A Scientific Approach to Writing for Engineers and Scientists

A SCIENTIFIC APPROACH TO WRITING Technical ideas may be solid or even groundbreaking, but if these ideas cannot be clearly communicated, reviewers of technical documents e.g., proposals for research funding, articles submitted to scientific journals, and business plans to commercialize technology are likely to reject the argument for advancing these ideas. The problem is that many engineers and scientists, entirely comfortable with the logic and principles of mathematics and science, treat writing as if it possesses none of these attributes. The absence of a systematic framework for writing often results in sentences that are difficult to follow or arguments that leave reviewers scratching their heads. This book fixes that problem by presenting a scientific approach to writing that mirrors the sensibilities of scientists and engineers, an approach based on an easily-discernable set of principles. Rather than merely stating rules for English grammar and composition, this book explains the reasons behind these rules and shows that good reasons can guide every writing decision. This resource is also well suited for the growing number of scientists and engineers in the U.S. and elsewhere who speak English as a second language, as well as for anyone else who just wants to be understood.

A SCIENTIFIC APPROACH TO WRITINGTechnical ideas may be solid or even groundbreaking, but ifthese ideas cannot be clearly communicated, reviewers of technicaldocuments--e.g., proposals for research funding, articlessubmitted to scientific journals, and business plans tocommercialize technology--are likely to reject the argumentfor advancing these ideas.The problem is that many engineers and scientists, entirelycomfortable with the logic and principles of mathematics andscience, treat writing as if it possesses none of these attributes.The absence of a systematic framework for writing often results insentences that are difficult to follow or arguments that leavereviewers scratching their heads.This book fixes that problem by presenting a"scientific" approach to writing that mirrors thesensibilities of scientists and engineers, an approach based on aneasily-discernable set of principles. Rather than merely statingrules for English grammar and composition, this book explains thereasons behind these rules and shows that good reasons can guideevery writing decision.This resource is also well suited for the growing number ofscientists and engineers in the U.S. and elsewhere who speakEnglish as a second language, as well as for anyone else who justwants to be understood.

A Note from the Series Editor, xiiiAcknowledgments, xvForeword, xviiPreface, xxi1 Introduction to the Approach 1PART I Sentences 92 Qualifiers Used in Sentences 113 Subordinate Clauses Used as Qualifiers 214 Explanatory Phrases, Participle Phrases, and Major Prepositional Phrases 315 Infinitive Phrases, and the General Rule for Punctuating Qualifiers 456 Sentences with Two Qualifiers 557 Higher Orders of Punctuation 698 Strategies to Improve Sentences with Qualifiers 77PART II Lists 899 Two-Item Lists 9110 Multiple-Item Lists 10311 Strategies for Writing Better Lists 111PART III Word Choice and Placement 11912 Adjectives and Adverbs 12113 Precision in Word Usage 135PART IV Beyond Sentences 14914 Paragraphs 15115 Arguments 16316 Justification of Arguments 17317 Organization and Presentation 181References, 193About the Author, 207Index, 209