Most scientific documents have as their principal purpose one or more of the following actions:
Whatever the general purpose of an overall document, certain sections of a document always have a specific purpose. The following table outlines the principal purpose usually associated with common document types and with sections in technical documents.
Explicit Purpose | Document Types | Sections in Document |
---|---|---|
To provide information | Reports, literature reviews, specifications | Background, theory, materials, results, graphics and tables, résumé sections |
To give instructions | Instructions | Procedures, work plan |
To persuade the reader | Proposals, recommendation reports, job application letters, résumés | Discussion, conclusion, recommendation |
To enact something | Acceptance letters, regulations, patents, authorization memoranda |
This document will discuss the genetic basis of muscular differentiation of the
Mediterranean fruit fly.
This document outlines a procedure for isolating the mechanisms of muscular
differentiation in the Mediterranean fruit fly.
This document proposes a study of the mechanisms for blocking muscular differentiation
in the Mediterranean fruit fly.
NOTICE: Mediterranean fruit fly quarantine area: no fruit allowed beyond this
point.