2 BEFORE WRITING STARTSFor the purposes of this discussion, it will be assumed that a major report is to be prepared for a large external project with batch and pilot plant studies. The project is led by a single lead metallurgist and a group of professionals will prepare the report. Each research report includes basic elements (the title page, covering letter, etc.) and chapters which may include text, tables, figures and appendices. segments (in this order). The text is divided into sections and subsections, within which condensed tables and figures can be placed. Through extended use, all parts of text segments are called sections, for example "the results presented in section 3.1.2". (In the mechanics of MS Word, the term "section" is used to describe a part of a document file with a unique set of page characteristics. This usage will not be discussed.) 2.1 QUESTIONS TO BE ADDRESSED Here is a list important questions that project and/or process development leaders need to answer before writing begins: who is the report being prepared; what these readers expect; will the report be widely disseminated, including to those with limited technical knowledge of the work; in the project proposal, what were the reporting requirements and how should they be interpreted; how many working hours were proposed for reporting; and what is the deadline for transmission to the customer? The author(s) of the report will need clear guidance regarding these issues. 2.2 TEST RESULTS Report preparation typically brings one project phase to a clear endpoint, perhaps initiating another. The chief metallurgist must ensure that the following requirements have been met: that everything is left hanging in the middle of the document......be sure of the technical content and interpretation, rather than understanding things "by hand". stolen.” Content should focus on the title above and include the following: an introduction with links to related sections; a configuration for the data, including a reference to the data source(s); a presentation of the reduced results in text, table or figure form. format ; a focused discussion, raising points in order of importance; if lengthy comparisons with other results are required, consider adding appropriate subsections; indirect results and implications; and a takeaway and/or commercial applicability, if applicable. If possible, the first draft of an entire chapter should be prepared before revisions begin to ensure that all major and minor topics have been adequately covered. Additional discussion points may be revealed during this process.