Fine-Tuning Your Writing
Advanced writing techniques
for scientists, engineers, physicians,
and other professionals
If writing is a requirement of your work
you are a professional writer . . .
But are you writing at a professional level?
Scientists, engineers, administrators; nearly all professionals must write. You know
what you want to say in your next report, paper, chapter, or book; but do you know
how to write it so your readers will be able to understand it? Do the words you
write have the greatest possible impact?
This book tells you:
- What makes great writing great.
- How to consider what your readers already know so you can give them what they need.
- How to separate what is essential in your writing from what is merely relevant; and
why you should discard the latter.
- How to write titles that say what you want in the fewest possible words.
- How to write abstracts and create accurate and readable tables and figures.
- How to write for electronic as well as paper publications.
- How to create a poster presentation.
- How to use your computer not as a typewriter, but as a tool that can actually
improve the quality of your writing.
- How use all your brain when you write.
Plus, this book contains a manual on plagiarism; what it is and is not, and how to
avoid embarrassing (or worse) problems.
You could say it took 9 years to write this book. That’s because the Fine-Tuning Your Writing book contains every original column (except one or two that have gone out of date) that were first published during an 8-year period in the membership newsletter of three professional–scientific societies. When the author of those columns formed his own writing-editing-consulting business he began publishing a newsletter of his own, and much of the material from the first year of that newsletter is also included in this book.
|
