Effective Technical Writing Strategies

As I approach the tail end of my PhD I often spend hours (if not days) writing. They can be progress reports for different projects, conference papers, or more journal papers. Over the course of my time in grad school I’ve picked up on a few techniques/strategies that have enabled me to be slightly more efficient with my writing. So I thought of compiling a few pointers to hopefully assist anyone in academia, regardless of the stage of their career.

1. Know your audience

Knowing your audience plays a vital role in the organization of your paper. How you outline a given document will change, depending on the information you want to communicate to a particular audience. Additionally, the technical jargon employed in your document will also vary depending on the audience you are writing for. E.g.: a technical paper submitted to a material science journal may use technical terms that are one submitted to an environmental science journal.

So what can you do to improve? Before submitting a document to a particular journal or conference spend some time skimming through similar articles previously published in the targeted journal (or conference proceedings), critically analyze their style of writing, and take note of what you thought was effective, i.e., struck out to you. Reading through similar documents ensure that you, the writer, is aware of the expected content and style, making it easier to formulate your document. Additionally, I’s highly recommend using sequencing to draw in your audience. This is particularly important as it’ll attract the attention of your audience, and quite possibly also make it easier for the journal reviewer to understand and approve your paper for publication!

2. Forget the word count

This is especially important for a first draft. Many writers often utilize a (daily) word count in order to determine their productivity for the day. Unfortunately, this might not be the most effective approach with regards to completion of a given task, as it might create disruptions with regards to the flow of your document, as you may rush the tail end of the document.

A smarter way to approach the completion of your document and tasks, especially with regards to setting of daily goals, is to prioritize the clarity in communication of your ideas or thoughts. If a specific document has a word limit, it is always easier to trim down a document after completion, rather than to buff it up. Keep in mind that no thesis or dissertation (or reputable journal paper for that matter) has a fixed word limit. A coherent document that is organized and easy to follow strengthens the impact on audience, once again highlighting the necessity for sequencing to draw in the audience.

3. Outline, then execute

Extending on the need for sequencing, the development of an outline permits the writer to effectively organize his thoughts, and flow for the given article. Establishing a clear structure prior to execution of a given document also provides the writer to have a draft of the outline approved by a supervisor/PI before investment of significant time and energy. It is easier to alter an outline/document at the before complete execution.

Start with a brief outline highlighting the expected sections. Next create subheadings, as and when required. A final step to the conclusion of the outline is to add more detail under each heading/subheading, i.e., a brief statement of what a given section will contain. This will facilitate flow and help with the organization of thoughts. This will also enable the writer to determine which sections might require more literature review, before the writing process is initiated.

4. Know your content

The writing process is time-consuming and often requires massive amounts of creative energy. Surveying literature before execution allows the writer to decrease the amount of time spent while writing. Less frequent interruptions during execution of the writing process reduces the time taken for completion. However, it is important to note that it is unrealistic that you'll have your entire literature review process completed ahead of time. Some documents are often prepared over the course of weeks, or months, meaning that newer methods and techniques have become available in literature, so a certain degree of flexibility (with regards to the scope of your document to incorporate recent literature) might also be required.

When conducting your literature review it is advisable to update your reference/citation manager as you read different articles, i.e., Mendeley, EndNote, Xotero (or whatever software you are comfortable with). A strategy that I often follow is to leave my citations till I complete the rest of the document. However, I do leave notes for which paper I intend to cite. I follow this strategy as it allows me to continue writing the paper without interruption of my thought process. The take-away from this section is the importance of literature review, whether it’s at the start of a PhD, or the start of a new project. This is comparable to laying the foundation of a given building. The foundation of a building is visually out of sight, but does play an important role in the support of the building. Similarly, although there is not a definite and quantifiable way to assess your literature review, it still plays a vital role in the writing process.

5. Incorporate useful visuals

Sometimes incorporation of visuals brings clarity to a given idea. Visuals can be used to enhance the explanation of a given methodology, concept, model, and most importantly illustration of results. Visuals and texts explaining the given visual should always be complementary. It is possible that they might work stand-alone, but having them together enhances the clarity.

One thing I like to do, particularly if I’ve developed a new methodology or algorithm, is to create its own section in the article I’m writing, allowing me to both illustrate and detail the algorithm, and also describe its novelty. This makes it easier to outline your contribution to your field, and many reviewers appreciate the clarity.

6. Consider every word and keep it brief

When composing a technical document it is necessary to keep your message on point. Avoid unnecessary adjectives and adverbs, as they sound more emotional than scientific. Also adhere to jargon that is expected in your field. A second important note is to ensure that sentences are concise. Long, run-on sentences are often hard to follow, and make it tougher to skim through an article. Utilizing the right language and keeping text concise ensures that your document is timeless, and is clear and comprehensible decades from now (when it hopefully continues to be cited :D).

Final thoughts

Avoid a perfect first write up. Get your thoughts on paper first. No one writes a perfect first draft. Once completed, revise, revise revise. Seek an objective second opinion on your document, possibly from a peer and definitely from your advisor/supervisor. Keep in mind that your (technical) writing ability will improve over time, but what is important is that you strive to improve.

There are different types of technical writing, and if you're looking for more detail on a particular type the following resource is useful: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-jeffersoncc-technicalwriting/ I'll continue to update this blog post as I come across more strategies and resources.

Feel free to reach out to me on Instagram (@thegradstudent) or through email if you’d like an unbiased quick review of your document. If you’d like a more in-depth review with proper critique, we can arrange something, too! I have a number of published articles as first author, and have been a peer tutor for technical/scientific writing for a few years, and my services are always available.