Introduction
This phase serves as an introduction to the world of technical writing for students. The assignments are intended to create familiarity for students with technical writing as it pertains to engineering. I was able to develop the fundamental knowledge of what technical writing means and its importance, as shown below.
Assignment #2: Engineering & Writing
It is easy for engineering students to not downplay the importance of writing in the engineering field, treating it as a light subject in such a technical field. Meanwhile, this couldn’t be farther from the truth as being skilled in writing is crucial to success in the engineering field.
“Writing Skills and Engineers” , Richard Bross
- “For students in a technical field, there is a strong temptation to consider the “soft” subjects unimportant. This is a serious mistake. Putting aside that every management position requires superior communications skills, an engineer that can communicate ideas clearly and concisely will always be more productive and more highly valued than one who cannot.”
- The above quotation importantly highlights how for students in the technical field of engineering, it is very easy to look at classes like writing as throwaway classes just for a grade. However, the writing skills are learned in these classes should not be taken for granted and are still highly important for engineers.
- “Making non-technical people understand the benefits of a particular approach without initiating a seminar on computer science. Ultimately, no matter how hard they try; most non-technical people cannot understand detailed implementation details. But if one can communicate the impact from the perspective of performance, features, and usability, you’ve accomplished your goal.”
- This quote makes a very important point as to part of the purpose of writing as engineers. Due to the nature of engineering, it is very difficult to explain the technical side to someone who is not knowledgeable in the field. However, it is important to realize that this is not the main goal for engineers when writing but it is rather to explain impacts in a way to convey importance.
- “Excluding email, I have to write specifications, budgets, reports about possible acquisitions, and also reports to help the marketing department understand the technical differences between our products and those of our competitors. I also have to write and communicate employee evaluations.”
- I chose this quote because it provided insight for me into more of the areas where engineers must actually employ writing. The quote gives a few examples that I was not aware, such as the business and monetary side of engineering that must be conveyed as well.
“Why Writing Matters” , Brooks Byam
- “Engineers must be able to effectively communicate complex topics and ideas to other engineers, business personnel, marketing people, and the public. Writing provides an essential means of communication.”
- This quote is important because it essentially summarizes some of the main points as to why writing is so important for engineers.
- “While the topics in engineering are complicated, a good engineer can write an appropriate document for the audience they are addressing.”
- This quote highlights how engineers should be versatile when they are writing, being able to convey complex topics in terms that audiences can understand even if they are less knowledgable in the field.
- “The same principles of good writing in literature courses apply to engineering writing. There are a few differences. All documents are written in the third person, (i.e., I, me, we or us are never used).”
- I chose this quote because it is good to know that the good habits of writing in traditional literature carry over to writing for engineering. The main difference of having to write in third person is as to be expected, as it is the more formal/academic style necessary.
“Why Engineering Writing Skills Are Important”, Ohio University
- “Another fundamental aspect of engineering writing is simplicity. Regardless of the audience, compelling writing is concise and precise. Outlining a document’s major objectives is key, as is organizing critical information.”
- This quote notes how fluidity and clarity is among the most important aspects when it comes to writing in engineering. Once again, when talking about such complex topics it is crucial to be as simple as possible.
- Professionals who are looking to further their careers should consider honing the tools for effective engineering writing.
- This quote again highlights how engineers should not undervalue the importance of their writing skills. As the quote highlights, great writing skills can help take engineers to new levels for their careers.
- “Another essential of engineering writing is modularity, or developing written text that can be re-used for different purposes.”
- I chose this quote because it speaks to a point I didn’t consider. In a field with so many complex topics that must be explained away it would be very useful to be able to re-use your writing.
“The Importance of Writing Skill to the Engineering Student”, Leroy R. Cox, Ph.D., Katie Grantham Lough, Ph.D
- “With the increased blurring of boundaries among disciplines caused by new technological innovations, it is ever more imperative that engineers be able to communicate their ideas with other professionals.”
- The point made by this quote is important to understand, as it highlights how the importance for engineers improving writing skills is part of a bigger shift in the workforce. It is important for modern professionals to have interdisciplinary skills.
- “Further, students may not see the need to hone their language and communication skills because this need has not been communicated to them. Most of engineering curriculum is built around the language of mathematics.”
