GENERAL CONVENTIONS

OF TECHNICAL STYLE

FOUR PRINCIPLES AND TWENTY CONCEPTS

Adapted from Pattow and Wresch,

Communicating Technical Information (2ed), 1998.
TECHNICAL WRITING

Fundamental Considerations:

INFORMATION FACTUAL
PRESENTATION OBJECTIVE
AUDIENCE SPECIFIC
 PRINCIPLE ONE:

INVOLVE READERS.
INVOLVING READERS

1. ADDRESS READERS DIRECTLY

MORE LIKELY TO READ, UNDERSTAND,

& RESPOND

The student should take

You should take
Take...
INVOLVING READERS

2. USE ACTIVE VOICE

CLEAR & DIRECT:

EMPHASIS ON SUBJECT PERFORMING ACTION,
NOT OBJECT OF ACTION

The microscope slide should be washed

Biology students should wash the
microscope slide...
In using active voice:
RULE OF THUMB: EXCEPTION
Avoid linking verb TO RULE:
constructions.
Use passive voice in
special cases to describe
events in exact terms;
i.e., materials/methods
sections of scientific
reports.
Emphasis on action taken Fly thoraces were
Why? homogenized
INVOLVING READERS

3. AVOID SEXIST or EXCLUSIVE LANGUAGE

chairman chair
mailman mail carrier
manpower work force
workmanship work
his prostate the prostate
her pregnancy the pregnancy
PRINCIPLE TWO:

SELECT WORDS
CAREFULLY.
SELECTING WORDS CAREFULLY

4. AVOID INFLATED LANGUAGE

Ive been
stretching my
mouth to let those
big words come
right out
SELECTING WORDS CAREFULLY

4. AVOID INFLATED
LANGUAGE
assistance help
constitutes makes
necessitate require
approximately about
cease stop
originates begins
terminate end
comprises makes up**
SELECTING WORDS CAREFULLY

4. AVOID INFLATED LANGUAGE

Verb Corollary 1:
Dont 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

Idiomatic Accurate
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?
SELECTING WORDS CAREFULLY

4. AVOID INFLATED LANGUAGE

Verb Corollary 2:
Dont 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: Use passive voice
in special cases to
Avoid linking verb constructions. describe events in
exact terms;
i.e., materials or
methods sections of
EXCEPT
scientific reports.

Fly thoraces were

homogenized
SELECTING WORDS CAREFULLY

4. AVOID INFLATED
LANGUAGE
In general:
Use the simpler of
alternative words, but
maintain accuracy
of writing at all costs!
SELECTING WORDS CAREFULLY

5. AVOID JARGON

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
SELECTING WORDS CAREFULLY

6. DEFINE/EXPLAIN
TECHNICAL TERMS
WHEN NECESSARY
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.
SELECTING WORDS CAREFULLY

7. AVOID SLANG

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.
SELECTING WORDS CAREFULLY

8. USE CORRECT WORDS

SHOULD BE ACCURATE AND CLEAR.

hammer vs. mallet. vs. gavel

claw vs. pincer vs. cheliped vs. gnathopod

gene vs. protein

SELECTING WORDS CAREFULLY

9. AVOID CLICHES

in one ear and out the other

AND AVOID RENOVATING CLICHES:

in one ventricle and out the other
PRINCIPLE THREE:

WRITE CLEAR
SENTENCES.
WRITING CLEAR SENTENCES

10. ELIMINATE EXTRA WORDS

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
WRITING CLEAR SENTENCES

11. AVOID REDUNDANCY

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
WRITING CLEAR SENTENCES

12. WRITE SHORT SENTENCES (<25 WORDS)

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
WRITING CLEAR SENTENCES

13. MAKE SURE

RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN
IDEAS ARE CLEAR
DOGS AND DOG ODORS

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.
WRITING CLEAR SENTENCES

14. REWRITE NEGATIVE SENTENCES AS

POSITIVES

not until only when

not unless only if avoid inflated
not prevent permit language
not reject accept
not disagree agree
not illegal illegal use simple words
not fail succeed
WRITING CLEAR SENTENCES

15. AVOID NOUN STRINGS

We purified the deoxyribose nucleic acid sodium salt

We purified the sodium salt of deoxyribose

nucleic acid
We purified the sodium salt of DNA
We purified sodium DNA
WRITING CLEAR SENTENCES

16. UNTANGLE CONFUSING SENTENCES (1-2 IDEAS)

Idea one and Idea two , not Idea three .

Idea one and Idea two . Idea three .

IF NECESSARY, USE A SERIES:

(1) Idea one , (2) Idea two , and (3) Idea three
.
 PRINCIPLE FOUR:

CREATE NAVIGABLE
DOCUMENTS.
 CREATING NAVIGABLE DOCUMENTS

17. PUT IMPORTANT INFORMATION

WHERE READERS EXPECT TO FIND IT
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.
 CREATING NAVIGABLE DOCUMENTS

17. PUT IMPORTANT INFORMATION

WHERE READERS EXPECT TO FIND IT
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.
*Do not overuse italic or bold typography
*Italic and Bold typically used to alert reader to nearby definition.
 CREATING NAVIGABLE DOCUMENTS

17. PUT IMPORTANT INFORMATION

WHERE READERS EXPECT TO FIND IT

Corollary 2: Avoid naked pronouns. Always follow

pronouns with their antecedents. Use pronouns as
adjectives only.
Usher syndrome involves deafness. This affects
populations worldwide.
Usher syndrome involves deafness. This disease affects
populations worldwide.
CREATING NAVIGABLE DOCUMENTS

18. USE HELPFUL TRANSITIONS

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,
CREATING NAVIGABLE DOCUMENTS

19. USE LISTS* TO PRESENT

MULTIPLE ITEMS
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.
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

*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

20. USE INFORMATIVE HEADINGS

BREAKS DOCUMENT INTO MANAGEABLE CHUCKS

DIRECTS READER
ALLOWS READER TO FOCUS ON IMPORTANT
MATERIAL
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