Transcript Getting to the essential

Writing technical papers and reports
Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP)
district surveillance officers (DSO) course
Preliminary questions to the group
• Do you have to write technical reports?
• If yes, what difficulties did you face?
• What would you like to learn about technical
writing?
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Outline of the session
1. Types of reports
2. The six “S” of technical writing
3. Common errors to avoid
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Audiences for which a district
surveillance officer may need to write
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Administrators
District health officials
State surveillance unit
Elected representatives
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Reports
Types of report that a district
surveillance officer may need to write
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Initial “First information report”
Full outbreak investigation report
Rapid assessments
Scientific publications
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Reports
General framework of an outbreak
investigation report (1/2)
• Executive summary
• Background
 Territory, origin of the alert, time of occurrence,
places, staff met
• Methods used for the investigation
 Epidemiological methods
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Case definition
Case search methods, data collection
Analytical studies if any
Data analysis
 Laboratory methods
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 Environmental investigations
Reports
General framework of an outbreak
investigation report (2/2)
• Major observations / results
 Epidemiological results (population at risk, time,
place and person characteristics)
 Experience/expected outcome of affected,
Pathogen involved, laboratory diagnosis
 Environmental investigation results
 Current status of transmission, control measures
adopted/ initiated
• Conclusion: Diagnosis, source, vehicles
• Recommendations
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Reports
Annexes of an outbreak
investigation report
• TIME: Epidemic curve
• PLACE: Map
 Spot map
 Map of incidence by area
• PERSON: Table of incidence by age and sex
• Analytical study results if any
• Relevant figures to illustrate the source /
vehicle(s)
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Reports
The six “S” of technical writing
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Simple
Short
Structured
Sequential
Strong
Specific
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The six “S”
The six “S” of technical writing
1. Simple
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Use simple words to explain what is meant
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Explaining the concept to a lay person
Don’t use jargon technical or statistical jargon
Short
Structured
Sequential
Strong
Specific
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The six “S”
Writing simply
 Primary data on number of cases and death
for two age groups (under five and above
five) due to diseases / syndromes listed
above are collected using a uniform format
by all reporting units
 Facilities report cases and deaths for 12
diseases among two age groups
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The six “S”
The six “S” of technical writing
1. Simple
2. Short
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6.
< 10 pages, < 5 tables / figures
Use short sentences with one idea each
Split complex sentences
Cut unnecessary elements
Structured
Sequential
Strong
Specific
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The six “S”
The summary
• The audience of your report may be too busy
to read it completely
• Always add a summary of:
 < one page
 < 300 words
• Structure your summary with subheadings
"I'm sorry to write you a long letter.
I had no time to write a shorter one”
Mark Twain
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The six “S”
The six “S” of technical writing
1. Simple
2. Short
3. Structured
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Have headings, subheadings
Write under the high level outline
Follow the logic argument
4. Sequential
5. Strong
6. Specific
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The six “S”
Using high-level outlines
• Skeleton of the report in bullet points
• Outline of various sections
 Spell out all titles
 Use outline format of word processors
 Summarize each paragraph with a bullet point
• List of tables and figures
 Spell out titles
• Reach consensus with contributors on the outline
• Expand when the outline is strong and clear
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The six “S”
The six “S” of technical writing
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Simple
Short
Structured
Sequential
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Take the reader by the hand step by steps
Start each sentence where the previous ended
5. Strong
6. Specific
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The six “S”
Being sequential
 The pipeline was repaired on 31 July. This
was followed by a sharp decrease of
incidence after one cholera incubation
period. Moreover, cholera was isolated from
stool specimens.
• The first two sentences are sequential, not
the third
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The six “S”
The six “S” of technical writing
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5.
Simple
Short
Structured
Sequential
Strong
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Use the verb as the centre of gravity
If the verb is weak, the sentence is weak
6. Specific
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The six “S”
Using the right verbs
 We conducted an investigation of the
outbreak
 We investigated the outbreak
 We took a sample of the population
 We sampled the population
 We made an assessment of the situation
 We assessed the situation
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The six “S”
The six “S” of technical writing
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2.
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6.
Simple
Short
Structured
Sequential
Strong
Specific
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Say clearly and exactly what you want to say
Do not paraphrase
Prefer numbers to qualifiers
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The six “S”
Being specific
 The village was very affected and the
disease was severe
 The attack rate was 13%, with a case fatality of
3% and 23% of case-patients hospitalized
 Health workers are not aware of case
definitions
 Of 23 health workers interviewed, 35% could not
quote the reporting criteria for measles
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The six “S”
Avoid passive voice
• Passive voice
 Suggest lack of ownership in the process
 Imprecise
 OK if subject is unknown or irrelevant
• Active voice
 Reflects the responsibility taken
 Precise
 To use by default (use grammar checkers)
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Common errors
Examples of passive and active voice use
• Passive voice
 A study was conducted
 A sample was selected
 Questionnaires were administered
• Active voice
 We conducted a study
 We selected a sample
 Field workers administered the questionnaires
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Common errors
Avoid the wrong terms to document
the level of evidence
 Show (Leave it to music hall)
 Indicate
 Prove (Leave it to mathematicians)
 Indicate
 Reveal (Leave it to photographers)
 Indicate (or suggest)
 It appears (Leave it to crystal balls)
 Spell out what data suggests that
• Use suggest for indirect / partial evidence and
indicate for clear / direct evidence
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Common errors
Get rid of “should”
• “Should” is passive and vague
• Use the “find” function of word processors to hunt
your “should”
 Tuberculosis patients should be counselled
• Use imperative
 Counsel tuberculosis patients
• Explain why it “should” be done
 Counselling will decrease default rates
• Do both
 Counsel tuberculosis patients to decrease
default rates
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Common errors
Don’t be the bearer of bad news
• Avoid general, undocumented, fingerpointing, negative statements:
 The district medical officer has not even started
programme implementation in this district
• Prefer specific, documented, diplomatic
opportunity statements:
 Review of 6 out of 7 indicators indicated that the
programme is still at an early phase in the
district, allowing for some adjustments
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Common errors
Say it well, say it once
• The same information is displayed in
duplicate
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In
In
In
In
two locations in the text
two tables
a table and in a graph
the text as well as in the table or/and figure
• The information needs to be presented only
once, and in the place that is most
appropriate to serve the point made
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Common errors
Be technical, not anecdotal
• Avoid reporting anecdotal events that do not
contribute to the technical aspects of the report
 The District Medical Officer and the Assistant Secretary of
Health joined a team comprised of myself and three field
workers to go to the site of the outbreak that could not be
reached before three days because of rains
• Focus on technical aspects
 Because of logistical constraints the rapid response team
initiated the investigation on 16 March 2003
 You could actually omit the logistical constraints as the
reason does not really matter
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Common errors
Be objective, not subjective
• Subjectivity: The author is writing from the
psychological perspective of the reader or
writer
 Subjective considerations (e.g., interests,
surprises, shock) vary and are more likely due to
backgrounds or transient feelings than from
facts
• Focus on the ideas that are relevant to the
issues examined and on the consistency of
hypothesis with available evidence
 Objective statements
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Common errors
Take home messages
1. Write for your audience, not for yourself
2. Place a six “S” checklist above your desk
3. Identify and eliminate your errors
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