Five Ways Your Professional Credibility Is Diminished By Poor Writing

As a technical writer, your credibility is paramount. You know you must do whatever it takes to protect it. Hence the importance of making sure your writing is appropriate for your readers, accurate, clear, and as easy as possible for your readers to follow your argument and come to the same conclusion.

Technical writing covers a wide range of activities: this article will especially help report writers. Please note that this article is about writing cheats, not the content.

Not surprisingly, the number one trap to avoid is plagiarism.

1. Plagiarism, ‘the appropriation or imitation of other people’s ideas and ways of expressing them, to pass them off as one’s own’, is never acceptable. It’s just not worth doing and it has consequences.
2. copyright infringement It will tarnish your credibility and professional authority. Copyright, “the exclusive right, granted by law for a certain period of years, to make and dispose of copies of, and otherwise to control, a literary, musical, dramatic, or artistic work,” protects creators unauthorized copying of all or part thereof. substantial part of his work. Copyright laws differ from country to country, so make sure you understand what the law in your country allows you to do. If you need permission from the author, do so, don’t expect him to get away with it.

3. lack of recognize sources of related material you have used will, at the very least, diminish the respect of your colleagues. And remember to double check that your citations are correct and spelled correctly, right down to the use of commas and periods. Always refer to your style guide if you need to refresh your memory.

4. Wearing generalizations it can lead readers to question your authority. It’s best to avoid phrases like “everyone knows”, “we all know”, “research suggests” as they can make readers wonder if you really know what you’re saying.

5. Lack of consideration of ease of reading it can make the task of reading your technical information much more difficult. Your readers generally don’t like (among other things) large chunks of text or page clutter; spelling, grammar, or punctuation errors; lots of words when a graph, table, or illustration could more easily tell your story; lack of headings or other techniques (index, bold keywords, bullets, or numbered lists) to guide them through your document; use of jargon or technical terms that are not adequately explained; inconsistent paragraph spacing, subheading style, use of shorthand, font selection, etc.

Once your report is written, it is time to check that you have not fallen into any of these traps. Reread and if necessary rewrite, add missing citations, modify layout. Ask a colleague to review it. Ask someone who has not been involved in the project if they have any difficulty reading and understanding your report. Check spelling, grammar, and punctuation; check consistency.

And if you can afford it, hire an editor to give it the final polish.

So trust that your professionalism and credibility have not been diminished by your writing.

Definitions of ‘plagiarism’ and ‘copyright’ The Macquarie Concise Dictionarythird edition, The Macquarie Library Pty Ltd, Sydney, 1998.