Craft of Scientific Writing (eBook)

Holding a master of science in electrical engineering and a masters in fine arts in writing, Michael Alley is an associate professor of Engineering Communication at Pennsylvania State University. He is the author of three popular textbooks: The Craft of Scientific Presentations (2013), The Craft of Editing (2000), and The Craft of Scientific Writing (2017). He has taught scientific writing and presentations to engineers and scientists on four continents, in sixteen countries, and for more than 150 companies, universities, organizations, and agencies.

Preface 6
Acknowledgments 9
Contents 12
Introduction 15
1 Analyzing the Audience, Purpose, and Occasion 17
Analyze who your audience is, why they are reading, and what they know 19
Analyze how much persuasion your document requires 21
Account for the document’s occasion: the form, formality, and politics 24
References 29
2 Balancing Precision with Clarity 31
Choose the right word 31
Avoid needless complexity 36
Balance precision and clarity in illustrations 46
References 51
3 Avoiding Ambiguity 52
Avoid words with multiple interpretations 55
Consider the ordering of words, especially the word only 55
Be selective with it and avoid the standalone this 57
Insert commas after introductory phrases and clauses 59
References 62
4 Sustaining Energy 63
Select energetic verbs 64
Rely on concrete nouns 72
Be concise 73
References 81
5 Connecting Your Ideas 82
Begin each new sentence in a way that connects with the one before 84
Integrate equations into paragraphs 99
Connect illustrations with the text 101
References 105
6 Beginning with the Familiar 106
Select a first sentence that not only orients, but also takes a significant step 107
Map sections in which readers could become lost 111
If you cannot avoid an unfamiliar term, then define it 111
Anchor illustrations in the familiar 118
References 120
7 Organizing the Content for the Audience 121
A title specifies the scope of the work 122
The introduction prepares readers for the middle 126
The middle presents the work in a logical and persuasive fashion 133
The conclusion summarizes the middle and provides a future perspective 143
References 144
8 Providing Proper Emphasis 146
Emphasize details with wording 149
Emphasize details with repetition 150
Emphasize details with placement 154
Move larger blocks of secondary information into appendices 159
References 163
9 Adapting Your Style to Emails, Instructions, and Proposals 164
An effective email is a balance between I and you 165
Instructions rely on numbered lists 177
A proposal is an argument for how to solve a problem 185
References 208
10 Using Your Writing Time Efficiently 210
Preparation puts you into a position to succeed 216
For long documents, draft at least one page a day 218
Revising allows writers who struggle to create documents that excel 228
Finishing focuses on correcting, not on improving 235
References 237
11 Erratum to: Analyzing the Audience, Purpose, and Occasion 238
Erratum to: Chapter 1 in: M. Alley, The Craft of Scientific Writing,https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-8288-9_1 238
Conclusion 239
Grammar:Recognizing Whata Sentence Isand Is Not 244
Punctuation: HelpingReaders NavigateYour Sentences 252
Usage: AvoidingEgregious Errors 260
Format: DressingDocumentsfor Success 277
Glossary 295
Index 303