Technical Writing for Researchers and Graduate Students

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Technical Writingfor Researchers and Graduate
Students

• Spring 2003
• Lincoln Campus
• Instructor Deborah Derrick

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Announcement

• The Office of Research Graduate Studies is
  pleased to announce an upcoming seminar, "Getting
  Started as a Successful Grant Writer and
  Academician," which will be held March 7-8, 2003.
  The seminar, presented by Grant Writers Seminars
  Workshops, LLC, is directed primarily toward
  graduate students, post docs, junior faculty, and
  research faculty, although all faculty and staff
  members are welcome to register. There is no
  cost.
• To register, contact Peg Filliez at (402)
  472-2851 or pfilliez1_at_unl.edu

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Announcement

• Course web site coming soon! I will be posting
  all presentations and course materials here.
• http//csce.unl.edu/gpsti/

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Announcement

• Bibliography of technical writing resources
  available today as a handout.
• Example reports/papers are in the process of
  being compiled.

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Student writing assessment

• What documents do you need to write?
• Research reports n 30
• Technical articles n 28
• Class papers n 19
• Thesis n 19
• Dissertation n 14
• Proposals n 9
• Other letters, honors thesis

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Student writing assessment

• Style-related problems
• Choosing precise words n 34
• Structuring paragraphs n 24
• Avoiding long sentences n 22
• Structuring sentences n 22
• Using correct grammar n 17
• Punctuating correctly n 8
• Spelling correctly n 3

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Student writing assessment

• Writing procedure problems
• Writing the first draft n 22
• Getting started n 19
• Preparing a useful outline n 19
• Revising, editing your draft n 15
• Underestimating time n 12
• Meeting deadlines n 8
• Following an outline n 3

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Student writing assessment

• Content-related problems
• Organizing information n 22
• Clear, convincing logic n 20
• Simplifying technical details n 17
• Deciding technical detail level n 14
• Keeping documents concise n 14
• Writing sequentially n 13

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Student writing assessment

• What writing methods you use
• Prepare/follow an outline n 21
• Write, edit as you go n 16
• Spread out/blend documents n 8
• Write 1st draft quickly edit n 7
• Just sit down and write n 4

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Unit 3 Getting started

• Goals of outlining
• Outlining methods
• Outlining tools
• Using an outline to write a summary
• Sitting down to write
• Tips for saving time

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Why outline?

• A solid, carefully thought-out outline will help
  you write a quality paper efficiently.
• Most engineers use outlines of one kind or
  another to help them get started on their writing
  projects.

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Purposes of an outline

• An outline shapes the technical information in a
  logical order.
• An outline helps organize your thinking and helps
  stimulate creative thinking.

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Outlining methods

• Prompting approach
• First, consider your audience. Who will read the
  report, how do they need to use it? Therefore,
  what is the main focus and title of the document?
  
• Write your answers down. Then you can start your
  outline by working your way through the questions
  in the 5-part organizational framework you have
  learned for organizing a report.

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Using the prompting approach

• PROBLEM
• What problems and needs did the research address?
• What benefits will the company/discipline receive
  from this work, both long and short-term?

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Using the prompting approach

• SCOPE AND GOALS
• How did I define the scope of the work? Or, what
  goals did I expect this work to achieve?
• Why were these specific goals important to the
  work?

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Using the prompting approach

• SOLUTION
• What approach to solving these problems or
  fulfilling these needs did I take?
• Why was this approach preferable to others?
• What main tasks did I conduct? (To help the
  reader, list these tasks in logical or
  developmental order this listing will not
  necessarily conform with the order of
  performance.)
• What specific comments can I make on how the work
  was conducted that would be useful to other
  researchers?

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Using the prompting approach

• RESULTS
• What main results did I achieve? Try to match
  them with the list of tasks mentioned above.
• What implications do these results have (in
  business/industry, or in advancing the state of
  knowledge in your field)?

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Using the prompting approach

• CONCLUSIONS
• What scientific/business conclusions can I reach?
  Where is the research going? What are the
  long-term implications of this research?
• What recommendations can I make to enhance the
  knowledge frontiers in this discipline (or
  enhancing the business goals of your company)?

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Using the prompting approach

• List only the main points so you can quickly
  prompt yourself through the entire 5-step
  sequence. Keep it brief key words/phrases.
• Review the outline. Add points that didnt occur
  to you the first time through.
• Check the outline for completeness and level of
  technical detail your readers need. Also check
  for logic, clarity, redundancies, and
  irrelevancies. Re-order the points if necessary.

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Using the prompting approach

• Add explanations, subheadings, or key details to
  clarify your main points. They will help
  reviewers (e.g. your adviser) understand your
  outline, and will help you remember your trend of
  thought when you start writing the draft.
• Have a peer, editor or someone else review your
  outline.
• Revise the outline, incorporating the
  constructive review comments.

