Technical Writing: For the Engineering Student

Presented by Page HorschelThe Academic Support Center

CAPT Siripong PotisukMAJ Mark McKinney

Grimsley Hall 322

Technical WritingTechnical Writing

• Technical writing is a type of expository writing this is used to convey information for technical or business purposes.

• Technical writing is NOT used to:

• entertain• create suspense• invite differing interpretations

Now, I know what you all are thinking…

“But wait, I’m an engineer. How does writing pertain to me?”

• proposals

• regulations

• manuals

• procedures

• requests

• technical reports

• progress reports

• emails

• memos

Many engineers spend between 1/3 and 1/2 of their work time engaged in technical writing. Examples include:

The Importance of WritingThe Importance of Writing

Quote:

“The American Society for Engineering Education conducted a survey to determine which academic skills are most needed for engineering careers in industry. The results show that communication skills rank above any other type of skill, capturing five of the most-needed skills, out of thirty-eight skills analyzed. These five communication skills are: – Technical writing (2nd place) – Public speaking (4th place) – Working with individuals (6th place) – Working with groups (7th place) and – Talking with people (9th place)”

Quote:

Nicholas D. Sylvester in his book Engineering Education has given data under the title “Engineering Education Must Improve the Communication Skills of its Graduates.” From the data, it is observed that

“75 percent of engineering undergraduates take jobs in industry, where at least 25 percent of an engineer’s time is spent in the reporting process. As the engineer moves up the managerial ladder, this time can increase to as much as 80 percent.”

Overview

• This presentation will cover:– Report purpose and planning– Report format and organization– Headings and language– Visual design– Source documentation– Finishing touches

Report Purpose

• Describe research– Explain problem or issue studied– Discuss research method– Describe data collected– Describe research findings– Explain implications

Report Purpose

• Inform readers of research results precisely, concisely, and specifically– They shouldn’t have to read whole report to get essential points

Report Planning

• Before writing, consider:– Why you are writing– What you hope to achieve– Who you are writing for

These considerations will determine your

report’s content, organization, textual

and visual design

Report Format and Organization

• Reports generally include these sections in this order:– Title Page– Body of the Report

•Introduction / Background Information•Procedure / Methodology•Presentation of Data / Discussion of Results

•Conclusion

Report Format and Organization

• Introduction / Background– Explains the research problem and its context•Outlines the objectives of the experiment

•Identifies pertinent background information

•Explains importance of the problem (Why does it matter? Why is more information needed?)

•Explains reason(s) and goal(s) for study

You want your reader to fully understand the

significance of your research

Report Format and Organization

• Procedure / Methodology– Explains how data was gathered/generated– Explains how data was analyzed– Assumes reader understands material

• Does not include explanatory material – Graded on quality, not on quantity/weight– Is in past tense and passive voice

• “A 1” piece of coil was cut and the following measurements were taken...etc”– The research has been carried out– It is the research, and not your activities, that are of interest

Report Format and Organization

• Discussion of Results/Presentation of Data– Visually and textually represents research findings•Visual representation of results:

– Graphs, tables, diagrams, charts

•Explanatory text:– Text points out the most significant portions of research findings

– Indicates key trends or relationships– Highlights expected and/or unexpected findings

Report Format and Organization

• Discussion of Results/Presentation of Data– Assesses and comments on research results

– Includes:•Explanation for Results

– Comments on unexpected results, offering hypothesis for them

•Comparison to literature– Does your research confirm previous studies? Deviate from them?

•Explanation for how info can be applied in broader context

Report Format and Organization

• Conclusion / Summary – Discusses:

•How general principle was supported by the findings

•What was learned and what remains to be learned through research

•Weaknesses/shortcomings vs. strength of study

•Possible applications of study (how it can be used)

•RecommendationsDo not include statements about your

personal feelings or experiences.

Results vs. Conclusion• Experiments require writers to observe resultsresults and to

draw conclusionsconclusions from those observations. Observable results, however, are different from the conclusions drawn.

