University of Colorado - Dept of Aerospace Engrg. Sci - Technical Writing - Feb’11 Presentation to...

University of Colorado - Dept of Aerospace Engrg. Sci - Technical Writing - Feb’11

Presentation to AES Grad Students Feb 16, 2011 - ECCR 105

Technical Writing


How Important is Personal Communication?

How Important is Personal Communication?

Depends on job type & level. For industry:

Janitor 5% Assistant 20% Junior Engineer 50% Senior Engineer 70% Midlevel Manager 90% CEO 100%

Likewise in academia & research labs, but written communication then becomes more important


In this seminar we shall focus on onecommunication component:

Writing

Our Focus Our Focus

with emphasis on Technical Writing


Technical Writing is a component of communication, in research and/or teaching intensive jobs in science and engineering.

Where Does It Matter?Where Does It Matter?


Journal articles Books, theses, chapters Presentations, speeches Lectures, seminars Web documents$ Project proposals$ Project reports

It Appears in Many FormsIt Appears in Many Forms


The Four Levels of Writing Quality

The Four Levels of Writing Quality

IncompetentCompetentGoodGreat

As explained later, your key goal should be Level 1. Levels 2-3 are for professional writers or artists.


Why competent writing matters?

Why competent writing matters?

I have been in NSF panels ... If your proposal shows sloppy writing in the Preface,

you are out!

Incompetency may be a major hurdle to professional advancement (I am assuming you want to advance)


Technical Writing Blends Three Ingredients

Technical Writing Blends Three Ingredients

Content Organization Writing


Which Part of the COW is Toughest?

Which Part of the COW is Toughest?

Writing


Why?Why?

Competent writing is very hard to teach ... can only be gradually achieved by selective reading, osmosis & practice

Here I can give you only basic rules and some advice


Your document (chapter, article, proposal, report, thesis, speech, etc ...) has three parts


Beginning: Introduction Middle: Body End: Conclusions


Tell what you are going to tell’emThen tell’emThen tell’em what you told’em

... those correspond to the old adage


Of the three, which is the most

importantpart of your document?

Of the three, which is the most

importantpart of your document?

The Introduction


An experienced author puts it this way

The introduction is the most important part of your paper, because few of your readers will ever read beyond it. And there's not much hope that any of them will if you don't grab their attention from the start.


Use plain language - avoid hype Get to the point! One paragraph = one theme Contrast to highlight arguments Use recurring themes & images Address reader directly Finish forcefully

Composition Pointers

Some examples that illustrate these pointers follow


Alas, poor specimen! I knew it, Horatio.A hollow tube of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy ...

Use Plain Language - Avoid Hype

NG, why?

If Shakespeare had written a Structures Lab Report ..


OBJECTIVE

Structures are an important component ofmodern aerospace engineering. Weight savings is an essential part of designing effective aerospace structures. The use of thin wall structural members helps us to achieve those weight savings. Furthermore ...

Get To The Point!

Grandmothering BS. We know that Now, how about the lab?

Criticize this (actual) Structures Lab Report sample:


OBJECTIVE

The experimental tests for this lab were used to verify and compare analytical models for torsion of thin-wall sections with experimental data. Both open thin wall (OTW) and closed thin wall (CTW) sections are tested on a Tinius-Olsen torsion machine at ITLL.

Is This One Better?

Yes. It skips the BS. One common grammar error, can you spot it?


OBJECTIVE

The experimental tests for this lab were used to verify and compare analytical models for torsion of thin-wall sections with experimental data. Both open thin wall (OTW) and closed thin wall (CTW) sections are tested on a Tinius-Olsen torsion machine at ITLL.

Common Grammar Error

verb tense mismatch


Two households, both alike in dignity, in fair Verona, where we lay our scene.

Two Masters of Getting to the Point

Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet

Ramona, come closer, shut softly your watery eyes. The pangs of your sadness shall pass as your senses will rise.

