Transcript Eliminating Noise in Writing

Eliminating Noise in Writing
Technical Writing Presentation
Sources of Noise
•
•
•
•
Spelling
Punctuation
Sentence structure
Technical usage
Spelling and Spell Checkers
• You can still make mistakes
– Forms mailed (nailed) to you
• Poor spelling annoys and distracts
• Careless speller can also be inept in technical matters
• Spell checker and a current dictionary
• English is dynamic, and language of technology changes
rapidly.
Punctuation
• Controlling flow of traffic is vital
as flow of meaning in sentences
• Traffic signals = punctuation marks
• In spoken language (pitch, breath pauses,
emphasis)
Commas
Missing comma causes noise
• After the construction workers finished eating
rats emerged to look for the scraps.
• After the construction workers finished
eating, rats emerged to look for scraps.
• As you can see the efficiency peaks around
10-20%
• As you can see, the efficiency peaks
around 10-20%
Serial Comma
• The serial comma has become practically
mandatory in most scientific, technical,
and legal writing.
• Tomorrows engineers will have to manage
information overload, communicate
skillfully, and use a computer as an
extension of themselves.
Parentheses
set off facts or references
• Resistor R5 introduces feedback in the
circuit (see Figure 5).
• This reference book (published in 2003)
contains up-to-date information.
Dash
•
•
•
•
Call attention to words after it
Less formal than other marks
He was tall, handsome, rich–and stupid.
Staying up all night to finish a lab report is not
so terrible–once in a while.
My opinion–whether you want to hear it or
not– is that the drill does not meet the
specifications.
The other ‘n’ dash: 31-41; $350-$400.
Colon
Time notation and book title division
• The proposal is due on Monday at 8:30 sharp
• The book recommended is Technical
Communication: The Practical Craft.
Introduction of informal list
• For the final exam you will need several
items: a pencil, a calculator, and three sheets
of graph paper.
Hyphens
Most underused in technical writing
• We used a 16-key keypad.
• The equation assumes a one-dimensional
plane-wave propagation inside the horn.
• Research showed that the computer-aided
students improved their grades dramatically.
direct axis transient open circuit time constant
can you punctuate this?
Exclamation Point
Avoid in professional writing except for warning
Can be interpreted as sarcastic
• DANGER: Sodium Cyanide is extremely
toxic!
• After reading your report, I feel you might
benefit from our on-site course in technical
writing!
Quotation Marks
Set off direct quotations
• The manager stressed that the keyword
was “Preparedness”.
• We left the game after the band played
“The Eyes of Texas”; it was too hot and
humid.
If quoted material takes more that two lines, set it off by
a space and indent it from both right and left. You may
use a slightly smaller font size.
Semicolon
Disappearing from technical writing
• Your program is working well; however, mine is a
disaster.
(therefore, namely, consequently, accordingly)
• Take Professor Hixson’s class; you will find he is
a great teacher.
• I suggest you choose one social science subject,
such as psychology or philosophy; one natural
science course, such as chemistry, physics or
biology; and one math class.
Sentence Sense
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Connecting subjects to verbs
Modifiers
Parallelism
Fragments
Active or passive voice
Sexist language
Transitions
Sentence length
Connecting Subjects to Verbs
• A 35 mm film of some high buildings are
strongly recommended.
• Only one of the pre-1925 high-rise
structures were damaged in the quake.
• Twelve ounces of adhesive was added.
• Either the old manual or the recent
procedures are acceptable.
(neither/nor)
Modifiers
Word(s) to add meaning to sentence
• After testing the mechanism, the theory was
easily understood.
• After testing the mechanism we understood
the theory.
• I was ordered to get there as soon as possible
by fax.
• By the age of four her father knew she would be
an engineer.
Parallelism
List items sharing grammatical structure
• I like to jog, wrestling, and play the fiddle.
• The team concluded that they should call
in a consultant, or having three more
engineers reassigned.
• The back-up system should be efficient,
should meet the safety specifications, and
have complete reliability.
Fragments
Partial statements conveying incomplete information
• She decided to major in petroleum
engineering. Even though it would take five
years.
• Delays in the October shipments have
occurred. Due to the strike.
How do you remedy the sentences?
Active or Passive Voice
The engineer wrote the report
(active)
The report was written by the engineer (passive)
•
•
•
•
It has been decided to terminate your employment.
We have decided to fire you.
The button in pressed twice.
Press the button twice.
• Electricity was discovered thousands of years ago.
