Communication in industrial research laboratories

Industrial physicists publish their research results in internal company reports as well as in physics journals. In internal reports, research findings are communicated primarily to engineering and management groups. Because of the specific needs and preferences of these groups, the criteria for internal reports are different from those usually considered best for an outside publication. For the same reason, oral presentations in a company differ from those for a professional society meeting. The criteria for communication inside and outside a company are compared since physics graduates entering industry must be made aware of these differences — preferably before they graduate.