the major book: engineering
DESCRIPTION
A hand guide to college level engineering writingTRANSCRIPT
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The Major Book: Engineering
By: Austin R. RoweWrit 1133
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Table of Contents:
Introduction
Chapter 1: Review of Existing Literature
Chapter 2:Genre Investigation
Chapter 3:An Interview with Andy
Chapter 4:Proposing a Change
Conclusion
Reflection
Work Cited
Creative Commons License
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IntroductionSince the beginning of my college experience, I knew that I
wanted to be an engineer. My family did not understand this as they all
had studied business. From the first class, I loved everything about it.
There was the hands on building, the designing, and especially the way
of thinking. Every aspect was perfect, until I reached the writing. Like
many others studying engineering, I had no idea how to write, so I
decided to take a closer look. On the surface there seemed to be
nothing wrong with the system, but as I begun take a closer look it was
evident that that was not the case.
Where were we going to begin? What was out there? Coming into
the major most of us were fairly uncertain of how to technically write.
We were given no more than a brief dissertation or handout on how to
achieve the product that professors so desired. Since not much was
given, it was determined that the best place to start was with an
investigation of existing literature. From this, we could then get a
better idea of what to expect past the hands on aspect. This approach
would also give a variety of opinions allowing us to draw conclusions
from there. The variety of sources then gave a starting point for the
rest of the chapters.
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You could be reading this thinking come on, it's engineering, how
much writing can there be? However actually, there is a lot. In the
second chapter of this book, I will walk you through a few of the most
common genres in the major. Most of these genres you have
encountered before, but most likely in a different setting. Here I will
walk you through how to write in multiple genres, such as lab reports,
research papers, and memo reports. That sounds pretty useful, right?
Chances are you may have already been asked to write one of these.
From here we will endeavor into sources that are a little closer to
us as students. If you weren’t already convinced on why you should
keep reading then maybe this will help. In the next chapter, I will not
only give you my view but I will give you the perspective of a senior
engineering student as well. He adds a sense of experience to the
book, and will reassure you that it writing for engineering isn’t all bad.
Have you ever wanted to get involved? Have you ever wanted to
be apart of the change? Well, the last chapter will give you that
opportunity. No matter how nice it’d be for the system to be perfect
that is never the case. Here instead, of giving you all the positives here
I will break down some of the flaws. Once these problems are laid out
in front of you you’ll have a choice. Either sit back continue to be apart
of something average or stand up and join me by proposing a change.
What will you do?
Chapter 1
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As a first year engineering student at the University of Denver, I
have been faced with the task of writing essays and papers my entire
academic career. However, this will be my first time writing a paper of
this genre. In engineering, along with any other college major, it is
crucial that you have the proper skills and guidelines in order to
successfully write. However, when it comes to writing in the field of
engineering the introduction, format, and having the appropriate aids
are curtail where it be for a research paper or a lab report.
Professionals agree that there are some guidelines that should be
followed in order to achieve the highest result possible.
In engineering there are two types of writing assignments that
are commonly assigned. The first is a typical research paper or article,
much like this one that I am writing to you. The other is a common lab
report. Engineering research papers are similar to your typical
research paper for the ordinary English class, however they do require
you to slightly change your process. Many well established groups
believe that when it comes to technical writing, the key aspects to get
down are the introduction, sometimes referred to as the abstract, and
the methods and results.
Starting off is always the hardest part, especially when it comes
to writing. This is where you’re trying to gather your thoughts and
organize what you are going to say. And no matter what you are doing
you always want to start off on the right foot. When it comes to writing
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what’s the first thing you write? The introduction always comes first.
This can also be referred to as the abstract statement. This will come
before almost everything else in the research paper or lab write up. It
is the first thing that the reader will see. Many professionals at Kansas
State University, believe that:
“The introduction also has three main purposes. First, it provides
background and motivation for your topic (usually includes a
review of current literature on the topic). Second, it describes the
focus and purpose of the paper you are writing. Third, it gives an
overview of what is contained in the paper's various sections.
(Kansas State University)”
The goal with this section is to identify the topic to the reader. Really,
bringing to light why they should care about the rest of the paper.
The start of a scientific paper is exceptionally important.
