ABC Approach

COMP3040 > Common Components

Introduction

...by students Principles of Document Organization Select Your Reader Beginning and Ending Repeat Key Points ABC Format for Documents Technical documents should assume three part structure that consists of beginning, middle and end. Every document should begin with an Abstract or an Overview that offers a summary of main points. The Body is the main content section of the document that elaborates on the main topics. The purpose of the Conclusion is to restate the central points that were covered in the document. Document Abstract The purpose of Abstract is to provide decision makers with the document's highlights. It explains to the readers how does a particular document concern them. Abstract always include general conclusion or executive summary, a clear purpose statement and the most important points for the decision makers. The exact name and size of this section could vary depending on the purpose and the audience in particular. Document highlights must be brief and yet unambiguous. The following are suggested guidelines for for writing document body: a: Separate facts from opinions and clearly indicate if it is an opinion that you are stating. Opinions that are derived from technical data should be mentioned as a suggestion in the conclusive section of the document. This especially applies when readers are of technical background and will rely on your document to perform their job. b: Documents should follow a standard structure. Use section headings and frequent subheadings so the reader can find information immediately. c: Introduce graphics to possibly eliminate the reading overhead and to draw attention to the important points. This will visually reinforce details. d: Document Body The middle section of the document is the body. The purpose of this section is to provide supporting details for the concepts mentioned in the abstract highlights. It is a good idea to write expansively and elaborate on project's background, related work or experience and applicable conclusions and recommendations. Although there are no standard sections that must go into the body, the content must always be in reference to the key points that were introduced in abstract and mentioned in the conclusion. Document Conclusion The final section of the document is the Conclusion. It will provide a summary of the document's key points for the reader. A good conclusion will effectively describe each main point from the document, so that a reader can have a solid idea about the document's contents. There may also be some direction for future actions by the reader. Organizing Sections and Paragraphs