Technical Writing:
For the Engineering Student
Presented by Page Horschel
The Academic Support Center
CAPT Siripong Potisuk
MAJ Mark McKinney
Grimsley Hall 322
Technical 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?”
The Importance of Writing
Many engineers spend between 1/3 and 1/2
of their work time engaged in technical
writing. Examples include:
• proposals
• regulations
• manuals
• procedures
• requests
• technical
reports
• progress
reports
• emails
• memos
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)
• Recommendations
Do not include statements about your
personal feelings or experiences.
Results vs. Conclusion
• Experiments require writers to observe results and to draw
conclusions 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
Objectivity
• Objectivity 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.
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:
• PASSIVE
FOCUSES ON
THE PROCESS:
Paul used the Bunn
method to test the
oxygen saturation in
all three locations.
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.
• PASSIVE VOICE:
Tiny shifts in blood
flow to parts of the
brain were detected
with functional
magnetic resonance
imaging.
• ACTIVE VOICE:
Adam prepared a
50ml solution using
distilled water in
volumetric flasks.
• 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
if you wish to compare numerical data
• GRAPHS
• 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
IEEE Examples:
• [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.
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 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 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!
• 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
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•
•
•
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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-writingcourse.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-writingcommunication-what-why.html