Bob Dylan: To Ramona (the first waltz-rock)


Four Pointers Illustrated

Next sample ilustrates 4 rules:

Get to the point! Contrast to highlight arguments Use recurring themes & images Address reader directly

From an invited keynote (Einstein Lecture) given by a pure mathematician (Freeman Dyson) who became a famous physicist at Princeton (Fermi Prize 1993 for contributions to solid-state physics)


Get to Point, Contrast, Recur Images, Address

Freeman Dyson, Of Birds and Frogs, Einstein Lecture (2008), first paragraph

Some mathematicians are birds, others are frogs. Birds fly high in the air and survey broad vistas of mathematics out to the far horizon. They delight in concepts that unify our thinking and bring together diverse problems from different parts of the landscape. Frogs live in the mud below and see only the flowers that live nearby. They delight in the details of particular objects, and they solve problems one at a time. I happen to be a frog, but some of my best friends are birds.


Contrast, Recurring Images & Directly Address Reader

Freeman Dyson, Of Birds and Frogs, Einstein Lecture (2008), first paragraph

Some mathematicians are birds, others are frogs. Birds fly high in the air and survey broad vistas of mathematics out to the far horizon. They delight in concepts that unify our thinking and bring together diverse problems from different parts of the landscape. Frogs live in the mud below and see only the flowers that live nearby. They delight in the details of particular objects, and they solve problems one at a time. I happen to be a frog, but some of my best friends are birds.


Four Pointers Illustrated

Next sample is not from a scientist but a famous songwriter (Dylan). It illustrates 5 rules:

Get to the point! One paragraph = one theme Contrast to highlight Use recurring themes & images Finish forcefully

Note here: paragraph unit -> verse


My love she speaks like silencewithout ideals or violenceshe doesn’t have to say she’s faithfulyet she’s true, like ice, like fire.

First Verse



Get to the Point!



One Paragraph, One Theme

Theme: voice



Contrast to Highlight



Stress Recurring Theme


The wind blows like a hammerthe night grows cold and rainymy love she's like a ravenat my window with a broken wing.

Finish Forcefully: Last Verse


If you can write like that naturally,what are you doing here?

Dont Feel Depressed ...

But there is help for the not-so-gifted rest of us. In fact engineers can be more modest. Lets explain.


Why my emphasis on writing ability?


If you are an incompetent writer,your technical writing will also beincompetent. Nothing else matters

If you are a competent writer,you might be able to become alsoa competent technical writer.First things first


Ergo, One of Your Professional Goals

Should Be

Ergo, One of Your Professional Goals

Should Be

Become at least a competent writer


Can You Go Beyond Competent?

Can You Go Beyond Competent?

No, unless you are

naturally gifted

~ 1 in 100 competent writers may become good~ 1 in 1000 good writers may become great


How do you Achieve Competency?

How do you Achieve Competency?

Courses & books may helpbut not in isolation

Unless you are naturally gifted the best route is


read good authors learn their patterns * develop appreciation for style * imitate until you can fly solo

Osmosis

For these, books may help


Testing Your Ear

These are trying times for men’s soulsTimes like these try men’s soulsThese are the times that try men’s soulsHow trying it is to live in these times!Soulwise, these are trying times

Compare 5 versions of a famous sentence

Which one do you prefer, and why?


Yes, but which authors?

read good authors


Scientists write better than engineers

British [often] better than American

Of science writers, physicists are tops

My personal opinions on writing ability

in science & engineering


My favorite textbook?

Gravitation, by Misner, Thorne & Wheeler American (!) physicists

Absolutely amazing exposition ofGeneral Relativity Theory - not the easiest topic for undergraduates.I learned a lot from their didactic style


Any useful how-to-write books?


Searching on www.addall.com engine on

‘technical writing’ -> 51 books in press

Searching ‘style’ -> 48 books in press

There’s a ton out there, of varying quality


What can you buy for about $9

that would make a difference?

What can you buy for about $9

that would make a difference?


1st ed 1935!

also available on line fromhttp://www.bartleby.com/


What You May Want to Remember from this Talk

Your professional goal? writing competency little else matters

Recommended method? selective osmosis

Can you go beyond competent? only if gifted

How to start? get the little book

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