TECHNICAL PAPER WRITING GUIDE

(Modified, but not originally made by: Quantum Yuri B. Lubrica, April 2011)

WHAT IS TECHNICAL PAPER WRITING?

Examples are scientific papers, engineers report, theses, PhD dissertation, research
manuscript, and technical reports.
Provide information on any scientific research and projects.
Undertaken by any person, institution, company and laboratory for the purposes of: Scientific
experimentation, Material production, Invention, Product development, Testing, etc.
Written in structured manner (or standard format)

CHARACTERISTIC OF TECHNICAL WRITING

CHARACTERISTICS
1. Written in structured style.
2. Written in restrained tone.
EXAMPLES
title, abstract. introduction, methodology, etc.
(incorrect) This is a very beautiful, functional,
and artistically designed laboratory equipment.
(correct) This is an oscilloscope.

3. It uses special terminology. Thin small outline package (TSOP), sometimes

called very small outline packages (VSOP), are
very sensitive to stress inside the resin
encapsulation of chips.
4. It is unbiased. walang kinikilingan, walang prinoprotektahan
;)
Be objective and report facts as they really are.

5. It uses graphic aids. Graphs, tables, charts, figures, photographs are

6. It is written for a specific reader.
used to:
a) explain statistical & complex information
b) increase readers comprehension
c) present data
d) emphasize relationship
The target audience usually has technical
background.

THE STANDARD FORMAT

The format ensures the efficient processing of information. For the purposes of clarity
and completeness of the technical papers coverage, this structural style, or standard
Format for technical papers and manuscript is given below:

1. Title, Name, and Affiliation of Authors

2. Abstract
3. Introduction
4. Methodology (or experiment procedure)
5. Results and Discussion
6. Conclusion
7. Acknowledgement
8. Appendix
9. References
1. TITLE, NAME, AND AFFILIATION OF AUTHORS

Title characteristics:
Title should distinguish itself from other papers of the same nature.
Title must be concise (short), precise (exact), and specific.
For example, if the purpose of the experiment is to measure the specific heat of the fluid by
using a continuous flow calorimeter, we use this fact directly as a title: Measurement of the
Specific Heat of Water by Using a Continuous-Flow Calorimeter. Notice that three questions
are answered in this title:

1. Is the work experimental or theoretical? That is, are we reporting a measurement or a

calculation?
2. What is the topic of the work?
3. What general methods did we use?

Pointers in title Composition:

Have a working title when writing a paper.
Avoid long titles.
Avoid fancy and enigmatic titles (e.g. the magical world of oscillating pendulum.)
The title should be crafted with care and precision.

Author Affiliation/s:
It provides information on the business address of the authors. Usually this address is
also the place where the project has been performed.

Example:
SYNCHRONIZATION IN INTEGRATE-AND-FIRE MODEL
R. Cabral, M.H. Balgos, J.R. Guhit, M. Cupatan
Department of Physics, College of Science, University of the Philippines Diliman
Quezon City, Philippines 1101

2. ABSTRACT
The abstract provides the reader a brief introduction of the papers content. It summarizes the
work in 100 to 150 words. An abstract should contain the following:
1. Statement of the problem or experiment.
2. List of general methods and procedures used (in the project).
3. Principal finding or specific result of the work.

The abstract should answer the following questions:

What is the paper all about? (What is the problem being addressed in the paper?)
What are the methods used in solving/analyzing the problem?
What are the results of the paper?
What is new about the paper? (if applicable)
3. INTRODUCTION

The introduction contains the authors motivation, the objective of the work, and some
background information on other papers that have addressed the same problem issue. It also
contains the necessary related theories/concepts that can help in discussing the results.
Authors task:
 1. Define a problem.
2. Show the importance in studying the problem.
3. Provide information on similar works by other authors (for purposes of comparison).
4. State clearly the methods/procedures being proposed on the paper.
5. Include related science concepts. Dont include concepts that arent going to be discussed
or mentioned in the body of the paper.

The introduction is organized in a four point format.

Parts Contents
1st Part Expansion of motivation and problem identification.
Relevant Questions:
1. Why is the work important?
2. Why is the Author solving the problem?
3. What is the problem?

2nd Part Previous effort to solve the problem.

1. What has been done to solve the problem?
2. what are the persons/companies/universities that have
already worked in this particular research area?
(If you dont know any related researches, just provide
a scientific/theoretical background that will be useful in
your discussion)
3rd Part Proposed solution of the problem.
Relevant Questions:
1. How is problem going to be solved?
2. How is the solution different or better than other
works?

4th Part Brief outlines to the content of succeeding chapter of the paper.
(A lot of you forget to do this. Also take note that it should be
brief).

