OE1-1.3 Business Correspondence & Technical Articles

What this is and why it exists

Some documents have a conventional shape because each does a predictable job. Learning the shape saves inventing one and saves the reader working out what they are looking at.

This topic covers four letters and then moves to publication. The letters look old-fashioned; the situations they handle have not gone anywhere, and the same shapes now arrive by email.

The vocabulary

• Sales letter — one written to persuade someone to buy or to engage.
• Quotation — a letter stating a price and the conditions attached to it.
• Claim letter — one written when goods or services fell short, stating the remedy sought.
• Adjustment letter — the reply to a claim letter, granting or refusing it.
• Tone — the attitude a piece of writing conveys, separate from what it says.
• Journal article — a peer-reviewed publication, longer and slower.
• Conference paper — a shorter publication tied to an event, faster and lighter reviewed.
• Abstract — the short summary that determines whether anyone reads further.

The mental model

The sales letter is the least engineering-like writing in the course, and it is here because the same clarity rules apply under different pressure. It must say what is offered, why it is worth having, and what to do next. The temptation is to be vague and enthusiastic. Being specific and enthusiastic is harder and works better.

The quotation is where precision stops being a style question. It states a price, what that price covers, what it excludes, how long it stands, and the terms attached. Every one of those is a term of a possible contract. An ambiguous quotation is a dispute waiting to happen, and the ambiguity is usually in what was excluded rather than what was priced.

The claim letter is written when something went wrong. Its whole job is to state the facts and the remedy sought without heat. That is harder than it sounds, because you are usually annoyed while writing it. Say what was ordered, what arrived, what the difference is, and what you want done. Anger in the letter shifts the reader's attention from the problem to the person, which is the opposite of what you need.

The adjustment letter replies to that, and it is the one worth real care. It is written to someone who has already been let down once, and tone does most of the work.

Granting the request has a shape. Agree early, and do not make the customer read three paragraphs to find out. State what you will do and when. Explaining what went wrong is optional and helps; excusing it does not.

Refusing it is harder. The reader must understand the reason before they meet the refusal, or they stop reading at the word no. So the reasoning comes first and the decision follows from it. Refuse the request and keep the relationship, if you can.

Then the topic moves to publication, and the distinction between the two venues changes what you write.

A conference paper is shorter, reviewed more lightly and published sooner. It suits work that is timely, or a solid step rather than a finished story. It also comes with an audience you can talk to.

A journal article is longer, reviewed more thoroughly and permanent. It suits work that is complete and that should still be worth reading in ten years. The review is slower and the result is more durable.

Knowing which you are writing changes what you include, so decide before drafting rather than after.

The elements of a technical article are a convention that exists for the reader's benefit. Title and abstract, so a searcher can decide whether to read. Introduction, saying what problem and why. Method, so someone can repeat it. Results, separate from interpretation. Discussion, which is where interpretation belongs. Conclusion and references.

An article is written to be found and consulted, not read straight through. That is why the structure matters more than the flow: a reader who only needs the method should be able to reach it directly.

What you should now be able to explain or do

Write a quotation stating what is covered, excluded and for how long. Write a claim letter that states facts and a remedy without heat. Structure an adjustment letter for both granting and refusing, and say why the order differs. Choose between a conference paper and a journal article for a given piece of work. List the elements of a technical article and say what each is for.

Check yourself