Written
communication between employees in a company often comes in the form of
a memorandum, or memo. Although e-mail is now the most prominent form of
internal communication, memos will always exist for two reasons:
- Some
employees do not have access to e-mail or the Internet in their jobs
- Original
hard copies on letterhead with initials or signatures are often needed
for legal purposes or working files
When writing
a memo, you should carefully consider your purpose & audience, content
& organization, format, and style. More detail is available through
the above links. While memo conventions vary from company to company,
these general guidelines should be helpful.
Sample
Memo
Download
for print
The material
for these pages was developed from these sources:
- Baker, Sheridan. The Practical Stylist. 6th ed. New York: Harper and
Row, 1986.
- Bowman, Joel P., and Bernadine P. Branchaw. Business Report Writing.
Chicago: Dryden Press, 1984.
- Brusaw, Charles T., Gerald J. Alfred, and Walter E. Oliu. The Business
Writer's Handbook. New York: St. Martin's Press, Inc., 1976.
- Houp, Kenneth, and Thomas E. Pearsall. Reporting Technical Information.
4th ed. Encino, California: Glencoe Publishing Co., Inc., 1980.
- Markel, Mike. Technical Communication. 6th ed. Boston: Bedford/St.
Martin's, 2001.
- Mills, Gordon H., and John A. Walter. Technical Writing. 4th ed. New
York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1978.
- Stratton, Charles R. Technical Writing: Process and Product. New York:
Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1984.
- Turner, Maxine. Technical Writing: A Practical Approach. Reston, Virginia:
Reston Publishing Co., Inc., 1984.
- Turner, Rufus P. Technical Report Writing. 2nd ed. San Francisco:
Rinehart Press, 1971.
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