Introduction to Technical Writing

IntroductiontoTechnicalWritingByHassanAboubakrOmarUndersupervisionofProf.WeihuaZhuangCenterofWirelessCommunicationsDepartmentofElectricalandComputerEngineeringUniversityofWaterloo,CanadaNov.9,2012Outline•Importanceofwritingskills•Technicalwritingprocess•Writingeffectivesentences•Writingcoherentprose•Commongrammaticalerrors•References2ImportanceofWritingSkills•TypesofdocumentswrittenbyatypicalstudentaimingtopursuePhDstudies:–Requesttofamousuniversityprofessorsaskingforascholarship–Statementofpurposeforthegraduatestudiesapplication–Courseprojectreports–PhDresearchproposal–Teachingassistantshipstatement–Conferenceandjournalpapers–Researchstatementfordifferentscholarshipapplications:OGS,NSERC,Vanier,etc.–Researchproposaltoapplyforgovernmentfunding–ThesisIfanyofthesedocumentsisnotwellwritten,itmayresultinalossofmoney,opportunity,and/ortime.TechnicalWritingDefinition•Technicalwritingreferstostraightforwardexplanationsand/orinstructionsdealingwithaparticulartechnicalsubject.Thesubjectbeingwrittenaboutmaybeabstractortangible.•Technicalwritingconveysspecificinformationaboutatechnicalsubjecttoaspecificaudienceforaspecificpurpose.TechnicalWritingProcessPre-writingRevising5DraftingAllwhatshouldbedonebeforeactuallystartingtowritesentencesandparagraphsInformationfindingAnalysingthereaderse.g.theresearchoutcomeswhichneedtobepublishedinaresearchpaperOutliningCreationofastructureforpresentingtheidease.g.theirbackgrounds,interest,andreasonsforreadingthedocumentAppropriatevocabularySuitableexamplesConvenientleveloftechnicalinformationProperdepthofdetailsTheprocessofturningtheoutlinesintosentencesandparagraphsTheprocessofreadingthedraftcarefullyseveraltimeslookingeachtimeforadifferentaspectComprehensivenessAccuracyParagraphingSentencestructureSpellingNoonecanbeagoodwriter,onlyagoodrewriterOutline•Importanceofwritingskills•Technicalwritingprocess•Writingeffectivesentences•Writingcoherentprose•Commongrammaticalerrors•References6WritingEffectiveSentences•Useavarietyofsentencetypes–Simple(oneindependentclause)Thetechniciansoondiscoveredtheproblem.–Compound(twoindependentclauseslinkedbyasemicolon,acomma,oroneofthesevencoordinatingconjunctions:and,or,nor,for,so,yet,andbut)Thetechniciansoondiscoveredtheproblem,buthefounditdifficulttosolve.WritingEffectiveSentences•Useavarietyofsentencetypes–Complex(oneindependentclauseandatleastonedependentclauselinkedbyasubordinatingconjunction)Althoughthetechniciansoondiscoveredtheproblem,hefounditdifficulttosolve.–Compound-complex(atleasttwoindependentclausesandatleastonedependentclause)Althoughthetechniciansoondiscoveredtheproblem,hefounditdifficulttosolve,andhefinallydeterminedthatheneededadditionalparts.WritingEffectiveSentences•Chooseanappropriatesentencelength–Alengthof15to20wordsiseffectiveformosttechnicalwriting–ShortwordsandsentencesareeasiertounderstandthanlongonesOrig.ItisessentialthattheopticalprofilerlensbecleanedatfrequentintervalsonaregularbasisasisdelineatedinManual112.Rev.Cleanthelensfrequentlyandregularly(seeManual112).WritingEffectiveSentences•Chooseanappropriatesentencelength–EliminateverbiageVerbiageEfficientAlargenumberofManyAtthispointintimeNowComeincontactwithContactIntheeventofIfInsomecasesSometimesInthemajorityofinstancesUsuallyAtthesametimeasWhileDuetothefactthatBecauseInthenearfutureSoonWritingEffectiveSentences•Chooseanappropriatesentencelength–EliminateunneededwordsYoumayoftenfindthatthereareanumberofwordscontainedinyourwritingthatcanbesafelyeliminatedwithoutanykindofdangertoyourmeaningwhatsoeverWritingEffectiveSentences•Chooseanappropriatesentencelength–EliminateredundancyRedundantEfficientAlternativechoicesAlternativesCompletelyeliminateEliminateConnectedtogetherConnectedCollaboratetogetherCollaborateExactlyidenticalIdenticalRectangularinshapeRectangular12noonnoonWritingEffectiveSentences•Chooseanappropriatesentencelength–Avoid“Itis”and“Thereis”beginningsOrg.:ThereareseveralproblemswhichneedtoberesolvedRev.:Severalproblemsneedtoberesolved.Org.:Itiscertainthatthedelaywillincrease.Rev.:Thedelaywillcertainlyincrease.WritingEffectiveSentences•Useefficientwording–UseplainEnglish:writetocommunicatenottoimpress,orasthesayinggoes“Neverutilizeutilizewhenyoucanuseuse”FloweryPlainAscertainVerifyCommenceBegin,StartConcurAgreeEndeavourTryEventuateoccurFirstlyFirstNumerousManyWhilstwhileWritingEffectiveSentences•Useefficientwording–UsepositiveconstructionsDifficult:Becausetheteamwasnotnotifiedofthedeadlineintime,itwasnotabletoprepareasatisfactoryreportSimpler:Becausetheteamwasnotifiedofthedeadlinelate,itproducedanunsatisfactoryreportPositiveconstructionsNegativeconstructionsMostNotallFewNotmanyOntimeNotlatePositiveNotnegativeRejectCannotacceptWritingEffectiveSentences•Useefficientwording–Avoid“All-purpose”nouns:e.g.factor,element,thing,aspect,etc.Org.:Onethingthatbecameclearatthemeetingwasthatmanagerswerenotlisteningwelltotheiremployees.Rev.:Oneproblemthatbecameclearatthemeetingwasthatmanagerswerenotlisteningwelltotheiremployees.WritingEffectiveSentences•Avoidhesitancy–Hesitancyex