Technical Writing Communication is the intent. Identify Your Audience WHY are they reading your report/ e-mail/ memo? Why do they care? THAT is what needs.

Technical Writing

Communication is the intent

Identify Your Audience

WHY are they reading your report/ e-mail/ memo?

Why do they care?

THAT is what needs to be addressed in your writing.

Identify Your Audience

Choose your words accordingly –

Don’t use precise engineering terms with someone who doesn’t understand the terminology – they will cause confusion.

Do use precise engineering terms with other engineers – the lack of engineering terminalology will cause confusion.

Identify Your Audience

• Job function• Level of education• Why are they interested in subject?

What are their goals?• What does the audience need from you?• What information will they need to

access first?

Write to Communicate

Define the unfamiliar

Italicize the first occurrence of unfamiliar terms and define them immediately.

Ex. Retina is a light-sensitive tissue found at the back of the eye that converts light impulses to nerve impulses.

Write to CommunicateAvoid jargon, the vocabulary particular to a work place.

The use of jargon will depend, in part, on the familiarity of the reader.

Ex. For the first year the links with SDPC and HAC were not connected, and all required OCS input data were artificially loaded. The CATCH22 and MERWIN were not available.

This might work fine for the IT personnel, but if others are involved, it will need to be refined.

Write as if every word is a five dollar

bill!

Clutter is the disease of American writing. We are a society strangling in unnecessary words, circular constructions, pompous frills, and meaningless jargon.

“On Writing Well”William Zinsser

Write as if every word is a five dollar bill.

• Never use two words when one word will do• Combine overlapping sentences• Use detail wisely• Never use a two syllable word when a one

syllable word works• Avoid needless words• Avoid be verbs• Use active voice

Word Economy

Never use two words when one word will do.

Ex. The relationship between the frequently fluctuating nature of salt water to fresh water in the Edgartown Great Pond is extremely important to everyone including scientists, residents and environmentalists on Martha’s Vineyard.

Ex. The fluctuating salinity of the Edgartown Great Pond concerns many environmentalists, scientists, and residents.

Word Economy

Never use two words when one word will do.

Ex. The existing nature of Mount St. Helens’ volcanic ash spewage was handled through the applied use of computer modeling capabilities.

Ex. We used computers to model the amount of Mount St. Helens ash.

Word Economy

Never use two words when one word will do.

Ex. There are three things delaying progress.

Ex. Three things delay progress.

Word EconomyNever use two words when one word will do.

(already) existing Never (before)

At (the) present (time) None (at all)

(basic) fundamentals Today (at this time)

(completely) eliminate Period (of time)

(continue to) remain Start (out

(empty) space Write (out)

(still) persists Introduced (a new)

Mix (together)

Word EconomyNever use two words when one word will do.

In the event that… At this point in time…

With regard to… In the first place…

Is of the opinion that… Due to the fact that…

Make revisions… Take into consideration…

With the exception of… Make an adjustment of…

A majority of… A number of...

For the purpose of… Have the capacity to…

So as to… Made the decision…

Word Economy

Combine overlapping sentences.

Ex. The water quality in Hawk River declined in March. This decline occurred because of the heavy rainfall that month. The extra water overloaded Tomlin County’s water treatment facility.

Word Economy

Combine overlapping sentences.

Ex. The water quality in Hawk River declined in March. This decline occurred because of the heavy rainfall that month. The extra water overloaded Tomlin County’s water treatment facility.

Ex. Hawk River water quality declined in March because rain overloaded the Tomlin County water treatment plant.

Word Economy

Reduce long clauses to shorter phrases.

Wordy – The clown who was in the center ring was riding a tricycle.

Revised – The clown in the center ring rode a tricycle.

Word Economy

Reduce phrases to single words.

Wordy – The clown at the end of the line tried to sweep up the spotlight.

Improved – The last clown tried to sweep up the spotlight.

Word Economy

Use details wisely.

Ex. The average house in the area has a radon level of 0.4 picocuries per litre.

Good example of writing to your audience. The average reader is going to say, “What does that even mean?”

Word EconomyUse details wisely.

Ex. The average house in the area has a radon level of 0.4 picocuries per litre.

Ex. The average house in the area has a radon level of 0.4 picocuries per litre, which is considered low by the EPA. Levels between 20 and 2000 picocuries per liter are considered high, and levels above 200 picocuries per liter are considered dangerous. The average radon level in outdoor air is about 0.2 picocuries per litre.

This is important information for the reader, so it should be included.

Word EconomyUse details wisely.

Ex. The number of particular hydrocarbon combinations in our study is enormous. For example, the number of possible C20H42 is 366,319, and the number of C40H82 is 62,491,178,805,831.

On the other hand, this is overkill.

Word EconomyUse details wisely.

Ex. The number of particular hydrocarbon combinations in our study is enormous. For example, the number of possible C20H42 is 366,319, and the number of C40H82 is 62,491,178,805,831.

Ex. The number of particular hydrocarbon combinations in our study is enormous: the number of possible C40H82 is over 60 trillion.

Word EconomyNever use a two bit word when a nickel word will do.

Category Example Improvement

Nouns UtilizationFunctionality

UseFeature

Verbs FacilitateFinalize

CauseEnd

Adjectives AforementionedIndividualized

MentionedIndividual

Adverbs Firstly, secondly,Heretofore

First, secondPrevious

Word EconomyNever use a two bit word when a nickel word will do.

Utilize Anticipate Indicate

Initially Morbidity Terminate

Presently Cognizant Incredulous

Prohibit Endeavor Counterproductive

Domicile

Word Economy

Avoid needless words.

Ex. By writing the steps down ahead of time, it allows you to budget your time to accomplish your task.

Word Economy

Avoid needless words.

Ex. By writing the steps down ahead of time, it allows you to budget your time to accomplish your task.

Writing the steps down ahead of time allows you to budget your time….

Word Economy

Avoid needless words.

Ex. In most cases you will find that in order to maintain a status as a full time student, twelve class credits must be maintained.

Word Economy

Avoid needless words.

Ex. In most cases you will find that in order Typically, to maintain a status as a full time student status, take twelve class credits must be maintained.

Word EconomyAvoid “to be” verbs.• Is• Are• Was• Were• Has been• Have been

Ex. These steps are to be repeated. Repeat these steps.Ex. She was talking as she walked. She walked and talked.

In Writing… Less is More

Earthquakes can occur at predictable intervals along a given fault segment. Depending on the length and slip in each mainshock, the exact interval can vary by a factor of two. The southern segment of the San Andreas fault has an interval of 145 years, plus or minus a few decades.

Complete Fog Index and edit wordy examples.

(Modified from Purdue online writing lab)