Good Style: Writing for Science and Technology

Couverture
Psychology Press, 2005 - 151 pages

Good Style explains the tactics that can be used to write technical material in a coherent, readable style. It discusses in detail the choices of vocabulary, phrasing and sentence structure and each piece of advice is based on evidence of the styles prefered by technical readers and supported by many examples of writing from a variety of technical contexts.

John Kirkman draws from his many years of experience lecturing on communication studies in Europe, the USA, the Middle East and Hong Kong, both in academic programmes and in courses for large companies, research centres and government departments.

Good Style has become a standard reference book on the shelf of students of science, technology and computing and is an essential aid to all professionals whose work involves writing of reports, papers, guides, manuals or on-screen texts. This new edition also includes information on writing for the web and additional examples of how to express medical and life-science information.

 

Pages sélectionnées

Table des matières

1 Style as choice
1
2 Sentence length and complexity
4
3 Weight and familiarity of vocabulary
11
jargon
14
5 Fashionable words
17
6 Roundabout and unusual phrasing
20
7 Excessive premodification
24
8 Use of nouns as premodifiers
26
in hard copy and in onscreen text
70
16 Avoiding distorted English in computerrelated texts
74
17 Style for instructions
83
18 Style for descriptive and explanatory writing
89
19 Specifications
96
20 Style for correspondence
99
general policy
106
writing for expert readers
108

9 Abstraction
36
10 Excessive nominalization
40
tense and voice
42
impersonal vs firstperson constructions
48
impersonal vs second person constructions
59
14 Punctuation
64
writing for students
117
writing for readers who do not understand English
118
25 On avoiding ambiguity
122
Appendix Which style do scientific readers prefer? Evidence from surveys
129
References
131
Index
133

Autres éditions - Tout afficher

Good Style: Writing for Science and Technology
John Kirkman
Aperçu limité - 2012
Good Style: Writing for Science and Technology
Alfred John Kirkman
Aucun aperçu disponible - 2005
Good Style: Writing for Science and Technology
Alfred John Kirkman
Aucun aperçu disponible - 2005

Expressions et termes fréquents

abstract accept active advice ambiguity attempt avoid become beginning British carried cause clear communication complete concentration confusion consider constructions container context create depends described difficulty direct discussion distorted documents edition effect engineering English entirely equipment example express forms frequently function give given ideas impersonal important increase instructions intended interpretation Journal language letter load look machine meaning measure mind natural necessary normal nouns object operator passive performed phrasing possible pre-modifying Prefer preposition present procedures produce professional punctuation range readers removed requirements resistance response scientific seems selection sentence signal simply specialist specific statement structure style suggest technical tone translators understand users usually valve verb versions vocabulary wide words writing written

À propos de l'auteur (2005)

John Kirkman now works as a consultant specialising in research and training in scientific and technical communication. Previously he was Director of the Communication Studies Unit at the University of Wales, Cardiff.

Informations bibliographiques

TitreGood Style: Writing for Science and Technology
Routledge study guides
AuteurAlfred John Kirkman
Éditionillustrée
ÉditeurPsychology Press, 2005
ISBN0415345022, 9780415345026
Longueur151 pages
  
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