Everyone knows that engineers must be good at math, but many students fail to realize just how much writing engineering involves: reports, memos, presentations, specifications—all fall within the purview of a practicing engineer, and all require a polished clarity that does not happen by accident. A Guide to Writing as an Engineer provides essential guidance toward this critical skill, with practical examples, expert discussion, and real-world models that illustrate the techniques engineers use every day.
Now in its Fifth Edition, this invaluable guide has been updated to reflect the most current standards of the field, and leverage the eText format to provide interactive examples, Engineering Communication Challenges, self-quizzes, and other learning tools. Students build a more versatile skill set by applying core communication techniques to a variety of situations professional engineers encounter, equipping them with the knowledge and perspective they need to succeed in any workplace. Although suitable for first-year undergraduate students, this book offers insight and reference for every stage of a young engineer’s career.
Preface iii
Acknowledgments vii
1 Engineers and Writing 1
Engineers Write a Lot 2
Engineers Write Many Kinds of Documents 2
Successful Engineering Careers Require Strong Writing Skills 4
Engineers Can Learn to Write Well 5
Noise and the Communication Process 5
Controlling the Writing System 7
Exercises 8
Check Your Understanding 8
Engineering Communication Challenge 9
2 Eliminating Sporadic Noise in Engineering Writing 10
Spelling and Spell Checkers 10
Punctuation 11
Traditional Sentence Errors 18
Technical Usage 24
Edit, Edit, Edit, 31
Exercises 32
Check Your Understanding 32
Engineering Communication Challenge 34
3 Guidelines for Writing Noise-Free Engineering Documents 35
Focus on Why You are Writing 35
Focus on Your Readers 36
Satisfy Document Specifications 37
Get to the Point 38
Provide Accurate Information 39
Present Your Material Logically 39
Explain the Technical to Nonspecialists 40
Make Your Ideas Accessible 41
Use Efficient Wording 45
Format Your Pages Carefully 50
Express Yourself Clearly 52
Manage Your Time Efficiently 56
Edit at Different Levels 57
Share the Load: Write as a Team 58
Exercises 59
Check Your Understanding 60
Engineering Communication Challenge 61
4 Letters Memoranda Email and Other Media for Engineers 62
Which to Use? 62
Writing Style for Business Correspondence 64
Communication Strategies for Tricky Situations 65
Business Letters: Components and Format 66
Business Memoranda 70
Email: Functions, Style, Format 72
New Internet Media 73
Exercises 75
Check Your Understanding 76
Engineering Communication Challenge 77
5 Writing Common Engineering Documents 78
Some Preliminaries 79
Inspection and Trip Reports 80
Research, Laboratory, and Field Reports 81
Specifications 84
Proposals 87
Progress Reports 90
Instructions 93
Recommendation Reports 96
Exercises 100
Check Your Understanding 101
Engineering Communication Challenge 102
6 Writing Research and Design Reports 103
Engineering Research Reports 103
Engineering Design Reports 111
General Report Design and Format 114
Generating Portable Document Files 116
Using CMS and Other Applications for Team Reports 117
Exercises 118
Check Your Understanding 119
Engineering Communication Challenge 120
7 Constructing Engineering Tables and Graphics 121
Tables 121
Charts and Graphs 124
Illustrations 126
Graphics and Tables: Guidelines 126
Exercises 127
Check Your Understanding 127
Engineering Communication Challenge 128
8 Accessing Engineering Information 129
Basic Search Strategies 129
Sources of Engineering Information 132
Internet Engineering Information Resources 145
Internet Search Tools 147
Exercises 148
Check Your Understanding 148
Engineering Communication Challenge 149
9 Engineering Your Speaking 150
Preparing the Presentation 150
Delivering The Presentation 159
Presenting as a Team 163
Checklist for Oral Presentations 164
Listening to Presentations 165
The Importance of Informal Communication 166
Exercises 166
Check Your Understanding 167
Engineering Communication Challenge 167
10 Writing to Get an Engineering Job 168
How to Write an Engineering Résumé 168
How to Write an Application Letter 179
How to Write a Follow-Up Letter 188
Exercises 189
Check Your Understanding 190
Engineering Communication Challenge 191
11 Ethics and Documentation in Engineering Writing 192
Engineering Ethics 192
The Ethics of Honest Research 197
Exercises 203
Check Your Understanding 203
Engineering Communication Challenge 204
12 Engineering Your Online Reputation 205
Introduction to Social Media Management 205
Creating a Wordpress Blog 206
Building a Facebook Page for a Business 209
Using Twitter to Connect and Share Information 213
Generating Your Interactive Résumé on LinkedIn 215
Check Your Understanding 218
Engineering Communication Challenge 219
Index 221
Other versions by this Author