Scientific writing is “the heart of the science community; they're one of
the major ways scientists communicate their results and ideas to one
another” (sciencebuddies.org). Therefore, if the purpose of the paper
is to distribute and share your findings with other academics in the
field then it is vital to catch their interest from the beginning. “Reading
the introduction is a test of whether or not you are ready to read the
rest of the paper; if the introduction doesn't make sense to you, then
the rest of the paper won't either” (sciencebuddie.org). If the point is
clear it will create a fresh perspective for all that is to come throughout
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the paper and thus, instilling your findings even further. Almost every
person involved in with academic writing of any kind will tell you that
the introduction is one of the most important pieces of the composition
and should give an overview of what is to come; this is no different in
the case of writing for engineering.
Throughout my time as an engineering major I can say with the
utmost certainty that format is just as important as a quality
introduction. If the format is off or in a confusing order then things will
be difficult to interoperate. This will cause you’re information to get
lost in the mix of everything. You may be sitting there thinking to
yourself, I won’t need to do a lab report, I can present all my facts in
everyday writings and research papers however, this is not the case.
“Laboratory reports are written for several reasons. One reason
is to communicate the laboratory work to management. In such
situations, management often bases company decisions on the
results of the report. Another reason to write laboratory reports
is to archive the work so that the work will not have to be done in
the future” (Alley).
Unlike a standard research paper, depending on how much content the
lab write up is supposed to cover the format can get a little tricky. A
scientific report usually consists of the following:
1. Title2. Abstract3. Introduction
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4. Materials and methods5. Results6. Discussion/Conclusion7.Literature cited
You can now probably see how making sure these sections are in the
right order is important. Much like the lab reports the format for
research papers will be much of the same.
Along with a quality introduction and format, researchers have
also a set of helpful tips that will help you strive when writing for
engineering.
“Never make an assertion of which you are not 100% sure—do
not open the door for a negative review or the eventual rejection
of your article. As a rule, it is better to be conservative. Most of
the experts reading your article will draw their own conclusions
anyhow. This section allows you to highlight the conclusions you
think are important” (Socolofsky 10).
When it comes to lab reports, it is absolutely critical that the methods
section comes before the results. You cannot have the methods before
the results or the reader would have no idea how those results were
obtained and be confused throughout the entire section.
It is almost certain that every person among the science
community will agree that simplicity is key. “Explaining the most
complicated of scientific principles in simple and understandable
language is a valuable skill and all it really takes is a little bit of
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thought about the words you use to avoid repeating the mistakes of
the past” (Threlfall). As far as writing these sections goes be brief,
often times the data will be confusing enough.
When it comes to writing these reports and research
papers often time reports will contain data that that or information that
is confusing and hard to understand. This is where the use of visual
aids comes into play. However, determining what type of visual aid can
be a difficult depending on the situation. Lets give an example here. If
you were doing a lab that requires you to build a circuit and you are
trying to determine which resistances between two resistors in series is
greater. You would not display this in a list of observations. You may
choose to list the results in a table format. This would work if the
numbers were significantly different. The best choice for this would
make a graph, like the one below.
Line graph:
The line graph would be a viable option for this situation due to
the fact that “line graphs are used to track changes over short and
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long periods of time. Line graphs can also be used to compare changes
over the same period of time for more than one group” (nces.edu.gov).
The main purpose of using graphs is that the graph will make it easier
to see the data and minimize the calculations needed.
When it comes to studying engineering you will most definitely
encounter writing assignments no matter how many calculations you
have to solve. When it comes to writing, or doing anything for that
matter, the goal most of the time is to succeed. To be successful while
writing for engineering a good introduction, proper formatting, and
concrete visual aids will indefinitely be needed. When it comes to the
introduction it is essential to create an atmosphere that will hook the
reader and make he/she want to continue on. This indirectly affects the
format as well. When it comes to dealing with complex ideas and
numbers it is very important that material are shown in the proper
order, so the reader is not confused. In another effort to make the
information easier for the reader graph are great tools that will help
synthesis the data. As long as you follow the essentials of being as
clear and precise as you can while still proving the most accurate
description possible then you are definitely going to find a level of
success.
