Structuring Your
Technical Paper
Georgeen George
Basic Questions
•
•
•
•
Who is the reader?
Why and When are you writing? (Purpose)
What will you be writing?
How will you structure the paper?
Structuring Your Technical Paper
Who?
When the target
readers are known
• Identify knowledge
level
• Determine
information need
and plan content
accordingly
When the target
readers are unknown
• Transcend hierarchy
of readership
• Provide easy access
to varying levels of
information need and
plan content
accordingly
Structuring Your Technical Paper
First Impressions
• The first 3-5 minutes of the reading
influences the answer to the question :
“Do I need to invest my 45 minutes or 1
hour to read the rest of the paper?”
• Originality would help
Structuring Your Technical Paper
Characteristics of a Technical Paper
(Influenced by Why and When)
· Mostly addresses a specific audience or a
group with specific interest, has a specific
topic and purpose
· Consists of a number of components
organized in a structure
· Uses simple and objective language
· Ensures visual presentation (illustrations) and
appeal
Structuring Your Technical Paper
Characteristics of a Technical Paper
• Technical Papers are clear and concise
• They convey ideas and results in the
least possible time and space
• They are consistent in terms of
notations and terms throughout the
paper
Structuring Your Technical Paper
Components of a Technical Paper
(What)
• Title: Concise and to the point, less than ten
words.
• Abstract/Executive Summary: A summary of
the paper including a brief description of the
problem, the solution, and conclusions.
• Keywords: Simple definitions of terms used. It
will also facilitate computerized search.
Structuring Your Technical Paper
The Three Main Components
Structuring Your Technical Paper
Components of a Technical Paper
Introduction - Statement of Thesis (Declaration
of destination)
• Precise statement of the writer’s stance on
the topic/problem that will be developed
• Background and importance of the
topic/problem
• Previous solutions to the problem
• One or two line description of the proposed
solution
Structuring Your Technical Paper
Components of a Technical Paper
The Body or the Main Content
• The main argument of the subject is carried
out in the body of the paper, complete with
supporting data. The argument should
proceed in a logical sequence
• Description of the proposed solution/model
including assumptions for solutions.
• Use figures to help explain the same.
Structuring Your Technical Paper
Components of a Technical Paper
Conclusions
• Summarizes what has been done and
highlights the result.
• Restatement of thesis (arrival at "destination")
• Summary of argument given which supports
the thesis
• Statement of consequences of this argument
• Indication of related issues that might be
interesting/important to pursue elsewhere
Structuring Your Technical Paper
Components of a Technical Paper
References
• Contains a list of papers referred to in the paper.
• Examples
• For a book : W. A. Edson, Vacuum Tube Oscillators.
John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, New York, pp.
170-171, 1948.
• For an Article: B. Lawrence, B. H. Weil, and M. H.
Graham, “Making online search available in an
industrial research environment,” Journal of the
American Society for Information Science, pp. 354369, Nov.-Dec. 1974.
Structuring Your Technical Paper
Components of a Technical Paper
Appendix
• Those materials which are deemed inessential to the flow of the
paper, but are included for the sake of providing better
understanding and completeness.
Graphics (Figures/Tables/Charts)
• Should have titles (Number and name). Inside the text a figure is
referred to with its Number. Ex. As shown in Fig 1.2
• May be placed immediately after referred to in the text or at the
end of the paper.
• Readable/Understandable without relying completely on the
description in the text.
Structuring Your Technical Paper
How does one plan the document?
Choose the logic pattern
• Sequential
• Pyramid/ Inverted
Pyramid
Prepare the outline
Determine the choice of
language
• Tone and Style
Write the document
• Revise
• Review
Style
• Running text
• Bullets/Lists
• Graphics
Decide the format/layout
• Margins
• Heading Fonts
• Text Fonts
Structuring Your Technical Paper
Principles of Structure
• Regular Pyramid
Structure: From the
general to the
particular
• Inverted Pyramid
Structure: From the
particular to the
general
• General Situation
• Narrowing down
• Particular Detail
• Specific Purpose
• Opening out
• General Situation
Structuring Your Technical Paper
Principles of Structure
• Regular Pyramid
Structure: From the
general to the
particular
• Inverted Pyramid
Structure: From the
particular to the
general
• General Situation
• Narrowing down
• Particular Detail
• Specific Detail
• Opening out
• General Situation
Structuring Your Technical Paper
Pyramid Structure/Text Book Style Example
• Aggressive marketers speak of invasive data
collection as simply "getting to know the
customer," and promote active assembling of a
database of private client information. ABC
corporation is assembling a database of private
information about their clients and their customers
are becoming concerned about identity theft.
Despite their claim to be interested in providing
better customer service, customers are
increasingly becoming reluctant to visit the ABC
website.
Structuring Your Technical Paper
Inverted Pyramid
• Most important, timely or relevant information first Style used by journalists. News first, and major items
in order of descending importance.
Example
• Our marketing study proves that citizens who are
concerned about information privacy are reluctant to
visit ABC Corporation website.
Structuring Your Technical Paper
Cohesion of Paragraphs
• Use short paragraphs for emphasis – White
space
• Maintain continuity between paragraphs
• Choose a suitable ordering
• Avoid sudden changes of subject
• Anticipate the next subject, or refer to the
previous one
• Don't bury the key point in the middle or end
of a paragraph
Structuring Your Technical Paper
How to Develop Headings
• Designate levels of headings by
defining styles
• Make each level look different
- Place the first level at a distinct location
- Use boldface lettering or italics for highlighting
- Develop a visual logic
- Write brief and pertinent headings
Structuring Your Technical Paper
Font Sizes
First level heading (Arial 16 Bold)
1.1 Second level heading (Arial 14 Bold)
1.2.1 Third level heading (Arial 12 Bold)
1.2.1.1 Fourth level heading (Arial 11 Bold)
Fifth level heading (Arial 11)
Running text (Arial 11 Regular)
Structuring Your Technical Paper
References
•
Booth, Vernon Communicating in Science : Writing
a Scientific Paper and Speaking at Scientific
Meetings. Cambridge University Press, 1993.
•
Turk, Christopher Effective Writing : Improving
Scientific, Technical and Business Communication
E. & F.N. Spon, London, 1989.
•
Katz, Michael J Elements of the Scientific Paper
Yale University Press, 1985.
•
The Chicago Manual of Style
Structuring Your Technical Paper