Technical Writing

+ Introduction

Forbes Magazine to help careers

Teach them to Write Better!

• Day, R.A. in “How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper”; pp 211, University of Cambridge, Australia.

• James, S. in “Using Literature”; pp 600, John Wiley & Sons, U.K.

• Reynolds, L. and Simmonds, D. in “Presentation of Data in Science”; pp 209, Martinus Nijhoff publishers, U.S.A.

شلبي. – أتكتب “ كيف

أو بحثا 195) رسالة“( صفحة

القاهرة

Why Do We Write?

a.To prove, work was done

)oral(

b.To document, record the details and information, and

c. Accordingly to manage better, )informed decision(

To Contribute

to Science

Personal Gains

1. You learn more about the subject

2. Chance to rethink your thoughts

3. You gain recognition, looked

upon as a leader (adds to CV)

Bad Writing and Good Writing

Reasons for Bad Writing

1- Lack of Clarity

2- Being Subjective

+ Personal Reflections

Reasons for Bad Writing )ctd(

1- Lack of Clarity

a. Too Involved

b. Too Brief

c. Too Polite

d. Too Complicated

Reasons for Bad Writing )ctd(

2- Being Subjective

)too passionate, too emotional(

+ Personal Reflections

• Early Training

• Do we Believe in Documentation?

• Mother Tongue

• Talent/Gift

• Form + Content

Good Writing

Good Writing

a. Wide base of knowledge )reading(

b. Precision in understanding and expression

c. Question previous findings

d. Logical thinking and expression

e. Objectivity and being impartial

chemist

Propane

)5000 words(

lawyer Tort

)5000 words(

Cat

10,000 words

Mat

“For what good science tries to

eliminate, good art seeks to provoke:

Mystery,

which is lethal to the one, and vital to

the other”

John Fowles

ملء أنامعن جفوني* شواردها

الخلق ويسهراها جر-

ويختصم

Before We Start:

One word on reporting

Form + Content

The Simple Logic of Writing(American National Standard Institute)

• What question )problem( was studied?

Introduction,

• How was the problem studied? Methods,

• What were the findings? Results,

• What do these findings mean? And Discussion

IMRaD

IMRaD

Preparing Your Resume,Biography,

Curriculum Vitae (CV) 

Before you start

Read the needs of the job ModelAvoid too much of detailsAvoid many colors, lines, or graphs 

Summary Experience and study

Should be tailored for the type of work and place,brief and focused (do or die)

Objective What are you looking for?(A statement of one or two sentences) 

Professional Experience Details of your previous experience (what exactly, how long, uniqueness)

Tailored  

Education  Academic degrees, exact title, place, dates, title of thesis (highlights of work)

Recent to previous 

Training • Training courses (titles or domains, who, where, highlights)

• Workshops. Symposia, and Conferences

Skills  Languages ComputerResearch equipmentManagerialsportsOther Activities 

References People that know you (name and phone)In what capacityMake sure they agree(3 to 5 persons)   

Personal

Date of BirthSocial statusAddress (work, Home)Email addressPhone (fax) numbershobbies 

Final two Remarks

• Do not be shy (balance)

• Never but the truth

THANK YOU