Memo header update#

They can also be compared to reports, but very short ones.ĭixie would like to remind you that business memos appeared in the later nineteenth century along with the increased need for internal communication across distances and between levels of management of the corporate enterprises. They are more private and more formal than emails but less formal than letters.

Markel, Michael (1998) Technical Communication, Situations and Strategies, 5th addition, St.Business memos are a piece of interoffice correspondence sent between employees in a company or between company subsidiaries to transmit ideas, decisions, requests or announcements.

The information in this web page is based on the following sources:

Most the class assignments you have received from a faculty member are directives in a memo format. DirectivesĪ directive is a memo that states what task or procedure you want your readers to undertake. If your project is not progressing well, avoid sounding defensive. The memo should honestly and clearly state the progress of the project.

Memo header update#

Progress or status reports are used to provide a periodic update to a project. In addition, the memo may suggest what should be done next. The memo should still address the expected components of a lab reports such as: 1) purpose, 2) methods, 3) results 4) discussion of the results. When an employee wants to provide an informal report of a field visit, or of some laboratory studies, a memo format can be used to summarize the work. Below is a link to a trip report written by a senior environmental resources engineering student. Trip reports can be used when an employee goes to visit a client or attends a conference. The purpose is to provide the organization information about the trip. Trip reports are used to summarize the experiences that an employee had while away from the organization. Types of Memosīelow are some examples of common types of memos that engineers and scientists write. The final paragraph(s) should provide a closing that is often a recommendation or suggested action for what the reader should do next. These paragraphs provide the information the reader is expecting. Summary Paragraph(s) įor a longer memo, these paragraph(s) can be used to summarize the contents of the entire memo. The reader will use this first paragraph to determine if the rest of the memo needs to be read. The first sentence of the memo should tell the reader the topic of the memo. Your memo should have at least 4 parts: HeaderĪnd possibly 5) the list of those receiving a copy of the memo Purpose Paragraph

This example memo uses Word's Elegant Memo format. You will see that Word provides a selection of styles of memos. You should get a dialog box asking you what kind of document you would like to create. After Word is open, under File, choose New. Microsoft Word has Memo Templates that can assist you with the overall format of your memo. You should either provide a recommendation or a suggested action. Your memo should clearly state what you expect to happen next.In some memos, especially longer memos, it may be appropriate to summarize your message before going into a detailed discussion related to the purpose of your memo.Headings can be used to make your memo clearer.

The purpose of your memo should be clearly stated.

Memos should be clear and concise documents. Be sure to read this overview before completing your memo. The Purdue University Online Writing Laboratory provides an excellent set of guidelines for memo writing.

The purpose of this web page is to provide guidance for those using memos for technical communication purposes.