A Guide to Writing in Engineering
First Edition ©2019 Stephen Bernhardt; Nancy Sommers Formats: E-book
As low as C$9.99
As low as C$9.99
Authors
-
Stephen A. Bernhardt
Stephen A. Bernhardt is Professor of English and the Andrew B. Kirkpatrick Chair in Writing at the University of Delaware, where he teaches composition, grammar, and technical writing. His professional interests include computers in composition/distance education, writing across the curriculum, professional and technical communication, and visual rhetoric. He has also taught at New Mexico State University and at Southern Illinois University. The author of many journal articles and technical reports, Bernhardt is also the author of Writing at Work (1997) and coeditor of Expanding Literacies: English Teaching and the New Workplace (1998). Bernhardt designed the research plan and reworked content for Writers Help.
-
Nancy Sommers
Nancy Sommers, who has taught composition and directed composition programs for thirty years, now teaches in Harvard's Graduate School of Education. She led Harvard's Expository Writing Program for twenty years, directing the first-year writing program and establishing Harvard's WAC program. A two-time Braddock Award winner, Sommers is well known for her research and publications on student writing. Her articles “Revision Strategies of Student and Experienced Writers” and “Responding to Student Writing” are two of the most widely read and anthologized articles in the field of composition. Recently she has been exploring different audiences through publishing in popular media. Sommers is the lead author on Hacker handbooks, all published by Bedford/St. Martin’s, and editor of Tiny Teaching Stories on Macmillan Learning's Bits Blog.
Table of Contents
Introduction: A Guide to Writing in Engineering
Thinking like an engineer
The design process
Questions engineers ask
Kinds of evidence engineers use
Ethical conduct in engineering
Researching engineering
Using databases to find articles in research journals
Strategies for optimizing your online searches
Primary and secondary sources
Sources of engineering data and regulations
Evaluating online resources
Reading the engineering literature
Actively reading a textbook
Active reading
The structure of a research or experimental report
The structure of a design report
How to read an engineering report
The process of writing papers, projects, and presentations in engineering
Considering your purpose and your audience
Designing and writing effective documents
Organizing and drafting
Revising and editing
Writing conventions in engineering
Controlling sentence structure
Using effective vocabulary
Presenting data effectively
Presenting equations, calculations, and data
Presenting and documenting code
Integrating, citing, and documenting sources in engineering
Summarizing, paraphrasing, and quoting
Avoiding plagiarism and recognizing intellectual property
Using IEEE style for citing sources in engineering
Genres of writing in engineering
Technical, lab, or test report
Lab notebook
Literature review
Problem analysis and evaluation
Project proposal
Design report
Research report
Case study
Memo or brief
Summary, abstract, and annotated bibliography
Poster or slide presentation
Oral presentation
Glossary of vocabulary in engineering
References
Additional resources for reading and writing in engineering
Practice activities
Practice activity: Determining goals, purposes, values, and evaluation criteria
Practice activity: Evaluating web resources
Practice activity: Recognizing high-quality, high-impact research journals
Practice activity: Finding the best sources on the web
Practice activity: Finding one good research article using a database
Practice activity: Identifying sources used in a technical report
Practice activity: Step-by-step procedures
Practice activity: Warnings
Practice activity: Functional table design 1
Practice activity: Functional table design 2
Answers to selected activities
Sample student writing: Engineering
Design report: Human-Harvesting Energy System
Lab report: Coliform Presence Determination from Cell Samples Isolated and Sequenced from Activated Sludge
Project proposal: Site Stabilization Plan for Erosion Control
Research proposal: Implementing Rain Gardens to Reduce Flooding in Newark, DE
More help with documentation: Engineering reference list (IEEE)
IEEE-style reference list: Additional examples
Editing strategies
Subject-verb agreement
Pronoun agreement, reference, and case
Strong verbs
Sentence fragments
Run-on sentences
Distracting shifts
Parallel structure
Clear, uncluttered sentences
Sentence emphasis
Commas
Apostrophes
Quotation marks
Product Updates
Authors
-
Stephen A. Bernhardt
Stephen A. Bernhardt is Professor of English and the Andrew B. Kirkpatrick Chair in Writing at the University of Delaware, where he teaches composition, grammar, and technical writing. His professional interests include computers in composition/distance education, writing across the curriculum, professional and technical communication, and visual rhetoric. He has also taught at New Mexico State University and at Southern Illinois University. The author of many journal articles and technical reports, Bernhardt is also the author of Writing at Work (1997) and coeditor of Expanding Literacies: English Teaching and the New Workplace (1998). Bernhardt designed the research plan and reworked content for Writers Help.
