COMPUTER SYSTEMS RESEARCH
Elements of Technical Writing
2005-2006

  • Principles of Technical Communication (from Elements of Technical Writing by Blake and Bly)
    1. Rule 1: Use the active voice.
    2. Rule 2: Use plain rather than elegant or complex language
    3. Rule 3: Delete words, sentences, and phrases that do not add to your meaning
    4. Rule 4: Use specific and concrete terms rather than vague generalities
    5. Rule 5: Use terms your reader can picture
    6. Rule 6: Use the past tense to describe your experimental work and results
    7. Rule 7: In most other writing use the present tense
    8. Rule 8: Make the technical depth of your writing compatible with the background of your reader
    9. Rule 9: Break up your writing into short sections
    10. Rule 10: Keep ideas and sentence structure parallel
    11. Rule 11: Opt for an informal rather than a formal style