Style

Strongly recommended reading: Zobel Writing for Computer Science

Below is a brief summary of some important points.

• Reports, papers and theses are usually written in a more formal style. The writing tends to be more objective, neutral, and unemotional.
• If an abstract is required it should be short and to the point: 50 - 200 words is the recommended length. An abstract must be self-contained. It should succinctly summarize the aims, scope and conclusions of the article, omitting irrelevant details or descriptions of the structure of the paper.
• The introduction outlines the structure of the paper: the topic, the problem, the approaches taken to solve it, any limitations on the solution, and the conclusions. It should contain sufficient detail that the reader can decide whether or not the work is relevant to them.
• Present your work logically. Remember that a paragrah should contain the development of one idea, leading smoothly into the next paragraph. "Text should be taut." "Every sentence should be necessary."(Zobel)
• The conclusion should concisely draw together all the topics discussed in the main body of the paper. It may also include discussions on further work to be investigated.