Chapter 2
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Sci-Fi... Hip-Hop… Comedy… What do all of these have in
common? You’re right they are all genres. According to Merriam-
Webster’s online dictionary, genre can be defined as a particular type
or category of literature or art. Genre however, expands far past
movies, music, and books; it even carries over into the academic
world. Looking at specific genres can be a very useful tool. People have
been studying genre theory for many years with the sole purpose of
gaining knowledge about specific topics. Breaking down genres will
give you a better sense of how to compose them. After reviewing the
same genres chances are you will begin to put the pieces together,
and discover the norms that define them. For example, if you watch
thousands of comedy movies after a while, you will see that you need
one-liners or a ridiculous plot. The same concept can be applied to
academic genres.
Chances are college will be the most amount of work that you
have ever had to do in your academic career; and unfortunately, no
matter what major you are studying you will always have to write. If
you’re anything like me you probably haven’t thought about genre
from an academic standpoint unless you have received an assignment
on it in the past. The topics for these writings will vary, depending on
the class and field of study. However, as an engineering major the
writing is relatively limited. Throughout this article I will be breaking
down five genres that will be tailored for engineering, but can be
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applied in a general sense to any other major. We will be examining
these genres in an attempt to better prepare you for what is to come.
The following tips and tricks about genre will help establish a platform
from which you can expand.
Professors’ works are exactly that, they are things that your
professor has written to often times publish. There are two types of
piece we will analyze here. The first is actual hard texts. In college
often times your professors will do research as well as teach. When
they do you should pay attention to what they discover and publish.
Often times the research will be very complex don’t fear; it can still be
very useful. Your professor should have no problem giving you access
to these papers if they are not already displayed.
Going about how to decipher these should not be a problem.
First off, you are going to need to have an idea of what you are looking
for. You could go as in depth as looking for a piece on synchronized
harmonic motion and Mathcad. For this you will need to have some
general knowledge of the topic. This will then help you reach a better
understanding of the material. To break this down when you are
reading it look for trends in the piece. Although, the piece will be
specific there will always be more subtopics. Like if you are looking at
1. PROFESSORS’ WORKS/RESEARCH PAPER
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the synchronized harmonic motion piece you will probably see that
amplitude, displacement, and frequency are all used multiple times in
various ways. This will be the place that you can evaluate and gain an
even better understanding of why those are specific topics.
Another way to go about breaking these down is to talk. Yes, to
talk. This is the most helpful way in my opinion. For the Mathcad piece
simply start off by reading it. This will give you an idea of what is
happening in the paper. Then think of things you do not understand,
this could be anything. This is a compacted program and your
professor would be more than happy to explain to you what is going on
and the key ideas of his or her research.
Chances are you have conducted or participated an interview
before. Simply stated, you’re going to be asking someone a lot of
questions. According to a top job search company some good interview
questions when asking an engineer are:
Tell me about the most challenging engineering project that you have been involved with during past year.
Describe the most challenging written technical report or presentation that you have had to complete.
Describe an experience with a difficult client. How did you handle the situation? What would you have done differently?
Tell me about your greatest success in using logic to solve an engineering problem at a previous job.
Give me an example of a time when you applied your ability to use analytical techniques to define problems or
2. THE INTERVIEW
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design solutions. What checks and balances do you use to make sure that
you don't make mistakes? Do you have any patents? If so, tell me about them. If not,
is it something you see yourself pursuing in the future? Why or why not?
What engineering skills have you developed or improved upon during the past year?
Which software packages are you familiar with? What is the most interesting thing you know how to do with one of these packages?
What are you doing to stay up-to-date with the latest technology?
It can never hurt to interview more than one person with the same
questions or intentions. If you do this it will give you a different
perspective on your topic. Different people have had different
experiences and this will give you an extra edge when analyzing your
interview.
When evaluating a professional or news article the techniques
used are very similar to the ones used to evaluate research paper.
You’ll have to look at the text with a fresh unbiased perspective. From
here break down the article into points and questions that you have
looking for reoccurring themes and ideas that are important. From
here, the commonalities will be clear and you will be able to see the
author’s true meaning. However, there is one slight problem when it
comes to evaluating articles. Occasionally, the information can be bias.
3. PROFESSIONAL/NEWS ARTICLE
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For example, if you are reading an article on how one company designs
a new type of plane. This will be bias towards that company and their
methods. When in reality there could be multiple companies designing
this plane and they could all be using different techniques. The best
way to avoid this is by reading more that one article on the same story.
An even better method is seeing what the industries standards are
therefore; you can see what to compare the article too.
