This book presents the generative rules for formal written communication, in an engineering context, through the lens of mathematics. Aimed at engineering students headed for careers in industry and professionals needing a “just in time” writing resource, this pragmatic text covers all that engineers need to become successful workplace writers, and leaves out all pedagogical piffle they do not. Organized into three levels of skill-specific instruction, A Math-Based Writing System for Engineers: Sentence Algebra & Document Algorithms guides readers through the process of building accurate, precise sentences to structuring efficient, effective reports. The book’s indexed design provides convenient access for both selective and comprehensive readers, and is ideal for university students; professionals seeking a thorough, “left -brained” treatment of English grammar and “go to” document structures; and ESL engineers at all levels.

Engineers are smart people. Their work is important, which is why engineering material should be written as deliberately and carefully as it will be read. Engineering Writing by Design: Creating Formal Documents of Lasting Value demonstrates how effective writing can be achieved through engineering-based thinking. Based on the authors’ combined experience as engineering educators, the book presents a novel approach to technical writing, positioning formal writing tasks as engineering design problems with requirements, constraints, protocols, standards, and customers (readers) to satisfy. Specially crafted for busy engineers and engineering students, this quick-reading, conversational text: Describes how to avoid logical fallacies and use physical reasoning to catch mistakes in claims Covers the essentials of technical grammar and style as well as the elements of mathematical exposition Emphasizes the centrality of the target audience, and thus the need for clear and concise prose Engineering Writing by Design: Creating Formal Documents of Lasting Value addresses the specific combination of thinking and writing skills needed to succeed in modern engineering. Its mantra is: to write like an engineer, you must think like an engineer. Featuring illustrative examples, chapter summaries and exercises, quick-reference tables, and recommendations for further reading, this book is packed with valuable tips and information practicing and aspiring engineers need to become effective writers.

A SCIENTIFIC APPROACH TO WRITING Technical ideas may be solid or even groundbreaking, but if these ideas cannot be clearly communicated, reviewers of technical documents—e.g., proposals for research funding, articles submitted to scientific journals, and business plans to commercialize technology—are likely to reject the argument for advancing these ideas. The problem is that many engineers and scientists, entirely comfortable with the logic and principles of mathematics and science, treat writing as if it possesses none of these attributes. The absence of a systematic framework for writing often results in sentences that are difficult to follow or arguments that leave reviewers scratching their heads. This book fixes that problem by presenting a “scientific” approach to writing that mirrors the sensibilities of scientists and engineers, an approach based on an easily-discernable set of principles. Rather than merely stating rules for English grammar and composition, this book explains the reasons behind these rules and shows that good reasons can guide every writing decision. This resource is also well suited for the growing number of scientists and engineers in the U.S. and elsewhere who speak English as a second language, as well as for anyone else who just wants to be understood.

Learn how to create good requirements when designing hardware and software systems. While this book emphasizes writing traditional “shall” statements, it also provides guidance on use case design and creating user stories in support of agile methodologies. The book surveys modeling techniques and various tools that support requirements collection and analysis. You’ll learn to manage requirements, including discussions of document types and digital approaches using spreadsheets, generic databases, and dedicated requirements tools. Good, clear examples are presented, many related to real-world work the author has done during his career. Requirements Writing for System Engineeringantages of different requirements approaches and implement them correctly as your needs evolve. Unlike most requirements books, Requirements Writing for System Engineering teaches writing both hardware and software requirements because many projects include both areas. To exemplify this approach, two example projects are developed throughout the book, one focusing on hardware and the other on software. This book Presents many techniques for capturing requirements. Demonstrates gap analysis to find missing requirements. Shows how to address both software and hardware, as most projects involve both. Provides extensive examples of “shall” statements, user stories, and use cases. Explains how to supplement or replace traditional requirement statements with user stories and use cases that work well in agile development environments What You Will Learn Understand the 14 techniques for capturing all requirements. Address software and hardware needs; because most projects involve both. Ensure all statements meet the 16 attributes of a good requirement. Differentiate the 19 different functional types of requirement, and the 31 non-functional types. Write requirements properly based on extensive examples of good ‘shall’ statements, user stories, and use cases. Employ modeling techniques to mitigate the imprecision of words. Audience Writing Requirements teaches you to write requirements the correct way. It is targeted at the requirements engineer who wants to improve and master his craft. This is also an excellent book from which to teach requirements engineering at the university level. Government organizations at all levels, from Federal to local levels, can use this book to ensure they begin all development projects correctly. As well, contractor companies supporting government development are also excellent audiences for this book.

Everyone knows that engineers must be good at math, but many students fail to realize just how much writing engineering involves: reports, memos, presentations, specifications—all fall within the purview of a practicing engineer, and all require a polished clarity that does not happen by accident. A Guide to Writing as an Engineer provides essential guidance toward this critical skill, with practical examples, expert discussion, and real-world models that illustrate the techniques engineers use every day. Now in its Fifth Edition, this invaluable guide has been updated to reflect the most current standards of the field, and leverage the eText format to provide interactive examples, Engineering Communication Challenges, self-quizzes, and other learning tools. Students build a more versatile skill set by applying core communication techniques to a variety of situations professional engineers encounter, equipping them with the knowledge and perspective they need to succeed in any workplace. Although suitable for first-year undergraduate students, this book offers insight and reference for every stage of a young engineer’s career.

Engineering Writing by Design: Creating Formal Document of Lasting Value, Second Edition shows how effective writing can be achieved by thinking like an engineer. Based on the authors’ combined experience as engineering educators, the book presents a novel approach to technical writing, positioning formal writing tasks as engineering design problems with requirements, constraints, protocols, standards, and customers (readers) to satisfy. Specially crafted for busy engineers and engineering students, this quick-reading conversational text: Describes how to apply engineering design concepts to the writing process Explains how engineers fall into thinking traps, and gives techniques for avoiding them Covers the essentials of grammar, style, and mathematical exposition Highlights topics in writing ethics, including copyright, plagiarism, data presentation, and persuasion Engineering Writing by Design: Creating Formal Documents of Lasting Value, Second Edition addresses the specific combination of thinking and writing skills needed to succeed in modern engineering. Its mantra is: to write like an engineer, you must think like an engineer. Featuring illustrative examples, chapter summaries and exercises, quick-reference tables, and recommendations for further reading, this book is packed with valuable tips and information practicing and aspiring engineers need to become effective writers.