Memo Writing Style Guide
The challenge in this assignment is to prepare a concise report of your laboratory findings in the shorter memorandum (memo) format. On the surface, this may appear to be easier than writing a full report. However, much skill is required to convey most of the same information in an abbreviated format. You will learn to make decisions about what should be retained in the report and what may be left out. This exercise becomes a balancing act: maximizing the information in the report, while minimizing the time required reading the report.
A sample memo report is available on the course Moodle site. The sample refers to the same experiment described by the sample report. Please reread the sample formal report to compare with the sample memo report to gain a feel for what is important and should be included, versus what you might consider leaving out of the memo report.
Guidelines for Memo Report
A memo presents the results first, followed by supporting information.
The memo should be written to explain: 1) why you did this work, 2) how you did it, 3) what you found, and 4) what you think it means. As a general guideline, one paragraph should be sufficient to cover each of the four explanations (corresponding to the sections of a full length report).
The length of the memo should be no more than 2 or 3 pages, with 1.5 line spacing and 1-inch margins. You may include a table or graph when needed. However, tables and figures should be kept to a minimum. The labeling of figures, tables, and equations follows the same rules as the formal report.
Be consistent with use of first or third person. Use active voice and avoid conjugations of the verb “to be.” Use the correct tense when describing the subject of the report. The theory and results are present tense, experimental methods are past tense, and recommendations for future work are future tense. In the condensed writing form of a memo, a single paragraph may refer to subjects of different tense.
You must include a simple schematic, either in the memo or in an appendix, as appropriate.
References may be included at the end of the memo, or as footnotes within the memo.
Appendices that contain the work plan, tables and graphs of raw data, sample calculations, uncertainty analysis, and safety information must be attached; follow the guidelines for the full report here. This information is used to document your work and for grading purposes. Since the discussion of the theory in the memo will be abbreviated, the sample calculations may need to include additional relevant equations and a description of the included variables. Appropriate assumptions and justifications for use of the given equations, not mentioned in the memo, should also be included. Additional tables and figures of important information maybe include in the data sheets or sample calculations as appropriate.
The memo cannot refer to the appendices, as the memo would most likely circulate without them.
A letter of transmittal is not required for the memo report. However, each author of the report should add their initials next to their name in the heading.
"Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away."
- Antoine de Saint Exupery