The MIT Guide to Science and Engineering Communication

""The MIT Guide" contains an abundance of useful information on practically every facet of contemporary technical communication. I enjoyed reading it immensely. The information is succinct and to the point, and the supporting graphics are not only relevant but often admirable in the amount of information they convey."
-- David F. Beer, Ph.D., Director of Technical Communication, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Texas at Austin

"The glue that holds this text together is the contextual or situational nature of technical and scientific writing--that each document or presentation must address the needs of a particular audience at a particular time. Paradis and Zimmerman do an excellent job of couching all of their discussions within the framework of situational commmunication. The text is appropriate for an advanced technical writing class and, as such, fills a void. It would also be an excellent addition to the student's permanent library."
-- Carolyn Plumb, Ph.D., College of Engineering and Communication Course Coordinator, University of Washington Good communication makes a difference. Any successful scientist or engineer will have multiple communication tasks connected with any project. Drawing on their considerable experience teaching both college students and science professionals, James Paradis and Muriel Zimmerman have written a handbook that treats four kinds of literacy -- written, oral, graphic, electronic -- as crucial and inseparable to science and engineering communication.

"The MIT Guide" emphasizes processes and forms that will help in creating documents and includes numerous realisticexamples. A special feature of the book is its acceptance of the fact that most work in science these days is collaborative and that writing is often a group rather than a solitary activity. There is also a strong emphasis on the central role of the computer in creating and disseminating technical materials.

First, Paradis and Zimmerman observe, it is essential to consider science and engineering as communication. The most effective engineers and scientists are skilled writers, and the first chapter shows how important good communication is to a successful career in science. The chapters that follow address such topics as: defining your audience and aims; organizing and drafting documents; revising for organization and style; developing graphics; conducting meetings; memos, letters, and e-mail; proposals; progress reports; reports and journal articles; instructional materials; electronic texts; oral presentations; job search strategies; document design for page and screen; strategies for searching the literature; and citation and reference styles.