How Engineer Writers Can Improve Their Writing

Tips for Engineers on How to Develop Technical Writing Skills

Aug 11, 2009

For many engineers the written word is the only tangible evidence of output. If engineering documents are difficult to read they will not convey the intended message.

Engineers design, construct and maintain the infrastructure of modern society. And most of this work is carried out on the reports, recommendations, e-mails and documents written by engineers. If the words in these documents don’t convey the correct message then the reader will grapple to determine the intended meaning.

Engineers have never been noted for expertise with the written word. As businesses strive for world’s best practice, engineer’s writing skills should be developed.

The main objective when writing is to consider the reader. The document should be ‘reader friendly’ and capable of being understood at the first reading.

Ask: who will actually read this document? It might be half the organisation, one other person or maybe years will pass before it is read.

If seeking approval for large expenditure, the engineering writer must give themselves every chance of getting that approval. If the reader must wade through pages of confused words that don't have definite meaning it makes things harder for the reader.

Use short sentences These assist the reader in comprehending the message. Shorter sentences have less chance of grammatical errors.

Engineering Abbreviations

Be careful with engineering abbreviations. The standard rule is to spell out the first incidence with the abbreviation in brackets after.

Some abbreviations may be accepted by everyone who will read the document and don’t need clarification. For example, every electrical engineer knows what AC means. However, this could create confusion when writing talking about the AC (Alternating Current) supply to the AC (Air Conditioning) unit.

Engineer Writer’s Jargon

Engineering is strong on jargon. This is the language that has developed in the particular strand and even within a company. Again, the engineer writer must consider who will read the document. If all readers will always understand the jargon there is no problem. However, if someone will not know that a ‘thingummy’ is used to drive the ‘what-cha-callit’ then the proper name should be used.

Verbosity In Engineering Writing

There is a tendency to use big, fancy words in engineering writing. This is probably due to the complex subject of most documents. The subject may be complex, but that is no excuse to use big words. Clear, concise writing that is easy to read and gets the point across is much better.

Using big words simply proves the writer can use big words. A clear message demonstrates a grasp of the subject matter.

Layout Of Engineering Documents

The first thing a reader sees when they first sight a document or e-mail is the layout. There is nothing worse than a sheet of paper or screen filled up with a huge block of text. It turns off most readers.

The document should have lots of white space and be broken into small, readable chunks by using paragraphs and numbering.

Signature on Paper Document

The signature at the end of the document is important. The way a document is signed can show a great deal about the commitment of the engineer writer. A strong, forceful signature connotes confidence in the material while a timid signature can suggest that the author isn’t so sure.

Edit The Final Draft

The final draft should be edited before sending to the intended audience. Any document will always have some mistakes, even after many readings. It can be useful to ask a colleague to review the draft as it is surprising the mistakes another person can uncover.

Apart from the written word, there are other engineering laws that are not taught in university.

The copyright of the article How Engineer Writers Can Improve Their Writing in Business Writing is owned by Bruce Iliff. Permission to republish How Engineer Writers Can Improve Their Writing in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.