• A result is simply what happened; a conclusion goes beyond what happened. A conclusion requires a scientist to draw an inference, to make a point about the results.

• For example, Paul Broca measured women’s brains in the mid-1800’s. When he observed that they weighed an average of 181 grams less than a man’s brain, he wrongly concluded that smaller brains meant women were less intelligent than men. His observation, the result of his measurements, was correct. The brains did weigh less. But less weight doesn’t lead to the conclusion that women are not as smart. (Interesting note: What would he have concluded if he had known Einstein’s brain weighed nearly ½ pound less than the average man’s brain?)

Organizational Considerations

• Your audience, purpose, and contents should influence your report’s organization and format– Example: Your professor may have very specific guidelines.

• Carefully consider your decisions

Headings and Subheadings

• Headings and subheadings guide readers’ attention

• Can be used to keep track of various parts of project:– For example: “Making Components,” “Assembling Components,” and “Testing Assembly”

• They should be:– Specific and helpful– Used to break up text and “chunk” information

– Used to guide readers’ attention

Headings and Subheadings

• Example of vague heading:– “The use of some computing technologies in certain engineering classrooms”

• Example of specific heading:– “Using Matlab in the Freshman Engineering Classroom”

Language and Vocabulary

• Reports should be easily accessible – Be straightforward and concise– Use simple terms, not jargon and technical terms

– Keep sentences short and simple (20 words max)

– Be specific and not general•Use concrete numbers and metaphors or similes

• ObjectivityObjectivity means that the conclusion reached is based on facts and not a whim or bias. It also means that another experimenter can follow the same procedure and come out with the same results.

• Objective knowledge is different from subjective knowledge. Subjective knowledge, based on personal opinion, is difficult to measure and can vary from one person to another.

• Example: to say that your hair makes you look sophisticated is subjective, a personal interpretation of sophistication. To say that your hair is black, cut in a buzz cut with strands approximately 1/8” long is an objective description. Everyone can see this description and agree on it because it’s measurable.

Objectivity

Active Voice vs. Passive Voice

• Because objectivity is important, lab reports often make use of passive voice. Passive voice uses a form of the verb “to be” plus the past participle of the verb.

• Use of passive voice keeps the reader focused on the process, instead of on the scientist performing that process.

• Science strives to be objective, and some people think that the naming of a person makes the lab report sound too subjective and personal.

• ACTIVE FOCUSES ON THE PERSON: Paul used the Bunn method to test the oxygen saturation in all three locations.

• PASSIVE FOCUSES ON

THE PROCESS: Oxygen

saturation was tested in all three locations using the Davie

method.

Most advice from teachers encourages writers to avoid passive voice and to write in active voice. The lab report is unique: Lab reports typically rely heavily on passive voice sentences.

• ACTIVE VOICE: Lindsay detected tiny shifts in blood flow to parts of the brain with functional magnetic resonance imaging.

• ACTIVE VOICE: Adam prepared a 50ml solution using distilled water in volumetric flasks.

• PASSIVE VOICE: Tiny shifts in blood flow to parts of the brain were detected with functional magnetic resonance imaging.

• PASSIVE VOICE: A 50ml solution was prepared using distilled water in volumetric flasks.

Visual Design

• A report’s visual design can make or break its communication success

• Visual Design includes:– Use of graphs and other graphics– Use of white space

Visual Design

• Graphics:– Should be used to illustrate specific points

– Should be incorporated in a way that is natural to report’s content/context

– Should be explained fully in text using references such as “Fig. 1 shows…”

– Should be cited if taken from a source– Graphics do not speak for themselves! – For this reason, textual information should come before graphics.

Figures and Tables

• Every figure must have a caption• All tables must have a title• Figure/tables are placed after they are mentioned in the text (all must be mentioned/discussed)

• Make figures/tables first, and then insert into the text

• Put the figure/table number beside its title, and put this in a standard location

• Don’t start a sentence with an abbreviation: Write “Figure” not “Fig.”