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Using the prompting approach

• Advantages
• Efficient method
• Likely to cover most of the bases
• Disadvantages
• Requires a disciplined, analytical mindset

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Using the prompting approach

• Results
• You overcome the getting started block.
• You quickly produce a well-organized, basic
  outline.
• You break down your material into chunks that can
  be written incrementally and sequentially.

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Technical memos, letters

• The same approach can help you write the basic
  elements of technical memos and letters.
• Ask yourself
• What is the problem or issue?
• What steps should beor have beentaken to
  resolve it?
• What actions willor shouldresult?
• Add an introduction and conclusion (thank you)
  and youre almost done.

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The brainstorming approach

• The brainstorming approach is the complete
  opposite of the prompting approach.
• For researchers whose creative thinking is
  associative rather than analytical, this may be
  an excellent approach. It is also ideal for
  innovative group efforts such as proposals.

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The brainstorming approach

• Dont analyze! Relax! Just write down all the
  ideas on the subject in whatever order they occur
  to you.
• If youre working in a group, write down all the
  participants ideas on a blackboard, computer
  projector, or large pad that everyone can see.
• Dont criticize during this idea generation stage!

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The brainstorming approach

• AFTER youve exhausted all the ideas (allow
  yourself enough time), review them according to
  your audiences information needs.
• Discard irrelevancies, unnecessary details. Add
  needed explanations, clarify or simplify your
  ideasperhaps via flowcharts, schematics or
  tables.

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The brainstorming approach

• THEN, organize these ideas according to the
  5-part organizational framework for a paper.
• Review your outline to make sure youve covered
  all the 5 elements. Add the points you may have
  missed.

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The brainstorming approach

• Check your outline for redundancies and logic.
• Have the outline reviewed, and incorporate the
  useful suggestions.

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The brainstorming approach

• Advantages
• You dont struggle to find a place to get
  started.
• Freedom to consider all ideas often spurs
  creativity.
• You benefit from considering a broader range of
  ideas.
• Many fresh ideas can emerge, especially in group
  brainstorming.
• Jointly critiquing ideas sets the stage for
  agreement among collaborating authors.

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The brainstorming approach

• Disadvantages
• You still need to organize and review all the
  ideas AFTER youve written them down.
• This process may be more time-consuming than the
  prompting approach.

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The brainstorming approach

• RESULTS
• A well-organized, useful outline based on a broad
  review of potential information your readers
  might need.
• For single authors, this outline could lead to a
  very good first draft.
• For multi-authored documents, this outline paves
  the way for a more consistent draft.

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The hybrid approach

• This approach combines the best elements of the
  other two approaches prompting and
  brainstorming.
• Start with the first element of the 5-step
  organizational framework (Problem) and write
  down all the ideas and points that occur to you.
• Continue this process through all the 5 elements.

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The hybrid approach

• THEN, evaluate all the ideas in each section,
  starting with section 1 (Problems), according to
  your audiences information needs.
• Delete irrelevancies and redundancies add
  clarifications condense where possible.
• As in the other two approaches, have your outline
  reviewed, introduce the best suggestions, and
  start writing.

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The hybrid approach

• RESULTS
• A well-organized, effective outline that benefits
  from looking at many ideas but saves substantial
  reorganization time.
• Such an outline can lead to a sound first draft.

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What works for you?

• Try all these methods!
• But be flexible.
• All these methods may work well for you at
  different times, on different writing tasks.
• You may find that one method always pulls you out
  of the hole (prompting does exactly that for
  many people).
• Or, one method may never work for you.

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Outlining tools

• Indents
• Indent more to the right for each successive
  subheading.
• Keep the points BRIEF use key words or phrases.
  Your outline should generally not exceed 2 pages.

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Outlining tools

• Advantages of indents
• Commonly used method, especially with computer
  outlining tools (which can be difficult, if not
  impossible, to use).
• Relatively easy to prepare and revise.
• Graphically illustrates relationships of various
  points.

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Outlining tools

• Numbering System
• Use a 1, 1.1, 1.11 etc. system for each
  subheading. Sometimes, for each paragraph.
• This is complicated to prepare. Used for complex,
  detailed proofs or instructions.
• Sometimes required by certain clients.

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Outlining

• Using an outline to write a summary
• Update your outline as your writing progresses.
• Use your FINAL outline as the basis.
• Write a paragraph for each of the 5
  organizational elements.
• Minimize level of technical detail, BUT emphasize
  the sections that are most relevant to your
  audience.