4. METHODOLOGY
The methodology thoroughly covers the following:
A complete description of the experimental set-up. Include a block diagram of the set up.
You may also choose to include an adequately labeled photograph of the set-up.
The steps employed in performing the experiment. Steps should not be enumerated in
bullets or numbers but should be stated in paragraph form as if you are narrating what you did.
Thus, it should be written in past tense.
The mathematical and statistical methods (and related formulas) implemented in the analysis of
the data (linear regression, curve fit and programs used for curve fitting).

It should be written in third person, just like the rest of the paper. (Use the experimenters or
better yet, shift your focus on the subject/equipment. Ex. The iron ball was placed in the mini
launcher and the string was pulled to release the ball.)
I dont want to see recipe style procedures as if you are giving instructions. Ex. Place the iron
ball in the mini launcher then pull the string to release the ball. This style of writing is in 2nd
voice already. I especially dont want to see copy-pasted instructions from the lab manual.
There is no need to list the materials used. Instead, mention them as you describe the steps.
 If statistical evaluation is used to aid in the discussion of results, then it should contain:
the sequence of methods to be used
the rationale for their use
the tools that were used to implement them

5. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The result of the work, expressed in terms of numbers, tables, figures, diagrams, and statistics
derived from the experiment are presented.
Tasks:
Each part of the result is discussed thoroughly, making sure to answer the questions listed
below.
The writer will rely heavily on logical reasoning (both deductive and inductive).
The writer should be able to show that his /her objectives (at the introduction) have been met.

In all instances, the writer should be able to answer conclusively the following frequently
asked questions:
1. Is the experiment procedure working?
2. How reliable are the data?
3. Are data enough to prove the authors claim?
4. What are the possible sources of error?

If the report is long, split this section into subsections.

A. Pendulum Calibration
B. g Measurements
C. Effects of the Earths Field on Electron Charge

GRAPHS
Graphs allow the reader as well as the experimenter to see the behavior of the system so that
they can judge for themselves the validity of our assertion about the results.
Some pointers in plotting the graphs:
Must be clear, neat and uncluttered so that the reader dont have to do hard work to get the
message.
The axis should be clearly labeled with their corresponding units of measurements.
Each graph should have a clear title that differentiates it from other similar graphs.
Add a figure number and a caption to the plot. This should be located right beneath the
figure. In addition to supplying identification, a caption can quickly point out the plot
behavior that you wish to point out (linearity of the plot, saturation, etc.).
In each case of superimposed plots, label your plots with different legends.
If you have fitted the data points with trend lines, indicate on the graph the equation of the
curve.

6. CONCLUSION
The writer highlights the important results of the paper. The conclusion also includes some
cost analysis (or the consequences of the results of the paper) and the recommendation for future
work. The recommendations can guide future researchers working on similar problems.

7. ACKNOWLEGMENT
 This mentions and acknowledges all the support the author/s received from certain donor/s,
individuals, groups, and/or institution through direct or indirect involvement and interest in the
implementation of the project.

Note:
Dedication shouldnt be confused with acknowledgement.
Dedications are not permitted in technical paper.
No acknowledgement to anything or anyone who have no participation in the project
including the mention of metaphysical or paranormal beings.

8. REFERENCES
This portion provides a list of printed materials (books, scientific paper, research publication,
theses, etc.) used in the project. Entries in the list are according to their appearance in the body of
the paper. Websites can be used as references as long as they are credible. Refrain from using
Wikipedia, Answers.com and similar pages. Dont include references that you did not use.
You are allowed to copy the exact statements as long as you enclose this in a or italicize the
text. Write a superscript [1], [2], [3] etc. after the sentence and make sure these superscripts match
your reference list. (Shortcut is Ctrl+Shift+ (+/= button)) Use superscripts whenever you get
something from a reference even if you didnt copy verbatim.

Technical Paper Score Distributions

TITLE (Concise, Exact, Specific): 10

ABSTRACT: 10
Introduction: 1
Objectives: 3
General Methods: 3
Results & Conclusion: 3

INTRODUCTION: 12
Purpose & Significance: 4
Background: 6
Brief outline of succeeding sections: 2

METHODOLOGY: 15
Experimental Set-up/Apparatus sketch: 5
Procedure: 10

RESULTS & DISCUSSION: 25

Data Presentation (Tables/Graphs) and complementary discussion: 7
Summary/Interpretation of Results: 10
Error Analysis: 8

CONCLUSION: 10
Main conclusion (most important results): 8
Recommendations: 2

REFERENCES: 5
TECHNICAL (T) (Grammar, Readability, Sentence construction, etc.): 8
PRESENTATION (P) (Organization/Neatness/Adherence to format): 5

TOTAL SCORE: 100 points

Late Papers: -2 points for each day (excluding sat, sun, mon, holidays)
Early Papers: +2 points for each day (M-F); +1 point/ day for Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays.