GENERAL CONVENTIONS OF TECHNICAL STYLE FOUR PRINCIPLES AND TWENTY CONCEPTS
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Transcript of GENERAL CONVENTIONS OF TECHNICAL STYLE FOUR PRINCIPLES AND TWENTY CONCEPTS
GENERAL CONVENTIONS OF TECHNICAL STYLE
FOUR PRINCIPLES AND TWENTY CONCEPTS
Adapted from Pattow and Wresch,
Communicating Technical Information (2ed), 1998.
TECHNICAL WRITING
INFORMATION PRESENTATION
AUDIENCE
FACTUALFACTUAL
OBJECTIVEOBJECTIVE
SPECIFICSPECIFIC
Fundamental Considerations:
PRINCIPLE ONE:
INVOLVE READERS.
INVOLVING READERS
MORE LIKELY TO READ, UNDERSTAND,
& RESPOND
The student should take… You should take… Take...
1. ADDRESS READERS DIRECTLY
INVOLVING READERS
CLEAR & DIRECT:
EMPHASIS ON SUBJECT PERFORMING ACTION,
NOT OBJECT OF ACTION
The microscope slide should be washed… Biology students should wash the
microscope slide...
2. USE ACTIVE VOICE
In using active voice:
RULE OF THUMB:Avoid linking verb
constructions.
EXCEPTION
TO RULE:
Use passive voice in special cases to describe events in exact terms;
i.e., materials/methods sections of scientific reports.
“Fly thoraces were homogenized…”
Emphasis on action takenWhy?
INVOLVING READERS
chairman chair mailman mail carrier manpower work force workmanship work his prostate the prostate her pregnancy the pregnancy
3. AVOID SEXIST or EXCLUSIVE LANGUAGE
PRINCIPLE TWO:
SELECT WORDS CAREFULLY.
SELECTING WORDS CAREFULLY
4. AVOID INFLATED LANGUAGE
I’ve been stretching my
mouth to let those big words come
right out…
SELECTING WORDS CAREFULLY
assistance help constitutes makes necessitate require approximately about cease stop originates begins terminate end comprises makes up**
4. AVOID INFLATED LANGUAGE
SELECTING WORDS CAREFULLY
4. AVOID INFLATED LANGUAGE
Verb Corollary 1:Don’t confuse phrasal verbs with “deflated” language.
“makes up”[VERB —PARTICLE (adverb or preposition)]
WHY? Because particles are idiomatic.
SELECTING WORDS CAREFULLY
4. AVOID INFLATED LANGUAGE
“drop off”
The hill dropped off near the river.
While doing his homework, he dropped off.
Please drop this off at the post office.
Dude, did you make the drop off?
Idiomatic Accurate
SELECTING WORDS CAREFULLY
4. AVOID INFLATED LANGUAGE
Verb Corollary 2:Don’t use abstract nouns in the place of action verbs.
Centrifugation of the sample was accomplished by… The sample was centrifuged...
COMMON INDICATORS OF NEARBY ACTION VERBS HIDDEN AS NOUNS
accomplished, achieved, attained, conducted, effected, facilitated, indicated, obtained, performed, proceeded, required
SELECTING WORDS CAREFULLY
4. AVOID INFLATED LANGUAGE
Verb Corollary 3:
Avoid linking verb constructions.
Use passive voice in special cases to describe events in
exact terms;
i.e., materials or methods sections of scientific reports.
“Fly thoraces were homogenized…”
EXCEPT
SELECTING WORDS CAREFULLY
4. AVOID INFLATED LANGUAGE
In general:
Use the simpler of alternative words, but
maintain accuracymaintain accuracy of writing at all costs!
SELECTING WORDS CAREFULLY
SPECIALIZED WORDS USED OUTSIDE SPECIALTY
BUG / VIRUS / WORM TO BIOLOGISTS
BUG / VIRUS / WORM TO COMPUTER SCIENTISTS
POT TO CRIMINOLOGISTS
POT TO ELECTROCHEMISTS
GOD TO SOCIOLOGISTS
GOD TO MOLECULAR BIOLOGISTS
PCR TO PSYCHOLOGISTS
5. AVOID JARGON
SELECTING WORDS CAREFULLY
The defective gene was discovered by positional cloning--that is, by localizing its position on a particular chromosome.
The unknown chemical was identified by mass spectrometry, a technique in which a substance is ionized and fractionated by a strong magnetic field.
6. DEFINE/EXPLAIN TECHNICAL TERMSWHEN NECESSARY
SELECTING WORDS CAREFULLY
The sample was filtered before centrifugation to avoid the hassle of contamination.
…to avoid contamination.
The results suck. The results are inconclusive.
The results suck big time. The experiment must be repeated.
7. AVOID SLANG
SELECTING WORDS CAREFULLY
SHOULD BE ACCURATE AND CLEAR.
hammer vs. mallet. vs. gavel
claw vs. pincer vs. cheliped vs. gnathopod
gene vs. protein
8. USE CORRECT WORDS
SELECTING WORDS CAREFULLY
“in one ear and out the other”
AND AVOID RENOVATING CLICHES:
“in one ventricle and out the other”
9. AVOID CLICHES
PRINCIPLE THREE:
WRITE CLEAR SENTENCES.
