From Start to Finish: Approaches to Introductions and Conclusions in Technical Writing Textbooks

This essay explores the varied treatments introductions and conclusions receive in technical writing textbooks from the dual perspective of the students who must incorporate the advice into their work and the professors who must present the material to students. By focusing on specific techniques for generating clear, concise writing, by delineating methods of authorial analysis, and by offering student and professional examples of technical reports, the authors of these textbooks are successful when they tie the structure of introductions and conclusions closely to the context of the actual report.