Headings are formatted by level (first level, second level, third level, etc.) and vary in their position and formatting. Headings organize content into large sections (major headings) and then into smaller sections (sub-headings). Readers often peruse headings and read those sections that pertain to them. In technical reports, headings are used to organize documents, guide the reader, and break content into manageable chunks of information. It is no longer considered grammatically incorrect to use their as a singular pronoun in this context. *While it may seem strange or incorrect to use the plural their to refer to a single student, their has become the preferred replacement in many places in order to ensure gender neutral language. A student should always do their homework.Students should always do their homework.A student should always do his or her homework.A student should always do his homework.Use gender-neutral titles when referring to people “(sales representatives” not “salesmen”.Avoid gender-specific pronouns (“his” or “her”).Use generic terms when referring to specific groups of people (“supervisors”).Individuals should not be referred to solely as he or she. Gender specific language can create stereotypes, make generalizations, and exclude gender. words that have no precise meaning ( bit)Įxamples: Ambiguous: “The voltage across a forward-biased silicon diode is small." Clear: “The voltage across a forward-biased silicon diode is 0.7 V.” Ambiguous: “Because Senator Martin is less interested in the environment than in economic development, he sometimes neglects it.” Clear: “Because Senator Martin is less interested in the environment than in economic development, he sometimes neglects the environment.” Ambiguous: “I recommend you increase your margins a tad.” Clear: I recommend you increase your margins by 0.25 in.” Ambiguous: “This year’s raise is quite a bit less than last year’s raise.” Clear: “This year’s raise is 0.5% less than last year’s raise.”Īvoid specifying gender when possible.imprecise or subjective terms ( fast, slow, tall, small).overusing pronouns, particularly it, these, and this (see pronoun reference). abstract language ( really, quite, severely, very).Abstract language, misplaced modifiers, and vague pronoun reference can cause ambiguity. Company-specific style manuals often contain templates, which are used when creating written technical documents (progress or status reports, design reports, proposals, etc.), correspondence (letters, memos, and emails), or presentation slides.īelow are links to each discipline’s style manuals.Īmbiguity occurs when words or passages can be interpreted in more than one way. Document format and punctuation rules are commonly found in these style manuals. Organizations use company-specific style manuals that contain guidelines for producing technical documents, business correspondence, professional presentations, and visual features (trademarks and logos). These style manuals are used in the production of theses, dissertations, or journal articles. Style manuals ensure consistency in writing and formatting documents written for academic or workplace communications.Īcademic disciplines, including academic journals, have their own style manuals. When writing technical documents, engineers rely on style manuals, which provide standards for writing and designing documents.
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