Technical English: Fewer is better! John Morris Faculty of Engineering, Mahasarakham University Computer Science/ Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of Auckland Iolanthe II leaves the Hauraki Gulf under full sail – Auckland-Tauranga Race, 2007

Words to avoid Many words have crept into the scientific literature that are best banished from it entirely!! Myth Using an elaborate, long, obscure or just ‘new’ word makes your work more acceptable and more likely to be published Reality If your work is good and described in a simple way, your reviewers|examiners|readers will not notice the absence of the long words On the contrary, they will be happy that they were able to read and understood your work quickly! Theme: Good technical English is simple

Words to avoid Functionality –Much loved by computer scientists! –An appalling abuse of English!! –This word was formed in this way Take a verb (or noun) ‘function’ Turn it into an adjective ‘functional’ Turn it back into a noun ‘functionality’ And use it a synonym for a much simpler word that already existed ‘capability’!! Worse - use it in place of ‘functions’ Use ‘capability’ or ‘functions’ instead!! Try replacing functionality with one of these two words in any computer science or engineering paper! You will get a simpler sentence with an identical meaning

Words to avoid Utilize –Use ‘use’ instead! We utilized a pH meter to measure … to We used a pH meter … No explanation necessary Reasons are obvious! Utilization, n –Use ‘use’ too! –However, when measuring use, utilization is usual Resource utilization reached 99% when … –Note that ‘use’ or ‘usage’ would actually suffice here too!

Words to avoid employ –Do not use when ‘use’ will do! We employed multi-variate statistics to analyze.. ‪better We used multi-variate statistics to analyze.. ‪and even better We analyzed our data with multi-variate statistics. Two principles here 1.Always use the simpler word 2.Active sentences are better See first topic in this set!

Words to avoid Prove, Proof, Proved, … –Formal scientific theory states that No experiment proves any hypothesis –It merely provides support for the hypothesis (and the theory behind it)  Never use ‘prove’ in an experimental paper –Use ‘demonstrate’, ‘show’, ‘support’, … Except in mathematical proofs –Here a logical argument leads to a proof of a proposition or theory or lemma|… Disprove –Acceptable because an experiment can refute a theory –It provides the counter-example that disproves the theory!

Words to avoid about –In this context This chapter is about.. –about is colloquial and should not be used.. This chapter discusses... ‘about’ meaning ‘approximately’ is OK –But approximately is more formal and would be preferred

Words to avoid like.. –In this context I used parameters like x, y and z. –like is vague and colloquial and should not be used.. I used parameters x, y and z. ie provide a specific list ‘like’ meaning ‘is similar to’ is also colloquial The error for method B is like that for method A –Use ‘is similar to’ The error for method B is similar to that for method A –which can be shortened to Methods A and B show similar errors. –or better some more precise measure of similarity Methods A and B show errors within 1% of each other.

Words to avoid given as.. Introducing equations … The state transition equation … is given as: X k = HX k-1 + w k-1 Since the equation follows immediately, ‘given as’ is unnecessary The state transition equation … is X k = HX k-1 + w k-1 as follows.. Similarly ‘as follows’ is usually redundant The disparity may be defined as follows: d = x l - x r –Just omit it The disparity may be defined: d = x l - x r

Words to avoid Colloquial expressions get, got –Only use in speech low latency solutions got less attention to low latency solutions received less attention

Words to avoid More colloquial expressions –There are many things that are OK in your oral presentation but which should not appear in the written version Don’t, isn’t, can’t, we’d,.. –These contractions should appear in full in your text.. do not.... is not.... can not.. we would..

Words to avoid ‘a must’ –Colloquial Accurate calibration is a must for good matching ‪better Accurate calibration is essential for good matching ‪or Accurate calibration is needed for good matching

Words to avoid Colloquial expressions big –Only use in speech We observed a big effect … to We observed a large effect … or better We observed a significant change.. Similarly –tiny  very small, insignificant –huge  very large

Words to avoid Colloquial expressions a lot of –Vague.. Only use in speech –Generally you should be more precise The signal had a lot of noise … to Signal-to-noise was only 2 dB … or if you really don’t have a figure.. The signal was noisy …

Words to avoid Superlatives Best, worst, largest, smallest, always, … –Be careful with these! –When you’re comparing your work with other work –Don’t make statements that your referee, examiner, … could disagree with!! He or she may believe that another approach is better –Make more qualified (weaker) assertions Choose words that you can easily justify to anyone! This approach is the best way to … to This approach performs better than x, y and z (specific list) –Don’t ‘pick a fight’ (generate an unnecessary argument with) your examiners, referees or readers –A ‘safe’ statement which can be accepted by anyone is more efficient

Words to avoid popular, popularity –Popularity is NOT an appropriate criterion for including something in scientific work! –Scientific rigour, novelty, importance for some application, performance and many other reasons are valid, but popularity is not! –There are several well documented cases of a ‘popular’ theory later rejected as nonsense Look up the ‘phlogiston’ theory –Originating in 1667, this theory was considered valid until disproven in 1753 but was still being referred to in 1794! For a more recent example, look up ‘cold fusion’ –You may use ‘popular’ in a disparaging sense if you want to refute some widely held belief –If you want to say that many people use some technique, use ‘common’ instead. This is a neutral word that simply implies many users whereas popular implies some approval …

Words to avoid as follows –Often simply not needed Disparity can be defined as follows: d = x l – x r If it follows immediately (as it almost always does!), this will suffice: Disparity can be defined: d = x l – x r

Words to avoid Words and expressions ‘borrowed’ from other contexts –‘said’ often appears in legal documents, but don’t use in scientific ones –Make an explicit reference in the said settings to in the setting listed in section 5.3 … –Note also that lawyers will use ‘said’ for something in the previous sentence! –Even they won’t ‘throw back’ the reference over many sentences or paragraphs Occasionally such borrowings are acceptable but often they stretch the reader’s knowledge of English expressions to a limit only reached by native speakers. Remember, nowadays most of your readers are probably NOT native speakers!!