-
Nancy Sommers
Nancy Sommers, who has taught composition and directed composition programs for thirty years, now teaches in Harvard's Graduate School of Education. She led Harvard's Expository Writing Program for twenty years, directing the first-year writing program and establishing Harvard's WAC program. A two-time Braddock Award winner, Sommers is well known for her research and publications on student writing. Her articles “Revision Strategies of Student and Experienced Writers” and “Responding to Student Writing” are two of the most widely read and anthologized articles in the field of composition. Recently she has been exploring different audiences through publishing in popular media. Sommers is the lead author on Hacker handbooks, all published by Bedford/St. Martin’s, and editor of Tiny Teaching Stories on Macmillan Learning's Bits Blog.
Table of Contents
Introduction: A Guide to Writing in Engineering
Thinking like an engineer
The design process
Questions engineers ask
Kinds of evidence engineers use
Ethical conduct in engineering
Researching engineering
Using databases to find articles in research journals
Strategies for optimizing your online searches
Primary and secondary sources
Sources of engineering data and regulations
Evaluating online resources
Reading the engineering literature
Actively reading a textbook
Active reading
The structure of a research or experimental report
The structure of a design report
How to read an engineering report
The process of writing papers, projects, and presentations in engineering
Considering your purpose and your audience
Designing and writing effective documents
Organizing and drafting
Revising and editing
Writing conventions in engineering
Controlling sentence structure
Using effective vocabulary
Presenting data effectively
Presenting equations, calculations, and data
Presenting and documenting code
Integrating, citing, and documenting sources in engineering
Summarizing, paraphrasing, and quoting
Avoiding plagiarism and recognizing intellectual property
Using IEEE style for citing sources in engineering
Genres of writing in engineering
Technical, lab, or test report
Lab notebook
Literature review
Problem analysis and evaluation
Project proposal
Design report
Research report
Case study
Memo or brief
Summary, abstract, and annotated bibliography
Poster or slide presentation
Oral presentation
Glossary of vocabulary in engineering
References
Additional resources for reading and writing in engineering
Practice activities
Practice activity: Determining goals, purposes, values, and evaluation criteria
Practice activity: Evaluating web resources
Practice activity: Recognizing high-quality, high-impact research journals
Practice activity: Finding the best sources on the web
Practice activity: Finding one good research article using a database
Practice activity: Identifying sources used in a technical report
Practice activity: Step-by-step procedures
Practice activity: Warnings
Practice activity: Functional table design 1
Practice activity: Functional table design 2
Answers to selected activities
Sample student writing: Engineering
Design report: Human-Harvesting Energy System
Lab report: Coliform Presence Determination from Cell Samples Isolated and Sequenced from Activated Sludge
Project proposal: Site Stabilization Plan for Erosion Control
Research proposal: Implementing Rain Gardens to Reduce Flooding in Newark, DE
More help with documentation: Engineering reference list (IEEE)
IEEE-style reference list: Additional examples
Editing strategies
Subject-verb agreement
Pronoun agreement, reference, and case
Strong verbs
Sentence fragments
Run-on sentences
Distracting shifts
Parallel structure
Clear, uncluttered sentences
Sentence emphasis
Commas
Apostrophes
Quotation marks
Product Updates
A Guide to Writing in Engineering, part of the Writer’s Help Guidebook Series, offers writing and research support for students writing in the discipline. This compact yet comprehensive guidebook provides the value students want with the essential instruction they need to get their writing tasks completed successfully. Students will find advice on how to think, read, research, design and write papers, projects and presentations like an engineer.
Coverage includes the following topics, all focused on the specific needs of writers in engineering:
- Writing process
- Conventions in the discipline
- Integrating and evaluating sources
- Documentation style required in the discipline--with plenty of models
- Sample student writing
Looking for instructor resources like Test Banks, Lecture Slides, and Clicker Questions? Request access to Achieve to explore the full suite of instructor resources.