Lab reports… Chances are you’ve done one sometime in your
academic career, whether that be in a high school science class or you
may be having write one or two weekly for your major like I do. Either
way, you’ve ran into one sometime in you’re academic career so they
aren’t new to you. You know the general layout and purpose. If you
don’t, don’t worry ill give you a quick refresher. The layout will be a lot
of short paragraphs and descriptions summarizing information and
results. The purpose is to synthesize data collected in an easy and
manageable way. All of the written parts in this report we will be
following the same steps as in the pervious three topics listed above.
The one thing that can be tricky however is reading graphs. No fear, Ill
break one down to give you a better idea.
4. LAB REPORT
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Here is a
displacement vs. shear stress graph with the data spanning throughout
four trials. Usually, in a lab report there will be a brief explanation of
what you are looking at, which should help some. However, with this
each axis, or side of the graph, will tell you something different. There
will be numbers or outputs on the sides of these axis’s and from there
you can find your desire point and see the output.
By no means is a syllabus an unfamiliar genre. You have seen
these your entire life however, maybe you have not thought about
them in this sense. When confused about a topic or portion of your
class, go to the teacher’s syllabus. Often times this will have key words
or phrases that can help you deduct what you need to do for the
assignment or even specifics on how to do it. This will save you the
time and effort of second-guessing whether you’re doing that tedious
5. SYLLABI
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lab report right or not, and hopefully getting you that A you strive for.
Syllabi… Horror… Jazz… I bet now if I asked you what these all
have in common you wouldn’t even hesitate. Without a doubt these
are all genres. Some are more relevant to your life than others, some
will bring you pleasure where as others will just be a nuance. Either
way they are all unavoidable. Whether you are faced with the task of
writing a lab report or conducting an interview you will have the proper
foundation to do so; and if you don’t you can do what many people
before you have done, and examine existing pieces in that genre even
further. But when in doubt, you can always do what we did in the next
section and ask someone. No matter how confused you become
another persons opinion can really give a fresh perspective. So next
time someone asks you what genre throw a curveball in there and say
something like an interview or syllabus. You won’t be wrong, and even
better you’ll have a better understanding of how to break down these
genres to help you succeed.
Chapter 3
In these past several chapters we have been asking ourselves
one simple question. First of all, what is genre? How do you direct a
piece based upon a certain audience, and are there set norms that
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come with writing for this genre? As time ticks on in your college
career, you will most definitely pick up some tricks and tips along the
way. You are no stranger to the educational system and by now you
have an idea of what does and does not work in a classroom
environment. However, you may not be as sure of what works and
does not work in your intended field.
You are just beginning on your path to receiving an engineering
degree. That means you will be thinking, designing, and constructing
all types of objects. But, did you know that you would be writing? The
pervious chapters will help get you started on your path, but what
good is that if you don’t have real life knowledge and advice? This is
why; I decided to interview Andy Cromer. Andy is a senior electrical
engineering student at the University of Denver. When I contacted him
about an interview in regards to writing in the field of engineering he
was not at all surprised. This lack of surprise was confusing,
considering I myself had no idea of the writing involved in engineering.
The building and designing aspect is more or less why everyone
gets involved in the study of engineering. However, often times we
lose sight on the fact that not everyone can be invloved every step of
the way. This is where the writing comes into play. As an engineer at
any level you should never lose sight of one thing, the customer.
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“When it comes to writing always think about the customer…
place yourself in their shoes. Write from a perspective that would
make you want to buy your product.”
The customers will vary. Sometimes they will be your professor, while
other times they will be a company placing a multimillion-dollar order.
For the next several years the professor will most likely be the only
customer you have; but nonetheless they are still the customer. That
means you must adhere by their guidelines and produce what they
want. A very key aspect to this style of writing is to stay in touch with
the client. Keep them up to date on what is going on.
“I (Andy) cannot remember how many times I’ve had to go redo
something or spend time thinking about something just because
I didn’t write it down it the first place. This is just a better way to
stay organized and on top of things… My favorite is bullets, it just
makes everything a whole lot easier in the end when you are
trying to write your report.”
As you make progress on a project, write it down. When you are
approaching a deadline this will then help you write up your lab report
or complete a research paper. If you stay updated each step of the
way it will also ensure accuracy in your writing.
By now you can see that engineering is not your typical major.
You will have to do much more hands on work and much less
traditional schoolwork. With this comes the understanding that you will
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not being doing traditional writing either. They call this style of writing
technical writing; and it is relatively similar to the writing you would do
in a chemistry or biology class. For all types of technical writing you
are going to want to be short and concise.
