10 - Seven rules for report writing

Reports are one of the most important methods of communication in the world of geology. Writing well means your findings will be well understood and interpreted correctly the day you deliver them and years down the track. Optiro's Director of Geology and report editor in chief Ian Glacken has summarised his advice on report writing down to seven key points.

In this episode:

0:40 What sort of reports are there in geology and why are they important? 1:18 Why is good report writing important? 2:08 Rule #1: Making the report readable 2:49 Rule #2: Using visuals in your report 4:10 Rule #3: A presentation is not a report 6:00 Rule #4: Refer to all captioned items 6:58 Rule #5: Cut down on jargon where possible 8:40 Rule #6: Clarity, concision and elegance 10:43 Rule #7: RTFR 11:45 What can people read to get ideas on how to write better reports?

For more information:

• Contact Ian Glacken - Optiro Director of Geology: iglacken@optiro.com
• Report Writing for Geologists and Engineers training course
• Optiro website

Further reading:

• The visual display of quantitative information – Edward R Tufte, Graphics Press, 2001.
• Eats shoots and leaves – Lynne Truss, Fourth Estate, 2003.
• Elements of style – William Strunk, Harcourt, 1918.