COMPUTER SYSTEMS RESEARCH
Elements of Technical Writing
2005-2006

  • Good technical writing is consistent
    1. "Inconsistencies in technical writing confuse readers and convince them that your scientific work
      is as sloppy and unprofessional as your prose."
    2. "Today technical literature is plagued with random and unnecessary capitalization, mixed sets of
      units of measure, and indiscriminate use of abbreviations, punctuation, and rules of grammar."
    3. "By being inconsistent, you are automatically wrong at least some of the time."
    4. "The reward of uniformity is a technical document that reads as if it was written by an educated, literate
      person concerned with accuracy and clear communication."