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Lesson 2: Written Communication

This lesson discusses different types of written communication used in systems development. It identifies letters, reports, and emails as the primary types. Letters are used for various business purposes, such as accepting jobs, acknowledging receipts, or resigning. Reports summarize actions and have standard sections like an introduction, executive summary, body, and appendix. Email has replaced memos and letters due to ease and speed. For all written communication, the lesson recommends using an active voice, concise writing style, and proofreading.

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107 views3 pages

Lesson 2: Written Communication

This lesson discusses different types of written communication used in systems development. It identifies letters, reports, and emails as the primary types. Letters are used for various business purposes, such as accepting jobs, acknowledging receipts, or resigning. Reports summarize actions and have standard sections like an introduction, executive summary, body, and appendix. Email has replaced memos and letters due to ease and speed. For all written communication, the lesson recommends using an active voice, concise writing style, and proofreading.

Uploaded by

baleswar_reddy
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Lesson 2: Written Communication

Lesson Objectives:
After reading this lesson, you should be able to:

Identify the different types of written communication Discuss different writing styles and readability

Written communication is the process of communicating a message by creating a hard copy of the message. Multiple types of written communication are used in the system development life cycle; thus, some guidelines to follow to help make the communication successful will be covered in this lesson. The first type of written communication is letters, or correspondence. There are different types of letters, each dependent on the purpose of the communication. If the letter is intended for friends and family, it is generally written in a personal manner which does not follow any structure or rule. These letters are intended to inform friends and family of new developments or events. The next type of letter is more formal. These types of letters are used in a professional atmosphere. Based on Brusaw, Alred, and Oliu, there are nine categories of letters used in business (1997). Table 1 displays the types of letters and their purpose. Table 1: Types and Purposes of Letters Types Acceptance Letters Acknowledgement Letters Adjustment Letters Application Letters Complaint Letters Purpose Accepting a job offer Letting someone know you have received something sent to you Responding to a complaint letter Selling or marketing your skills, abilities and knowledge Requesting assistance, information, or merchandise

Reference Letters Refusal Letters Resignation Letters

Recommending someone for employment Refusing some kind of request Leaving a position

Reports are the next type of written communication. Reports are used to summarize actions regarding certain events or activities. During each phase of the system development life cycle, many reports are created to account for certain activities during a phase. Examples of these reports include preliminary investigation reports, system requirements document, system design specification, process report, and others. Based on Shelly, Cashman, and Rosenblatt, there are five major sections of a report (2008). Table 2 displays the different sections of a report. Table 2: Sections of a Report Section Introduction Executive Summary Purpose An introduction of the project A brief synopsis of the entire project This section is the detailed section of the report. For example: A System Requirements Document contains: 1. Findings Section: Discoveries from the systems analysis phase 2. Recommendations Section: The recommended solution to the project 3. Alternatives Section: Other recommendations that can be used for the project Summarization of the findings of the report This section contains detailed information about certain topics that can be used as a reference. The appendix is located at the end of the report.

Body

Summary Appendix

E-mails are the next type of written communication. E-mails have taken the place of actual "pen and paper" memos. Also, e-mail has taken the place of written letters due to the ease and speed of sending and receiving e-mails. Similar to all communication, there are rules or etiquette that should be

followed in sending e-mails. Some of the most common rules are not using text message shorthand in a business e-mail and not using all capital letters, which means you are shouting. For a more detailed description of e-mail etiquette, visit the following Web site: http://www.netmanners.com/ In all written communication, there are styles and readability suggestions. The list below is based on Shelly, Cashman, and Rosenblatt (2008). The list is a suggestion to help create a successful written communication. 1. Take a writing course 2. Know your audience -- Knowing the audience is always important. If communicating to an audience that is not in your profession, you should not use any jargon that the audience will not understand. 3. Use active voice when possible -- passive voice rarely 4. Keep your writing concise and well-organized o Give an introduction to your topic o Talk about the topic o Summarize your topic 5. Use an appropriate style -- First person, third person 6. Use lists -- An easy way of to give a lot of detail and a way to show importance in a topic 7. Use short, easy-to-understand words 8. Avoid repeating the same word too often 9. Check your spelling -- use spell checker 10. Check your grammar -- use grammar checker 11. Check your work carefully

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