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Outlining

• (Using an outline to write a summary)
• Try to keep the length of the summary to 1
  single-spaced page (about 350 words), or within
  limits prescribed by the journal or funding
  agency.
• Write the summary AFTER youve finished editing
  your document. Then the summary follows your
  honed version.
• You can also try to write a quick summary after
  youve completed a first draft of your outline.
  This is often a good test of the outlines
  viability.

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Outlining

• Do this the next time you write a report or
  paper
• Review information on outlining.
• Based on the 5-part organizational framework,
  prepare an outline for your report or paper.
• Use the indent outlining tool.
• Note how long it took you to prepare the outline
  and what outlining method you used.
• Then use these figures to more accurately
  estimate time for writing future papers.

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Outlining

• A complete, detailed outline developed before
  writing begins will result in a better final
  documentin a shorter period of time.
• Think of the outline as an expanded table of
  contents. This will save you the time and trouble
  of setting up a table of contents later.
• It will also help keep you on track during the
  writing process.

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Sitting down to write

• Scientific writing is hard work. It requires
  concentration and patience. The solutions are not
  exact. No matter how many times you revise a
  document, there will always be phrases that dont
  sound right.
• Scientific writing is often lonely work.

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Sitting down to write

• Scientific writing demands energy and
  imagination. You have to convey complex ideas and
  images. You also have to detach yourself from
  your work and place yourself in the position of
  your audience.

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Sitting down to write

• Scientific writing challenges your writing skills
  and your technical skills. You see your own ideas
  and work as others see your work. You become a
  critic of your own work.
• There are lots of distractions to get and keep
  you off track!

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Sitting down to write

• You cannot jump right into writing a document.
  Most professional writers have disciplined
  schedules.
• As a student, you may not be able to change your
  entire schedule or lifestyle just to get one
  document written. BUT, you can make some simple
  adjustments.

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Sitting down to write

• Clear your mindthrough sleep or other activities
  such as running, walking, and bicycling. This
  gives you the chance to think about the structure
  of the document, play a strategy through in your
  mind, and see whether it makes sense.

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Sitting down to write

• Find blocks of free time in which to write.
• A good writing block is 1 to 4 hours.
• Dont write longer than 4-5 hours at a stretch.
  After a while, your concentration fades and your
  writing efficiency diminishes.

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Sitting down to write

• Eliminate interruptions! Each interruption, no
  matter how short, will cost you an additional 5
  or 10 minutes of writing time. It takes you that
  much time to get back into the documentto find
  your place again and begin writing sentences that
  add to what youve already done.

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Sitting down to write

• Prepare yourself mentally for the task ahead.
  Writing is not something you can casually begin
  after a heavy meal or a couple of drinks. Most
  professional writers are diligent workers who
  work steadily for at least 6 hours a day.

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Tips for saving time

• Determine reader/audience needs for information.
• Dont reinvent the wheel. Try to re-use (modified
  if necessary) narrative you have written before,
  e.g., narrative from a research proposal that
  formed the basis for your project.
• BUT, be careful about plagarism!

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Tips for saving time

• Develop your outline early. Include your
  adviser/committee at this stage.
• As you complete each research task, write it up.
  If you cant write the report until the entire
  project is completed, at least amend your
  early-developed outline as the work progresses.
  An enormous loss in efficiency occurs by not
  writing up individual research tasks as they are
  completed.

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Tips for saving time

• Divide the outline into timed-tasks. Then match
  these tasks to the realistic blocks of time they
  require.
• Set goals for writing the pieces of your outline
  into a first draft. Arrange your schedule to
  include time blocks for writing.

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Writing the first draft

• Once youre satisfied with your outline, sit down
  with it, no matter with what section you start,
  and write just as it comes.
• Let the writing flow. Dont worry about writing a
  perfect first draft! You need to concentrate on
  substance (your ideas), not style.
• Do not use the revise-as-you-go method. Its
  not as fast, and the flow of thought/logic is
  usually not as good.

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Writing the first draft

• The writing and revising method has a major
  drawback it tends to make the writer digress
  from the main issues and concentrate on small
  details. It pulls attention away from the
  substance and toward style.
• If you get new ideas while youre writing, jot
  them down as they occurmark them in the text or
  on a side sheet of paper. Then continue where you
  left off. You can go back to these new ideas
  later.

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Tips for saving time

• Try to schedule your writing work sessions (time
  blocks) close together. Otherwise, you waste time
  catching up to where you left off.
• Spreading writing jobs over a long period is one
  of the biggest problems researchers (and others)
  haveand a major cause of efficiency. It also
  contributes to the lack of flow and coherence in
  the final product.

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Tips for saving time

• Schedule your writing blocks for the time of day
  when youre most productive.
• Once youve completed the first draft, you can
  start editing and revising it. We will discuss
  these procedures later in this seminar.

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The next two sessions

• Elements of a scientific paper
• How to write them
• Example published papers will be provided.