A Word About Visual Aids• When doing your Lab Report, think about data that could be presented visually. If that data would help your reader understand your lab report, then use the visual aid. For lab reports consider using:

• TABLES if you results use a lot of numbers

• SCHEMATIC if your method or results require an understanding

of the circuitry (inside workings) of a mechanism

• DIAGRAM if your method or results involve an understanding

of special instruments or mechanisms

• MAPS if you are working with an outdoor lab where

places are important• GRAPHS if you wish to compare numerical data

• PHOTOGRAPHS if the actual picture would help your reader

understand your data

Source Documentation

• Cite sources whenever you are quoting, paraphrasing, or summarizing work that is not your own– Quoting directly is discouraged

• Sources include:– Books– Journal, magazine, or newspaper articles– Interviews– Conference Proceedings– Lectures

Source Documentation

• Citing:– Shows your credibility as a researcher

– Gives proper credit to authors and researchers

– Protects you from accusations of plagiarism

Plagiarism

• Never take the work of others without giving proper credit

• Never take verbatim sentences/paragraphs from the literature

• If you feel that you must use verbatim material, use quotation marks and a reference. Do this sparingly!

• There are search engines that can find if verbatim material has been stolen. Professors fail students who do this. Additional disciplinary action may follow.

Source Documentation

• Use IEEE or other specified format for documentation (check with your professor)

• Check online for style guides– http://owl.english.purdue.edu

• Check journals for format info• Decide on a sequence, such as the order they appear in the text

• Always give full references such that others may find the item

Source Documentation

• [1] A. Student and B. Professor, “Very Important Project,” in Journal of Irreproducable Research, vol. 13, no. 9, pp. 25-31, Nov. 2004.

• [2] C. Dean, The Book of Earth-Shattering Research, Husky Press, Storrs, CT, 2005.

IEEE Examples:

Finishing Touches

• Usability Testing– Have a colleague read your report for clarity, organization, and visual design

• Check your sources for proper citations

• Proofread carefully – or better yet, ask someone to do it for you

Finishing Touches

• Check Spelling• Check Grammar• Minimize the use of Acronyms• If Acronyms are necessary, always define them at the first use

• Number all equations, tables, and figures

• All tables and figures must have captions.

• All figures must have labeled axes• All quantities must have units

The Academic Support CenterThe Academic Support Center

What ASC will do for you:

• Give you one-on-one attention for writing help.

• Provide positive feedback on your paper.

• Point out mistakes or weaknesses and show you how to correct and avoid them in the future.

• Work hard to help you become a confident writer!

The Academic Support CenterThe Academic Support Center

What ASC will not do for you:

• Write your paper for you.• Edit your paper.• Predict the grade you will make on your paper.

• Stamp your paper without checking it.

• Take responsibility for your grades.

Come Prepared for Tutoring!Come Prepared for Tutoring!

• Request a writing appointment in as far advance as possible (three days or more).

• Bring two copies of your assignment to the session.

• Bring your class syllabus and the assignment instructions.

• Bring books or research material if needed.

References

• Asian Institute of Technology Language Center. (2003). Writing Up Research Guidebook. Asian Institute of Technology. Retrieved June 9, 2005 from http://www.clet.ait.ac.th/el21open.htm

• Chan, S.L., Kitipornchai, S., and Al-Bermani, F.G.A. (1991). Elasto-plastic analysis of box-beam-columns including local buckling effects. Journal of Structural Engineering, 117, 1946-1978.

• Halligan, N. (2004). A short course on writing technical reports. Technical Writing. Retrieved June 9, 2005 from http://www.technical-writing-course.com/type-of-technical-report.html

• Kvam, E. (Personal communication, June 11 2005).• Manivannan, G. "Technical Writing & Communication: What & Why?"

UsingEnglish.com(December 2005), under "Teachers," http://www.usingenglish.com/teachers/articles/technical-writing-communication-what-why.html