The Alphabet of Technical Writing
Your report
A: Accuracy
This can be attained by guarding against careless
thinking, expressions and calculations.
B: Brevity
Concisenesss of expression, checking the
development of your own ideas and accuracy of
expression.
C: Confidence
If you believe in what you are saying is right and
wise, write it. Have trust in yourself.
D: Dignity
Particular attention should be given to diction.
Avoid using contractions like won’t, shouldn’t, can’t,
don’t. use straightforward expression with summarized,
simplified and well-organized information.
E: Emphasis
Make your report forceful.
F: Facility
Report writing depends more on pacing,
sequence, arrangement and connections to achieve
smooth flowing, easy to read continuity.
G: Grammatical Correctness
Acceptable grammatical practice is important for
sensible as well as social reasons.
H: Honesty
Proper documentation must be used. A technical
writer must acknowledge his sources.
I: Illustrations
The use of graphic materials is very useful in
technical writing.
J: Judgement
Judicious weighing of evidence is important in a
report. The best evidence is that which is (1) most ample
(2) most pertinent (3) most simple (4) most in harmony
with the rest of available evidence.
K: Knowledge
The communication of knowledge is one of the
chief functions of the report. It is more than a collection
of data for it involves interpretations and formulation.
Without intelligent interpretation, data will remain
useless.
L: Logic
The process of showing the relations among
groups of things and classes of group is logic. It is a
process of classification, putting things in their proper
places.
M: Mechanical Neatness
A report should neatly typed and well margined
so that it will be easier to read. Headings, subheadings
and indention are mechanical devices which help to
make the organization of the content clear.
must then be clean, free from typographical errors and
erasures.
N: Normal Procedure
Conformity to standard practices makes report
easier to understand.
O: Objectivity
It can be achieved if you avoid the use of first
person in order to give the impression that work being
reported is a team effort or a company activity.
P: Planning
You need to have a clear idea of where you are
going to end before you begin writing.
Q: Qualification
Qualify what you write by describing what
factors are constant and what factors are viable as you
work.
R: Revision
It is the most important phase of technical
reporting aside from planning, designing, rough drafting.
S: Straight Sentences
In a good report, each paragraph begins with a
straightforward statement of its subject.
T: Thoroughness
You can be thorough by (1) preparing a checklist
or requirements in the planning phase (2) marking off
each requirement as it is fulfilled (3) using the checklist
again in the revision phase for a final check.
U: Unity
A unified report is one in which everything is
clearly relevant to main point under discussion.
V: Viewpoint
Point of view, e.g. as a reporter, researcher or
employee, should maintain consistently throughout the
report.
W: Word Choice
Avoid pompous, vague and ornate words. Be
precise as you can.
X: ‘Xtra
Effort brings success.
Y: You
A report is written for an audience and you
should think in terms of pacing and timing. Thus your
information can be presented in segments appropriate to
your reader’s knowledge and needs.
Z: Zest
Write only when you have something worth
saying and write as though you were performing a
service that only you can perform.