COMPUTER SYSTEMS RESEARCH
Elements of Technical Writing
2005-2006
Good technical writing is consistent
- "Inconsistencies in technical writing confuse readers and convince them that your scientific work
is as sloppy and unprofessional as your prose."
- "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."
- "By being inconsistent, you are automatically wrong at least some of the time."
- "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."