- This quote highlights how it really isn’t engineering students’ fault if they don’t grasp the importance for them to hone their writing skills. The curriculums themselves and their instructors must stress how important writing is in the field, not just mathematics.
- “Engineering professors do not need to teach writing as a separate subject, but the same premium that is placed on students’ problem-solving abilities should be placed on ensuring they are competent to express their ideas via written communication.”
- I chose this quote because of how it emphasizes how writing should be intertwined with the other disciplines in engineering, and that it doesn’t just need to be taught separately.
From the reading I have done on the above pieces, I have gained much insight into the importance of writing as a skill for engineers. While engineering as a whole is an extremely technical subject, it is not fair for students to not be taught the importance of writing the same way they are taught math. Engineering students who have not yet worked engineering jobs may underestimate how much writing there actually is for them to do for their professions. It is clear than engineers must constantly be expressing their work through writing. This includes emails, reports, presentations, and other ways of having to use writing to express aspects of their work. Specifically talking about the skills of writing engineers need, one of the most important is clarity. When writing for engineering you must explain very complex topics in a way that someone who is not necessarily knowledgable about those topics may understand. Another very important part of this is that engineers should to be able to be fluid and versatile with their writing. As stated before, engineers could be faced with writing for many different purposes and audiences. This could include fellow employees, their superiors at their jobs, and employees. It is important for them to know how to communicate to all different types of of audiences effectively. In conclusion, writing is a skill engineers should take pride in perfecting as it is a day to day skill they must employ and can help them further their careers.
Assignment #3: “What is Technical Writing”
- “In general, technical writing has a degree of formality, and it generally focuses on a specific subject with the purpose of making something happen or sharing useful information or knowledge.” (page #4)
- This quote summarizes the main points to keep in mind with respect to technical writing. Technical writing is expected to be written formally and is usually informative or persuasive in nature.
- “A technical document always is written for a reason, and the purpose of reports may be to explain what was done, why it was done, and/or the re- sults of a study. The purpose of reports on investigations is usually to pre- sent the results of the study. The purpose of reports and papers should also be clearly stated….” (page #5)
- The quote above is pertinent as it speaks to one of the most common and important types of technical writing, reports. Furthermore, the most important point made by this quote is that it is very important for technical writers to be upfront and clear with their purpose is when writing reports.
- “Some books on technical topics are written in a way to entertain or capture the imagination of readers. This form of writing is not technical writing.” (page #15)
- This quote was chosen since it makes a very important point regarding technical writing, which is that just because you are writing about topics that may be technical does not guarantee that your writing itself must be considered technical writing. For it to be considered technical writing, it has to check off certain checkboxes besides the topic itself. One of these, as mentioned above is that its purpose should be to inform or persuade, not to entertain.
Reading #2 “A Technique for Writing Like a Professional” David Kmiec and Bernadette Longo.
- “To write effective documentation, this engineer had to understand some pragmatic considerations: how work gets done in his specific corporate environment, what documents like the one he was preparing typically look like, how the project was scheduled to proceed.”
- This quote draws attention to a very important factor for technical writers: they must be aware of certain considerations when writing. While there are many more examples of such considerations, the ones the quote mentions are regarding their corporate environment, the standard model for their work, and the scheduling,.
- “To be immediately effective, the documentation that the software engineer prepares in the example above has to be composed in such a way that his peers can understand it and comment on it. But to be effective in the lifecycle of the project, the document may also need to be written so it can be included in a record of changes made to that version of the product or incorporated into a report on work done for a client over a certain period. For it to be effective beyond the life of the project, the software engineer may also need to make sure the information will be understandable to future programmers working on the next version of the software
- This quote emphasizes how it can be very useful for technical writers to employ malleability in their writing. In technical writing that is done by software engineers, it is important for them to account for the different audiences that may read their writing. So it is helpful to construct writing that can be presented to multiple different contexts effectively.
- “Instead, engineers and technical professionals shape knowledge as it moves between the professional and a client or the end users of technology. In this sense, writing like an engineer or a technical professional means influencing the way that people understand the world around them.”
- In the section, it is important to note how the role that engineers can fulfill with their writing is made apparent and the influence it could have of people’s understandings of certain topics. This again speaks to why it is important for technical writing to be very clear and concise.
Reading #3 “What is Technical Communication?”, Henry Petroski
- “Technical Writing is a genre of non-fiction writing that encompasses not only technical materials such as manuals, instructions, specifications, and software documentation, but it also includes writing produced in day-to-day business operations such as correspondence, proposals, internal communications, media releases, and many kinds of reports.”