• The bridge was torn down in 1992.
Use active voice, unless there is a company policy against its use.
Sexist Language
offensive to use gender-specific terms
• Every engineer should be at his desk by 9 AM.
• Every engineer should be at his or her desk by 9
AM.
• Engineers should be at their desks by 9 AM.
Chairman, chairwoman or chairperson?
• Sarah is the chair of the new committee.
• Sarah is chairing the new committee.
Transitions
Signposts directing the readers thinking
• The group’s plans have been extended. The completion
date for the project is as originally planned.
• The group’s plans have been extended. Nevertheless
(Unfortunately), The completion date for the project
is as originally planned.
• Even though the group’s plans have been extended,
the completion date for the project is as originally
planned.
Transitions
• Sequence:
– before…later, first …second, in addition, additionally,
then, next, finally
• Contrast:
– but, however, yet, still, nevertheless, although, on the
contrary, in contrast, on the other hand
• Cause and Effect:
– consequently, therefore, so, thus, hence
• Elaboration:
– further, furthermore, for example, moreover, in fact,
indeed, certainly, besides
Sentence Length
Very long sentence
We finally had a long discussion with the R & D
staff but were not able to convince them that
they should commit to a specific date for
implementation of the design, but instead they
responded with a proposal to extend the project,
which would result in a lot of more work for all of
us and a considerable loss of profits for the
company.
Sentence Length
Too many short sentences
The Kw766XTR is a low-profile desktop scanner. It
has outstanding performance. It offers a
frequency range of 29-54 and 10-174 MHz. It
includes fifty memory channels. The design is
sleek. Individual channels can be locked out.
They can also be delayed.
Technical Usage
•
•
•
•
•
•
Useless Jargon
Useful Jargon
Abbreviations
Numbers
Units of measurements
Equations
Useless Jargon
A French word meaning the twittering of birds
• High-tech jargon = techno-babble
• The Electrotechnophrase Generator
Unless jargon holds a precise meaning
for both writer and reader,
no communication takes place.
Useful Jargon
• Necessary terminology in specialized fields
– Chemist
– Geologist
– Computer engineer
deoxyribose
Paleozoic era
packet switching
• Common words used by experts
– Charge, conductor, mole, mouse, operator
• Useful tools to communicate with readers
The way to avoid noise
when using technical terminology
is to know your audience
Abbreviations
Time savers and less boring
• CAD/CAM
Computer-Aided Design/Computer-Aided Manufacturing
• Spell them out the first time you use them
• Initializations and Acronyms
– GPA, IBM, UHF / AIDS, NASA, RAM
• Use correct a/an before the intialism
– An LED readout / a UHF
• Form plural by adding a lowercase s.
– We ordered three CRTs.
Numbers
• Necessary degree of precision
• Words versus numerals
– Cardinal and ordinal (three/ third)
– Cardinal numbers
• Words from one to ten, or figures otherwise
• Two transistors, 12 capacitors (not in one sentence)
– Time, money, measurements
• 1 AM, $5.48, 12.4 m, 18 ft
– Ordinal numbers
• Spelled out if single words
• Second harmonic, 21st element
Numbers
– Spell at the beginning of a sentence
• Thirty-two computers were manufactured today.
– Form plural using a lowercase s
• 80s, 1920s, nines, sixes
– Place a zero before the decimal point
• 0.345 cm, 19.40 tons
– Use scientific notation for large numbers
• .0538 m or 5.38 x 10-2 m
Units of Measurement
•
•
•
•
Be consistent
Do not mix units
Use accepted symbols
Write the other unit in parentheses
– 212 ºF (100 ºC), 5.08 cm (2 in)
• Do not get confused by:
–
–
–
–
–
C (Celsius, coulomb)
g (gram, G gauss)
m (thousandth, M million)
s (second, S siemens)
G (gauss, gravity, giga)
Units of Measurement
• Units derived from names of persons
– Lowercase if spelled out with plural s, uppercase if abbreviated
– Amperes A, newtons N, volts V, webers Wb
• SI prefixes
–
–
–
–
–
1015
1012
109
106
103
petateragigamegakilo-
P
T
G
M
k
10-15
10-12
10-9
10-6
10-3
femtopeconano
micromilli-
f
p
n
m
m
Equations
Communicate ideas more efficiently than words
• Equation editor
Q 
  KQ n
n KQ n 1
d2
d1 
2


8q 2
 1  3  1
gd2


Edit, Edit, Edit
Have the time and take the trouble
to edit carefully
• Look with editorial eye for documents going
outside
• Use word processor help, but not blindly.
• Your name is on the document, not the word
processor’s manufacturer.
Editing at Different Levels
• Check for TECHNICAL ACCURACY
• Different levels
– Level 1 format, organization, and appearance
(specifications, length, font size, margins, headings, graphics)
– Level 2 paragraph and sentence
(length, structure, verbiage, word choice, sense)
– Level 3 nitty-gritty
(mechanics, spelling, punctuation, etc.)
• Collaborative editing
– Two heads are better than one (using levels)