Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
it on track to success? Is the system reliable? What are the risks of using a certain
software development approach? What are the strengths and limitations of the exist-
ing software?
Such reports are a key part of how many workplaces function. They provide a
permanent record that work was undertaken, that is, they are a form of corporate
memory. And they are a mechanism for sharing technical information amongst staff,
who may not know each other or even work in the same country.
As another example, consider a report on an investigation that involved evaluation
of the quality of a suite of tools. The author would need to:
Review basic concepts.
Explain the activity and why it is important to the organization.
Give a critical history of relevant knowledge.
Describe the evaluation method, and explain why that method was chosen.
List activities that were undertaken.
Show and explain the results.
Critically analyze the outcomes.
State limitations of the investigation.
As can be seen from this list, a report of this kind may look a lot like a research paper.
Grant Applications
Other kinds of professional writing also have expert technical content. For academics,
one such document is a grant application. How grants are written is highly specific
to the funding body; for example, some are focused on innovation, such as the major
national funding bodies, while others are focused on societal outcomes, such as some
of the large charitable foundations. By far the best starting point will be a previous
successful application written for the same agency.
While agencies are diverse, in my experience there are some principles that are
more or less universal. First, you need to focus on the kinds of outcome the agency is
seeking. Second, honesty is important, and not only for its own sake; grant assessors
are likely to be highly experienced, and will be alert to the kinds of ways in which
some applicants inflate or distort their track records, or conceal shortcomings. They
will similarly be alert to ways in which the goals of applications can be overstated,
and thus it is in your interests to be realistic, not grandiose, in your aims. Third, the
agency may be swamped with applications, so yours should be written so that it can
have impact with a fewminutes of superficial reading. Fourth, in contrast to the plain
or even understatedwriting that is appropriate in a research paper, the claims of a grant
application should be stated in a direct way that highlights the potential for impact
and positive outcomes (but, as noted above, without exaggeration). The forthright
tone of a grant application can seem a strong contrast to the more restrained writing
style of science, but it is required if your intent to achieve the research goals is to be
