In technical writing the question of who is an author is more important than you might realize. Although the obvious answer is that it’s the person who wrote the report, […]

One of the most memorable presentations I ever attended was at once both a highly engaging talk about archeometry and a parody of bad presentations. (In case you didn’t know, […]

While looking for something else, I happened on the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) Rules of Practice regarding engineering communications. Here’s what they say about the ethics of technical […]

Many professionals struggle to write engineering reports for clients. Most engineering schools provide some instruction in report writing, but students’ reports tend to be formulaic and stilted. However, once students […]

In technical writing for clients, it’s often necessary to include numerical data in graphical or tabular form. Good tables and figures in technical writing make complex information much easier for […]

Some engineering reports for clients are a few pages long, while others extend to 50 pages or longer. With long-form technical writing, most readers don’t have time to read the […]

The art of technical writing — or any other writing — isn’t about getting it right the first time. It’s about editing until it’s right. Here are some things I […]

In scientific papers and other types of technical reports, the abstract provides a brief summary of the research and findings. If you’re doing a literature search to get the background […]

For technical writers, the executive summary is one of the most challenging aspects of a report to a client. A good executive summary contains everything the busy executive needs to […]

Engineers need training in organizing the material in technical writing. In teaching engineering students how to write reports for clients, one of the first things I talk about is how […]