Technical Writing Function

The purpose of having guidelines is to make the document more readable. Standard guidelines govern – Format – page layout, numbering conventions, etc. (the reason we use LaTeX) – Graphics – use of figures, graphs, charts, tables – Voice – appropriate use of active and passive voice – Verb tense – appropriate for and consistent within each section – References & citations – giving appropriate credit Technical documents have different guidelines than other forms of writing.

The document should have a clear focus. Who is your audience? – What level of knowledge can be assumed? What is the purpose of the document? – What specific information do you need to communicate? How can you best achieve the stated purpose? – What is the most effective way to communicate the information? Words? Images? Graphs? Tables? Sound familiar?

Technical papers/reports often include some, or all, of the following sections. Abstract Introduction Background (sometimes included with Introduction) Theory Design Decision & Criteria Materials Methodology Results Discussion Conclusions

The Abstract is a brief summary that precedes the paper. Very specific to the work done Clearly state the scope of the work Indicate the methodology used Present the main findings and conclusions No background, no fluff Past & present tense

The Introduction serves several purposes. Clearly state the problem that was addressed Define the scope of the work – explain the reasons and goals of the work Tell why the work is important Explain any limitations associated with the work done Introduce the remainder of the paper Past & present tense

The Background provides context. What problem is this research intended to address? (i.e. Why is this problem important?) What related work has been done previously? What were the findings of that work? How is this work different? What are the goals of the current research? Past & present tense

The Background provides context. What problem is this design intended to address? (i.e. Why is this problem important?) What other solutions, if any, are currently available? What are the pros and cons of the available solutions? What are the pros and cons of the new design? Past & present tense

The Theory provides the conceptual and mathematical foundation. Explain the theory behind the research or design Scientific principles Engineering principles Associated formulas …all with definitions and appropriate graphics Present tense

The Design & Decision Criteria evidences of the engineering design process. The engineering design process is the outline for this section. Clearly identify design specifications/criteria. – Primary design objective – Goals and constraints Research Details of design alternatives Analysis & decision process Past & present tense

The Materials section is just that. What specific materials – type and quantity – were required for the research? What specific materials – type and quantity – are required for the prototype/final design? Past or present tense

The Methodology describes how the work was accomplished. For research, the methodology should be sufficient to reproduce the experiment and data collection process. For design, the methodology should describe the prototyping and testing process. Past & present tense

The Results presents research findings or design testing. Visual representation of “processed” data – Graphs, tables, diagrams, charts Explanatory text: – Points out the most significant portions of findings/testing – Indicates key trends or relationships – Highlights expected and/or unexpected findings Present tense

The Discussion puts the results in context. Assesses and comments on results Explanation for Results – Comments on unexpected results, offering hypothesis for them Comparison to theory/literature – Does your research confirm theory and/or previous studies? Does your research deviate from them? Explanation for how the information can be applied in a broader context Present tense

The Conclusions summarizes essential information. Relate the findings back to the problem being addressed Was the design objective met? Does the end product satisfy the specified goals and constraints? What are the limitations of the work/report? Present tense

The Recommendations state the next steps (in your opinion). What recommendations can be made based on this research? Should further research follow? If so, specify what should be included at the next stage? Is the prototype ready for production? Should further testing/modifications be made? If so, what’s next? Present & future tense

The Engineering Design Process might serve as a great outline for some papers. Problem Definition (Introduction & Background) Conceptual Design (Theory) Preliminary Design (Theory, Design & Decision Criteria) Design Decision (Design & Decision Criteria) Detailed Design (Materials, Methodology, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, Recommendations)

Technical Writing Function