“If you are wordy and use lots of fancy words and personal
pronouns then it puts off the vibe that you don’t know what you
are doing and when it comes to building a product that is not a
good vibe to put off.”
The writing that you will be doing will often times be describing a
process or a part that has been designed. You will want you keep the
language and description as simple as possible for two reasons. First
off, often times the part or material being designed will be complex. A
complex part will require a complex description. Fluffy big words and
personal pronouns make the description even harder to follow. I know
what you are thinking; you are probably saying to yourself why do I
have to be clear and concise if my client is the professor? After all, he
did write the assignment. Yes, he did but the clearer you are the better
he will understand your thought process behind what you did. Chances
are they already know the outcome of the experiment and they just
want to see your thought process behind your results.
The situation does not entirely change when you have a real life
client. When a client is paying you to do a job you want to make sure
they understand what is going on so that they can receive the product
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that they desire; and moreover you can get paid for a correct product.
Secondly, often times the client is busy and does not have a lot of time
to curl up and read your report. Most of the time it will be on the go.
The last thing they want to do is to have to decipher what is going on
with in your report to find out about their product.
Recent advances in technology have made the sharing and
collaborating on writings and designs easier than ever in the field if
engineering. Often times, you will not be the only one working on a
project. Each of you will play a unique role in the design process. This
in turn means that more than one of you will be writing the same
report, each adding your own pieces.
“For designs where if it is collaborative if one person messes up
it saves the latest version of the code or design. Its like a secure iCloud
designed especially for engineering.”
Technology has even changed the way we share and written in the
work place as engineers. With programs like these is even allows the
client to go in and edit or make notes on the design. This then ensures
that they get the best overall product possible.
With the clients happiness as your main interest the key is a
good product. I’m not just talking about the physical design; I’m also
talking about the final written product. The best customer satisfaction
will come from a clear, concise, and intelligent overview of what has
been done. Along the way you will need to keep up on things by taking
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notes, but this will save you time and guarantee you a high grade or a
nice fat paycheck.
Chapter 4By now you probably can see that engineering is not your typical
major. In fact, it is different in almost every aspect on the academic
spectrum. Engineering is a discipline that requires a lot from you. Not
only are you expected to know how to design and build objects; you
are also expected to know how to convey your ideas to a costumer or
boss in a technical way. However, how are you supposed to convey
these ideas if you have never been taught? Professors have been
teaching the hands-on science of design to engineers from the get go.
High up academic’s and administration believe that the typical one
hundred level writing classes will do for all students however, this is
not the case. I propose that a technical writing class is added to the
major requirements not only for engineering, but also for all majors
that involve a precise level of writing. For this to be further addressed
we must first look at the reasons for change, the current course
requirements, and the parties that will be affected if a change is
implemented.
For the entirety of our academic careers, we have been taught
how to write in a traditional and almost creative setting. As great as
this is, it has served us well up this point; however at this level of
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education is it still considered helpful? The further we progress in our
academic careers, the more specific and tailored our work, especially
writing needs to become. With high precision majors, such as
engineering, it is important that ideas and concepts formed can be
clearly presented to the customer in a way that is clear and easy to
understand.
In light of what has been said it is clear that a change needs to
be made. Writing for engineering and all technical majors is becoming
more and more of a struggle the further along we go. As projects,
experiments, and designs get bigger and more challenging the
material that needs to be transcribed also gets bigger and more
challenging. As write-ups lengthen the background knowledge of
students becomes less and less. Soon we are writing on a whim, basing
our knowledge off of some shady site that was the top result on a
Google search. This does no one any good. Students do not want to
spend hours upon end searching and trying to find information about
how to do an assignment when they could be taught how to complete
it in the first place. Moreover, clients, bosses, and professors do not
want to read a report that may or may not be right depending on what
site was used to gather the knowledge.
So we ask ourselves, why isn’t a technical writing class
implemented into the current course requirements? Currently, the
University of Denver requires that all students take two basic one
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hundred level writing classes. The classes are Rhetoric and Academic
Writing and Writing and Research. Which on the surface you could
easily think that these classes would have at least some of the tools to
succeed in the field of technical writing, however, they do not. These
classes offer a more in-depth look into the traditional style of writing
that you have done throughout your academic life. As a result of this, I
feel as though there should be a class that solely teaches technical
writing put in place in the curriculum.
As there are many students and staff for this there is an equal or
greater number against this proposal. Academic’s and administration
will say that the core concepts of writing will be lost if this is put in
place. On one had they are correct. The student will not be taking their
basic writing skills to the same general level as a student, not in a
technical field. However, they will not be completely disregarding
writing either, they will simply be tailoring their writing to fit a more
applicable area of their major. To go along with this, I am also not
suggesting that you get rid of the writing process completely and
replace it with one class. No. Since there are two classes in the writing
sequence, I believe that only one of these classes should be replaced.
Typical academic writing is still very useful and relevant no matter
what field you go into, however, the extent of traditional writing
needed in majors varies. When the expectations for traditional writing
are met this is when the technical writing class will be implanted.
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Doing so would thus, fit the desired major even better and further
enrich the value of a degree.
People opposed to this idea will also say what about the money?
The implementation of a new course will require funds; professors,
books, and programs all cost money. However, that is a small price to
pay in exchange for the profits to come from the addition of a single
class. With each credit hour, a student pays for the school will make a
profit. This class will give the students more credit hours to choose
form, meaning more seats to fill, and more money to be made. On top
of that this class will make it so students will excel faster. This progress
and tailored style of learning will over time make the school even more
prestigious. With this comes the inverse affect of more people will want
to attend such school, thus turning an even larger profit.
However, there is more than one solution to this problem. The
university could always choose to print literature or give a sample of
the desired result, but would this be as effective? The addition of this
class would be the most effective solution and the most lucrative. If the
main goal is to give students what they need to succeed outside of a
classroom setting, then this is the best way to do so.
As a person that is required to do a lot of technical writing for
their major I often find myself searching the web for examples or tips
on how to write my technical report. This got me to thinking, why isn’t
there a class that teaches this? There is only so much traditional
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writing that one needs. This style is still very important and useful,
however, the extent at which it can be used in a technical field is
limited. Therefore, you should not limit yourself with classes that you
will rarely apply the material; when a class could be implemented and
the knowledge would be applied daily. So what are you going to do?
Pay for a class where you will seldomly use what you learned; or pay
for a class that has daily applications?
ConclusionNo matter how much we love something, nothing is ever perfect.
No matter how much you love your major it will never be perfect, there
will always be changes that needed to be made. Throughout this book
many ideas have been presented to you. Like how in chapter one we
utilized existing literature to teach us the basics and gave us a general
idea of what we needed to include in our writing. As we moved along to
chapter two the investigation transitioned from overviews to detailed
genres. These then gave us a much more exact and told us how to
break down a certain type of writing. We continued to chug along until
we reached chapter three. In this chapter Andy Cromer, provided a
fresh perspective that gave us valuable insight into our future lives as
engineers. Proceeding further we reach the last substantial chapter,
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chapter 4. This is where you discover what was wrong with the system,
and what we can do to fix it.
Although this is a lot of information to process, there were
several commonalities throughout the book. After hunting around it
can be said that everyone form older students to top researchers can
agree that briefness and clarity are key to successfully writing in this
field. I bet that you can already tell that the experiments you will be
completing will be difficult and tedious, so lets not confuse the reader
even more by getting fancy. Students and professionals alike, agree
that when it comes to the complexity of data in engineering, visuals
make everything easier to synthesize. You can tell that engineering is
all about making difficult tasks easier.
Throughout this entire book we realize how important it is to be
concise. Each chapter explains this in a different way. In chapter one
the point is proven by the verification of multiple professional sources.
Where chapter two demonstrates this matter by illicitly explaining how
to write for certain genres. Then we get a personal look into why this is
important from our senior engineering student. Chapter four
approaches this in an entirely different way. Here I propose a change
and ask you if this style of writing has ever been taught to you in a
college setting.
I can see how by this point in the book your asking yourself why
do I care? I can manage to get by in my classes. With this you would be
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correct. I assume by now that you have picked up the general skills to
skate by. But why skate by, when you can soar to success? For once
instead of going to Google or a professor for help, imagine how nice it
would be to confidently write you research paper or lab report. I will
not guarantee that this information will make you succeed, however, it
will make it a whole lot to deliver a quality product to the intended
audience.
No matter how much us engineers hate writing it is an
unavoidable aspect of the major. Regardless, of how many flaws the
system has or how poorly writing is taught we chose to be engineers
for one reason because we love the hands on aspect. This book is not
intended to be an exact outline of what to expect throughout your
entire college and professional career, however it should serve as
starting place and help build the foundation for what is to come.
Engineering may not be for everyone, but now hopefully now you have
a relatively good idea of what is to come.
ReflectionAs an incoming freshman, I had no idea how to write for
engineering. I mean why should I? It was never taught to me. So I
figured I’d do some investigating and try to give incoming freshman a
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new and helpful perspective on what to expect when it comes to
college writing. Throughout this book there is everything form what
writing to expect, to what needs to be changed, and thrown in is even
some personal experience from myself and other students.
Before writing this book I decided to take a step back and ask
myself, how can I make this information useful yet interesting? I
figured that my personal preference and experiences thus far, would
give the best insight for those to come. From the beginning, there was
not a lot of information given to us on how to write. Since this was the
case I had to investigate information that was already out there. I
researched how to write lab reports, research papers, syllabi, and
memos. I chose these genres because they are the most commonly
used, and no matter what engineering you do they will be applicable.
Throughout each chapter, I tried to keep the tone light but still
keep the information informative. I felt that this method would keep
the audience intrigued while still maintaining a professional persona.
There is a point in chapter three when I am talking about how it is
critical to keep your writing brief and concise. Here I used a quote
from Andy Cromer, another engineering student, which said:
“If you are wordy and use lots of fancy words and personal
pronouns then it puts off the vibe that you don’t know what you
are doing and when it comes to building a product that is not a
good vibe to put off.”
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The use of quotes from professionals, as well as other students, helped
solidify my information even further, and emphasize its importance.
Throughout this quarter and year I feel that I have truly made
strides in my writing. Writing 1122 prepared me for what was to come
in Writing 1133, as it should have. Moreover, it gave me the skills to
look at existing literature and analyze it from a more academic
standpoint. This was something that was rarely expected of me up
until my college years. This then broadened the number of sources; I
could use effectively to validate my thesis. From this my writing has
become more persuasive and well rounded. Writing 1133 then
introduced me to the aspect of precise research, through genre. Before
this class I had not realized how specific research could become, while
still being applied to a broad topic like engineering. This project taught
me that the audience is everything. If you do not connect with your
audience what is the point? In order to reach the reader the
information being provided had to be easy to process and understand.
Otherwise the intended message would not be received, and the point
would be lost.
All in all, this project opened my eyes to what was necessary
within the field of engineering. From day one the goal was to connect
with incoming freshman, and give them a perspective of someone who
has recently endured the same things. The use of multiple genres
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along with a light tone gave the best quality, while still providing the
necessary information to succeed.
Work CitedCrawford, Mark. "How Engineers Can Improve Technical Writing."
- ASME. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2014.
"A Guide to Technical Writing." N.p., n.d. Web.
"Swarthmore College Writing." Writing@swarthmore. N.p., n.d.
Web.
"Writing Guidelines for Engineering and Science Students."
Laboratory Reports. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2014.
"Applied Linguistics." How Engineers Write: An Empirical Study of
Engineering Report Writing. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2014.
"Welcome to the Purdue OWL." Purdue OWL: Handbook on
Report Formats. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2014.
"Authors Guide: Writing Style." ASCE: American Society of Civil
Engineers. N.p., n.d. Web.
"Writing Guides." Writing Guides. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2014.
"Welcome to the Purdue OWL." Purdue OWL: Writing Engineering
Reports. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2014.
Valavanis, Kimon. "Intro to Mechatronics." Intro to Mechatronics
Syllabus. N.p., n.d. Web.
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"Writing Lab Reports and Scientific Papers." Writing Lab Reports
and Scientific Papers. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 May 2014.
Parts of a Research Paper. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 May 2014.
“How to Read a Scientific Paper." Science Buddies, n.d. Web. 7
May 2014.
"Writing Guidelines for Engineering and Science Students."
Laboratory Reports. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 May 2014.
"Mind Your Language! A Very Brief Guide to Language Usage in
Scientific Writing (1)." :: Education. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 May 2014.
"Center for Communication Practices." » Search Results » Lab
Reports. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 May 2014.
"When Do You Use a Bar Graph." - Ask.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 07
May 2014.
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