WRITING CLEAR SENTENCES
a majority of most at the conclusion of after based on the fact that because due to the fact that because owing to the fact that because As can be seen in Fig. 1,… Fig. 1 shows… It is of interest to note that omit
10. ELIMINATE EXTRA WORDS
WRITING CLEAR SENTENCES
on a daily basis daily daily during the course of during few in number few results so far obtained results never at any time never consensus of opinion consensus
11. AVOID REDUNDANCY
WRITING CLEAR SENTENCES
Employees are entitled to two weeks of vacation with pay any time during the calendar year in which their first employment anniversary falls, three weeks of vacation with pay…
Employees are entitled to two weeks of paid vacation any time during the calendar year in which their first employment anniversary falls. They are entitled to three weeks of paid vacation…
12. WRITE SHORT SENTENCES (<25 WORDS)
WRITING CLEAR SENTENCES
Dogs stink, and their odors can be controlled.vs.
Although dogs stink, their odors can be controlled.vs.
Though their odors can be controlled, dogs stink.
13. MAKE SURE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN IDEAS ARE CLEAR
DOGS AND DOG ODORS
WRITING CLEAR SENTENCES
not until only when not unless only if not prevent permit not reject accept not disagree agree not illegal illegal not fail succeed
14. REWRITE NEGATIVE SENTENCES AS POSITIVES
avoid inflated language
use simple words
WRITING CLEAR SENTENCES
We purified the sodium salt of deoxyribose nucleic acid…
We purified the sodium salt of DNA… We purified sodium DNA…
15. AVOID NOUN STRINGS
We purified the deoxyribose nucleic acid sodium salt…
WRITING CLEAR SENTENCES
16. UNTANGLE CONFUSING SENTENCES (1-2 IDEAS)
Idea one Idea two Idea three and , not .
.Idea twoIdea one and Idea three .
.
(1) Idea one (2) Idea two (3) Idea three , and ,
IF NECESSARY, USE A SERIES:
PRINCIPLE FOUR:
CREATE NAVIGABLE DOCUMENTS.
CREATING NAVIGABLE DOCUMENTS
READER SHOULD NEVER HAVE TO SEARCH !!
When writing: Think of map reading.
Think of speed reading.Think of studying from a textbook.
Place important information in readily distinguishable places in sentences. Place important sentences in readily distinguishable places in paragraphs. Place important paragraphs in readily distinguishable places in documents.
17. PUT IMPORTANT INFORMATION WHERE READERS EXPECT TO FIND IT
CREATING NAVIGABLE DOCUMENTS
Corollary 1:Topics or important information are typically placed first in a sentence,
last in a sentence, or typographically distinguished* from other information.
The most prevalent cause of deaf-blindness is Usher syndrome. Usher syndrome is the most prevalent cause of deaf-blindness. Among the causes of deaf-blindness, Usher syndrome is the
most prevalent.
17. PUT IMPORTANT INFORMATION WHERE READERS EXPECT TO FIND IT
*Do not overuse italic or bold typography*Italic and Bold typically used to alert reader to nearby definition.
CREATING NAVIGABLE DOCUMENTS
Corollary 2: Avoid naked pronouns. Always follow pronouns with their antecedents. Use pronouns as adjectives only.
17. PUT IMPORTANT INFORMATION WHERE READERS EXPECT TO FIND IT
Usher syndrome involves deafness. This affects populations worldwide.
Usher syndrome involves deafness. This disease affects populations worldwide.
CREATING NAVIGABLE DOCUMENTS
DIRECT THE READER BETWEEN IDEAS.
IN THE SAME DIRECTION:
In addition,… Also,…
IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION:
However,… Although…, On the contrary,…
TOWARD THE END:
Finally,… In conclusion,…
18. USE HELPFUL TRANSITIONS
CREATING NAVIGABLE DOCUMENTS
19. USE LISTS* TO PRESENT MULTIPLE ITEMS
A BULLET LIST
Genealogical research of the Usher syndrome population has established that most affected families
• are descendants of Acadian ancestors
• are related to families in the three-parish study region
•are part of a large kindred descending from two emigrant French couples who arrived in Acadia in 1636
A TEXTUAL LIST
Genealogical research of the Usher syndrome population has established that most affected families (1) are descendants of Acadian ancestors, (2) are related to families in the three-parish study region, and (3) are part of a large kindred descending from two emigrant French couples who arrived in Acadia in 1636.
*Remember parallelism.
CREATING NAVIGABLE DOCUMENTS
19. USE LISTS TO PRESENT MULTIPLE ITEMS
Employees are entitled to two weeks of vacation with pay any time during the calendar year in which their first employment anniversary falls, three weeks of vacation with pay…
Employees are entitled to two weeks of paid vacation any time during the calendar year in which their first employment anniversary falls. They are entitled to three weeks of paid vacation…
Employees are entitled to (1) two weeks of paid vacation any time during the calendar year in which their first employment anniversary falls, (2) three weeks of paid vacation…
CREATING NAVIGABLE DOCUMENTS
BREAKS DOCUMENT INTO MANAGEABLE CHUCKS DIRECTS READER ALLOWS READER TO FOCUS ON IMPORTANT
MATERIAL
20. USE INFORMATIVE HEADINGS
Where to begin when describing something new?
create list of accurate and useful words
(nouns, adjectives, AND verbs)
find a logical focal point, and write outward from there, using it as a reference as necessary
organize flow