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What Is Technical Article

A technical article is an article about a technical topic that provides low-level details. There are 10 rules for writing a technical article: 1) use present tense, 2) avoid lengthy paragraphs, 3) use active voice, 4) expand acronyms on first use, 5) avoid vague terms like "etc.", 6) do not refer to colors in figures, 7) keep bylines short, 8) proofread for spelling errors, 9) only write about topics you are confident in, and 10) cite sources of data. The article should include a title, abstract, introduction, body, and conclusions/references section.
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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
443 views4 pages

What Is Technical Article

A technical article is an article about a technical topic that provides low-level details. There are 10 rules for writing a technical article: 1) use present tense, 2) avoid lengthy paragraphs, 3) use active voice, 4) expand acronyms on first use, 5) avoid vague terms like "etc.", 6) do not refer to colors in figures, 7) keep bylines short, 8) proofread for spelling errors, 9) only write about topics you are confident in, and 10) cite sources of data. The article should include a title, abstract, introduction, body, and conclusions/references section.
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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1.

What is Technical Article


an article for a magazine or an online service that is about a technical topic, and
typically the article drills down into some low-level of detail.

10 rules (always remember never to violate these)

#1: Always use present tense in writing Technical Article. Furthermore, the use of words like “will” tends
to lead to thinking and writing about what will be done. Conversely, when the article is written in the
present tense, the language is clear and unambiguous.

#2: Avoid lengthy, complex paragraphs. In case your article will appear in columns, even one or two
sentences equal a paragraph.

#3: Avoid use of passive voice.

For example “Each message includes a time interval” (active voice) reads better than “In a message, time
interval is included” (passive voice).

Sentences in active voice have directness and keep the reader interested.

#4: Expand all acronyms on first use, except acronyms that every reader is expected to know.

#5: Avoid “etc.” unless it is obvious.

Good Example: “We shall number the phrases as 1,3,5 etc”

Bad Example: “We measure performance factors such as volatility, scalability, etc”

Also avoid using “that”, “this”, “these”, “such as,” “among others” or, better yet, try to give a complete
list.

#6: Do not refer to colors in Figures. Most people will print the paper on a monochrome (black and white)
printer and will have no idea what you are talking about. Make sure that lines are easily distinguishable
when printing on a monochrome printer.

#7: Keep your bylines down to 6 lines or less. Publishers will not publish articles that contain excessively
long bylines.

#8: Make sure you read your article several times and use spell-check. Though it may be obvious, this is
one of the most important tips. If you are careless making silly spelling mistakes, editors will just reject
your article.

#9 : Never write an article on a topic which you are not confident. Make sure you work out all steps and
give fair amount of information to your readers.
#10: When providing data in form of numbers that include facts, always provide the source of
information. For example “20,000 nodes on internet as per XYZ research paper dated ..”

Article should include the following Outline:-

 Title
 Abstract
 Introduction
 The Body
 Conclusions/Summary
 Future Work /References

Title:
Avoid common phrases like “novel”, “performance evaluation” and “architecture”, since almost every
paper does a performance evaluation of some architecture and it better be novel. Nobody searches for
these types of words on the internet.
Use adjectives that describe the distinctive features of your work, e.g., reliable, scalable, high-
performance, robust, low-complexity, or low-cost.
Use a powerful headline that demands attention and try to keep it all on one line. Look for keyword
combinations that will make a good title, should reflect what the article is about, and should rate fair in a
keyword search.
Abstract :
Lot of people doesn’t realize the importance of “Abstract”. Many people read abstracts and then decide
whether to go through the rest of the paper.
Well written abstract should be no more than 100-150 words. Highlight not just the problem, but also the
results. The abstract must not contain references, as it may be used without the main article.
Avoid use of “in this paper” in the abstract. Avoid equations and math unless your article is about proving
an equation.
Introduction:
Should briefly describe the problem along with solutions and alternatives the paper is going to cover.
Problem statement should also lay emphasis on why problem is important.
Be sure that the introduction lets the reader know what this paper is about, not just how important your
general area of research is. The introduction must motivate your work by covering the problem you are
addressing and then give an overview of your approach and/or contributions (and perhaps even a general
description of your results).
Introduction should answer the following questions :-
 What is the existing problem and why it is important?
 What is the approach to solve the problem (leave the details to be covered in the body) and how is it
different than existing approach or solves a known limitation?
 What are the Results?
In this way, the introduction sets up the expectations for the rest of the paper by providing a context and a
preview.
Remember: Repeating the abstract in the introduction is bad idea so avoid it.
Body:
Describe Problem and the necessary details. Unless there is a separate section on results/conclusion, that
should also land up in this section.
Try to tell a story. The story should be linear by keeping the reader engaged at every step. Make a list of
your main points. Then progress from one to another (logically), so that they lead to a conclusion.
Along with the text (that is obvious) to you since you know what you are writing, try to include figures,
flowcharts, and tables to support the text. Believe me, this is what would keep the readers interested.
Conclusion/Summary
This should essentially include a summary of all the main points mentioned in the body. Conclusion may
be merged either in the body or a separate section just after the body.
Future Work /References
If you are actively involved in a follow-up work (would often be true for a on-going research), there is no
harm to include a synopsis on the same in this section so readers can look forward to that.
Provide links to all articles you think will be useful for the reader to get additional information. If you
have referred any books, list them as well. This will give a clear idea to the reader to look out for more
details.
Last but not the least, make sure you follow the publishers’ submission guidelines. Articles submitted to
publishers that don’t follow the submission guidelines will most likely be rejected.
Make sure your article is properly formatted. Publishers won’t take the time to format your article.
They’ll simply delete it and move on to the next article submission.

STYLE -
Expository writing is writing that seeks to explain, illuminate or 'expose' (which is
where the word 'expository' comes from).
This type of writing can include
essays,
newspaper
and magazine articles,
instruction manuals,
textbooks,
encyclopedia articles and other forms of writing

Expository writing differs from other forms of writing, such as fiction and poetry. In
fact, this lesson itself is an example of expository writing.

Points to Keep in Mind for the Article Writing Format

 The topics of the articles should be unique and relevant


 The article has to get attention
 It has to be interesting
 It has to be easy to read
 The reader is identified
 Find the main goal of writing an article. The goal can be anything from providing
information, entertainment, and advice or for comparing, etc.
 The title must be eye-catching, clear, and interesting
 The introduction or the starting paragraph must be highly attentive. Use your
vocabulary skills or try to use some interrogative words for the start
 Use clear statements and make assertions
 Avoid repetition and over the top logic and reasons
 Use the style of paragraph writing and write the contents uniquely and
unambiguously
 Avoid using the points which interest you only and not for the general public
 Write a good and logical ending

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