工程师：提高你的写作能力

这是转载自：http://article.cechina.cn/11/0715/10/20110715105938.htm的文档。

糟糕的项目文档是很多项目的败笔，而写作能力则是很多工程师的软肋所在。“CE视点”栏目的特约作者Dennis Brandl曾撰写过多篇
关于文档的标准撰写以及改写等方面的文章。他观察到很多制造业IT、自动化和控制项目都需要对文档进行完善、修正甚至重新撰写。
为什么一些工程师的写作能力如此糟糕呢？

“可能是工程师的头脑中从来没有想过如何清楚有效的进行表达，又或者是他们并没有接受过良好的写作训练。糟糕的写作习惯通常是
伴随着糟糕的阅读习惯而来的。很多工程师并不知道自己的文笔有多糟糕，因为别人只改正他们文档中的技术错误，而不会关注文章的
完整性、清晰性和可读性。
工程师们也许对工程问题充满激情，希望一直进行此类工作。不幸的是，糟糕的写作可能会对工程造成负面影响。下面的七个小贴士，
可以用来帮助工程师提高自己的写作和编撰能力。
1. 了解文档的目的和目标。
2. 撰写提纲。就像设计草图一样，提纲可以保证文章按照计划完成。
3. 撰写介绍性内容，或者在开头进行概括，说明接下来哪些是最重要的内容。如果是较长的文章，最好每一章都这么做。
4. 检查并在文章做出标记，一旦文章完成，就要检查一下表达是否清楚。即便是最简单的工程项目，也需要在完成之前进行修改和完善，
写作也是如此。如果有时间，应该把文档写好后放在那儿一两天，然后再进行检查。也可以让合作者，尤其是没有参与项目细节的人员进行
检查，对文章进行标注，或者至少讨论一下文章的不足之处。
5. 修改，查看注释，编辑。抓住重点，去掉无用的文字。
6. 再次检查结论。通常在文章结尾的地方，需要再次阐明主题。在你认为文章已经完成的时候，实际上才是最好的修改时机。
7. 完成了吗？再想想。大声朗读出来你会发现至少还有三个以上的地方需要修改。

下面是这篇文章的原版。

http://www.controleng.com/index.php?id=483&cHash=081010&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=43346

Engineers: Improve your writing

Think Again: 7 quick tips can help engineers improve writing and editing. Use this advice on your next piece.

Mark T. Hoske, Control Engineering

Brandl, who also writes and rewrites a lot as a consultant and standards editor, observes that manufacturing IT, automation, and control projects improve with complete, correct, and well-written documentation. Why do some engineers have trouble writing?

“There may be something in the engineer’s brain that is at odds with clear and effective writing skills, or it may be that engineers have not learned critical writing skills. Poor documentation habits are often accompanied by poor review habits. Many engineers don’t even know how badly they write because their documents are reviewed for technical correctness but not for completeness, clarity, and readability,” Brandl said.

Perhaps engineers are so excited about engineering, they want to get on with that. Unfortunately, poor writing can reflect badly on good engineering. Seven tips follow on how engineers can improve writing and editing.

1. Know the purpose and goals of the document.

2. Write an outline. Like a sketch for a design, an outline helps keep the piece on track.

3. The introduction or lead should summarize and present the most important aspects of what’s to follow. Each section of a longer piece should do the same.

4. Review and mark up the piece, once for completeness and again for clarity. Even the simplest engineering project gets revised and improved before it’s done. Writing is similar. If there’s time, let it sit a day or two, and review it again. Let a coworker, especially one not involved in project details, review and mark up the document or at least discuss weaknesses.

5. Revise, observing notes and edits. Get to the point. Eliminate excess words.

6. Look again at the conclusion. Often by the ending, there’s a clearer understanding of the subject. Just when you thought you were done may be the best time to revise the beginning.

7. Finished? Think again. Read it out loud. You’ll find at least three more things to fix.