading goal (e.g., completing
reading 20 pages, etc)
• reward yourself with a break when you’ve
completed it
• tasks / goals may be large or small (depending on
your needs)
 6. Strategy
• your reading efficiency is reduced without a reading
strategy.
• we are taught to read from left to right, top to
bottom
• we are taught to give every word, sentence, and
paragraph the same importance
• BUT DOING THESE WILL SLOW YOU DOWN
 6. Strategy
Try to:
• scan the page for headings, bullet points, and bold
print
• skim over the fluff; pay attention and note key
material
• decide what you need to re-read, what you can skip
• comprehension is most important, then speed
 Habits that Decrease Reading Speed
avoid the following habits that decrease your reading
speed:
• sub-vocalization
• reading word-by-word
• inefficient eye motion
• re-reading
• poor concentration
• reading without a strategy
 Sub-vocalization
Sub-vocalization: the habits of “saying” the words in
your head as you read  so you “hear” the words
spoken in your mind (i.e., voice in my head…)
• this slows you down! avoid it!
• reading words in groups
• (needs practice…)
 Re-reading
re-reading text because of the printing  you lose the
flow and structure of the text, slowing down your
reading
• use a pointer (finger, pen, pencil) to help your eyes
stay on track
• moving pointer more quickly can force your eyes
and brains to keep pace (useful!!)
 Poor Concentration
your reading efficiency will diminish with poor
concentration
• environment full of distractions, noises
• modify or work at a quieter place
Digital Distractions

Distractability

If you work
turn them off !
 Poor Concentration
• internal distractions reduce your attention
 Poor Concentration
your reading efficiency will diminish with poor
concentration
• tired or fatigue  go get some rest or sleep!
• no breaks for a long time
 Increase Your Speed IF:
• simple material with few new ideas
• unnecessary examples of illustrations
• detailed elaborations not needed
• looking for broad, generalized ideas
 Decrease Your Speed IF:
• you don’t understand
• many unfamiliar words
• text structure difficult or confusing
• many unfamiliar or abstract concepts
• detailed, technical material
Journal Articles
 Journal Articles
• research articles
• studies on a problem
• review of recent studies
• condensed, carefully crafted
• time is essential (recently published?)
• well defined structure  easier to extract
information
• terminologies  barriers to people outside of the
discipline
 Journal Article - Structure
ABSTRACTS
INTRODUCTION
METHODOLOGY
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
CONCLUSION / IMPLICATION
(SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION)
 Journal Article - Abstracts
Abstract: concise summary of the research
• what it is about?
• what method used?
• what are the results?
• conclusions, implications, significance?

You should always read Abstract first:

• is it related to what you need?
• results? conclusion?
 Journal Article - Introduction
Introduction: provide background and
motivation for the study
• review of previous research
• state and explain the research question
• provide reasons for doing the work
• provide objective of study and list of tasks to
complete
Reading Introduction:
• learn about basics, background, frontiers of a topic
• learn about other reference
• learn about how to present a research question
 Journal Article - Methodology
Methodology: how the research was done
• materials (if experiment)
• data source and quality (if data analysis)
• experimental methods
• statistical and data analysis methods
• (theories sometimes presented as well)
• very technical
Journal Article – Results & Discussion
Results & Discussion
• observations and findings (as it is)
• interpretation on the observations and data
• comparison with previous works
• what the findings mean for the research question
• hypothesis testing (e.g., factor A is not important in
controlling the phenomenon in question)
• build a model
• present a conceptual picture
Journal Article – Conclusion/Implication
Conclusion / Implication
• summary of results
• significance of the findings
• what the overall findings of the study means:
• for the topic (broader level)
• for the subject area / discipline
• for the other areas
• any next steps (i.e., future work needed)
• “applications” of results
• legal and regulatory implications?
• practical use? what can we do with the knowledge?
 Reading
Effectively:
Suggestions
 How I Read Technical Documents
Know what I want to get
Read the documents or reports
• Short documents (e.g., journal articles)
• Long documents (e.g., technical reports)
Get what I want to get? (Yes or No)
• Yes  read for the next task
• No  search for another similar article/report
Note any new, unexpected information learned
 For Short Documents
Short documents (e.g., journal articles)
I read in this order:
I. abstract
II. figures / plots
III. tables
IV. (appendices, supplementary info)
V. conclusion
VI. (if necessary, in-depth reading on results &
discussion, methodology, or introduction)
 For Long Documents
Long documents (e.g., 100+ pages reports)
I read in this order:
I. executive summaries
II. table of content  sections of interest
III. figures
IV. tables
V. (appendices, supplementary info)
VI. conclusion
VII. (if necessary, in-depth reading on results &
discussion, methodology, or introduction)
 Remember…

Pictures / figures EASIER THAN numbers EASIER THAN text

So visually understand a document first!
 Things in a
Good Report
 Writing
What is good writing?
• elements of good writing
• what is in a good report
• structure of a report

How to write effectively?

