Technical report writing

Memorandum

To: TCOM 3302

From: Professor Duncan

Subject: Memo Format

Date: 8/31/21

This memo serves as an example of memo format. It is not the only way to format a memo, but it’s a pretty good one that is easy to read and will serve you well in multiple contexts.

The entire document is in TNR (Times New Roman), 12 point. The margins are 1” on all sides – top, bottom, left, right. The word ‘Memorandum’ is centered and bolded at the top of the page, and there are four address fields: To, From, Subject, and Date.

The body text is single-spaced (no spaces between lines) and the paragraphs are double-spaced (one space between the end of one paragraph and the beginning of the next). The left margin of the body text is also left-justified (the beginning character of every line is visually aligned with all other beginning characters) and the right margin of the body text is “ragged” (the length of the line is determined by the length of the last word and the space remaining).

There is no need to sign a memo or offer any kind of closing, unlike in a formal letter.

Using Headings

You can use headings to help organize your memos, such as the ‘Using Headings’ that immediately precedes this paragraph. All headings should be bolded and left-justified.

Page Numbers

If your memos go beyond a page, it’s a good idea to place a page number in the lower right part of the footer, with optional footer text.

Paragraphs

When writing paragraphs in memos, keep them short, make your point as clearly as possible, and don’t digress into lengthy stretches of unrelated material. If you want to switch to a new point/argument, start a new paragraph. Short paragraphs like this one (three sentences) are easier to read and remember.

Lists are a useful alternative to paragraphs for the following reasons:

· They visually nudge the reader to pay attention if you just used a long paragraph.

· There is no need to write complete sentences, though as you can see, I can’t resist.

· 3-4 strong points can be faster to read in a list, like this one.