Writing in Engineering a Brief Guide Robert Irish Ebook

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Jun 26, 2017 Mjhancock rated it really liked it

Robert Irish provides a brief guide for writing in engineering, placing main emphasis on the genre of design reports. The book is broken into eight chapters, starting with some general framing, diving into specific formats, then pulling back again for an emphasis on general style and source use. My background is largely in teaching humanities-based writing, which essentially means I'm not really the audience for this book on either an instructor or student level, but the principles Irish relates Robert Irish provides a brief guide for writing in engineering, placing main emphasis on the genre of design reports. The book is broken into eight chapters, starting with some general framing, diving into specific formats, then pulling back again for an emphasis on general style and source use. My background is largely in teaching humanities-based writing, which essentially means I'm not really the audience for this book on either an instructor or student level, but the principles Irish relates are useful guidelines for not just constructing a report but reading it as well; I came away feeling I had a much better understanding of the aims of engineering-based communication. It's very much a handbook rather than textbook--ie, it's focused on providing the basic information for doing the task at hand--but it does well establishing those parameters.

The book is divided into eight chapters. The first places emphasis on audience and purpose; the second, on constructing actual arguments with those principles in mind. The third chapter incorporates strategies for reporting with visuals, and the fourth is essentially the culmination of the previous three (and the core of the book, in a way): strategies for design reports. Chapter 5 is essentially looking at variations on that report, including lab reports, literature reviews and posters; chapter 6 goes a little further afield, with some notes on patent searches, case scenarios, code comments, and instructions. Chapter 7 is about developing a readable style (and also where Irish starts to get a bit punchy, breaking up the grammar issues with some jokes), and a concluding chapter goes briefly over methods for managing sources.

For my own case, I found the first three initial chapters and chapter seven to connect best with academic writing--in fact, it's rare that I've taught an undergraduate course that couldn't benefit from the principles chapter seven espouses. Throughout the book, Irish is a big proponent of teaching through example, and the reader will become familiar with a variety of cases illustrating the writing techniques he champions. I feel a strange kinship to documentation regarding lawn mowers now, and I may never look at the dustpan in the same way. My snideness aside, technical writing is a genre that is very aware that it doesn't lend itself towards engagement or interest--and instead, it directs itself to being concise and to the point, and Irish's account of technical writing teaches that admirably.

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Writing in Engineering a Brief Guide Robert Irish Ebook

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