This document discusses science writing and technical writing. Science writing involves communicating scientific information to a general audience in an understandable way. It covers topics like science news reporting. Technical writing aims to inform readers by providing objective, factual information to help solve problems or make decisions. It is more specialized than general writing. The document provides guidelines for technical writing, such as using concise sentences, active voice, and specific language while avoiding ambiguity and unnecessary words.

1. SCIENCE WRITING
LALAINE P. JABILLO

2. SCIENCE WRITING
is the latest form of Philippine Journalism.
A science writer should be able to communicate
clearly and effectively so that he can popularize
and translate scientific reports into stories.

3. Science News Writing Covers:
 Science News Reporting
 Is science writing by a scientist or by a non-scientist for mass
consumption.
 His report is written for mass understanding.
 He writes his story in such a way that the science un-oriented reader
may understand and appreciate it because it is written in layman’s
language.
 He writes his story in such a way that the science un-oriented reader
may understand and appreciate it because it is written in layman’s
language.

4. Technical Writing vs. Non-technical
Writing:
 The objective of technical writing is to emphasize hand information
 The main aim of journalistic writing is to inform, interpret, entertain,
and to educate.
 Purpose of Technical Writing
- The main purpose of technical writing is to inform and persuade
by providing facts and opinion based on facts that help readers answer
question, solve a problem, make a decision, or perform a task.
 • Characteristics of Technical Writing:
 It contains only factual information presented objectively.
 All data could be verified and would not change unless new findings
are made.
 The writing depends on the author’s treatment of the subject and by
the reader’s need to useful information.

5. Technical subject is specialized and usually mechanical or
scientific.
 Specific Uses of Technical Writing Skills:
 Modern society is becoming highly technical
 Police and fire personnel write detailed incidents or
investigation report that must be clear enough to serve as
evidence in court.
 Nurses and medical technicians keep daily records that are
crucial to patients’ welfare particularly as bases for
litigations
 Secretaries must write clear and precise memos, letters,
minutes, and reports.
 Managers write memos, personal evaluation, requisitions,
and instructions.

6. Writing for Readers:
To define something – as to insurance costumer
who wants to know what variable annuity means.
To explain something – as to a fellow teacher on
how to write a news story.
To describe something – as to an architectural client
who wants to know what a new addition to her home
look s like.
To persuade someone – like to an adviser of a
school paper to change page format.

7. Do’s and Don’ts in Technical writing
 Omit no key words
 Avoid ambiguous phrases – in technical writing, a sentence
should have one meaning only.
 Avoid over-stuffing – a sentence that crams so many ideas,
forces readers to struggle in order to get what is meant.
 Avoid un-stacked modifiers – too many nouns stacked up
as modifiers in front of another noun make for hard
reading.
 Rearrange word order – just as any paragraph has a key
sentence, any sentence has a key word or phrase. For
emphasis, place the key word or phrase at the beginning or
end of the sentence.

8. Do’s and Don’ts in Technical writing
 Use the active voice
 Make sentences concise (brief) – a concise sentence is brief
but informative. It gets right to the point w/o clutter.
 Eliminate redundancy – avoid using phrase when a word will
do.
 Avoid needless repetition
 Avoid “there” sentence openers – save words and improve
your emphasis by avoiding “there is” and “there are” at the
beginning of the sentences.
 Avoid certain “it” sentence openers – eliminate any ”It” that
does not refer to somerthing specific.

9. Do’s and Don’ts in Technical writing
 Delete needless “to be” construction – forms of the verb “to
be” (is, was, are) often add clutter w/o adding meaning.
 Avoid excessive prepositions
 Use “that and “which” sparingly
 Fight noun addiction – excessive nouns make sentences
awkward and wordy
 Make negative positive – save words and get to the point by
eliminating negative construction.
 Clear out the clutter words
 Delete needless preface – get to the point. Deliver to the
point w/o a long wind-up.

10. Do’s and Don’ts in Technical writing
 Avoid triteness
 Avoid over-statement
 Avoid sweeping generalization
 Use specific, concrete language.