- The quote above intends to define what technical writing is, by providing a general definition as well as examples of forms of technical writing. This includes examples which are less so presumed as technical writing, such as media releases.
- “Thus, technical writing is highly “transactional” as it conveys information to enable and encourage specific actions.”
- This quote is pertinent since it makes a point of how technical writing is “transactional” in nature. The transaction in this case is providing information in exchange for inciting results based on the reader’s gain of that information.
- “Performance evaluations and job advancement usually depend more on communications skills than on technical skills”
- The quote above draws emphasis on how even in fields where the work is extremely technical, to advance in your career you need the communications skills to convey your ability.
Reading #4 “Introduction from Technical Communication”, Mike Markel
- “By contrast, in technical communication, your audience will likely include peers and supervisors in your company, as well as people outside your company. Your purpose will likely be to reinforce or change their attitudes toward the subject you are writing about, to motivate them to take particular actions or to help them carry out their work-related tasks.
- This quote is important as it makes the distinctions of what technical writing is by emphasizing the set audience you must speak to when engaging in technical communication. In technical writing you must write with the purpose of motivating your audience, like your coworkers and supervisors, to take certain actions in regard to the information you are providing them.
- “Technical communication is challenging, and not primarily because SEMs are complex devices, although they are. Technical communication is challenging because people are complicated, and collaborating with people is at the heart of the process.”
- This quote draws emphasis to the fact that technical writing isn’t necessarily more challenging because of the technical topics discussed within it, but rather that its purpose is to impact and persuade people which draws challenges from the human condition itself.
- “Your goal is to produce a document that conveys a single meaning the reader can understand easily. An unclear technical document can be dangerous.”
- This quote speaks to one of the most crucial points regarding technical writing: clarity. Due to the purpose of technical writing being to provide technical information in a way so that others can act upon it, it is very important that you are able to get your points across without any sources of confusion.
Reading #5 “The Engineers’ Guide to Technical Writing: Insights for Budding Engineers”, Abdul Wadood Khan
- “It is unlikely that a technical report will be read from cover to cover in a linear manner; the majority of readers need to get to the point quickly.”
- This quote speaks to the importance of organization in technical writing. Indeed, technical writing will often include a lot of information that can be digested, so the writer needs to format it in a way that allows readers to easily find the information they are looking for.
- “Overall, practicing engineers want budding engineers to dispel the idea that writing is not important in the engineering profession. It is common to come across science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students who are advanced in their fields of study but could use extra support in the skills of written communication.”
- This quote emphasizes how many people in the STEM fields underestimate the value of skills in technical writing/communication for their field.
- “Writing is the Achilles heel of most engineers, and many good ideas never see the light of day because engineers are unable to communicate them.”
- This quote speaks to another major reason as to why writing skills are so important for engineers. Technical writings allow engineers to communicate their ideas, which can be difficult if not impossible to do without them.
Technical writing is a formal genre of non-fiction writing that serves to inform, persuade, or instruct on specific subjects, aiming to incite particular actions or convey knowledge effectively. Technical writing encompasses many different forms of technical communication, such as manuals, instructions, specifications, and reports. Furthermore, technical writing also encompasses more day-to-day forms in business communications like proposals, media releases, and emailing peers and superiors. There are many key attributes to consider when performing technical writing to ensure that it is done successfully. This includes employing high levels of clarity, purposefulness, and audience awareness. Technical writers must form their documents with high levels of clarity, ensuring that they can convey their intended message concisely, and be able to do so to diverse audiences. These audiences can include peers, supervisors, clients, and even readers looking to gain information on a topic. Technical writers must be well aware of these standard practices, especially when it comes to specifications related to technical writing in different fields. Furthermore, technical writers must recognize the transactional nature of their writing. This is because technical writing aims to provide pertinent technical information with the intent that it can lead to the facilitation of specific actions or changes regarding the content of said information. Moreover, the main challenge that technical writing encompasses lies not within the technical nature of the topics, but rather the fact that it inherently relies on human connection to be successful. The importance of technical writing is often undervalued by those in the STEM field, however, it is essential to their success. It allows professionals in STEM to communicate their work and ideas in a way to facilitates innovation and also further their own careers.