FAQs
-
-
Are you a campus bookstore looking for ordering information?
MPS Order Search Tool (MOST) is a web-based purchase order tracking program that allows customers to view and track their purchases. No registration or special codes needed! Just enter your BILL-TO ACCT # and your ZIP CODE to track orders.
Canadian Stores: Please use only the first five digits/letters in your zip code on MOST.
Visit MOST, our online ordering system for booksellers: https://tracking.mpsvirginia.com/Login.aspx
Learn more about our Bookstore programs here: https://www.macmillanlearning.com/college/us/contact-us/booksellers
-
-
-
Our courses currently integrate with Canvas, Blackboard (Learn and Ultra), Brightspace, D2L, and Moodle. Click on the support documentation below to find out more details about the integration with each LMS.
Integrate Macmillan courses with Blackboard
Integrate Macmillan courses with Canvas
-
-
-
If you’re a verified instructor, you can request a free sample of our courseware, e-book, or print textbook to consider for use in your courses. Only registered and verified instructors can receive free print and digital samples, and they should not be sold to bookstores or book resellers. If you don't yet have an existing account with Macmillan Learning, it can take up to two business days to verify your status as an instructor. You can request a free sample from the right side of this product page by clicking on the "Request Instructor Sample" button or by contacting your rep. Learn more.
-
-
-
Sometimes also referred to as a spiral-bound or binder-ready textbook, loose-leaf textbooks are available to purchase. This three-hole punched, unbound version of the book costs less than a hardcover or paperback book.
-
-
-
We can help! Contact your representative to discuss your specific needs for your course. If our off-the-shelf course materials don’t quite hit the mark, we also offer custom solutions made to fit your needs.
-
ISBN:9781319230746
Take notes, add highlights, and download our mobile-friendly e-books.
FAQs
-
-
Are you a campus bookstore looking for ordering information?
MPS Order Search Tool (MOST) is a web-based purchase order tracking program that allows customers to view and track their purchases. No registration or special codes needed! Just enter your BILL-TO ACCT # and your ZIP CODE to track orders.
Canadian Stores: Please use only the first five digits/letters in your zip code on MOST.
Visit MOST, our online ordering system for booksellers: https://tracking.mpsvirginia.com/Login.aspx
Learn more about our Bookstore programs here: https://www.macmillanlearning.com/college/us/contact-us/booksellers
-
-
-
Our courses currently integrate with Canvas, Blackboard (Learn and Ultra), Brightspace, D2L, and Moodle. Click on the support documentation below to find out more details about the integration with each LMS.
Integrate Macmillan courses with Blackboard
Integrate Macmillan courses with Canvas
-
-
-
If you’re a verified instructor, you can request a free sample of our courseware, e-book, or print textbook to consider for use in your courses. Only registered and verified instructors can receive free print and digital samples, and they should not be sold to bookstores or book resellers. If you don't yet have an existing account with Macmillan Learning, it can take up to two business days to verify your status as an instructor. You can request a free sample from the right side of this product page by clicking on the "Request Instructor Sample" button or by contacting your rep. Learn more.
-
-
-
Sometimes also referred to as a spiral-bound or binder-ready textbook, loose-leaf textbooks are available to purchase. This three-hole punched, unbound version of the book costs less than a hardcover or paperback book.
-
-
-
We can help! Contact your representative to discuss your specific needs for your course. If our off-the-shelf course materials don’t quite hit the mark, we also offer custom solutions made to fit your needs.
-
A Guide to Writing in Engineering
A Guide to Writing in Engineering, part of the Writer’s Help Guidebook Series, offers writing and research support for students writing in the discipline. This compact yet comprehensive guidebook provides the value students want with the essential instruction they need to get their writing tasks completed successfully. Students will find advice on how to think, read, research, design and write papers, projects and presentations like an engineer.
Coverage includes the following topics, all focused on the specific needs of writers in engineering:
- Writing process
- Conventions in the discipline
- Integrating and evaluating sources
- Documentation style required in the discipline--with plenty of models
- Sample student writing
Select a demo to view: