Get To The Point - 10 Quick tips to overcome most common mistakes in technical writing

Get to the Point!

Ten quick tips to overcome the most common mistakes in technical writing.

Over the years of teaching engineers how to write, we see the same issues. Lori Marra, a Vice President with RGI, has compiled a list of elements that will help you with your writing. Use this list and these suggestions when you write your next technical report.

1. Proofread your documents. Typos, whether in texts, emails, or reports, look sloppy. They create a careless image and your clients expect perfection. 2. Take out all the extra fluff words. In business writing, you need to be clear, concise, and complete. The key is to keep it as short as possible yet answer all of your reader’s questions. Extra words confuse the message and take up way too much of your reader's precious time. 3. Don't state your opinion unless you support it. Specifics and data add credibility. Without proof, it's just your opinion, and in the world of business, that only counts in brainstorming or creative work. For example, if you are asking for additional time or money, you better explain exactly how much, why you need it and what you will do with it.

4. Use topic sentences to show structure. The first sentence in each paragraph must tell the reader what the topic of that paragraph is. That's why it's called "the topic sentence". This is good business writing and helps a reader easily skim a piece of writing. 5. Use a transition sentence to lead the reader. At the end of each paragraph, write a sentence that transitions smoothly to the next paragraph. This ensures you have a logical flow to your message. 6. Avoid wishy washy phrases. These add no meaning and undermine your confidence as a communicator. Here are some examples: -"I think..." -"I believe..." -"I like..." -"I wish..." State your claim then back it up with data that supports it. That way, there's nothing wishy washy. 7. Show your reasoning process. Don't just state an opinion. Lay out a reasonable argument: If a=b and b=c then a=c. This is the basis of all critical thinking, so be sure you develop your thoughts logically. 8. Design your information for readability. Pay attention to your page layout and the visual elements of your messages. It builds confidence and professionalism, and it helps your reader. Your readers will be attracted to pleasant design and are more likely to read it. Here are some tips: -Whether email or documents, use and then be consistent with section titles and report headings. -Use white space to break up big blocks of text. Most people will skip right over a big block of text. -Use bulleted and numbered lists to break up large blocks of text. These are really easy visual cues for a reader, and they make you, the communicator, look very organized. -Be consistent in your layout. Make sure that you don't change fonts or font sizes right in the middle of a document. Attention to this type of detail makes your message easier to read, and it makes you look like a professional communicator. -Don't get sloppy with page breaks. Take the time to see how the pages break so related content and images are kept together. -Use page numbers and other header and footer information that helps your reader know where he or she is in the document. This is of course only relevant for reports, not emails, but it's really important. 9. Give credit when you use other people’s work. Use a valid citation and referencing formats and list your of sources at the end of the report (or at the bottom if you choose to use footnotes). If you use an image or drawing make sure you cite where it came from.

10. Always communicate in a way that your audience prefers.

This is what strategic flexibility in communication is all about. This goes for the message too. You need to think of the type of language and sentence structure that works best for your audience. Are you writing an informal message to a colleague, an internal email, a more formal email that may go beyond your immediate work group, a short report that will be shared in many areas of the company, or a long report that may be presented to high levels in the company or to a client. Each of these require different approaches to communication and you, as a professional communicator, must determine the best way that your audience consumes its information. There you go. Ten tips for better, more professional business and technical writing.

Lori Marra is Vice President of RGI International. She completed a thirty-year career in technical communication and leadership development, working for several international companies including Johnson & Johnson, Kodak, and Carestream. In 2015, Lori launched RGI International’s Center for Technical and Engineering Leadership (CTEL). She is a full-time professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology where she teaches Technical Communication. Lori is an Associate Fellow of the Society for Technical Communication.

© 2020, RGI Learning Lisa Moretto, President, RGI International, Inc. Visit www.rgilearning.com or call 866-744-3032 to learn about RGI's courses.

get to the point SEPTEMBER 2020 The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | 13