DATA COMMENTARY

Table 5

Source of Computer Virus Infections

Source of Virus Percentage

E-mail attachments 87%
Disks from home 4%
Disks (other) 2%
Unknown 2%
Download (from internal or external sources) 2%
Distribution CD 1%
Disk (sales demo) <1%
Automated software distribution <1%
Disk (shrink-wrapped) <1%
Disk (from LAN manager) <1%
Malicious person <1%
Browsing WWW 0%
Disk (from the repair person) 0%
Total survey respondents 299

A computer virus is a program that is specifically and maliciously designed to attack a

computer system destroying data. As businesses have become increasingly dependent on
computers, e-mail, and the internet, concern over the potential destructiveness of such viruses
has also grown. Table 5 shows the most common sources of infection for U.S. businesses. As
can be seen, in a great majority of cases, the entry point of the virus infection can be detected,
with e-mail attachments being responsible for nearly 9 out of 10 viruses. This very high
percentage is increasingly alarming, especially since with a certain amount of caution such
infections are largely preventable. In consequence, e-mail users should be wary of all
attachments, even those from a trusted colleague or a known sender. In addition, all computers
used for e-mail need to have a current version of a good antivirus program whose virus
definitions are updated regularly. While it may be possible to lessen the likelihood of
downloading an infected file, businesses are still vulnerable to computer virus problems
because of human error and the threat of new, quickly spreading viruses that cannot be
identified by antivirus software.

STRUCTURE OF DATA COMMENTARY

1. Location elements and/or summary statements

2. Highlighting statements
3. Discussions of implications, problems, exceptions, recommendations, etc
LOCATION ELEMENTS
AND SUMMARIES

 refers readers to
important information in
a table, charts graph, or
other graph figure
 considered to be a form of metadiscourse, sentences or phrases that help readers make
their way through a text by revealing such things as organization, referring readers to
relevant parts of a text, or establishing logical connections

Table 7

Starting a Data Commentary

Location Element Summary

Table 5 shows the parts of entry of computer viruses for US businesses

Table 2 provides details of the fertilizer used

Figure 2 plots the two series for the last five years

Figure 4.2 gives the results of the second experiment

Table 8

Passives in Starting a Data Commentary

Summary Location Element

The most common modes of computer infection for US businesses are shown in Table 5.

The details of the fertilizer used are provided in Table 2.

The two series for the last five years are plotted in Figure 2.

The results of the second experiment are given in Figure 4.2.

Note the following:

 the consistent use of the present tense because the author is talking about his or her
present paper
 the English active forms are just as appropriate as the passive versions

These two ways of locating element are similar to a two-way classification often used to
categorize abstracts.

 Indicative abstracts merely indicate what kind of research has been done.
 Informative abstracts additionally give the main results.

LANGUAGE FOCUS: Linking as-Clauses

As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the companies used in this survey varied significantly in
geographical location, size, and method of operation.

As can be seen in Table 5, the overall state of recall, while low, also showed considerable
variation.

These linking clauses (where as does not equal since or because) exceptional in English
grammar. In the passive, these linking clauses have no subjects. Compare the following
sentences:

a. As it has proved, the theory may have practical importance.

b. As has been proved, the theory may have practical importance.

In sentence a there is a causal relationship between the as-clause and the main clause.
Because the theory has been proved, it may have practical importance.

In sentence b the as-clause serves to suggest that the practical importance of the theory
(not just the theory) has been established.
 Finally, using prepositions with this type of linking statement can be tricky. Here are
some standard uses:
in As shown in Table 1…
by As predicted by the model…
on As described on the previous page…

HIGHLIGHTING STATEMENTS

The central sections of data commentaries consist of highlighting statements.

Highlighting statements are generalizations that you can draw from the details of the
data display. Highlighting statements need good judgment. They are opportunity to show your
intelligence.

In particular, they are an opportunity for you to demonstrate

 that you can spot trends or regularities in the data,
 that you can separate more important findings from less important ones, and
 that you can make claims of appropriate strength.

So, do not
 simply repeat all the details in words,
 attempt to cover all the information, or
 claim more than is reasonable or defensible.

LANGUAGE FOCUS: Qualifications and Strength of Claim

 Highlighting statements need good judgment. They also need good presentation of
judgment. Thus, they have two requirements.
 One is the need to be cautious—and sometimes critical—about the data.
 As Skelton (1988) neatly observed, “It is important for students to learn to be confidently
uncertain.” The other requirement is to have the linguistic resources to express this
caution.