Professional Communication

As a Social Work student and as a working professional, you will present your work in writing and through public speaking, both with and without technology.

This book includes excellent examples of many social work writing tasks: Weisman, D., & Zornado, J.L. (2013). Professional writing for social work practice.

This article discusses how to make your writing more readable, and why readability is important.

The following resources can help you get started:

Professional Writing: Resources

Email

Although email may seem quick and informal, professional email should always have a professional tone. This means using complete words and sentences, with standard spelling, correct grammar and no emoticons.

Email messages should be short.

Keep your words clear and concise. Use short paragraphs separated by white space. Use clear subject lines. Have a professional signature.

• Writing Emails that don't look phishy - from U-M Safe Computing

• And an overview of the etiquette of professional email from the Huffington Post.

Memos, Grant Writing, and Op-Eds

Tasks will vary, depending on the agency, but your writing will always need to be clear, accurate, concise and precise. You may be asked to write a one page memo or a detailed report, or to enter observations or recommendations into computerized forms.

Audience awareness is critical. You will be writing for your supervisor and colleagues, and perhaps also for third parties like the courts or for the public. Be sure to include all essential information, while remaining concise.

• Writing Effective Memos for Social Work - a memo on how to write memos

• The U-M Library has a guide on grants

• Op-Ed Writing - from Duke University

• Op-Eds - from The OpEd Project

• Writing for the Web - from University of Maryland, Baltimore

Policy Writing

• Policy Writing - overview from U-M Ford School of Public Policy

• Policy Memos - from USC Libraries

• Policy Briefs - instructions from UNC Writing Center

• Policy Briefs - real published examples from U-M Poverty Solutions

Public Speaking: Resources

• Checklist for Public Speaking - from workshops in Fall 2014

• Tips for Presenters - short video from U-M ITS, on speaking to a combined live and online audience

• Fifteen Public Speaking Lessons - from the blog Athena Talks

• Support for Oral Presentations - lots of good info from The University of New South Wales

Speaking with PowerPoint:

• Guide to PowerPoint - overview from the U-M Library

Poster Design: Resources

U-M offers a variety of resources and technical assistance for creating posters. I am happy to meet with you about poster content; for technical help, consult the experts in the U-M Library or on north campus at Groundworks.

You can create your poster using PowerPoint, Adobe Illustrator or other software if you prefer. PowerPoint is easy to use, allows you to insert graphs and charts, and you already know the software. But Illustrator is better for design elements and manages color better for printing.

• Designing Professional Posters with Illustrator - info from U-M Library workshop

• Better Posters - blog devoted to improving academic posters; updated weekly

• Creating Effective Poster Presentations - comprehensive resource from North Carolina State University. You might start with the linked video introduction.

To print a poster for SSW, inquire within the school first. The U-M Library maintains a current list of places on campus which print posters.

Data Visualization: Resources

First, think about the story you want to use data to tell. Next, use the tools to create the visual (table, chart, map, infographic, etc.)

The U-M Library has a great guide on data visualization.

All of these external sites include great information on visual displays of data - consult their blogs.

• http://stephanieevergreen.com/blog

• http://annkemery.com/

• http://www.edwardtufte.com/tufte/

Microsoft Excel allows you to create visual displays of data

• Introduction to Excel from U-M Library

The U-M Clark Library can help you with all sorts of projects, like creating maps using census data and other GIS projects.

Web Design: Resources

When writing for a screen, make every word count. Use few words, and choose those words wisely. Start with key content, so readers won't need to scroll for it. Ideally, content will be concise so readers won't have to scroll at all.

• Writing for the Web - guidelines from New York University

• Best Practices for Web Writing - from University of Maryland, Baltimore

• (Note: these guidelines focus on the words, and do not consider accessibility.)

Webpages need to be accessible to all users. Be sure to include alt text for images, and captions for videos. See the U-M resources on accessibility.