Here’s a general strategy for editing technical reports. Once you’ve got something on the page, it’s worth taking the time to make sure your writing is as clear and concise as possible.
As you edit, remember the goal of all writing: to be easy to read.
How to edit
Everyone’s different, but if you’re not sure how to start writing and editing, here’s how I like to do it:
- Put section headers on the page
- Write every relevant thing I can think of under each header
- Walk away and do something else for at least half an hour
- Come back and read what I’ve written, making the following changes:
- Delete every point or sentence that doesn’t seem relevant
- Make the remaining content as concise as possible
- Read what’s left out loud; whenever something doesn’t immediately make sense, rewrite it.
- Repeat 3-4 until nothing changes.
This method won’t necessarily work for everyone. You’ll probably need to experiment a bit to work out how you like to edit. If my method doesn’t help you and you’re not sure what else to try, make an appointment at the Academic Skills and Learning Centre to edit your writing with one of their staff. They’ll be able to help you work out an editing method that works better for you.
While online grammar editors exist (and are better than not editing at all), they won’t notice if your writing is grammatically correct but still doesn’t make sense for another reason. You’ll be much better off taking the time to learn how to edit your own work.
Clear?
As you read your work, constantly ask yourself:
- Does this make sense?
- Have you actually said everything you need to, or is there important information still in your head?
- Are there any other ways a reader could interpret what you’ve written?
If the answer is, “I’m not sure”, it might help to read your work to a friend. They’ll be able to tell you whether they understand what you mean. So long as they don’t write or edit your work, it’s ok (and encouraged!) for a friend to help you check this.
Concise?
Also ask yourself:
- Can I make this any shorter, and still say everything I want to?
If so, do it. The ideal report is as long as it takes to explain everything, and not a single word longer.
Some further resources
Technical Writing Essentials – Open Textbook
Wordiness, Wordiness, Wordiness List
Technical writing for computer science students