• steps or “procedure”
 Good Writing Is…
• that which has a “point” or message
• text is clear and concise
• well supported by evidence
• logical flow of argument
• well structured and focused
• (present something readers did not know)
 Good Report = …

a good report = a good story = a good show

a good presentation = a good proposal = a
good business plan = a good thesis (i.e., FYP)
= a good movie

So, what is in a good report??

 Elements of Good Reports (I)
Title:
◦ attractive yet relevant
◦ accurate and to-the-point
◦ broad enough (that everybody understands)
◦ not too long

Theme:
◦ a unifying topic
◦ focused treatment
◦ something of interest to the readers
 Elements of Good Reports (II)
Structure & Logic
◦ order of argument make sense
◦ leading to a logical conclusion or statement

Persuasive
◦ well supported by evidence, observations,
and facts
◦ deducing argument logically
◦ (tell a story)
 Elements of Good Reports (III)
Language and Style
◦ clarity and concise
◦ accurate and precise
◦ lively use of words
◦ professional
◦ consistent in style, layout, and formatting
◦ carefully crafted, error free
◦ good choice of style, format, etc
◦ care about the audience/readers (i.e.,
background, interests, etc)
 Structure of a Good Report
Abstract or Executive Summary
Introduction
• background, basics
• what is/are the problems
• aim/objective, tasks to be accomplished
Methodology
• means of achieving the aim or tasks
Results & Discussion
• results, data, interpretation, assumptions, comparison,
limitations
Conclusion, Implications, Recommendations
• highlights, concluding remarks, what it means, what
you recommend
 Writing
Effectively
 Reading Effectively: Principles
• PURPOSE (read purposefully)
• SELECTIVE (be selective)
• FOCUS (track what you have read and collected)
• TRACK (track what you have read and collected)

• BREAK (break up readings; take breaks too)

• STRATEGY (be strategic when you read)

 Writing: Individial Steps
• identify theme/topic and purpose of writing
• brainstorming and outline
• research
• information (background, fact, data, expert opinions)
gathering
• data collecting and analysis
• figures and tables
• writing (core, references)
• writing (introduction, abstract/executive summary)
• formatting and proof-reading
Identify Theme and Purpose of Writing
• theme: the subject, the “story” of your writing
• e.g., review of recent solar energy innovations and
advances, social behavior of a newly discovered insect,
etc

• purpose: what you want the readers to “do”?

• inform them about discoveries, facts, or knowledge of
sth?
• persuade them to accept your view on things?
• entertain them with a nice story and want them to
remember it?
• convince the public that a view/policy is the best
possible?
What are their Themes and Purposes ?
 Brainstorming and Outline
brainstorming: generate ideas and components for
your document
• takes time to finish

outline: skeleton of your document

• key sections
• order of argument / presentation
• essential flow is clear
• details not there (but know what is needed)
Brainstorming Protocol (Osborn’s)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brainstorming
 Brainstorming Protocol (my own)
• get a piece of paper and a pen/pencil
• put down keywords, data, information related to
your theme
• sketch cartoons, figures, tables that you may want
to include
• try to group similar or related things/points together
• connect with lines
• grouping with boxes or circles
• keep going until you have no more ideas to add
• go away and come repeating this another day
• (keep going until really nothing new to add!)
Brainstorming Papers (Examples)
Brainstorming Papers (Examples)
 Brainstorming Protocol (my own)
• get a piece of paper and a pen/pencil
• put down keywords, data, information related to
your theme
• sketch cartoons, figures, tables that you may want
to include
• try to group similar or related things/points together
• connect with lines
• grouping with boxes or circles
• keep going until you have no more ideas to add
• go away and come repeating this another day
• (keep going until really nothing new to add!)
 Research (I)
• learn by reading (not by imagining!)
• broad understanding: books or textbooks
• in-depth overview: review articles
• particular aspects: research articles
• take notes as you go along
• on paper  free; can sketch; colors &
highlighter
• in file  organized; can develop into outline or
final report
 Research (II)
• information
• for your own understanding
• things to be incorporated in report

• data
• how are they collected / measured
• data analysis

• figures
• relevant to topic or theme
• well labeled and nicely plotted

• tables
• well labeled and relevant
 Writing (I)
• write the CORE sections first
• core 1: methodology
• you have this already
• relatively easy to write
• may be evolving as you conduct your research
• detail enough that others can follow your approach

• core 2: results & discussion

• results of your work
• interpretation
• add and track your references / bibliographies
 Writing (II)
• finish the remaining sections:
• 1st: conclusion and implications
• 2nd: introduction
• 3rd: abstract or executive summary (hardest
to write!)
 Formatting & Proof-reading
• use spell check function
• re-read draft a few times (in different days)
• be consistent in style and formatting
• seek help/suggestion from writing center
 Plagiarism is PROHIBITED
• copy & paste others’ hardwork as your
own
• no reference / credit to other works
• dishonest, sly, unethical
• academically and publically not
acceptable
• will hurt you back (see next slide)
Plagiarism is PROHIBITED !
How to Read Faster and Write Better?

Read. Read. Read.

Write. Write. Write.
Think. Think. Think.