COMPUTER SYSTEMS RESEARCH
Elements of Technical Writing
2005-2006

  • Good technical writing is well organized
    1. Poor organization stems from poor planning. Before you write, plan.
    2. Create a rough outline that spells out the contents and organization of your report or paper. The
      outline need not be formal.
    3. "The outline is a tool to aid in organization, not a commandment etched in stone. If you want to change
      it as you go along, fine.
    4. Using an outline helps you divide the writing project into many smaller, easier-to-handle pieces and parts.
    5. Common formats for organizing technical material
      • Order of location (an article on the planets would start Mercury, go to Pluto)
      • Order of increasing difficulty
      • Sequential order
      • Alphabetical order
      • Chronological order
      • Problem/Solution
      • Inverted pyramid - newpaper style, the lead paragraph summarizes the story, following paragraphs present
        facts in order of decreasing importance.
      • Deductive order - start with a generalization, then support it with facts, research results, examples, and
        illustrations. Scientists use this in research papers.
      • Inductive order - Start with one or more examples or stories, then lead the reader to the conclusion,
        idea, or principle that can be drawn from the examples.
      • List - divide your discussion into a series of distinct points.