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Acknowledgments. Introduction. I.ELEMENTS OF TECHNICAL WRITING.1.Fundamentals of Effective Technical Writing. What Is Technical Writing?Good Technical Writing Is ... . 2.How to Write Numbers, Units of Measure,Equations, and Symbols. Numbers. 1. Write Out All Numbers below 10. 2.When Two or More Numbers Are Presented in the Same Section of Writing, WriteThem as Numerals. 3. Write Large Numbers in the Form Most Familiar to YourAudience and Easiest to Understand. 4. Place a Hyphen between a Number andUnit of Measure When They Modify a Noun. 5. Use the Singular WhenFractions and Decimals of One or Less Are Used as Adjectives. 6. WriteDecimals and Fractions as Numerals, Not Words. 7. Treat DecimalRepresentations Consistently, Especially When Presenting Them in Columns,Rows, or Groups. 8. Do Not Inflate the Degree of Accuracy by WritingDecimals with Too Many Digits. 9. If a Number Is an Approximation, WriteIt Out. 10. Spell Out One of Two Numbers -- Usually the Shorter - ThatAppear Consecutively in a Phrase. 11. Do Not Begin a Sentence withNumerals. Units of Measure. 12. Keep All Units of Measure Consistent.13. Use the Correct Units for the System of Measurement You Have Chosen.14. Write Basic Units of Measure in Work Form, Derived Units of Measure asSymbols. 15. Indicate Multiplication of Units with a Raised Dot ( ),Division with a Slash (/). 16. Write Secondary Units in Parentheses afterthe Primary Units. Equations. 17. Use Too Few, Rather Than Too ManyEquations. 18. Center and Number Equations on a Separate Line in YourDocument Unless They Are Short and Simple. 19. Keep All Equal Signs,Division Lines, Fractions Lines, Multiplication Lines, Plus Signs, and MinusSigns on the Same Level. 20. Punctuate Words Used to Introduce EquationsJust as You Would Words Forming Part of Any Sentence. Symbols. 21. Use TooFew Rather Than Too Many Symbols. 22. Define the Symbols You Use. 23.Avoid Duplication of Symbols. 24. Fit Symbols Grammatically into theStructure of Your Sentence. 3.A Few Useful Rules of Punctuation, Grammar,Abbreviation, and Capitalization.Punctuation. 25. Hyphenate Two WordsCompounded to Form an Adjective Modifier. 26. Hyphenate Two Adjacent Nounsif They Are Both Necessary to Express a Single Idea. 27. In a Series ofThree or More Terms with a Single Conjunction, Use a Comma After Each exceptthe Last. 28. Omit the Period at the End of a Parenthetical Expressionwithin a Sentence; Retain It if the Entire Parenthetical Expression StandsAlone. Grammar. 29. Avoid Dangling Participles. 30. Avoid Run-OnSentences. 31. Avoid Sentence Fragments. Abbreviation. 32. Spell OutAbbreviations at Their First Appearance, and Use Too Few Rather Than TooMany. 33. Omit Internal and Terminal Punctuation in Abbreviations. 34.The Abbreviation for a Specific Word or Phrase Takes the Same Case (uppercase or lower case) as the Word or Phrase. 35. Avoid Using Signs inWriting (" for inch, ' for foot), except When Expressing Information inTables. Capitalization. 36. Capitalize Trade Names. 37. Do NotCapitalize Words to Emphasize Their Importance. 38. Capitalize the FullNames of Government Agencies, Companies, Departments, Divisions, andOrganizations. 39. Capitalize All the Proper Nouns Unless Usage Has MadeThem So Familiar That They Are No Longer Associated with the Original Name.4.Principles of Technical Communication. 40. Use the Active Voice. 41.Use Plain Rather Than Elegant or Complex Language. 42. Delete Words,Sentences, and Phrases That Do Not Add to Your Meaning. 43. Use Specificand Concrete Terms Rather Than Vague Generalities. 44. Use Terms YourReader Can Picture. 45. Use the Past Tense to Describe Your ExperimentalWorks and Results. 46. In Most Other Writing, Use the Present Tense.47. Make the Technical Depth of Your Writing Compatible with the Backgroundof Your Reader. 48. Break Up Your Writing into Short Sections. 49. KeepIdeas and Sentence Structure Parallel. 50. Opt for an Informal Rather ThanFormal Style. 5.Words and Phrases Commonly Misused in Technical Writing.Technical Words and Jargon. Big Words. Wordy Phrases. Redundancies.Cliches. Overblown Phrases. The Rise of -Ize. Nouns as Adjectives.Misused and Troublesome Words and Phrases. In Conclusion ... .II.TASKS OF THE TECHNICAL WRITER. 6.Proposals and Specifications.Proposals. What Is a Proposal? Specifications. 7.Technical Articles,Papers, Abstracts, and Reports. Technical Articles and Papers. Abstracts.Reports. 8.Letters and Memos. Letters. Memos. Tips on WritingLetters and Memos. A Words about E-Mail. 9.Manuals and Documentation.Types of Manuals. Guidelines to Help You Write Better Manuals. AppendixA: Writing in the Systems Environment.Appendix B: A Brief Guide to Softwarefor Writers.Index.