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4. Questions - Got a question about Memorandum then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....
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6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Memorandum wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.
7. Feedback - happy with your Memorandum then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.
8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Memorandum site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site
9. Contact - got a question about Memorandum, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.
10. Payment - ready to pay for your Memorandum, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.
Memorandum (also more commonly
memo) is a brief written record or communication, used in an
office, whether business,
Government Office, education institution or
Law. The plural form is either memoranda or memorandums. A memo has a specific format but may be specific to a single office, level of government, or other institution. Very specific memoranda in legal settings are
Memorandum of Understanding, Memorandum of Agreement,
Memorandum of Association,
Private Placement Memoranda, and
Confidential Offering Memoranda.
Format
A memorandum is written using a specific format, usually a format accepted by the office in which the memorandum is to be used. The usual structure for a memorandum includes some or all of the following:
MEMORANDUMTO: The person receiving the memorandum
FROM: The person writing the memorandum
DATE: Usually a formal manner of writing the date, for example 6 February 1995
SUBJECT: A short title descriptive of the topic in discussion in the memorandum
Introduction: explaining why the memorandum has been written and what topic the memorandum will discuss.
Body: discussing the topic in detail--explaining what exactly and itemizing when possible.
Conclusion: explaining what will or should happen next, when the follow-up will occur and why the date is important.
Regardless of what a memorandum is about, each memo should be about a single idea, subject, or report. This is the accepted format of a memo so that when a memo is actioned the single sheet of paper, or in the electronic office a single email can be filed in the most appropriate location, and the action can be recorded on the memo in some way to indicate completion of that item. In addition, some offices restrict the size of a memo to just one page, although this is difficult to handle in an electronic office; in those settings memos are often restricted to 500 words or less.
Body
Organization features of a memorandum tend to vary according to the context. For example, one of the ways to organize a legal memo would feature an organization as follows:
- Heading
- A summary of relevant facts
- Succinct identification of legal issues
- A discussion of law relevant to the legal issues, and application of that law to the facts
- A conclusion that is responsive to the legal issues.
On the other hand, Gerson and Gerson, Technical Writing: Process and Product, 5e, give some general advice in structuring memoranda. For Dobel et al., there are three important steps every memo must display for good organization and embedding a strong argument: first, the subject must be introduced and any
Technical terminology that may not be clear should be defined, second, Logical argument needs to be laid out step-by-step so that the
reasoning can be followed, and third, connect the ideas and bring the text to a
conclusion.
Language
There are a number of writers in Education who give Law, those entering the armed forces, students of journalism, advice on the type of language to be used in memoranda. In summary, the language in memoranda should be:
- Directed to your audience - memos are usually directed at Decision making and usually you write for an individual or a group to help them make a decision. To influence decision makers you need to give considerable thought to who they are and what they understand and what powers they have to be able to take action relating to your memo.
- Simple and direct - complex Sentence (linguistics) and organization is a sure sign of confusion or a hidden agenda. A well-written memo will state your case in simple steps; even if you have a very complex Logical argument, or the subject is highly technical and you are writing for managers, you need to use the simplest words and state your case in simple sentences.
- Word choice - often the simpler and more common words are going to get good action. Quasi-technical terms need to be Elimination: so instead of using "facilitate" you could use "help" or "assist", and "indicate" could be simpler with "say" or "show".
- Clearly assign action and responsibility — bureaucrats are notorious for obscuring responsibility by using words like the We #Atypical uses of we or passive voice: e.g. "We have always argued that rapid transit is the best long-run solution to urban transportation problems, given finite energy resource. In the short run, though, we are faced with the immediate problem of how to accommodate the city to the automobile." Notice how the first "we" communicates what the writer thinks, and the second "we" to implicate the reader in a point of view.
Most decision makers, who are the audience for memos, prefer clarity,
conciseness and Accuracy and precision. Even with the more rushed world in which we live, memos (in the form of emails) do not succeed in engaging action, simply because the
email was written with little thought, poor direction to your reading audience and little to no
proof reading.
See also
External References
- Public Memo: Office Memos and reminders
- The Writing Center: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
- A Guide to Writing as an Engineer, 2nd Edition (Amazon)
- Links to pdf documents concerning Memo Writing
- Memorandum Writing, Patrick Dobel, Richard F. Elmore, Laurie Werner
- Memoranda Writing, The LBJ School of Public Affairs Graduate Writing Center
Memorandum (also more commonly
memo) is a brief written record or
communication, used in an
office, whether business, Government Office,
education institution or
Law. The plural form is either memoranda or memorandums. A memo has a specific format but may be specific to a single office, level of government, or other institution. Very specific memoranda in legal settings are Memorandum of Understanding, Memorandum of Agreement, Memorandum of Association,
Private Placement Memoranda, and Confidential Offering Memoranda.
