Download Guidelines for Effective Technical Writing: Language, Style, and Organization and more Lab Reports Electrical and Electronics Engineering in PDF only on Docsity! CONVENTIONS IN TECHNICAL WRITING Compiled by Sumita Roy for CxC for use by engineering faculty and students at LSU from the following sources: Mort et al. at The Learning Centre at www.lc.unsw.edu.au, The University of South Australia Foundation Inc., and John Lannon’s Technical Communication (2005). Language and Style • Clear statement of aim or purpose • Concise and precise presentation of detail • Cohesive and logical development of data and ideas • Considered objective separation of fact and opinion • Categorized layout of well-spaced headings, paragraphs and visuals. Aim to Inform Example of a literary sentence: The wind was blowing fiercely and the air outside was growing chilled Example of a scientific sentence: Onshore winds traveling at 45 km per hour brought temperatures down to 15 degrees Celsius. Be concise Example of a long sentence: After consulting three manufacturers: Dibble and Co., Sooky Ltd., and Bungle Puty, we have found that there are two types of vibration and suppression devices for portable CD players and both are simple in design but have inherent drawbacks. Example of a more concise version: Three manufacturers were consulted: Dibble and Co., Sooky Ltd., and Bungle Puty. We have found two types of vibration suppression devices for portable CD players. Both types are simple in design, but each has inherent drawbacks. Be Clear: Avoid ambiguous terms Unclear: The way we did the experiment was not so successful. Some of what we needed wasn’t there. Clear: We were unable to complete the experiment. The glass tubing and tripods required for the experiment were not located in laboratory G025. 1 Be accurate. Avoid jargon and slang. Define Abbreviations and Acronyms Use clear and simple language to convey information. Define new terms and abbreviations either in a footnote or in a glossary. Example: The use of testing procedures was recommended. Not The utilization of testing procedures was recommended. Avoid use of informal language. Use precise words to convey accurate information: Example: The diode was soldered into the circuit. Not The diode was put into the circuit. Use first person selectively Personal language is avoided in preference to impersonal constructions to emphasize scientific objectivity. Example: The mining site was investigated. Not I investigated the mining site. Smith (1994) determined... whereas the conclusion of this study is... Don’t use exclusionary language. Avoid using male-only terminology by • Using both pronouns: he/she, his/her • Using gender nonspecific terms: The drafter was responsible for the plans. Not The draftsman was... • Restructuring the sentence to avoid personal pronouns: A report can be completed by the engineer. Not The engineer can complete his report. • Using plural pronoun “their”: The operator is to check their machine for safety... Use ACTIVE voice to emphasize AGENT Example: A researcher has monitored the situation. PASSIVE voice to emphasize OBJECT Example: The situation has been monitored by a researcher. Use the appropriate Tense Appropriate tense use depends on: the section of the report, purpose, and the type of information included. 2
