Technical Writing for Engineers

1. Technical Writingfor Engineers by Dr. Aly N. El-Bahrawy Faculty of Engineering, Ain Shams University

2. Engineers and Writing • Engineers write a lot • Engineers write many kinds of documents • Successful engineers require strong writing skills • Engineers can learn to write well No one can be a good writer – only a good rewriter

3. Noise and the Communication Process Noise possibilities Mess- age Mess- age Encoder (sender) Channel (speech, writing, etc.) Decoder (receiver) Noise possibilities Anything that causes reader to hesitate due to uncertainty, confusion or frustration is noise

4. Technical Writing Process Planning Drafting Reviewing Mechanics Purpose Grammar Readers Initial Draft Style Research Outline Content

5. Guidelines for Good English Writing • Why you are writing? • Your readers • To the point • Document specifications • Accurate information • Logical material • Clear expression

6. Guidelinesfor Good English Writing • Efficient wording • Accessible ideas • Information lists • Page formatting • Time management

7. Why you are writing? • Purpose • Inform • Request • Instruct • Propose • Recommend • Persuade • Record

8. Consider their Needs Interests Level of expertise Possible reaction They can be your Peers Supervisors Subordinates Your Readers

9. Bridging the Gap Ask yourself questions • Knowledge • Different field, different audience • Ability • Level and vocabulary, unreasonable expectations • Interest • Purpose, level of detail, attitude

10. Document Specifications • Length of document • Brief memo, specs, RFP • Topic • Editor requirements • No of words, format

11. To the Point • Most important at the beginning • Managers need the ‘bottom line’ • Kind of document • Letter (opening sentence) • Memo (subject line) • E-mail (concise subject heading) • Report (informative title, executive summary)

12. Accurate Information • Errors make readers lose confidence • Examples of errors • Incorrect reference, inaccurate directions, claims true under certain conditions • Difference between fact and opinion

13. Logical Material • Chronological • progress of trip report • From most to least important • no of points • Order of familiarity or difficulty • Text book • From general to specific • memo

14. Clear Expression • Engineering is a precise discipline • Sentence must convey a single meaning with no room for interpretation or misunderstanding • Pitfalls to avoid • Ambiguity, vagueness, coherence, directness

15. Clear Expression • Ambiguity • Point to more than one referent in a sentence • Vagueness • Words causing no useful meaning to reader • Coherence • Paragraphs and documents should stick together and be focused on subject • Directness • Access to information should be quick and easy

16. Example of Ambiguity • Before accepting material from the new subcontractors, we should make sure they meet our requirements. • We should make sure the materials from the new contractors meet our requirements before accepting them.

17. Example of Vagueness • The Robotics group is several weeks behind schedule. • The Robotics group is six weeks behind schedule

18. Example of Coherence • A significant advantage of the 125-H CRT is its high power consumption. The tube requires substantial power to produce the high voltages and currents that are necessary to drive and deflect the electron beam. The 125-H is inefficient – only about 10% to 20% of the power used by the tube is converted into visible light at the surface of the screen. The 125-H is poorly suited for portable display devices that run on batteries, where lower consumption is necessary. We should consider other options before committing to purchase the 125-H.

19. Example of Coherence • A significant advantage of the 125-H CRT is its high power consumption. This tube requires substantial power to produce the high voltages and currents that are necessary to drive and deflect the electron beam. In addition, the 125-H is inefficient – only about 10% to 20% of the power used by the tube is converted into visible light a the surface of the screen. Thus, the 125-H is poorly suited for portable display devices that run on batteries, where lower consumption is necessary. Because of this drawback, we should consider other options before committing to purchase the 125-H.

20. Example of Directness • After the long and difficult development cycle due to factory renovation, the infrared controller will be ready for production in the near future. • The infrared controller will be ready for production March 4. Its development cycle was sloweddown by the factory renovation.

21. Efficient Wording • Cost to produce one written page (15-20$) • Wordiness • Simplest and plainest word ‘Never utilize utilize when you can use use’ • Let your writing ‘cool off’ for a while, then come back to edit later

22. Example of Wordiness • You may often find that there are a number of words contained in your writing that can be safely eliminated without any kind of danger to your meaning whatsoever • Can you fix it?

23. Example of Wordiness • You may often find that there are anumber of words contained in your writing that can be safely eliminated without any kind of danger to your meaning whatsoever • You may find words that can be eliminated without danger to your meaning

24. Examples of Wordiness • I regret to say that at this point in time I basically do not have access to that specific information. • I do not know. • It is our considered recommendation that a new computer should be purchased. • We recommend buying a new computer.

25. commence compel comprises employ endeavor fabricate finalize Initiate optimal prioritize start force is use try make end begin best rank Wordiness Table (words)

26. a large number of at this point in time come in contact with exhibits the ability to in the event of in some cases in view of the fact that in the neighborhood of many now contact can if sometimes because about Wordiness Table (phrases)

27. Efficient Wording • Redundancy • Using words that say the same thing (e.g. basic fundamentals, connected together) • Turning verbs into nouns • Wanting to write in the passive rather than the active voice (e.g. made a selection – selected, investigation was undertaken – investigated)

28. alternative choices actual experience completely eliminate Just exactly exactly identical prove conclusively rectangular in shape 12 noon very best alternatives experience eliminate exactly identical prove rectangular noon best Table of Redundancy

29. Accessible Ideas • Subdivision into sections and sub-sections • Hierarchical headings FIRST Second (indent)Third • Numbered headings 1.0 1.1 1.1.1 • Paragraph length Under 12 lines or less, avoid orphans and widows

30. Information Lists • Numbered • Order of importance, ≤ 7 items • Checklists • All items must be tended to (usu. in order) • Bulleted • No specific order

31. Information Lists • Punctuation • Lead-in ends with a verb, use no colon • Some of the main concerns of environmental engineering are • air pollution • solid waste disposal • public water supply • Lead-in is a complete statement, use colon • Some of the main concerns of environmental engineering are as follows:

32. Information Lists • Items are complete statement, use period. Otherwise, use no punctuation • The group accomplishments are as follows: • Logic design was completed. • Final simulations were run. • Test patterns were debugged. • Consistent capitalization • Grammatical parallelism • Same beginning (verb, noun, etc.)

33. Page Formatting • Readers like visually pleasing print • Margins • One inch all around, ragged right-hand margin, extra left margin for binding • White space • Provides ‘breathing room’

34. Page Formatting • Typeface • Serif (larger quantity of text) and sans serif (headings) • The electric car prototype has regenerative braking, which recharges the supply while decelerating the vehicle. • The electric car prototype has regenerative braking, which recharges the supply while decelerating the vehicle.

35. Time Management • Finding and using time • breaks, laptops in waiting rooms, hotels, at airport, on trains, etc. • Outlines, deadlines, and time lines • Collaborative writing • Team writing is not easy (divide work among persons, finish and pass to the next, or assign each person a different task)