Format
A memorandum is written using a specific format, usually a format accepted by the office in which the memorandum is to be used. The usual structure for a memorandum includes some or all of the following:
MEMORANDUMTO: The person receiving the memorandum
FROM: The person writing the memorandum
DATE: Usually a formal manner of writing the date, for example 6 February 1995
SUBJECT: A short title descriptive of the topic in discussion in the memorandum
Introduction: explaining why the memorandum has been written and what topic the memorandum will discuss.
Body: discussing the topic in detail--explaining what exactly and itemizing when possible.
Conclusion: explaining what will or should happen next, when the follow-up will occur and why the date is important.
Regardless of what a memorandum is about, each memo should be about a single idea, subject, or report. This is the accepted format of a memo so that when a memo is actioned the single sheet of paper, or in the electronic office a single email can be filed in the most appropriate location, and the action can be recorded on the memo in some way to indicate completion of that item. In addition, some offices restrict the size of a memo to just one page, although this is difficult to handle in an electronic office; in those settings memos are often restricted to 500 words or less.
Body
Organization features of a memorandum tend to vary according to the context. For example, one of the ways to organize a legal memo would feature an organization as follows:
- Heading
- A summary of relevant facts
- Succinct identification of legal issues
- A discussion of law relevant to the legal issues, and application of that law to the facts
- A conclusion that is responsive to the legal issues.
On the other hand, Gerson and Gerson, Technical Writing: Process and Product, 5e, give some general advice in structuring memoranda. For Dobel et al., there are three important steps every memo must display for good organization and embedding a strong argument: first, the subject must be introduced and any Technical terminology that may not be clear should be
defined, second, Logical argument needs to be laid out step-by-step so that the
reasoning can be followed, and third, connect the ideas and bring the text to a conclusion.
Language
There are a number of writers in Education who give Law, those entering the armed forces, students of journalism, advice on the type of language to be used in memoranda. In summary, the language in memoranda should be:
- Directed to your audience - memos are usually directed at Decision making and usually you write for an individual or a group to help them make a decision. To influence decision makers you need to give considerable thought to who they are and what they understand and what powers they have to be able to take action relating to your memo.
- Simple and direct - complex Sentence (linguistics) and organization is a sure sign of confusion or a hidden agenda. A well-written memo will state your case in simple steps; even if you have a very complex Logical argument, or the subject is highly technical and you are writing for managers, you need to use the simplest words and state your case in simple sentences.
- Word choice - often the simpler and more common words are going to get good action. Quasi-technical terms need to be Elimination: so instead of using "facilitate" you could use "help" or "assist", and "indicate" could be simpler with "say" or "show".
- Clearly assign action and responsibility — bureaucrats are notorious for obscuring responsibility by using words like the We #Atypical uses of we or passive voice: e.g. "We have always argued that rapid transit is the best long-run solution to urban transportation problems, given finite energy resource. In the short run, though, we are faced with the immediate problem of how to accommodate the city to the automobile." Notice how the first "we" communicates what the writer thinks, and the second "we" to implicate the reader in a point of view.
Most decision makers, who are the
audience for memos, prefer
clarity,
conciseness and
Accuracy and precision. Even with the more rushed world in which we live, memos (in the form of emails) do not succeed in engaging action, simply because the email was written with little thought, poor direction to your reading audience and little to no proof reading.
See also
External References
- Public Memo: Office Memos and reminders
- The Writing Center: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
- A Guide to Writing as an Engineer, 2nd Edition (Amazon)
- Links to pdf documents concerning Memo Writing
- Memorandum Writing, Patrick Dobel, Richard F. Elmore, Laurie Werner
- Memoranda Writing, The LBJ School of Public Affairs Graduate Writing Center
Memorandum - Ethical Office Supplies
Information on how to recycle used inkjet cartridges and other office consumables.
Memorandum - Ethical Office Supplies
News and information on our recycling service for inkjet cartridges. ... A big thank-you to all. Memorandum is 10 years old this year and with the help of our customers we have ...
Memorandum
Skip All Secondary and Tertiary Navigation
European Secretariat Memorandum Search
Search the European Secretariat Memoranda ... How to use this search . This search facility enables you to search for European Memoranda by inputting the unique reference number of ...
Memorandum - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Memorandum (also more commonly memo) is a brief written record or communication, used in an office, whether business, government, education institution or legal office.
Memorandum | European Council on Refugees and Exiles
Memorandum to informal JHA Council september 2006 Read more >>
Memorandum of Association
Memorandum of Association, required when incorporating as a limited liability company in England and Wales, or Scotland
Company Formation - GBF1
Companies’ legislation generally allows one or more persons to form a company for any lawful purpose by subscribing to its memorandum of association.
Memorandum Of Association and Registered Office of a Limited Liability ...
Memorandum of association and registered office requirements of a proposed limited liability company formation in the UK
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
Freedom of Information Memorandum of Understanding (signed 24 February 2005) Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs (on behalf ...
