Re: Technical writing in a higher ed environment

Subject: Re: Technical writing in a higher ed environment
From: Al Geist <al -dot- geist -at- geistassociates -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Sun, 21 Mar 2004 17:16:56 -0700


You are absolutely right. The AP style guide, like all other guides, are just that...suggestions on how things should be done in order to bring consistency in particular sections of the writing world. The AP Style Guide is for reporters, or anyone submitting material to AP, or most print magazines. It is not a guide for material submitted to scientific journals. Clarity to the audience is the most important aspect. In that sense. a good writer really doesn't follow any regimented style because clarity flows naturally. It's how they view the subject and how they analyze it internally. Worrying about placing a comma before the and in the last element of a series is getting bogged down on the trivial. I've worked as a general reporter, business reporter, science editor, technical writer/editor/manager (more years at this than the others), video script writer/producer and marketing writer. Each has it's own little set of rules, but all have one main criteria....good writing. As a manager, I would rather have a good writer who follows the AP Style Guide than a lousy writer who can quote me the Chicago Manual of Style backwards.

Gene Kim-Eng wrote:

For a lone tech writer, the good news is that in the absence of requirements for these things in an AP environment, the writer can pretty much do as he/she pleases. For the publications manager, the bad news is that in the absence of requirements for these things in
an AP enviroment, the writer can pretty much do as he/she pleases.



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Al Geist, Geist Associates
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References:
RE: Technical writing in a higher ed environment: From: Wendy Cunningham
Re: Technical writing in a higher ed environment: From: Al Geist
Re: Technical writing in a higher ed environment: From: Bonnie Granat
Re: Technical writing in a higher ed environment: From: Gene Kim-Eng

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