Guidelines for Technical Writing

by V.L. Young and K.J. Sampson

Introduction Reader Style
Plagiarism References
Figures (Graphs) Tables Equations
Memos Informational Reports Lab Reports

Introduction (Return to top)

Please refer to this page anytime you have to write for a technical course. The rules here apply to all classes in the Chemical Engineering Department at Ohio University. Most of them will apply in "the real world", too, although your employer may have some specific format requirements.

For more help and practice, visit:
Writing Guidelines for Engineering and Science Students
University of Toronto Engineering Writing Centre
Purdue University Writing Lab

Style (Return to top)

  • Third person voice is preferred for technical writing.
    • Describe the work but leave yourself out. Avoid using "we" or "I".
    Your reader is motivated by a need to understand the information in your report.
    Your reader will be suspicious if it appears you are trying to sell something.

  • Be as specific and simple as possible.
    • Use simple sentence construction.
    Identify nouns with specific names. Take advantage of labels on equipment diagrams.
    Define terms which may be unfamiliar to your reader, or leave them out.
    Condense your report, sentence by sentence and paragraph by paragraph.

  • Use present tense most of the time.
    • Your design and ideas exist in the present as a collection of information.
    Use past tense to describe experiments already done, buildings already built, etc.
    Be cautious in describing the future.

  • Be quantitative.
    • Avoid using "a lot", "very", "much", and "significantly".
    Use descriptions like "fifty per cent larger" or "within one standard deviation of the mean".

  • Be careful with words like "today" and "recently".
    • It may not be recent if your reference is a few years old.

    Informational Reports (Return to top)

    Still under construction.

    Lab Reports (Return to top)

    Still under construction.

    References (Return to top)

    There are two parts to references: the citation that appears in the text, and the reference list, which appears near the end of the document, before any appendices.

    The citation indicates which information is derived from which source. Usually, a citation belongs at the end of the first sentence derived from the source. Repeat the citation later if necessary to make the source of information clear. There are three acceptable ways to put a citation in the text.

  • A superscript number.
  • A number in square brackets.
  • The author(s) and year in parentheses.

    • If you use numbers, they should be sequential in the text.
    The first number encountered is [1], then [2], etc. Repeat an earlier number if the reference is used again, but never skip numbers.

    When you list authors:

    The reference list contains the detailed information required if you reader wants to consult the original source. If you cite a book, monograph, or textbook, you must include page numbers. Each time you cite a different set of pages, put a separate entry in the reference list. In your reference list, only include references which are cited in the text.

    Journal article: author, article title, journal, volume, page, year
    J.A. Shaeiwitz, W.B. Whiting, and D. Velegol, "A Large-Group Senior Design Experience," Chemical Engineering Education, 30, 70 (1996).

    Presentation: author, article title, meeting, site, date
    J.C.S. Chang and T.G. Brna, "Enhancement of Wet Limestone Flue Gas Desulfurization," Tenth Symposium on Flue Gas Desulfurization, Atlanta, GA, November 18-21, 1986.

    Handbook: editors, title, publisher, year, pages
    R.H. Perry and C.H. Chilton (eds.), Chemical Engineers' Handbook, 5th ed., McGraw-Hill, 1973, pp. 6.17-6.22.

    Monograph: author, book title, publisher, year, pages
    T.L. Helton, My Life and Difficult Times, McGraw-Hill, 1994, pp. 45-55.

    Personal Communication: name, affiliation, personal communication, date
    E.J. Myers, Student, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, personal communication, Oct. 5, 1994.

    World Wide Web: name, title, address, date downloaded
    V.L. Young and K.J. Sampson, "Guidelines for Technical Writing," http://www.ent.ohiou.edu/~valy/techwrite.html, March 13, 1998.

    Tables (Return to top)

  • Must have a header such as "Table 1. Ethylene glycol process flow rates."
  • Must be numbered in the order they appear.
  • Must be discussed in the text. If it's not important enough to mention, it's not important enough to show.
  • Must appear no later than the page following the first reference in the text.
  • Must be referred to using a capitalized name (Table 1).
  • Must have labeled columns.
  • Must identify units for any numbers on it.
  • Must have its top closest to the top of the page if "portrait", or the bound side of the page if "landscape."
  • Must have columns of numbers aligned according to decimal place.
  • Must use the appropriate number of significant digits.
  • Must not include *, **, ^, E, or other "computer language" usage
  • Meaning or importance should be described in text.
  • Avoid scientific notation in the body of the table.


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    (Last modified on 3/25/99)